Surely, you’ve heard of the popular 2010s boyband, One Direction. After all, they’ve had a hugely successful career ever since all members separately auditioned for the X Factor in 2010. In about 10 minutes, 5 boys were put together into a group by the X Factor judges, not knowing they would go on to become one of the biggest boybands of all time. Millions of fans, 4 tours, and 5 albums later, the band still continues to break records despite going on an indefinite hiatus in 2015.
Here’s an inside look into One Direction’s 5 record-breaking albums…
UP ALL Night
Released in the United Kingdom and Ireland in 2011, Up All Night was One Direction’s debut album. The album was later released in other countries, including the U.S., in 2012. Consisting of 18 tracks, the album featured chart-topping hits like What Makes You Beautiful, One Thing, Gotta Be You, and more. Up All Night went on to debut at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Charts as well as reaching No. 1 in 10 other countries worldwide. The album became the UK’s fastest-selling debut album release of 2011.
Fun fact: One Direction were invited to perform What Makes You Beautiful at the 2012 London Olympics closing ceremony!
TAKE ME HOME
One Direction’s sophomore album, Take Me Home, was released in 2012 worldwide. Not surprisedly, the album was able to exceed the expectations of fans after the hugely successful release of Up All Night. Originally featuring 17 tracks, Take Me Home was later expanded and released as an expanded edition featuring 3 new tracks: Truly, Madly, Deeply; Irresistible, and Magic. Following the release of their sophomore album, One Direction became the first boyband in U.S. chart history to 2 No. 1 albums in the same year. Take Me Home debuted at No. 1 in the UK and U.S., as well as over 35 countries.
Fun fact: The music video for Live While We’re Young was the biggest video premiere for any artist at the time and hit 8.2 million views in 24 hours!
midnight memories
One Direction’s third album, Midnight Memories, was when their music really started to change. The third album was released in 2013 and it quickly became the best-selling album worldwide. Midnight Memories features 18 tracks, as well as hits like Best Song Ever, Story of My Life, Midnight Memories, and many more. The album debuted at No. 1 in the U.S. and UK, which made One Direction the first group to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with their 3 albums.
Fun fact: Some parts of the song Midnight Memories were inspired by the band’s love of KFC!
four
Released in 2014, One DIrection’s fourth album, FOUR, debuted at No. 1 in the U.S., UK, and in over 18 countries. The band made history when they became the first group to have 4 of their albums debut at No.1 in the Billboard 200 chart. Featuring 16 tracks on the deluxe version of the album, FOUR delivered some big hits like Steal My Girl, Night Changes, and Where Do Broken Hearts Go. Lastly, FOUR was the last One Direction album that featured former bandmate Zayn Malik, as he left the group in early 2015.
Fun fact: Although No Control was never officially released as a single, the fans created a campaign and made it their own single!
made in the a.m.
One Direction’s last album before their indefinite hiatus and their first without Zayn Malik, Made In The A.M., was released in 2015. The album debuted at No. 1 in the UK and became the second fastest-selling album of 2015. Consisting of 17 tracks, Made In The A.M. features chart-topping hits like Drag Me Down, Infinity, and History. Just before going on their hiatus, the band released a music video for History, which was full of behind-the-scenes footage of the band, and dedicated it to their millions of fans around the world.
Fun fact: The song Perfect became One Direction’s fifth overall top 10 hit, which broke the Beatles’ record for having the most top 10 Billboard Hot 100 debuts for a group!
I hope you enjoyed your inside look into the world-famous boyband, One Direction’s, 5 record-breaking albums! These albums have been a part of my childhood and will forever be part of my life, and millions of fans can say the same.