One Direction are making chart history even on hiatus

Harry, Zayn and Niall have each scored number one albums in the US

They might be on a break, but One Direction are still making a whole lot of history in the US Billboard charts.

The band have just joined the Beatles as the only groups with three members to achieve a solo number one in the US.

It comes after Niall Horan topped the charts with his debut, Flicker, which sold 152,000 copies last week (128,000 traditional sales, plus streams).

He follows Harry Styles and Zayn Malik to number one, equalling The Beatles' record, which has stood since 1971.

Band mates Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne have yet to release their solo albums, meaning One Direction could eventually overtake the Fab Four.

Payne, in particular, looks to be guaranteed a number one.

His debut single Strip That Down, which was written by Ed Sheeran, is the biggest-selling single by a former One Direction member to date, shifting more than 5 million copies worldwide.

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As a group, The Beatles scored 19 number ones in the US, and went on to have multiple solo chart-toppers.

Paul McCartney was first with his debut solo album, McCartney, which was released a month before the Beatles' swansong, Let It Be, in 1970.

The Beatles have more number one albums than any act in US chart history

He has the most successful post-Beatles career, with six US number ones in total (including albums made with Wings). John Lennon had three and George Harrison had two.

Ringo Starr is the only member not to hit the top, coming closest in 1973, when his self-titled album reached number two.

In the UK, The Beatles still hold the record for most post-spilt number ones; as Horan's album was denied the top spot by a re-release of George Michael's Listen Without Prejudice last week.

One Direction are officially on hiatus while the members pursue solo careers. Zayn Malik left the band permanently in March 2015 and later criticised their output as "generic", saying: "That's not music that I would listen to."

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