One Direction: Ten years of 1D, but is a reunion on the way?

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A decade of One Direction

It's been ten years since Harry, Liam, Zayn, Louis and Niall were hopeful young solo artists trying their luck on X Factor.

Now, after ten years of One Direction, they're huge solo artists, actors, and even dads.

During the band's decade together they've done quite a lot, with 70 million records sold, around 200 awards and four world tours.

They've been on a break since January 2016 with members doing their own projects, but fans are hoping there might be a reunion.

The band are launching a website to mark the anniversary, which will feature new videos for fans and behind-the-scenes footage of the band.

It's more than enough to have set reunion rumours racing, even if there's been no comments from the band to suggest anything is planned.

1D's success story, the band has..

  • sold more than 70 million records worldwide
  • had more than 21 billion streams on streaming platforms
  • won nearly 200 awards including 7 Brit Awards and 6 Billboard Music Awards
  • made history by having their first four albums go straight to number one in the US Billboard 200
  • had four number one album and four number one singles in the UK

10 years of 1D

2010

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One Direction with some 2010 haircuts

In 2010, Louis, Harry, Zayn, Liam and Niall all auditioned as solo artists for the X Factor.

They didn't make it through as individuals but Simon Cowell asked them to become a band... the rest is history!

The band didn't actually win the competition - they came third behind Matt Cardle and Rebecca Ferguson.

2011

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One Direction on their first tour (L-R): Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Liam Payne and Zayn Malik

Their debut single 'What makes you Beautiful' went straight to number one and sold 4.8 million copies,

It was a big week for British pop, as it was the same week Ed Sheeran went to number one in the album charts with his first album, +.

1D held on to number one in the charts for four weeks, but nothing forewarned of what the next few years would be like.

They also embarked on their first tour.

2012

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One Direction won best British single, for What Makes You Beautiful, at the Brit Awards

In 2012 the band released two huge albums, won a Brit Award and achieved the highest charting debut for a UK act in the US charts for almost 14 years.

Not a bad year.

The first album Up All Night topped charts in 16 countries, while the second, Take Me Home, sold more than half a million copies in its first week in the US and went to number one in 35 countries!

Not a bad year at all!

2013

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The band performing in 2013

The band's first single in 2013 was humbly-titled, Best Song Ever. The song broke Vevo's record for most views in the first 24 hours, with 12.3m views in the first day. That was followed up with their first stadium tour, which sold out everywhere.

In November the band held 1D Day, which included live streaming on YouTube for more then seven hours, and meeting with a host of celebrities. The event was to launch another album, Midnight Memories.

Despite being only released at the end of November, the record was the year's best selling, with 4 million copies sold around the world.

The band also released, 'One Direction: This is Us,' which sold 70,000 copies within its first three days

2014

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Harry Styles's anniversary message was the most retweeted from a UK account

One Direction spent most of the year on a world tour, playing 69 shows around the world.

They did however find time to record their fourth album, imaginatively titled Four. It sold more than 3 million copies.

The record reached number one in the United States, making the group the only band in the 58-year history of the US Charts to have their first four records debut at number one.

As if 2014 hadn't been busy enough, the band also found time for their third book, One Direction: Where We Are: Our Band, Our Story: 100% Official.

And if you thought an album, a tour, and a book wasn't enough, Harry Styles also managed to achieve the year's most retweeted tweet.

On 23 July he celebrated the group's anniversary by saying, "4 years. Thank you to everyone who is involved in this. I feel so lucky to be part of it. Everyone who has worked with us thank you..". By the end of the year it had had almost 400,000 retweets.

Is there anything they can't do? Well, 2015 would show that yes, there was something they couldn't manage...

2015: New direction for Zayn

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In 2015, the group started to come apart.

Zayn Malik announced that he would be leaving One Direction. He left 16 shows into another world tour, leaving the band to complete the tour as a foursome.

"My life with One Direction has been more than I could ever have imagined. But, after five years, I feel like it is now the right time for me to leave the band... I am leaving because I want to be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight. I know I have four friends for life in Louis, Liam, Harry and Niall"

Zayn Malik

In July the group was back with new material, the first work without Malik.

Their first song, Drag Me Down, was out of this world... well kind of. The boys filmed it at Nasa's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. The album debuted at number one in a host of countries, but only reached number two in the United States, ending their perfect record of hitting the top of the album charts there.

It was revealed around the release of the album that the band would be going on "hiatus" in 2016 - in other words, having a long break. Towards the end of the year the remaining members made farewell performances on the American and British X Factor shows, and a New Years's Eve television show in the US.

2016 - 2020: Solo performances, movies, and babies

In the last five years they've been keeping busy as solo musicians. There have been two solo albums by Harry, two by Zayn, three by Niall, one by Louis and one by Liam.

If you're wondering why Louis and Liam only managed one album each, well, they both became fathers. Liam's son is called Bear, and he co-parents with former X Factor judge Cheryl Cole. Louis meanwhile has a little boy called Freddie!

There will be another 1D baby in 2020, with Zayn and supermodel partner Gigi Hadid expecting their first child.

And that's not it, Harry Styles also found the time to take a lead role in an Oscar-nominated film.

In 2018, Louis went back to where it all began: X Factor. He was even the winning judge, with Dalton Harris helping Tomlinson beat Simon Cowell's act Scarlett Lee.

It's safe to say these boys have been very busy.

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Harry has enjoyed exploring fashion, here he is at the met gala

Do you want a reunion or do you think they shouldn't get back together? What are your highlights, lowlights or favourite memories of the band?

Let us know in the comments below.