One Direction formed on Jul. 23, 2010 on The X Factor UK, and 12 years later, they still have a legacy as one of the biggest bands of all time, with over 8.8 billion streams on Spotify and over 11.2 billion views on YouTube. Their popularity dominated the music industry with fans in every continent, proven by their multiple world tours! The band shrank from five to four when former member Zayn Malik left in March of 2015, and in January 2016, the remaining four members—Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Liam Payne—decided to take a temporary hiatus from the band.
Seven years later, all the former members have pursued successful solo careers and have yet to return to the group. The nostalgia their music brings to fans is the reason it has remained so popular. Today, I will be looking back at each of their five albums and deciphering which song I think is the best; though, I will acknowledge that when it comes to One Direction, there is no right or wrong answer to which songs are the best.
1. Up All Night (2011)
The band’s first album was released in November 2011, following the singles “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Gotta Be You” and “One Thing.” Though the singles and title tracks are the most popular songs from the album according to Spotify streams, I would argue that the best song from Up All Night comes from the deluxe edition, the song “Moments.”
“Moments” is a mid-tempo pop ballad about unrequited love. Many One Direction songs are about love, especially their early ones. This song, however, sticks out to me because it showcases their vocals and has a much more mature sound when compared to other songs on the album. I distinctly remember belting the chorus of this song with my childhood besties for years after it was released.
2. Take Me Home (2012)
Spotify continues to prove the most popular songs from the albums are the singles: “Live While We’re Young,” “Kiss You” and “Little Things” hold the highest number of streams out of the 20 tracks. I, personally, think the best songs on any album usually aren’t the singles, and that is true for this album as well. Though the singles from Take Me Home are essential listens, (hearing them will instantly bring anyone back to 2012 when they were being played everywhere) I cannot say I think one of them is the best from the album. That title belongs to, once again a bonus track, “She’s Not Afraid.”
“She’s Not Afraid” stands out from the rest of the album because it tells the story of a wild female character through a fun and upbeat anthem. When this album was released, fans realized One Direction’s lyrics started to get bold enough to be rated PG-13, making this song all the more exciting to the young fans who were becoming hypnotized with what was coined ‘One Direction Infection.’ Musically, this song fits in perfectly with the rest of the album. It has the same pop themes with some slight rock influences, but the fun story, catchy sound and vocals make it just a little bit better than the rest. Or, maybe I was just won over by the scene featuring this song in One Direction’s 2013 documentary This Is Us and haven’t changed my mind since.
3. Midnight Memories (2013)
Midnight Memories was released in 2013 and started to redefine the genre of One Direction. This album not only has a much heavier rock influence, but it was when the five boys started to become much more involved in the writing and producing of their music. The singles “Best Song Ever,” “Story of My Life,” “Midnight Memories” and “You & I” are unforgettable, but not as much as the 10th song on the album, “Little Black Dress.”
“Little Black Dress” proved wrong all the harsh critics who defined One Direction as no different than every other bubblegum pop boy band. The song showcased the musical diversity the boys were capable of, a song ruled by the guitar and drums, no longer needing their signature handclaps and ‘na na na’s’ to be a hit. Since I first heard this song in 2013, it has been my favorite from this album. (It was even my morning alarm throughout middle school!)
4. Four (2014)
Four is without a doubt my favorite One Direction album, and upon release it felt impossible to narrow it down to one song, until I gave it a second listen and one song undeniably stood out to me. “Steal My Girl” and “Night Changes” were the two singles from this album, each with magnificently produced music videos that left fans in a frenzy. When the album title was announced, many fans speculated it was hinting that there would soon be only four members, since many had predicted Zayn would leave the band. However, even though the prophecy came true on March 25, 2015, the band has insisted the name is simply because it was their fourth album and their fourth year as a band. Zayn left his legacy on his last album with the band and his voice was essential to every song, especially Four’s best song “Where Do Broken Hearts Go.”
“Where Do Broken Hearts Go” is another guitar-heavy banger that has been my favorite since it was released. It tells the story of a couple of post-breakup, when the narrator realizes they want to make up, but they cannot find their ex. Many critics praised this song for its 1980’s influence and One Direction’s continuing maturity throughout the album. I’ve always loved this song, but its status as my favorite was solidified after One Direction’s 2014 performance on The X Factor UK. As a young fan who never got to see them live, watching a video of them all having fun on stage was the next best thing, and this performance was excellent. They were even joined on stage by Ronnie Wood, legendary guitarist of the Rolling Stones. Honorable Mention: every other song on the album.
5. Made In The A.M. (2015)
One Direction’s last album, made by only four members, showcases the band’s growth and maturity since releasing their first album five years prior. The single “Drag Me Down” was released with no prior promotion but still debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart and broke a record for the most streams in a single’s first week; it was followed by “Perfect” and “History.” The album was well-received by critics and fans but remains the only album never toured by the band, since they went on break shortly after it was released. The band’s fifth no-skip album has 17 impressive and catchy songs, but the best is “What a Feeling.”
“What a Feeling” has a more unique sound in comparison to every other One Direction song with its 1970’s influence. It’s easygoing, upbeat, and timeless and continues the band’s theme of love songs. Each of the four boys has solos throughout the song, and all four harmonize on the chorus with Harry leading. Listening to this song today, years later, it’s reminiscent of the music of Harry’s solo career, making me all the more excited for his rumored upcoming third album. But, this is a One Direction song, and it showcases each of the boys’ talent individually as well as together.
Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube and Pinterest!