Hello our dear Directioners, are you in a puddle of tears now that 1D is on “hiatus” (do not say it’s a break!) like us? Good, we’re glad we aren’t alone. Well get your tissues ready, because the boys released a video for their hit song “History” and it’s one emotional journey. After years of loving 1D, we think in honor of History, it’s time to rank all of their videos from worst (jk nothing they did was bad) to the very best.
16. Gotta Be You
Just to clear the air here, there are no BAD One Direction music videos. We love just about every single thing that they do. However, it’s very clear after re-watching Gotta Be You, that some videos are much better than the others. But they were fetus 1D here, so we’ll let them pass.
15. Midnight Memories
Poor Louis stuck at that party with strangers making out next to him. We’re still confused as to why this video isn’t shot at least partially at a hotel party, as the lyrics clearly state… “Straight off the plane to a new hotel…”.
14. One Way or Another (Teenage Kicks)
While this isn’t your traditional music video from 1D, it’s adorably heartwarming to see them doing something so sweet for charity, while still giving us the 1D we know and love.
13. Drag Me Down
We have absolutely no idea how they got NASA to approve the making of this music video. We get that nothing is going to hold them down, but we didn’t think they’d be so literal and prove nothing will hold them to this Earth…
12. You & I
Like Drag Me Down, You & I is one of 1D’s best songs (like both are arguably top 5 best songs) and yet the video isn’t what you’d expect. We thoroughly enjoy having each boy sing to us and we love the fact they’re all wearing matching sweaters, but we’ve had much more interesting videos from them.
11. Live While We Were Young
Zayn’s unfortunate blonde swirl aside, this video is perfect with it’s mix of partying and having fun that any good boyband should promote. The lyrics may suggest things our parents wouldn’t approve, but we’d get in that pool with them any day.
10. Steal My Girl
Steal My Girl literally makes no sense, but at least 1D keeps up with a theme. We totally ignored the lack of sense here for many reasons: 1) Danny DeVito, 2) Wet t-shirts, 3) A CHIMPANZEE, and 4) everything else.
9. What Makes You Beautiful
If we were ranking these videos based on nostalgia, obviously this would be #1. But, as we’re talking video quality, this just barely made top 10 (and that is 100% because we are biased and love it too much). It’s every single boyband cliche x 10. It’s a perfect video to break them into the mainstream and it did it’s job. We’ve loved them ever since we first saw it.
8. Little Things
Little Things is one of their least flashy videos, but that’s why it ranks so high. It’s simplistic, sweet, and god those lyrics just all work so well. You really believe Harry Styles is in love with you after watching this.
7. Perfect
Piggybacking on the simplicity idea, while Perfect is very toned down when compared to the video that came right before it (Drag Me Down), it’s perfect. As fans, we love nothing more than seeing the boys act natural, since we all know that they don’t do choreography.
6. Kiss You
Kiss You is from 1D’s young prime. It has everything to make for an epic boyband video (skiing, driving a car, surfing) while still showing off the fact that they’re not your average boyband.
5. One Thing
One Thing is back from when management tried to make everyone match and be a cookie cutter band, but there is something about this video that keeps us coming back. We also can’t help but adore that little moment where Zayn puts his head on Louis shoulder. All the feels!
4. Night Changes
Night Changes let us GO ON A DATE WITH ONE DIRECTION. Need we say more? Harry Styles ice skating.
3. Best Song Ever
If you don’t know all the words to the opening skit of this video, are you even a 1D fan? We live for Harry as Maurice here and Liam as Leroy ain’t half bad, those moves!
2. Story of My Life
Until History was released, Story of My Life was the video that made us feel all the feels. It has all sorts of nostalgia that will make you want to cry. Just look at baby Harry eating those sausages! This probably would have been #1 if they bothered to unfreeze Niall’s bro Greg!
1. History
History may be their newest video but it’s their best because of all the wonderful memories. We maybe never get over Zayn leaving the band and their sound may have changed over the years, but they’re still One Direction to the core and we will always love them for it.
If you’re not already crying from all this nostalgia, here let’s ramp that up and watch their X-Factor auditions:
Where did your favorite fall on this list?
