Top 10 One Direction Songs

One Direction Songs

Feature Photo: Andrea Raffin / Shutterstock.com

Our Top 10 One Direction Songs list looks at a popular boy band that formed in 2010. They appeared on the British reality show The X Factor. The group consisted of members Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson. Social media helped the group become popular. They sold over 70 million records. They won nearly 200 awards during the time they were together. Their concerts sold over 290 million tickets. Their third album Midnight Memories was one of the best selling albums of 2013. Their hits include “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Live While We’re Young,” “Best Song Ever,” “Drag Me Down,” “One Thing” as well as others.

The group auditioned as solo artists when they auditioned for The X Factor. They didn’t make it in the boys’ category so the powers that be put them together as a boy band. Nicole Scherzinger played a role in getting the group together. Niall Horan was the first added to the group. Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne and Zayn Malik joined the group after Niall Horan. They came in third on The X Factor. They got signed to a record deal. Like most groups, they broke up to pursue other interests. Zayn Malik was the first member to leave the group. He left in 2015 to pursue a solo career. In 2016, the group decided to break up indefinitely. Their fans were heartbroken when they broke up.

Up All Night was released in 2011. It peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 charts. It features the singles “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Gotta Be You,” “One Thing” and “More than This.” The album sold over two million copies. Take Me Home came out in 2012. It peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 charts. It features the singles “If I Were You,” “Little Things” and “Kiss You.” The album sold over three million copies.

Midnight Memories came out in 2013. It peaked at number one the Billboard 200 charts. It features the singles “Best Song Ever,” “Story of My Life,” “Midnight Memories” and “You & I.” The album sold over three million copies. Four was released in 2014. It features the singles “Steal My Girl” and “Night Changes.” The album sold over one million copies. Made in the A.M. came out in 2015. The album peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. It features the singles “Drag Me Down,” “Perfect” and “History.” The album sold over two million copies.

One Direction was a manufactured pop group, but they became very popular at the height of their fame. They became one of the biggest selling boy bands of all time. They got their start on a reality show so they didn’t have to be taken seriously, but they were able to be successful. Our Top 10 One Direction Songs list will feature their best songs.

# 10 – Kiss You

The first song on our Top 10 One Direction Songs list is “Kiss You” from the album Take Me Home. The song has a pop sound. The affectionate song is about a man wanting to be with the woman he loves. If you pay attention to the lyrics, he’s using metaphors for a physical relationship. The group uses euphemisms for a sexual relationship.

This song gave the group a chance to cover a mature subject. They were a group that was geared towards a younger audience so we aren’t surprised they decided not to be blatant when it came to this subject matter. Their fan base may or may not have had any idea what they were saying while they were singing along with their idols.

The music is bouncy and will put you in a good mood. It will have you moving around in a frenzy. The music is a combination of pop with a mix of rock music. The guitars and drums are fire. They are the standout instruments in the song. You can play this song if you want to dance or work out. It will entice you to get up and dance.

One Direction’s vocals are impressive on this song. The song gives all of the members a chance to sing lead. There are a lot of groups in music that don’t give members a chance to strut their stuff on the microphone. This song gave the entire group a chance to show what they can do vocally.

Each member of the group sings the song in falsetto. You might have trouble telling who is singing because their voices blend well together. They are in perfect harmony. Zayn Malik takes a chance and holds a little note while the rest of the group sings the catchy chorus. He could have made a mistake holding the note, but he sounds good doing it. They sing this song in time with the beat. This is the perfect song to listen to during the summer.

# 9 – One Thing

The next song on our One Direction Songs list is “One Thing” from the album Up All Night. The song has a pop and rock sound. The loving song is about loving someone without knowing the reason why. He’s not sure why he feels the way he does, but he knows he loves the woman.

There’s something about the woman that’s unique to him. This is a good message because you don’t have to rely on physical features to fall in love. The guy in the song relies on the way the person makes him feel. The song is something people can relate to because they fall in love and don’t always know what it is about the people that make them feel that way.

The song gives us Backstreet Boys vibes. “One Thing” sounds similar to “I Want It That Way.” If you listen to the end of the chorus, the flow of the song is similar to the Backstreet Boys’ hit track. The group also takes a page from their own track with this song. The melody is similar to their monster hit “What Makes You Beautiful.”

We couldn’t think of better tracks for the popular group to use to make this song work. The music features powerhouse guitar riffs that will blow your mind. It will make you want to play air guitar. The instrumentation also includes the piano and the drums. The drums give the song the tempo it needs to get you moving.

They sound like they are having fun singing this song. They take turns singing the verses. They switch back and forth singing like lightning. It will be difficult to know who is singing because the song is so fast-paced. They harmonize very well throughout the song.

# 8 – Little Things

The appreciative song is from the album Take Me Home. The song has a pop and folk beat. The sentimental song is about loving someone despite the flaws they have. Their flaws make the person stand out among others. It’s a good feeling to know that someone will love you unconditionally. Most people wouldn’t love you for your flaws. They would expect you to be perfect, but One Direction will love you regardless. This is the type of track that will have their female fans going crazy. It gives them hope that they could find themselves involved with them.

The music includes guitar strings and piano lines. The music will touch your heart. It was a brilliant choice to make the song acoustic. The song gives the group a chance to show off their guitar skills. The track sounds more intimate as an acoustic song rather than one with a lot of instrumentation. Here is a fun fact. Singer and songwriter Ed Sheeran co-wrote this song. It sounds like a song Ed Sheeran would have recorded.

This track allows One Direction to show their softer side. We like the idea that the song is a ballad. They are at home with their dance songs, but this track gives them a chance to slow things down. They take turns singing the track. They keep their vocals soft throughout the track. They don’t oversing and that is a good thing since the song is stripped down. The group sounds soulful on this song.

# 7 – Perfect

The personal song is from the album Made in the A.M. The song has pop song. The rebellious song is about someone who is the type of person you write break up songs about. He doesn’t want to be in a committed relationship. He only wants to be in a relationship for fun. He thinks he’s the “perfect” choice if you want a short-term relationship. He is basically a one and done type of man.

He is the bad boy type that girls love to date. He won’t be the person she could tame. He wants to be carefree and live for the moment. One person can’t tie him down. The song title is misleading. If you are new to the song, you would think the song is a love song talking about someone being perfect. You will have to keep listening to it to realize that it’s nothing like that.

If you are a fan of Harry Styles, you know that he had a high profile relationship with singer and songwriter Taylor Swift. They must not have ended things well because she wrote a bitter track about him called “Style.” There were people who thought this track was his reaction to her song. Harry Styles refused to say if it’s to her or not so we will leave that alone. Zayn Malik is gone so the group is a quartet.

They don’t lose a step without him. Their vocals are still on point. They seem stronger than ever on this song. They didn’t lose their harmonies without Zayn Malik being in the group. The guys’ vocals are excellent. They belt towards the end of the song. We didn’t expect to hear them belting in the song, but they did. The song was “perfect” for the guys to sing.

# 6 – Drag Me Down

The passionate song is from the album Made in the A.M. The song has a pop and rock sound to it. The edgy song is about not being dragged down by someone. They insist that no one will bring them down. They want everyone to know they are okay as long as they have each other. This is a message to their haters. They won’t be brought down. Their friendship makes them stronger than ever. This song gives them confidence that no one will get to them. The song may seem like a bitter track, but it’s a message to people who think they are going to bring the group down with their hate.

Zayn Malik left the group at this point so naturally people thought this song was a dig to him. The group insists that the song isn’t about him. We’re not sure about that, but we’ll leave it at that. This song was very popular with the fans. “Drag Me Down” broke streaming records. It was streamed over 4.7 million times in a day. They were streamed more than other artists who had singles out during that time. The fans weren’t too upset that Zayn Malik left the group. The group was in top shape with this track.

They didn’t lose their harmonies by becoming a quartet. Their voices blended so well together. They all had their chance to sing the same way they did when Zayn Malik was in the group. We’re not surprised this was a big hit for the group because everything works. The music is bouncy and energetic. It sounds like the type of song the Jonas Brothers would have recorded. The melody is similar to the Jonas Brothers‘ song “Sucker.” This song will make you wish the group would get back together.

# 5 – Steal My Girl

The next song on our Top 10 One Direction Songs list is “Steal My Girl” from the album Four. The song has a pop and rock beat. The confrontational song is about the guys being afraid that other men would take their girlfriends from them. They are jealous because men want to go after their girlfriends. They tell the guys that there are plenty of women on the planet and they can go after them.

They insist their girlfriends belong to them. They talk about how good their women look so they don’t want other men stealing them. A lot of guys have this problem because they think that other men will go after their girlfriends. This is the perfect track to play if you have been in this position. The story is being told from the guys’ points of view, but women can relate to it too.

“Steal My Girl” has 80s vibes. It sounds like a tribute to 80s music. The synthesizer screams 80s rock music. The song has a throwback sound, but it doesn’t sound dated. It’s the type of music you would expect to hear from the group. The music was perfect for the theme of the song. It sounds like a song that could have been recorded by the group Journey. “Steal My Girl” also sounds like New Found Glory’s song “It’s Not Your Fault.” If you listen to the melody, it sounds similar to their song.

One Direction sounds great on this song. The mid-tempo track was perfect for their voices. Their vocals are strong on this track. They sing in their lower registers on this song. It made sense for them to sing in a lower key because the music was somber.

# 4 – Story of My Life

The bitter song is from the album Midnight Memories. The track has a folk beat. The angry song is about a relationship that’s ending. They sing about women who break their hearts. This is a subject that men know very well. The lyrics will get to you if you are in a relationship that’s ending. They find themselves in denial about their relationships ending. This is the type of song you will listen to when you are feeling down. You will want to pull down the shades and listen to this heartbreaking song. People of different ages will enjoy this song.

This song is different from their other tracks. It sounds deeper and more mature. They have recorded songs about relationships, but something about this track stands out. One Direction lowers the walls and are vulnerable on this track. The acoustic sound makes the song more heartfelt. They made the right choice by having a song that’s folk and rock oriented.

If it were a pop song, it might not have sounded as meaningful. The group sounds fantastic on this song. Each member starts their verse softly and then they belt the chorus. They sing in time with the beat changes. They show excellent control of their voices because they know when to hold back and when to let go. They collectively hold a note at the end that will impress listeners.

# 3 – Best Song Ever

The longing song is from the album Midnight Memories. The song has a pop and rock sound. The enchanting song is about a guy who meets a woman that he likes. The woman is flirtatious. He fell for her and they danced all night long to the “best song ever.” He thinks back to when he met her, but he can’t remember the song. If there’s a chance he doesn’t see her again, he knows they won’t forget each other. The song had the potential of being a novelty song, but they managed to avoid it. The song has an original theme. They get an A+ for originality. There aren’t too many songs about the “best song ever.”

The song has an energetic beat. You won’t be able to sit still listening to this track. This song has radio airplay written all over it. It will be impossible to sit still through this track because it’s fire. The guitar and drums drive the beat. You can put this track on when you want to dance or workout. One Direction’s vocals are on point. It’s hard to take this song seriously, but the music and vocals more than make up for it.

They sound like they are having a great time singing this track. All of the members of the group are featured on the song. Zayn Malik holds a note in the song that was a pleasant surprise. This is not the type of song where you would expect to hear a note being held. He doesn’t hold it that long, but he did a great job with it. We can’t stress enough that their harmonies are amazing. Their voices blend so well together they sound like one person.

# 2 – Live While We’re Young

The fun song is from the album Take Me Home. The song has a pop beat. The carefree song is about enjoying life and having a good time. They don’t want you to take life too seriously. They want you to have fun and we can’t argue with that. There’s so much going on in the world so this is a good message.

There’s nothing wrong with trying to enjoy life. This is the type of track that you can listen to when you want to have fun. It’s a light and fun song to hear to put a smile on your face. This isn’t the type of track to take seriously. This song was most likely for their fans, but anyone can live by this motto.

The beat is pop music at its best. The song has rock undertones. The song features synthesizers, guitar riffs, handclaps and drums. They all combine to make excellent music. This is a universal song for people of all ages. You won’t be able to listen to this song without moving around. As soon as the beat drops, you will start moving. We dare you to sit still listening to this track.

We could bet that you won’t sit still, but it would be an easy win for us. The group’s vocals are top-notch. They are at the top of their game with the lyrics. It’s not a song that you would take seriously, but they give it their all. They don’t hold back while they sing this song. Their harmonies are impeccable. They all belt while they sing this track. We give two thumbs up to the guys for their outstanding vocals on the track.

# 1 – What Makes You Beautiful

The number one song on our Top 10 One Direction Songs list is “What Makes You Beautiful” from the album Up All Night. The song has a pop and rock beat. The encouraging song is about a man telling a woman that it doesn’t matter what she looks like. Her beauty is in the way she treats others. She has inner beauty and that makes her attractive.

They want the listeners to know they are beautiful in their own way. They aren’t focused on superficial beauty. They are concerned with how beautiful you are on the inside. If you are insecure about the way you look, this song will cheer you up. One Direction doesn’t care what you look like. They are focused on the type of person you are.

The song has a perfect blend of pop and rock music. The music is blaring and that’s not a bad thing. The song is equal parts music and lyrics. The guitar riffs are excellent. The guitar riffs sound similar to the song “Summer Nights” from the movie Grease. They sing the verses in their lower registers. Their voices are stacked when they sing the verses. They sing in their upper registers when they sing the chorus.

The chorus is infectious and you may find yourself singing along with the guys. This is the type of song that will hook you after the first time you hear it. You may feel like you have known this song all along. We can’t praise the group enough for their harmonies. They can harmonize just as well as other groups in music. This song is one of their biggest hits and it’s easy to believe that because they do everything right. The music, lyrics and vocals are terrific. This track will definitely build up the self-esteem of young girls everywhere.

Top 10 One Direction Songs article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2022

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