One Direction (make US Billboard chart history) & Harry Styles

1D make US Billboard chart history

One Direction have become the first group to see all four of their first albums reach number one in the US

One Direction have become the only group to have their first four albums chart at number one in the US, toppling Taylor Swift from the top spot in the process.

In the Billboard 200's 58-year history, they are the first band to have achieved the feat and are now celebrating the success of their appropriately titled record, Four.

But despite ousting Taylor Swift, Harry Styles' ex, from the number one spot, their new record sold far fewer copies at 387,000 in its first week of release, compared to Taylor's first week with 1989 which shifted 1,287,000 copies, according to Billboard.

Other artists to have seen a record number of their albums chart at the top are all soloists - Britney Spears' first four reached number one, as did DMX and Beyonce's first five.

Last year, Midnight Memories made the One Direction lads the first group to have seen their first three albums at the top of the US chart.

The group also had a successful week in Australia, where they picked up the award for Best International Artist and performed their track Steal My Girl.

While receiving the award, Zayn Malik thanked their Australian fans for their support over the last four albums.

Only one earth-shattering story here:

Zayn Malik quits One Direction; others carry on as normal

Simon Cowell, who discovered the boyband on talent show The X Factor, said: "I would like to say thank you to Zayn for everything he has done for One Direction.

"Since I first met Zayn in 2010, I have grown very, very fond - and immensely proud - of him. I have seen him grow in confidence and I am truly sorry to see him leave.

"As for One Direction, fans can rest assured that Niall, Liam, Harry and Louis are hugely excited about the future of the band."

I must say my life will go on as normal

One Direction were one of the few good boy bands of the modern era. All the same, was reading a news article yesterday showing how a teen girl-fan slit her wrists over this catastrophic news. (Sarcasm, yes). Sad situation, though as you said, life will go on. Just a true shame that anyone would try to take their life over such a petty thing. In a decade, will anyone even remember One Direction? There will be many more boy bands / eye candy included ... perhaps not talent lol. Haven't kept up with this much, though can they simply not replace ZM with a fresh new face? Glad it easn't 'The Wanted'.

I thought Harry Styles was the one being set up to leave triumphantly and go solo. Malik had been badgered by the media for weeks about drugs and girls. It's not as though One Direction speak to people because of musical integrity and skill - boy-bands seldom do.

One thing that sustained Take That! was that Gary Barlow was pretty talented, and Mark Owen could put his shoulder to the wheel from time to time as well.

Follow-up (!) One Direction news, as they've announced plans to take a 12-month sabbatical from each other so they can do solo stuff.

But it doesn't start until next March because they've got a new album out in the next 6 months to promote and make money from.

The days when you released an album as an artistic statement of the songs you'd written, rather than an item on a balance sheet, are clearly long gone.

One Direction Beats Beatles' Record With Fifth Top 10 Debut on Hot 100.

'Perfect' enters at No. 10, marking 1D's fifth top 10 start, the most among groups, besting the Beatles' four.

With its latest Billboard Hot 100 debut, One Direction bests the group's British boy band ancestors the Beatles.

As previously reported, One Direction roars onto the Hot 100 (dated Nov. 7) at No. 10 with new single "Perfect." Fueling its start, it begins at No. 2 on the Digital Songs chart with 136,000 sold in its first week, according to Nielsen Music, and No. 18 on Streaming Songs (6.9 million U.S. streams), following the arrival of its official video Oct. 20.

"Perfect" is 1D's fifth top 10 debut on the Hot 100, and second from its Nov. 13 album Made in the A.M.; "Drag Me Down" debuted and peaked at No. 3 upon its arrival on the Aug. 22. With five, One Direction breaks the record for the most top 10 Hot 100 debuts among groups, passing the Beatles' four. Counting all artists, Taylor Swift has tallied a record 12 top 10 debuts, dating to the Hot 100's 1958 inception.

Before "Perfect" and "Drag" (the latter of which tied the Beatles' mark), One Direction debuted at No. 3 on the Hot 100 with "Live While We're Young" (No. 3, Oct. 20, 2012), "Best Song Ever" (No. 2, Aug. 10, 2013) and "Story of My Life" (No. 6, Nov. 16, 2013).

The Beatles launched three of their fab four top 10 Hot 100 debuts in their original historic heyday, and one as a reunited trio (featuring the late John Lennon's vocals) more than a quarter-century later: "Hey Jude" (No. 10, Sept. 14, 1968), "Get Back," with Billy Preston (No. 10, May 10, 1969), "Let It Be" (No. 6, March 21, 1970) and "Free as a Bird" (No. 10, Dec. 30, 1995).

Notably, until the adoption of Nielsen Music data in the '90s, which made top 10 Hot 100 debuts more regular (although still fully laudable), the Beatles boasted the only such arrivals, with "Hey Jude," "Get Back" and "Let It Be."

1D also launches a second Hot 100 debut this week. Further down the chart, "Home" -- a stand-alone track not on the new album -- enters at No. 97.

It says less about 1D matching/besting an achievement set by one of the biggest bands in music history, and more about what a flimsily small tally it takes, and yet it has somehow proved impossible to so many other bands/groups. What is it, 60 years? 70 years? And yet '5' is the record?

Harry Styles accused of plagiarising 70's band on Ever Since New York <----- Article.

Styles, 23, came under fire from fans of Badfinger who have accused the singer of using a similar guitar riff to the one on the British rock band’s 1971 track Baby Blue.

Comparisons were soon drawn after Styles performed the track live for the first time on Saturday Night Live.

One viewer said the comparison was “unbelievable” while another accused the former One Direction singer of being unable to write his own music.

One tweeted: “F*** Harry Styles. Ripoff artist. That riff is NOTE FOR NOTE lifted from Baby Blue by Badfinger. Unbelievable.”

Another posted: “I'm far too upset about Harry Styles stealing the Baby Blue riff. This feels so personal. Is he going to ripoff some 10cc or T-Rex next?”

Today's acts can't catch a break! If this were still an era where everything sounded unique I could see it. Today, literally everything is a clone of something else. If I were a musician, I'd stay as far away from the music industry an humanly possible.

One Direction: Up All Night Live
From their tour earlier this year, with backstage comment mixed mainly with a live gig from Bournemouth. They've proven a surprisingly huge hit worldwide, especially since they didn't actually win The X Factor in the UK. Anyway, nice lads, nice songs.

Harry Styles at the BBC
The former One Direction star is plugging his solo album, and got an hour of prime time BBC with R1 DJ Nick grimshaw firing the questions and featuring in skits involving calling the bingo in an old folks' home and then going to the chippy. Inbetween times, he sang songs from the album, and covered Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain", which was bold, and also uninspiring.

They're apparently in "secret" talks about some sort of reunion to mark their 10th anniversary. Kids, eh?

Zayn's new album stormed into the album charts at, er, #17

misery guts wrote:They're apparently in "secret" talks about some sort of reunion to mark their 10th anniversary. Kids, eh?

Still no word on this.

My Life on MTV - Boy Bands
The One Direction story once more, covering world tours and #1 albums, and then Zayn leaving and the rest of the band packing it in.
Contrasted was the Backstreet Boys story, who seemed to break through in the UK first before hitting paydirt back home after. They took longer to have problems, and their hiatus came and went. They're less successful than at their height, but still seemingly a proposition.

Harry Styles' new one has shot straight to the UK single #1, although the rundown was the first I'd heard about it. It's his 2nd solo #1, after Sign of the Times. It's also the lead track from his forthcoming 3rd album.

misery guts wrote: It's also the lead track from his forthcoming 3rd album.

This album went to #1 on release last week, leading to him adding #2 and #3 in the singles chart to his ongoing #1.

Radio 1 Big Weekend: Coventry 2022 - Harry Styles
He did a fairly lengthy set, obviously pushing the new album, but also with tracks from the first two, and even throwing in What Makes You Beautiful as well. He seems to be going rather better than I admit I have thought previously.

Harry Styles is this week celebrating setting a new record for consecutive weeks at the US #1 spot for a Brit. His 15 weeks (and counting) for As It Was surpass the 14 week tally set by Uptown Funk and Candle in the Wind '97:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-63045287



His film project is also topping the box office too.

As It Was was named the top streamed track in the UK in 2022. Bad Bunny has similarly been named top global streaming act for the year.

Harry's album has featured in Best Of-type reviews of the year.

One Direction: Ruling The World
How 5 soloists became 1 band, courtesy of the X Factor (UK). I can only name half of them. Whilst the UK prefers Harry Styles the most, the US prefer Niall Horan (or at least in 2013, when this was made).

Isle of Wight '23: Niall Horan
I certainly don't rate him that highly. This show cruelly included a brief skit with Sam Ryder covering Proud Mary, which rather showed the gulf in talent.

Liam Payne had to cancel tour dates because of kidney problems 

Harry made news a bit back for sporting a new "buzzcut". He also turned 30 yesterday 

Harry Styles: The Story of His Life
An unauthorised run-through of his story from Holmes Chapel to His House. Though some relevant journos and DJs were involved (and singer Heather Small, for no apparently specific reason), most of the contributors were various superfans who were all charming (the poor lass from America making a pilgrimage to Holmes Chapel and the bakery he was working in when he got on The X Factor was quite something). His film projects were also well received, so presumably a 4th album will be the next thing to watch for.

misery guts wrote:Zayn's new album stormed into the album charts at, er, #17

His new album, Room Under The Stairs, came out this week, and entered rather better, at #3 

Tragic news from Argentina that Liam Payne has died at 31. He was in the country to support ex-band-mate Niall Horan who was doing shows there. The circumstances around Liam's death seem pretty tragic, and some news channels decided to forego standards of taste in their pursuit of the story. His solo work outside of 1D hadn't gone too well, and his biggest solo project was his short-lived marriage to singer Cheryl Tweedy and their son Bear. RIP 

Cheryl was among many to express sorrow; former X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne felt Liam was failed by the industry. Good stories of Liam paying for children's online health treatments have emerged. Former band mate Zayn postponed the US leg of his current tour, understandably.

He's expected to re-enter the UK charts on Friday with fans buying his old songs, too.

misery guts wrote:
He's expected to re-enter the UK charts on Friday with fans buying his old songs, too.

An interesting case, really. Two One Direction tracks re-entered the top 10, with a 3rd at #23. Of his solo songs, one returned at #41, and his fateful final song finally made the charts around #85   Similarly, 1D's albums all re-entered well (though not in the top 10), and his albums came back in lower.