Rating: 7/10
One Direction’s debut album, Up All Night, while very bubblegum-pop and somewhat generic, has many iconic and enjoyable songs. I guess I’m a little biased because I love the boys as people, so of course I’m gonna like their music. For anyone new to the band, I don’t recommend this album as the first one to listen to unless you’re ready to commit, because the boys weren’t allowed to have any involvement in the writing and development of this album, and their later albums are much more representative of their talent as artists.
In this post I’ll be ranking all the songs on One Direction’s first studio album, Up All Night, from worst to best. I don’t normally include deluxe tracks in these reviews, but I feel like all the One Direction songs, deluxe or not, are so important within the fan base that it would be wrong to overlook them (and there are some real gems within the deluxe tracks).
18. Na Na Na (Track 17)
I mean, the chorus is “We’re like na na na, then we’re like yeah yeah yeah.” I don’t know what else to say. If I’m honest, it’s pretty enjoyable to listen to, but the lyrics are so terrible that I have to put it last.
17. Stole My Heart (Track 13)
Very generic and forgettable. It’s not awful, just utterly plain and neutral.
16. Another World (Track 16)
I had hopes for this song because the first few seconds are kinda cool, but I don’t like it. It’s so poppy and technical, and it just feels like any other song that would’ve been on the radio at the time.
15. I Should Have Kissed You (Track 18)
I understand why most of the bonus tracks are bonus tracks. They really don’t showcase the talent of the boys, and they don’t exude the same warmth and happiness that the original songs do. This song isn’t terrible, as far as bubblegum pop goes, but it’s definitely not going in my One Direction playlist.
14. Up All Night (Track 5)
This song is pretty beloved by fans, so I feel bad for ranking it this low, but I can’t change how I feel. The lyrics are nothing special, and the theme is pretty similar to any radio song (let’s have fun and party). The Katy Perry reference makes me cringe every time. On the more positive side, their voices harmonize really nicely when they sing, “Hold onto the feeling and don’t let it go.”
13. Tell Me a Lie (Track 7)
This song is kinda catchy, and I don’t mind listening to it within the album, but it doesn’t have much replay-value for me.
12. Everything About You (Track 10)
The chorus of this song is pretty fun to sing, so it gets some credit for that, but the lyrics are pretty bleh.
11. Save You Tonight (Track 12)
I don’t really like any part of this song, except for the pre-chorus. Harry really serves there. Like, his voice sounds really good. And the lyric changes that he does live for that part are hilarious. This would be much lower, but thanks to Harry, it gets the 11th spot.
10. I Wish (Track 6)
This song, while nothing too amazing, is a pleasant listen. There’s nothing about it that I really dislike, but it’s just a little flavorless. The chorus is kinda cool though.
9. Stand Up (Track 14)
If the chorus was a little less basic, I would really like this song. The verses are pretty cool, but the chorus does nothing for me.
8. More Than This (Track 4)
This is actually a really nice song. The production is much more delicate and soft, and the chorus is pretty sweet. Lyrically, it’s not a gem, but the sonically, it’s pretty good.
7. Moments (Track 15)
Lyrically, this is one of the best songs on the album (it was written by Ed Sheeran, so that makes sense). Moments is pretty beloved among fans, and I can see why. It doesn’t really strike an emotional chord with me, but I can totally imagine that it would for other people. Louis’ solo is great. “You know I’ll be your life, your voice, your reason to be. My love, my heart, is breathing for this moment in time. I’ll find the words to say before you leave me today.”
6. Gotta Be You (Track 2)
This song is a classic, and the high notes are pretty majestic. I also like the strings, because even though they’re kinda cheesy, they add a sentimental quality to the song, which makes it feel more meaningful. All the boys sound really good in this song, so even if it’s not one of my all time favorites from the band, it gets a thumbs up from me.
5. Taken (Track 8)
Here’s where we start getting into my favorite songs from the album. Let me just start by saying that Harry sounds fantastic in this song. Like, dang. I heard this song before I fully listened to the album and I liked it well enough, so I guess I’m a little biased towards it, but whatever. This is my review and I’m allowed to be biased. This song’s bridge is really good. “You only love to see me breakin’, you only want me ’cause I’m taken. You don’t really want my heart, you just like to know you can still be the one who gets it breakin’. You only want me when I’m taken.”
4. I Want (Track 9)
This is one of the most unique songs on the album, because it doesn’t feel like bubblegum pop. It has a lot more attitude and sass than most of the songs on Up All Night. I dare you not to move around listening to this song. It’s very catchy, and the prominent piano line helps it stand out amongst the other tracks. The lyrics are also really fun.
3. Same Mistakes (Track 11)
This song slaps. It’s so sonically pleasing, and the chorus is really beautiful. Plus, the lyrics deal with a topic that isn’t mentioned much in this album: you’re in a relationship with someone, and you know that you won’t break up, so you just make the same mistakes over and over again, not even really trying to work on the relationship. This is a great song, and it’s a major improvement from a lot of the other songs on this album.
2. What Makes You Beautiful (Track 1)
This honestly isn’t even the second best song on the album, but it’s so iconic and nostalgic that I can’t put it any lower. This song kickstarted their careers, and if there’s any One Direction song that you’ll recognize, it’s this one. I mean, it’s a bop, and the music video is legendary. The thing is, this is a typical pop song, but it’s pop gold. As far as radio pop goes (I don’t mean to be bashing it so much, it’s just not generally my type of music) it doesn’t get much better than What Makes You Beautiful. Also, if you’re younger than 25 years old and you don’t know all the lyrics to this song, I don’t trust you.
1. One Thing (Track 3)
Iconic. Amazing. Spectacular. This song could cure my depression (if I had depression). Like, I don’t know what it is about this song, but I just love it so much. I guess it just has that one thing, and I need that one thing (I’m so sorry, that was awful). But like, the boys all sound so good here, the guitar is so fun and pleasant, and the music video makes me want to cry (in a cool way. If you understand that reference, I appreciate you). If there’s one song on this album to give you a gauge of how good their songs can be, this is it. I feel like whether you’re into pop music or not, you have to admit that this is a banger.
Anna's Music World 