One Direction make US album chart history

Boy band One Direction have topped the US album charts with their debut album, Up All Night, becoming the first British group to do so.

BBC News reports that the group’s debut album, Up All Night, has shot to the top of the American album charts selling more than 176,000 copies. The band’s success makes them the first British group to top the album charts in America with a debut album. Their success in America is even impressive given the fact Up All Night didn’t quite make it to the top in the UK; it went to Number 2 back in December. One Direction have proven to be hugely popular in America and it was recently announced they had landed their own show in the country.

One Direction was formed in 2010 in the seventh season of the ITV’s the X Factor. The members of the group individually auditioned for the series but were put together to form the group by the judges. One Direction consists of Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson. One Direction finished third in the X Factor behind Matt Cardle, who won, and Rebecca Ferguson who came second. However, coming third didn’t do them any harm as they have gone on to enjoy chart success in the UK winning thousands of fans (mostly teenage girls) across the country.

They have also attracted considerable tabloid interest especially Harry Styles who is seen, by some within the press, as the main front-man of One Direction. His supposed on/off romance with television presenter Caroline Flack has generated large amounts of press interest and criticism in some quarters over the age difference between them. At one stage Flack insisted they were merely friends but press reports about their “romance” continue to persist.