One Direction hit number 1 in US charts
Chart stars One Direction's new single Live While We're Young has hit the US number 1 spot, to become the fastest-selling single by a UK act.
The sales tally of 341,000 copies in the space of a week is the biggest ever in the US for an overseas act.
The achievement comes as the group failed to top the UK charts, making it to just number three, with Rihanna taking the number one spot with Diamonds. And it is expected to drop out of the top five of the Official Singles Chart on Sunday.
But the band, including Wolverhampton-born Liam Payne, were thrilled by their latest US success. Niall Horan said: "We're so happy with the success of the single in the USA and can't wait for everyone to hear our new album. Thank you to all the fans once again."
The single has also proved a popular draw online. The promo for the single became the most viewed video within 24 hours on video site Vevo.
Earlier this year the quintet became the first UK group to enter the US Billboard chart with their debut album, Up All Night.
It went straight into the top spot on the 200-album chart. The achievement outperformed the likes of The Beatles and Coldplay.
The previous highest entry for a UK group's first album in the Billboard charts was number six, when the Spice Girls entered the charts with Spice in 1997. They then saw it climb to the top spot 14 weeks later.
One Direction found huge fame among teen fans in the UK after starring in the 2010 X Factor. Up All Night went straight to number one in the UK and in 12 other countries with global sales at more than 4.2 million.
They have earned a reported estimated £100m since starting out, with sales of records, books, DVDs, sell-out tours and lucrative sponsorship deals, not to mention realistic dolls.
