One Direction Sees Surge on U.K. Charts After Liam Payne’s Death

Following the tragic passing of Liam Payne, One Direction’s music has experienced a major resurgence on the U.K. Official Charts.

Payne died on Oct. 16 at age 31 after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is survived by his 7-year-old son, Bear, whom he shares with ex-partner Cheryl Cole.

In the days since his death, countless friends, fans and family members have posted messages of grief, including all four of the musician’s former bandmates: Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik.

Fans paying tribute to the late star have since helped propel the group’s catalogue back into the U.K. Official Charts, with several of their albums and singles now seeing a major uplift in the wake of the tragedy.

According to the latest Official Albums Chart Update, Take Me Home (2012) is currently positioned at No. 12 and is eyeing a potential Top 10 return by the end of the week. The album, which initially peaked at No. 1 in the U.K., features hits like “Live While We’re Young,” “Little Things,” and “Kiss You.”

Midnight Memories (2013) is also making a resurgence across the pond, sitting at No. 14 midweek, while Made in the A.M. (2015) and FOUR (2014) are tracking at No. 15 and No. 20, respectively. Meanwhile, their debut album Up All Night (2011), which originally peaked at No. 2, has re-entered the chart at No. 33.

In addition to the albums, several One Direction singles are also gaining traction. “Night Changes” (2014) has re-entered the charts at No. 13, with “Story of My Life” (2013) at No. 21. Their debut hit “What Makes You Beautiful” (2011) is set to return at No. 48.

Payne’s solo work has also seen a resurgence. His 2019 album LP1 has re-entered the charts at No. 49, and singles like “Teardrops,” “For You” (with Rita Ora), and “Strip That Down” (featuring Quavo) are all experiencing renewed interest.

Several of One Direction’s singles have also seen renewed interest. Their 2014 hit, “Night Changes,”as re-entered the charts at No. 13, while “Story of My Life” (2013) is currently positioned at No. 21. Meanwhile, their debut single “What Makes You Beautiful” (2011) is set to re-enter the chart at No. 48.

Payne’s solo material has also experienced a resurgence. His 2019 debut album LP1 has re-entered the charts at No. 49, with singles like “Teardrops,” “For You” (with Rita Ora), and “Strip That Down” (featuring Quavo) also climbing.

For the full midweek update, visit the Official Charts Company.