What does make me laugh is when people say they're as big as The Beatles. No, no no!!! 1D will never be as big as The Beatles. I'd say 1D are about as big, right now, as Take That were in 1993/4. It's just they don't seem to have the string of UK #1 hits to support these claims but that's down to crap songs (then again Take That got to #1 with Sure and that was a big steaming pile of nothing). I'm still surprised Story Of My Life never made #1 here as it's by far the best song they've ever done.
They have achieved things that the Beatles didn't - like 4 albums straight to the top of the Billboard charts. The Beatles started life as a very poppy band with extremely young teenage fans who cared more about their hairstyles than their music. Sound familiar? :-) I know that because I remember well talking in the playground about which Beatle I wanted to marry. Hysteria followed the Beatles - they couldn't get out of their hotels for fans. Again history repeating. I also remember anyone over the age of about 20 taking the pee out of me for my love of The Beatles saying 'they can't sing' etc etc.
The Beatles changed their style dramatically to be become universally acclaimed and much of the praise for their music was retrospective.
I was a huge fan of The Beatles and now I'm a huge fan of One Direction. Who knows which way they will go musically, certainly they can't sustain their current level of popularity forever, they will either go their separate ways or develop their music so it is less appealing to the masses but has more meaning for the loyal fans. Certainly if you listen to their albums a lot there is a definite maturing in them, I have liked them all but Four is my favourite by a long way, perhaps because I am older. I also like that they are wanting to be part of the process and are starting to write at least some of their lyrics.
Oh and just as a side note my husband who is not a fan like me listened to my two birthday CDs back to back Four and the Foo Fighters new one - and he thought the One Direction was better! I must admit so did I.
At the dance studios where I go to classes, they are always auditioning for boy bands or girl bands. Most of them don't make it any further than a failed first single.
I'm sure that Simon Cowell did plan to make a boy band but he couldn't have known that they would be this successful. After all, he tried to make a girl band with 'Girl thing' before and they flopped horribly.
If he could make any band as successful as 1D, he would have done it back in the beginning. Why wait so long? Why not do it with JLS who were more talented and already a group?
They have achieved things that the Beatles didn't - like 4 albums straight to the top of the Billboard charts. The Beatles started life as a very poppy band with extremely young teenage fans who cared more about their hairstyles than their music. Sound familiar? :-) I know that because I remember well talking in the playground about which Beatle I wanted to marry. Hysteria followed the Beatles - they couldn't get out of their hotels for fans. Again history repeating. I also remember anyone over the age of about 20 taking the pee out of me for my love of The Beatles saying 'they can't sing' etc etc.
The Beatles changed their style dramatically to be become universally acclaimed and much of the praise for their music was retrospective.
I was a huge fan of The Beatles and now I'm a huge fan of One Direction. Who knows which way they will go musically, certainly they can't sustain their current level of popularity forever, they will either go their separate ways or develop their music so it is less appealing to the masses but has more meaning for the loyal fans. Certainly if you listen to their albums a lot there is a definite maturing in them, I have liked them all but Four is my favourite by a long way, perhaps because I am older. I also like that they are wanting to be part of the process and are starting to write at least some of their lyrics.
Oh and just as a side note my husband who is not a fan like me listened to my two birthday CDs back to back Four and the Foo Fighters new one - and he thought the One Direction was better! I must admit so did I.
I will admit you've raised some really good points.
The album sales for a #1 in the US have been so poor in recent years. Taylor Swift's 19 was the first album since 2002 to sell over 1 million copies in its first week, so whilst 1D did achieve their first 4 albums all going to #1 in its first week, what were the sales like?
Ultimately what were sales like in the US in the 60s? The Beatles may not have achieved the same feat in the album charts but they might've sold just as many albums as 1D in America at the time, but just not enough to enter the chart at #1. Regardless, they dominated the charts in 1964.
I will admit you've raised some really good points.
The album sales for a #1 in the US have been so poor in recent years. Taylor Swift's 19 was the first album since 2002 to sell over 1 million copies in its first week, so whilst 1D did achieve their first 4 albums all going to #1 in its first week, what were the sales like?
Ultimately what were sales like in the US in the 60s? The Beatles may not have achieved the same feat in the album charts but they might've sold just as many albums as 1D in America at the time, but just not enough to enter the chart at #1. Regardless, they dominated the charts in 1964.
That is certainly true - although in 1964 pretty much the only way to get music was to buy the album so of course sales would be higher. Now with Youtube, Spotify etc., etc., there are so many ways of listening without actually paying a penny. I'm sure I was not the only one to put a crappy tape recorder next to the radio for Top of the Pops so we could kid on we had the music even though it was crackly and probably had Mum telling us off in the background. :-)
So in that sense it is very hard to compare - however what can be compared is their relative success against their contemporaries, and both bands have similarities in being the top of their game.
As I say I love both bands and feel that they have both earned their place in musical history. Exactly what that place is for One Direction remains to be seen. They are still a very young band in every way, although it seems they do have a maturity and work ethic that is beyond their years.
At the dance studios where I go to classes, they are always auditioning for boy bands or girl bands. Most of them don't make it any further than a failed first single.
I'm sure that Simon Cowell did plan to make a boy band but he couldn't have known that they would be this successful. After all, he tried to make a girl band with 'Girl thing' before and they flopped horribly.
If he could make any band as successful as 1D, he would have done it back in the beginning. Why wait so long? Why not do it with JLS who were more talented and already a group?
But you are missing the point. If he could have this success with a band he would do it every year and he tried every year before 1D and every year afterwards. He may have put them together but he didn't make them , it was the fans who made this band big which is really true of all acts. You could have the most amazing voice but if the fans don't get behind you then forget it.
At the dance studios where I go to classes, they are always auditioning for boy bands or girl bands. Most of them don't make it any further than a failed first single.
I'm sure that Simon Cowell did plan to make a boy band but he couldn't have known that they would be this successful. After all, he tried to make a girl band with 'Girl thing' before and they flopped horribly.
If he could make any band as successful as 1D, he would have done it back in the beginning. Why wait so long? Why not do it with JLS who were more talented and already a group?
His first attempt was Futureproof in 2007...1D were his second attempt
I do think that they will come to an end sooner rather than later simply because they seem to be everywhere and that is eventually going to lead to one or more of them going off the rails or simply just burning out. Its easy to say well look at all the money etc. they have, but I know i couldnt do it. They seem to constantly be on tour. Definitely being milked as much as possible whilst they remain popular.
I do think that they will come to an end sooner rather than later simply because they seem to be everywhere and that is eventually going to lead to one or more of them going off the rails or simply just burning out. Its easy to say well look at all the money etc. they have, but I know i couldnt do it. They seem to constantly be on tour. Definitely being milked as much as possible whilst they remain popular.
I agree - they have a world tour next year and I think it would be difficult for them to keep up that pace. They have coped remarkably well with it given how young they are. However, I do think they have a bright future ahead of them if they play it right - just not as manic as it is now.
Likely, it will come to an end in the next few years – you can see they're beginning to get a bit tired of the whole thing now. But they're all set for life now, even if 1D was to end tomorrow.
Most of them seem to have been fairly smart with their money (eg. they all own part of 5SOS, which is the boyband probably most likely to succeed them in the short term), and they generally still seem relatively level headed despite all the success.
And a few years down the line, if some of them have burned through their millions, there's always the inevitable reunion…
Comments
They have achieved things that the Beatles didn't - like 4 albums straight to the top of the Billboard charts. The Beatles started life as a very poppy band with extremely young teenage fans who cared more about their hairstyles than their music. Sound familiar? :-) I know that because I remember well talking in the playground about which Beatle I wanted to marry. Hysteria followed the Beatles - they couldn't get out of their hotels for fans. Again history repeating. I also remember anyone over the age of about 20 taking the pee out of me for my love of The Beatles saying 'they can't sing' etc etc.
The Beatles changed their style dramatically to be become universally acclaimed and much of the praise for their music was retrospective.
I was a huge fan of The Beatles and now I'm a huge fan of One Direction. Who knows which way they will go musically, certainly they can't sustain their current level of popularity forever, they will either go their separate ways or develop their music so it is less appealing to the masses but has more meaning for the loyal fans. Certainly if you listen to their albums a lot there is a definite maturing in them, I have liked them all but Four is my favourite by a long way, perhaps because I am older. I also like that they are wanting to be part of the process and are starting to write at least some of their lyrics.
Oh and just as a side note my husband who is not a fan like me listened to my two birthday CDs back to back Four and the Foo Fighters new one - and he thought the One Direction was better! I must admit so did I.
I'm sure that Simon Cowell did plan to make a boy band but he couldn't have known that they would be this successful. After all, he tried to make a girl band with 'Girl thing' before and they flopped horribly.
If he could make any band as successful as 1D, he would have done it back in the beginning. Why wait so long? Why not do it with JLS who were more talented and already a group?
I will admit you've raised some really good points.
The album sales for a #1 in the US have been so poor in recent years. Taylor Swift's 19 was the first album since 2002 to sell over 1 million copies in its first week, so whilst 1D did achieve their first 4 albums all going to #1 in its first week, what were the sales like?
Ultimately what were sales like in the US in the 60s? The Beatles may not have achieved the same feat in the album charts but they might've sold just as many albums as 1D in America at the time, but just not enough to enter the chart at #1. Regardless, they dominated the charts in 1964.
That is certainly true - although in 1964 pretty much the only way to get music was to buy the album so of course sales would be higher. Now with Youtube, Spotify etc., etc., there are so many ways of listening without actually paying a penny. I'm sure I was not the only one to put a crappy tape recorder next to the radio for Top of the Pops so we could kid on we had the music even though it was crackly and probably had Mum telling us off in the background. :-)
So in that sense it is very hard to compare - however what can be compared is their relative success against their contemporaries, and both bands have similarities in being the top of their game.
As I say I love both bands and feel that they have both earned their place in musical history. Exactly what that place is for One Direction remains to be seen. They are still a very young band in every way, although it seems they do have a maturity and work ethic that is beyond their years.
But you are missing the point. If he could have this success with a band he would do it every year and he tried every year before 1D and every year afterwards. He may have put them together but he didn't make them , it was the fans who made this band big which is really true of all acts. You could have the most amazing voice but if the fans don't get behind you then forget it.
His first attempt was Futureproof in 2007...1D were his second attempt
I agree - they have a world tour next year and I think it would be difficult for them to keep up that pace. They have coped remarkably well with it given how young they are. However, I do think they have a bright future ahead of them if they play it right - just not as manic as it is now.
Most of them seem to have been fairly smart with their money (eg. they all own part of 5SOS, which is the boyband probably most likely to succeed them in the short term), and they generally still seem relatively level headed despite all the success.
And a few years down the line, if some of them have burned through their millions, there's always the inevitable reunion…