Every single One Direction song ranked

22 July 2020, 17:52

Watch One Direction sing ‘Torn’ in their iconic Judges Houses audition from 2010

By Sam Prance

It's time to find out which One Direction song is really the best song ever.

10 years ago, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn went from being strangers to band-members and, within a matter of months, they became the biggest boyband in the world.

It's hard to imagine now that there was ever a time before One Direction. In the years since, they've dominated pop culture with everything they do together and apart.

READ MORE: One Direction post first Instagram photo in four years ahead of 10 year anniversary

However, One Direction wouldn't have the legacy and impact they have if the music wasn't good. As well as stealing hearts, the boys took over the charts with perfectly crafted hit after perfectly crafted hit. Not to mention, their albums featured lots of hidden gems that rank among some of the best songs in recent pop history. With that in mind, we've ranked them all.

So, without further ado, here lies the official ranking of every single One Direction song.

91) 'I Want', Up All Night

I want a better song than this, boys.

90) 'Another World', Up All Night

One Direction experimented with a lot of dance-pop on their debut album. Some have aged better than others.

89) 'Half a Heart', Midnight Memories

As the lyrics say, this song is 'kinda there but not quite'.

88) 'Na Na Na', Up All Night

I love a good 'na na na' as much as any pop fan but this chorus is lazy.

87) 'Same Mistakes', Up All Night

It's a mistake that I've put 'Same Mistakes' this far down the list.

86) 'Truly Madly Deeply', Take Me Home

Granola is not a romantic enough food to be referenced in a song like this.

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85) 'Once in a Lifetime', FOUR

The fact that this is the weakest song on FOUR is a testament to how good FOUR is.

84) 'Save You Tonight', Up All Night

An under-18s-only-night club banger.

83) 'Something Great', Midnight Memories

You could describe many One Direction songs as something great. This is almost great.

82) 'Taken', Up All Night

The lack of Niall and Louis on this song is inexcusable.

81) 'Change My Mind', Take Me Home

'Change My Mind' is cute. Nothing groundbreaking but cute.

80) 'I Wish', Up All Night

I wish One Direction had worked a little harder on this song.

79) 'Alive', Midnight Memories

Louis and Liam really come through in the bridge on this one.

78) 'Stand Up', Up All Night

All of One Direction shouting 'I'm a thief' in unison. Now that's history.

77) 'Still the One', Take Me Home

The fact that this is Number 77 is evidence that One Direction are a relentless bop machine.

76) 'Walking in the Wind', Made in the A.M.

This song has been penalised because there is no video for it featuring One Direction walking in the wind in dramatic coats.

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75) 'Magic', Take Me Home

Everything One Direction does is magic. 'Magic' is like entry-level magic though in comparison to the rest of their work.

74) 'Everything About You', Up All Night

BIG SCHOOL DISCO ENERGY!

73) 'Does He Know', Midnight Memories

Sounds a lot like 'Jessie's Girl' by Rick Springfield but is not as good as 'Jessie's Girl' by Rick Springfield.

72) 'Summer Love', Take Me Home

Starts off a bit forgettable but the final minute of this song is amazing.

71) 'Why Don't We Go There?', Midnight Memories

Niall did what he had to do on this middle eight.

70) 'End of the Day', Made in the A.M.

A rousing lighters-in-the-air moment.

69) 'Long Way Down', Made in the A.M.

I know it's a metaphor but I can't listen to this song without picturing Niall literally building a cathedral.

68) 'I Want to Write You a Song', Made in the A.M.

I know it's a metaphor but I can't listen to this song without picturing Liam literally building a boat.

67) 'Home', Made in the A.M.

One of the band's best bonus tracks.

66) 'Stole My Heart', Up All Night

Very of its time. Would go off in Ibiza.

QUIZ: Only a One Direction expert can score 89% in this lyric quiz

65) 'One Way or Another (Teenage Kicks)', N/A

This mash-up would be higher if it didn't rob us of a fourth Take Me Home single.

64) 'Illusion', FOUR

'Illusion' is good but the opening is the best part and it never quite lives up to it.

63) 'Love You Goodbye', Made in the A.M.

There's a nice 'hey hey hey' refrain in this one.

62) 'Nobody Compares', Take Me Home

No-one in the world could stop me from bopping to this.

61) 'More Than This', Up All Night

A valiant effort but it pales in comparison to the band's later ballads.

One Direction - More Than This (Up All Night: The Live Tour)

60) 'Loved You First', Take Me Home

Zayn's vocals really elevate this.

59) 'Temporary Fix', Made in the A.M.

This is One Direction on auto-pilot. Pleasant but they're capable of so much more.

58) 'Over Again', Take Me Home

'Hole in the middle of my heart like a polo' is a lyrical choice.

57) 'Change Your Ticket', FOUR

One Direction asking you to change your ticket and stay with them a little longer? Well, if you insist boys.

56) 'She's Not Afraid', Take Me Home

A classic boy band song and you can't go wrong with that.

55) 'Little Black Dress', Midnight Memories

This song makes me want to buy a little black dress.

54) 'Irresistible', Take Me Home

It's pretty romantic hearing One Direction tell you that you're irresistible.

53) 'Infinity', Made in the A.M.

'Infinity' starts promising but it never takes off quite as much as you'd hope it too.

52) 'Act My Age', FOUR

This is fun but the meme is better.

51) 'Never Enough', Made in the A.M.

Liam's ad-libs on this song are out of control in the best way.

QUIZ: Which One Direction member do you actually belong with?

50) 'Through the Dark', Midnight Memories

What a lovely wee song.

49) 'Wolves', Made in the A.M.

Your grandma would probably enjoy this. Your grandma has taste.

48) 'Back for You', Take Me Home

Louis sounds great on this one.

47) 'Olivia', Made in the A.M.

Harry's 'Pure Imagination' interpolation in the bridge never gets old.

46) 'If I Could Fly', Made in the A.M.

Simple, touching balladry.

45) 'Midnight Memories', Midnight Memories

Never thought I'd hear One Direction mention Addison Lee in a song. Still not sure how I feel about it.

44) 'I Would', Take Me Home

A song about how One Direction would be better boyfriends than your current boyfriend. I would like to see it.

43) 'Better Than Words', Midnight Memories

Definitely an album track but a solid album track nonetheless.

42) 'Last First Kiss', Take Me Home

The verses are a little slow but the chorus slaps.

41) 'Little Things', Take Me Home

The lyrics are a crime against humanity but the boys sing them beautifully so here we are.

One Direction - Little Things

40) 'History', Made in the A.M.

'History' is lovely and all but there were stronger singles on Made in the A.M.

39) 'Gotta Be You', Up All Night

Underrated gem. Harry's vocals on the chorus are everything.

38) 'Don't Forget Where You Belong', Midnight Memories

There are a lot of songs about not losing sight of who you are when you become successful but few are as moving as this.

37) 'Where Do Broken Hearts Go', FOUR

A bop but negative points for not being as good as the Whitney Houston song of the same name.

36) 'I Should Have Kissed You', Up All Night

Sounds like it was made to dance to on a Dance Mat and that is one of the highest compliments I could ever give a song.

35) 'Strong', Midnight Memories

An anthem for needy people.

34) 'Clouds', FOUR

Cinematic, sing-a-long pop-rock made to open iconic tour set-lists.

33) 'Tell Me a Lie', Up All Night

They don't make songs like this anymore.

32) 'Little White Lies', Midnight Memories

The pause between 'with your' and 'little white lies, little white lies' is pop perfection.

31) 'Ready to Run', FOUR

When the final chorus comes crashing in after the bridge. Magic.

30) 'Girl Almighty', FOUR

Let's have another toast to how uplifting this song is.

29) 'C'mon, C'mon', Take Me Home

Would be higher if the song wasn't about taking a girl out only to ditch them for someone else.

28) 'A.M.', Made in the A.M.

'History' wants what 'A.M.' has.

27) 'Best Song Ever', Midnight Memories

Not the best song ever but a very good song regardless.

One Direction - Best Song Ever

26) 'Fool's Gold', FOUR

The way Niall Horan opens this song. I'm feeling emotional.

25) 'Moments', Up All Night

If One Direction had won The X Factor, this would have made a great winner's single.

24) 'You & I', Midnight Memories

Every single vocal performance in this song. Award-worthy.

23) 'Live While We're Young', Take Me Home

Feel like pure shit, just want to hear the line 'let's go crazy, crazy, crazy 'til we see the sun' for the first time again.

22) 'Spaces', FOUR

Bittersweet brilliance. Heartbreaking no matter how many times you listen to it.

21) 'Up All Night', Up All Night

Any song with the lyric 'Katy Perry's on replay' in it, deserves high praise.

QUIZ: How well do you remember One Direction on The X Factor?

20) 'Heart Attack', Take Me Home

The best use of the word 'Ow!' in a song ever.

19) 'Right Now', Midnight Memories

THE EMOTION! Zayn's high notes on this chorus are transcendent.

18) 'One Thing', Up All Night

The essence of One Direction lies in this song. 'Get out of my head and fall into my arms instead' is poetry.

17) 'Hey Angel', Made in the A.M.

The way Harry screams 'hey angel' like his life depends on it is life-affirming.

16) 'Steal My Girl', FOUR

A teen rom-com in song form. What more could you want?

One Direction - Steal My Girl

15) 'Perfect', Made in the A.M.

This is how you do a chorus.

14) 'Drag Me Down', One Direction

A song so well-crafted that you almost forget Zayn's not on it.

13) 'Diana', Midnight Memories

'Diana' is the mother I never had. She is the sister everybody would want. She is the friend everybody deserves. I don't know a better person.

12) 'Stockholm Syndrome', FOUR

Being held hostage has never sounded so good.

11) 'Rock Me', Take Me Home

I WANT YOU TO ROCK ME! ROCK ME! ROCK ME! This song makes me feel alive.

10) 'Fireproof', FOUR

'Fireproof' is proof that Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson are one of the greatest writing duos in pop history.

9) '18', FOUR

Ed Sheeran was not messing around with this one. The essence of romantic nostalgia captured in a song.

8) 'They Don't Know About Us', Take Me Home

Is this cheesy? Perhaps. Is this hand-clapping stadium perfection? Absolutely.

7) 'Kiss You', Take Me Home

One Direction singing 'let me kiss you' over chaotic kitchen-sink production is my religion.

6) 'Story of My Life', Midnight Memories

The story of my life is listening to this song for multiple hours on repeat while gently weeping.

One Direction - Story of My Life

5) 'What Makes You Beautiful', Up All Night

The gender-politics of this song are all over the place but this is a game-changing modern classic.

4) 'Night Changes', FOUR

The last single with Zayn and the lyrics are about growing up and accepting change. No. I'm not crying you are.

3) 'Happily', Midnight Memories

It is physically impossible to listen to this song without smiling.

2) 'What a Feeling', Made in the A.M.

Wistful excellence. It would go against my principles to put a song without Zayn at Number 1 but this a perfect song.

1) 'No Control', FOUR

Nothing compares to the rush of this scream-along chorus. A song which somehow encapsulates everything that makes One Direction so great.