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One Direction

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

One Direction was an English-Irish boy band, formed in 2010 in London during the British television programme The X Factor. The members were Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik. Both judge Simon Cowell and guest judge Nicole Scherzinger claimed that the idea for the group was theirs. One Direction finished third in the competition and signed with Syco, Cowell's label.

Music and breakthrough

The first single, What Makes You Beautiful, reached number 1 in England. With the debut album Up All Night (2011) they became the first British group whose debut entered at number 1 in America. Take Me Home (2012), Midnight Memories (2013) and Four (2014) also topped the chart there. Social media played a major role in their worldwide success, and the hysteria among fans was often compared with Beatlemania. The Where We Are Tour (2014) grossed some 290 million dollars. The group sold more than 70 million records.

Influence

In March 2015 Malik left; with four members, Made in the A.M. (2015) was still released. In January 2016 the group went on indefinite hiatus, and all the members began solo careers. Harry Styles had a worldwide hit in 2022 with As It Was. Liam Payne died in October 2024 after a fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires. One Direction shows how the old recipe of the boy band, young singers brought together by a producer and a TV show, could work even more strongly in the age of social media.

Listening

Listening tip. In What Makes You Beautiful, listen to the guitar riff at the start, which immediately announces the chorus. Notice how the voices take over from one another line by line in the verses and sing together in the chorus.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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Categories: Artists