Former One Direction member Liam Payne made an outrageous headline this summer, and it wasn't for a good reason. The LP1 singer hopped on Logan Paul's Impaulsive podcast last May to give several bombshell revelations about what's going on in the British boyband including that one backstage incident and his opinion on Zayn-Gigi drama. He even claimed boldly that he "outsold everyone in the band" with that "Strip That Down" debut single and how the band was "build around his face."
Did he, though? That's the million-dollar question we have here. Again, it's still unclear whether he was comparing the pure sales that one debut single to others' or streaming numbers, but it's only fair if we're taking a look at how 1D members' solo careers are looking like now. To sum it up, here are all 1D solo albums ranked according to confirmed first-week sales.
10 Liam Payne's LP1 (2019): 9,500 Album-Equivalent Units
Ironically, we have Liam Payne's LP1 debut album at the bottom of this list. Released in 2019 through Capitol Records, LP1 was hyped up for years following the success of "Strip That Down," Zedd-produced "Get Low," and hip-hop-flavored "Stack It Up." It didn't live up to the expectation for its lack of originality - most brutally, Rawiya Kameir of Pitchfork reviewed the album, "One Direction was created because Simon Cowell didn't have much faith in the boys' potential as solo artists. Liam Payne's debut proves him right."
9 Zayn Malik's Nobody Is Listening (2021): 14,700 Album-Equivalent Units
Zayn Malik's third album, Nobody Is Listening, is a 35-minute collection of soothing and silky-smooth R&B and pop, something that the British-Pakistani powerhouse singer has been dwelling on since "Pillowtalk." It is a solid piece of project, but from a commercial standpoint, it's considered a flop due to Zayn's feud with his label and almost slim-to-none promo, interview, or tour.
8 Zayn Malik's Icarus Falls (2018): 15,000-20,000 Album-Equivalent Units
In his sophomore studio album Icarus Falls, Zayn Malik spreads an optimistic tone after a challenging time. Spawning singles like "Let Me," "Too Much," and "Fingers," Icarus Falls lyrically compares the legendary Greek myth of Icarus who flew too close to the sun and Zayn's turbulent personal relationships at the time. Despite almost zero promotion, however, the album had surpassed two billion streams on Spotify two years after its release, making it his first-ever album to do so.
7 Louis Tomlinson's Walls (2020): 39,000 Album-Equivalent Units
After a series of personal struggles, including the death of his mother and his younger sister, as well as his violent altercation with the paparazzi at LAX, Louis Tomlinson released his debut single album, Walls, in 2020. With that, he became the last One Direction member to release their first debut album. Peaking at number 9 on the Billboard 200, Walls ends its promo singles with its title track which he wrote after break-up from his off-and-on girlfriend, Eleanor Calder.
6 Niall Horan's Heartbreak Weather (2020): 59,000 Album-Equivalent Units
As Heartbreak Weather debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 chart, Niall Horan cemented his name in the music industry and marked his second top-10 album in the country. In this sophomore album, Horan digs deep into themes of heartbreak in a much more energized and full-blooded manner; hence it gives a fresh breath in the air for the music industry.
5 Niall Horan's Flicker (2017): 152,000 Album-Equivalent Unit Sales
Niall Horan kicked off his stellar solo career with Flicker, with a stellar number of 152,000 album-equivalent unit sales within the first week. With that, he came the third after Harry Styles's self-titled album and Zayn Malik's Mind of Mine as One Direction member with the highest-selling debut album according to first-week sales. Content-wise, Flicker boasts elements of soft rock, country, and funky folk with singles like "Nice to Meet Ya," "This Town," "Slow Hands," and more.
4 Zayn Malik's Mind of Mine (2016): 157,000 Album-Equivalent Units
As the first One Direction member to exit the band and pursued a solo career, the hype surrounding Zayn Malik was skyrocketing at the time, and rightfully so. He started his solo career with "Pillowtalk," a dirty R&B slow jam and a tune of sex - which was a little contrast from 1D's mostly family-friendly content. Its accompanying album, Mind of Mine is a solid combination between Zayn's crazy vocal performance and musical directions.
3 Harry Styles' Self-Titled Debut Album (2017): 230,000 Album-Equivalent Units
With his 2017 self-titled debut album, Harry Styles takes his influences from the 1960s and the 1970s of classic rock and ballads. Rightfully so, Harry Styles finds its ground in singles like "Sign of the Time" and "Kiwi." In that year, the crooner closed his chapter by finishing among the top-ten highest-selling albums of the year.
2 Harry Styles' Fine Line (2019): 478,000 Album-Equivalent Units
Harry Styles took the success of his debut album even further with Fine Line in 2019. Not only that, but his eccentric fashion manners and stylistic influences during this era have somewhat helped the artist elevate his success even further. Sonically, Fine Line celebrates psychedelic pop with elements of indie and funk music. It ended up winning a Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance, as well as being nominated for Album of the Year at the Brit Awards and Best Pop Vocal Album at the Grammy.
1 Harry Styles' Harry's House (2022): 521,500 Album-Equivalent Units
Harry Styles topped this list with his third studio album, Harry's House. Released recently in May 2022, the album showcased the singer's commercial power despite being unlawfully leaked a month before its release date. Musically, Harry's House has been noted as the singer's magnum opus, at least up to this writing, with singles like "As It Was" and "Late Night Talking" conquering the charts.