This is the sound that traces through the entire album. You can tell that Midnight Memories was written with One Direction’s first ever stadium tour in sight, and the stadium rock influences infiltrate each and every song Yet, One Direction carry off these influences with a playfulness that still characterises their pop sound. Led by the bursting of rock-inspired riffs, a beat designed to clap along to and lyrics you can shout at the top of your lungs, ‘Midnight Memories’ is an energetic dive into the kind of stadium rock defined by bands such as Queen. And it is no surprise when the title track ‘Midnight Memories’ is as bold and energetic as it is. From the feel-good playfulness of ‘Best Song Ever’ to the more emotionally charged ballad ‘You & I.’ One Direction’s place as chart toppers was cemented within Midnight Memories. The album boasts some of One Direction’s biggest singles. Yes, it is a pop album at its core, but it is executed with such influences that allow One Direction to redefine themselves and their maturing sound.

Released in November 2013 and as their third studio album, Midnight Memories saw One Direction maturing and leaning into a vaster range of musical influences across classic rock, folk and indie.

Midnight Memories is the quintessential One Direction albumĮasily my favourite album of theirs, Midnight Memories is the quintessential One Direction album. I think that a lot of the time they are overlooked as just an embarrassing boyband, and whenever I am met with this response, I tell people to listen to Midnight Memories. One Direction were, in my opinion and I am sure that others will agree, the biggest boyband of the last decade. From seeing them on tour, to staying up on Twitter to obsess with other fans about their next album. One Direction were the soundtrack to my early teenage years, and through them as a band I made so many friends and memories. July 2021 marked 11 years of One Direction, which naturally, brought me a lot of nostalgia.

One direction albums list of songs