History (One Direction song)

"History"
Single by One Direction
from the album Made in the A.M.
Released6 November 2015 (2015-11-06)
Length3:15
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Julian Bunetta
  • John Ryan
One Direction singles chronology
"Perfect"
(2015) 		"History"
(2015)
Music video
"History" on YouTube

"History" is a song by British-Irish boy band One Direction. It was written by band members Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson, along with Wayne Hector, Ed Drewett, Julian Bunetta and John Ryan. The song was released on 6 November 2015 as the third and final single from their fifth and final studio album Made in the A.M. (2015), making it their final single released by the group before their hiatus began in January 2016, with members of the band focusing on their solo projects. It also marked their last single with Payne, before his death in October 2024. "History" peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart.[1]

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 and was composed in G-flat major with a tempo of 88 beats per minute and a time signature of 12
8.[2] “History” closes Made in the A.M.'s standard edition.[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 series 12 of The X Factor.

“History” was released by Syco Music on 6 November 2015.[4][5]

Music video

The music video, directed by Ben Winston, was released on the band's Vevo channel, via YouTube, on 26 January 2016.[6] It features clips of the band throughout the years, highlighting their tours and personal anecdotes and including clips of former member Zayn Malik, intercut with the band singing in front of a brick wall. The video ends as the band walks off in separate directions; it was later confirmed that the band was originally supposed to run back together. Director Winston said, "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, "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, called the song a "crooning, bittersweet anthem" and "a celebration of the British boy band’s five-year journey alongside its fans".[12]

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "History"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[36] 2× Platinum 140,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[37] Gold 40,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[38] Gold 45,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[39] Gold 25,000‡
Mexico (AMPROFON)[40] Platinum 60,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[41] Platinum 15,000*
Poland (ZPAV)[42] Gold 25,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[43] Gold 30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[45] 2× Platinum 1,300,000[44]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ Edward, Drewett (11 November 2015). "One Direction "History" Sheet Music in G Major (transposable) - Download & Print". Musicnotes.com. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  3. ^ "One Direction Points the Way Forward on Swan Song (For Now) 'Made in the A.M.': Album Review". Billboard. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  4. ^ "One Direction announce that 'History' will be third single from Made in the A.M." Entertainment Weekly.
  5. ^ "Amazon.com: History: One Direction: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.com.
  6. ^ "One Direction Releases Nostalgic Video for 'History'". Billboard. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  7. ^ "One Direction's 'History' Video: The Directors Tell Us About The Ending That Got Cut". MTV News. Archived from the original on 3 February 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  8. ^ "Fulwell 73 Productions on Instagram: "❤🤗"".
  9. ^ "One Direction's 'History' is the Perfect Goodbye to Their Fans". MTV. Archived from the original on 13 November 2015.
  10. ^ "One Direction Remember Their 'History' with You". 6 November 2015.
  11. ^ "Hear One Direction's Folky New Song 'History'". Rolling Stone. 6 November 2015.
  12. ^ "One Direction Drops Single 'History,' Featuring Singing Fans".
  13. ^ "One Direction – History". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
  14. ^ "One Direction – History" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  15. ^ "One Direction – History" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  16. ^ "One Direction – History" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  17. ^ "One Direction Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  18. ^ "One Direction – History" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  19. ^ "One Direction – History" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  20. ^ "Chart Track: Week 1, 2016". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  21. ^ "One Direction – History". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  22. ^ "One Direction Chart History (Mexico Ingles Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  23. ^ "One Direction – History" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  24. ^ "One Direction – History". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
  25. ^ "One Direction - Portuguese Charts". Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  26. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  27. ^ "Gaon Digital Chart: 2015.11.08~2015.11.14". GAON. Archived from the original on 12 March 2016. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  28. ^ "One Direction – History" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  29. ^ "One Direction – History". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  30. ^ "One Direction – History". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  31. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  32. ^ "One Direction Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  33. ^ "One Direction Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 29, 2015.
  34. ^ "TÓNLISTINN – LÖG – 2016". Plötutíóindi (in Icelandic). Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  35. ^ "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2016". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  36. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2020 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  37. ^ "Canadian single certifications – One Direction – History". Music Canada. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  38. ^ "Danish single certifications – One Direction – History". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  39. ^ "Italian single certifications – One Direction – History" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  40. ^ "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 the TÍTULO column heading.
  41. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – One Direction – History". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  42. ^ "Wyróżnienia – Złote płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2022 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  43. ^ "Spanish single certifications – One Direction – History". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  44. ^ Levine, Nick (14 June 2023). "One Direction: Official Top 20 biggest songs ever in UK revealed". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  45. ^ "British single certifications – One Direction – History". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 10 July 2023.