Remembering Liam Payne: 11 One Direction Songs to Celebrate His Life

If you’ve been in a mourning period following the passing of One Direction’s Liam Payne, you’re not alone. The 31-year-old singer and songwriter joined the boy band in 2010 after being paired with the other four members — Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik — while on the competition series, X Factor. 

The then-16-year-old performed Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me A River” for his audition, impressing Simon Cowell, who is responsible for creating One Direction. The five boys soon joined forces and One Direction was born. 

Liam Payne was often referred to as the dad of the group of boys, as opposed to Tomlinson’s “off the cuff” attitude and Horan’s “happy-go-lucky” personality. 

“I’m often called Papa Smurf because I’m sort of the sensible one,” Payne shared to Life Story Magazine. 

Over their nearly 6-year-long career together, Payne contributed to the band’s songwriting needs, co-writing many with the other members, as well as a few that only he has credit on. From their debut album, Up All Night, to their final Made In The A.M., Payne and One Direction touched lives globally. 

Here are just a few of the group’s incredible hits that you should give a listen if you’re grieving the loss of Payne. 

1. “What Makes You Beautiful” – Up All Night (2011)

As One Direction’s debut single, “What Makes You Beautiful” peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was the song that launched the boys into stardom. The music video that was released for the song has drawn in over 1.5 billion views over the years, making it the group’s most-viewed video of all time. 

“We never expected anything like [‘What Makes You Beautiful going to #1] to happen,” Payne shared. “We thought we might have a record in the U.K., maybe, but never come out to America and have a # 1 album. It’s beyond all of our wildest dreams.”

2. “Night Changes” – Four, 2014

One of the group’s biggest songs released on their fourth studio album, Four, “Night Changes” is a heartfelt track. Full of nostalgia, “Night Changes” recounts growing older and how quickly life changes. This track is a must-listen, especially if you grew up with the band, as it brings back memories from years prior.

3. “Story of My Life” – Midnight Memories (2013)

Peaking at No. 6, “Story of My Life” took the world by storm upon its release. The pop ballad details a boy falling for a girl who isn’t sure about him. Its music video received just over 1 billion views and is one of the group’s most popular songs.

4. “Don’t Forget Where You Belong” – Midnight Memories (2013)

This track was released on the group’s third studio album in 2013. One of their slower-tempo songs, “Don’t Forget Where You Belong” has a more nostalgic feeling behind it, urging listeners to remember where they’ve come from and that they are not alone. 

5. “If I Could Fly” – Made In The A.M. (2015)

Although One Direction was made famous for their more pop hits, they released quite a few ballads. “If I Could Fly” is another, released in 2015, which details what it is like to let your guard down in a relationship or for another person. 

6. “Walking in the Wind” – Made In The A.M. (2015)

This song could be a bit too emotional to listen to, as it details saying goodbye to someone. “Walking In the Wind” was released on the group’s fifth and final album and is a sweet song to listen to. 

7. “Drag Me Down” – Made In The A.M. (2015)

“Drag Me Down” was a bit of a surprise, as it was the band’s first single released without their fifth band member, Zayn Malik, who left the band in early 2015. The song, however, broke Spotify’s one-day streaming record at the time. Payne also shared a tweet following the release of the song, which we’ll now be reading over and over. 

“Drag Me Down” peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent 20 weeks on the chart. 

8. “Best Song Ever” – Midnight Memories (2013)

As their highest charting song at No. 2, “Best Song Ever” was a massive success for One Direction. The song was certified Platinum in the US and the UK and was a promotional single for their movie, This Is Us. 

Each of the boys becomes a different character in the video, with Payne portraying the overenthusiastic choreographer, Leroy. His best line in the video is “And Liam, you stay exactly where you are because you are perfect.”

9. “Love You Goodbye” – Made In The A.M. (2015)

“Love You Goodbye” was one of the few One Direction songs that only Payne worked on writing, along with a few outside songwriters. The song can be quite emotional, as Liam sings the first verse, starting with, “It's inevitable, everything that's good comes to an end.”

10. “Half A Heart” – Midnight Memories (2013)

“Half A Heart” details the end of a relationship and dealing with the heartbreak, which might be how some One Direction fans feel. The emotionally charged lyrics are heartbreakingly beautiful and worth the listen today.

11. “Live While We’re Young” – Take Me Home (2012)

Another one of their most popular songs, “Live While We’re Young” charted at No. 3, remaining on for 16 weeks. The song shares the message that you should live life to its fullest before it is too late. Released on their second album, this track fully grasps One Direction’s true style.

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