One Direction was formed in 2010 on the British X Factor TV show when five solo contestants were eliminated but then grouped together as a boy band. They finished third in the competition but were signed by judge Simon Cowell. Their debut album Up All Night was a major commercial success, selling over 3 million copies worldwide. Their subsequent albums Take Me Home and Midnight Memories also debuted at number one in both the UK and US charts, demonstrating their continued popularity as one of the top boy bands.