▁album , ▁Mid night ▁Mem ories , ▁was ▁the ▁best - s elling ▁album ▁world wide ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁with ▁ 4 ▁million ▁copies ▁sold ▁glob ally . ▁The ▁band ' s ▁Where ▁We ▁Are ▁Tour , ▁in ▁support ▁of ▁Mid night ▁Mem ories , ▁was ▁the ▁highest - g ross ing ▁concert ▁tour ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁the ▁highest - g ross ing ▁tour ▁by ▁a ▁vocal ▁group ▁in ▁history , ▁and ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁highest - g ross ing ▁concert ▁tour ▁of ▁all ▁time , ▁gross ing ▁$ 2 9 0 . 2 ▁million ▁( un ad just ed ▁for ▁infl ation ). ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁Billboard ▁named ▁One ▁D irection ▁Art ist ▁of ▁the ▁Year . ▁The ▁band ▁went ▁on ▁hi atus ▁in ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁allowing ▁all ▁members ▁to ▁purs ue ▁other ▁projects . ▁As ▁of ▁ 2 0 2 0 , ▁the ▁band ▁has ▁sold ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁ 5 0 ▁million ▁records ▁world wide . ▁ ▁History ▁▁ 2 0 1 0 – 2 0 1 1 : ▁The ▁X ▁F actor ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁Ni all ▁Hor an , ▁Z ay n ▁Mal ik , ▁Li am ▁Pay ne , ▁Harry ▁St yles , ▁and ▁Louis ▁Tom lin son ▁aud ition ed ▁as ▁solo ▁candidates ▁for ▁the ▁sevent h ▁series ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁tele vised ▁singing ▁competition ▁The ▁X ▁F actor . ▁They ▁all ▁failed