Liam Payne: All five One Direction albums return to the Top 40

A week after Liam Payne’s death in Argentina, all five of One Direction’s albums have returned to the UK charts.

The band’s third album, Midnight Memories, leads the field, re-entering the chart at number 13, with sales and streams increasing 517% week-on-week, according to the Official Charts Company.

Three of One Direction’s singles also re-enter the Top 40, while Payne’s final solo single, Teardrops, made its chart debut at number 85.

The star died on 16 October at the age of 31 after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires. He is survived by his seven-year-old son, Bear, whom he shares with ex-partner Cheryl.

In the days since his death, countless tributes have been paid by his family, friends and bandmates.

Niall Horan said he was “absolutely devastated”, calling Payne “the brightest [person] in any room”. His girlfriend Kate Cassidy said the singer would always be her “guardian angel” and revealed they had planned to marry.

In a statement, Payne’s family said they were “heartbroken”, adding: “Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny, and brave soul.”

Fans, who held vigils in the star’s memory last weekend, have also responded by sending his music back into the charts.

Albums chart

• 13 – One Direction: Midnight Memories (2013)
• 21 – One Direction: Made in the AM (2015)
• 22 – One Direction: Four (2014)
• 25 – One Direction: Take Me Home (2012)
• 38 – One Direction: Up All Night (2011)
• 62 – Liam Payne: LP1 (2019)

Singles chart

• 6 – One Direction: Night Changes
• 9 – One Direction: Story Of My Life
• 23 – One Direction: What Makes You Beautiful
• 41 – Liam Payne: Strip That Down (ft Quavo)
• 43 – Liam Payne: For You (ft Rita Ora)
• 85 – Liam Payne: Teardrops

Night Changes wasn’t One Direction’s biggest hit during their heyday – reaching number seven in the UK and 31 in the US – but it has grown in reputation ever since.

In 2022, it became the first One Direction song to surpass one billion streams on Spotify; and has remained their most-popular track on streaming services ever since.

Released on 12 November, 2014, as the second single from the album Four, it is one of the band’s most mature and critically-acclaimed tracks.

The lyrics contemplate the fleeting nature of time and the loss of innocence, set against the backdrop of a love affair that’s hit the rocks.

Harry Styles takes the lead vocal in the chorus, singing: “We’re only gettin’ older, baby / And I’ve been thinkin’ about it lately / Does it ever drive you crazy / Just how fast the night changes?“

Its reflective, minor key melancholy was embraced by fans after the band went on hiatus in 2016.

It’s easy to see how the song’s messages of impermanence and regret have been adapted to express the loss they’ve experienced over the last week.

On Wednesday, Argentinian police raided the hotel where Payne was staying at the time of his death.

A police special investigations seized items including computer hard drives and footage from hotel cameras, said a government official, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Earlier in the week, a post-mortem examination said the singer had died of multiple traumas and “internal and external haemorrhage”.

However, officials in Argentina had to deny releasing toxicology test results, following US media reports claiming the singer had a cocktail of illegal drugs in his system when he died.

The singer’s father, Geoff, is currently in Buenos Aries, waiting for his son’s body to be released and returned to the UK.

Meanwhile, Payne’s former bandmate Zayn Malik has rescheduled his upcoming US tour while he processes the “heartbreaking loss” of his One Direction co-star.

And former X Factor judge Nicole Scherzinger, who helped put the band together in 2010, has said she will “forever cherish and treasure” the times she spent with Payne.

“It was such a blessing to get to work with you recently,” she continued, in a post on Instagram on Friday. “We shared the same love and passion for music and I will forever remember the meaningful and joyful conversations we had.”

Scherzinger had recently completed filming a Netflix talent show with Payne and Destiny’s Child star Kelly Rowland.

The fate of the show, titled Building The Band, remains uncertain.