History (One Direction song)
"History" is a song by British and Irish boy band One Direction. It was released on 6 November 2015 as the third and final single from their fifth studio album, Made in the A.M. (2015). The album's last single to feature all members Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson before their hiatus in January 2016. "History" peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart.[1]
"History" | ||||
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Single by One Direction | ||||
from the album Made in the A.M. | ||||
Released | 6 November 2015 | |||
Length | 3:15 | |||
Label |
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Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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One Direction singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"History" on YouTube |
Composition
"History" was written by members Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson, along with Wayne Hector, Ed Drewett and the band's regular collaborators Julian Bunetta and John Ryan. It is a jaunty acoustic singalong that closes the album's standard edition[2] and was composed in G-flat major with a tempo of 88 beats per minute and a time signature of 12
8.[3]
Release
The song was chosen as the third and final single from Made in the A.M. after the commercial success that followed the band's performance on the finale of British The X Factor. The song was released by Syco Music on 6 November 2015 and served as the band's last single before their hiatus.[4][5]
Music video
The music video was published on the band's Vevo channel on YouTube on 26 January 2016.[6] The video features clips of the band throughout the years, highlighting their tours and personal anecdotes (including clips with former member Zayn Malik). The video ends as the band walk off in separate directions. It was later confirmed that the band were originally supposed to run back together at the end of the music video. Ben Winston, who directed the video, also added "The ending wasn't supposed to look like they're just walking off in different directions, it was kind of like a 'see you in a bit, guys.'"[7] In 2017, the deleted clip was unveiled online.[8]
Critical reception
Madeline Roth of MTV News commented that "littered with hand claps and campfire singalong vibes, “History” is both nostalgic and forward-looking at the same time" and that "the song is "the perfect goodbye to their fans".[9] Brennan Carley, writing with Spin, wrote that "utilizing hand claps, acoustic guitar, and Harry Styles’ sweet, standout harmonizing, the song’s proof that each of the remaining four 1D singers will be just fine on their own".[10] Brittany Spanos of Rolling Stone wrote that the group went "rootsy" with the song while adding that "the quartet harmonize above acoustic guitars and hand claps" and that "the boy band’s latest veers sharply from the more anthemic, arena rock sounds of their most recent singles".[11] Lucy Wang, writing for Time, wrote that the song is a "crooning, bittersweet anthem" and "a celebration of the British boy band’s five-year journey alongside its fans".[12]
Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA)[32] | 2× Platinum | 140,000 |
Canada (Music Canada)[33] | Gold | 40,000 |
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[34] | Gold | 45,000 |
Italy (FIMI)[35] | Gold | 25,000 |
Mexico (AMPROFON)[36] | Platinum | 60,000* |
New Zealand (RMNZ)[37] | Platinum | 15,000* |
United Kingdom (BPI)[38] | Platinum | 600,000 |
*sales figures based on certification alone |
References
- Steiner, Amanda Michelle (14 December 2015). "One Direction announce that 'History' will be third single from Made in the A.M.". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
- "One Direction Points the Way Forward on Swan Song (For Now) 'Made in the A.M.': Album Review". Billboard. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
- Edward, Drewett. "One Direction "History" Sheet Music in G Major (transposable) - Download & Print". Musicnotes.com. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
- "One Direction announce that 'History' will be third single from Made in the A.M." Entertainment Weekly.
- "Amazon.com: History: One Direction: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.com.
- "One Direction Releases Nostalgic Video for 'History'". Billboard. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
- "One Direction's 'History' Video: The Directors Tell Us About The Ending That Got Cut". MTV News. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
- https://www.instagram.com/p/BQ_Cyt5l-Rl/
- http://www.mtv.com/news/2427064/one-direction-history-perfect-goodbye/
- https://www.spin.com/2015/11/one-direction-history-made-in-the-am/
- https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/hear-one-directions-folky-fan-assisted-new-song-history-64886/
- https://time.com/4103524/one-direction-history-single-fans/
- "Australian-charts.com – One Direction – History". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
- "Austriancharts.at – One Direction – History" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
- "Ultratop.be – One Direction – History" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
- "Ultratop.be – One Direction – History" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
- "One Direction Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
- "Lescharts.com – One Direction – History" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
- "Offiziellecharts.de – One Direction – History". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
- "Chart Track: Week 1, 2016". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
- "Italiancharts.com – One Direction – History". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
- "Dutchcharts.nl – One Direction – History" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
- "Charts.nz – One Direction – History". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
- "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
- "Spanishcharts.com – One Direction – History" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
- "Swedishcharts.com – One Direction – History". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
- "Swisscharts.com – One Direction – History". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
- "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
- "One Direction Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
- "One Direction Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 29, 2015.
- "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2016". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
- "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2020 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association.
- "Canadian single certifications – One Direction – History". Music Canada. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
- "Danish single certifications – One Direction – History". IFPI Denmark. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
- "Italian single certifications – One Direction – History" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 6 June 2016. Select "2016" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "History" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli online" under "Sezione".
- "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Retrieved 6 June 2016. Type One Direction in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and History in the box under TÍTULO
- "New Zealand single certifications". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
- "British single certifications". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 3 June 2016. Select singles in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field.