"Don't Look Back in Anger" was written by Noel Gallagher and became the first Oasis single to feature him on lead vocals rather than his brother Liam. The song was heavily influenced by John Lennon, particularly the opening piano chords, which echo Imagine. Noel has also said that the name "Sally" was simply a name that sounded right in the song, rather than referring to a specific person. The line "So I'll start a revolution from my bed" is widely understood as a reference to John Lennon and Yoko Ono's famous 1969 Bed-In peace protests, reinforcing the song's strong Lennon influence.
The track was released in 1996 as the fifth single from Oasis' second album, (What's the Story) Morning Glory?. It became the band's second No. 1 single in the UK and also reached No. 1 in Ireland. In the US it peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and No. 55 on the Billboard Hot 100. Its status grew far beyond its initial chart performance and it became one of Oasis' most enduring anthems, regularly performed at the band's concerts.