In reality, though, One Direction’s music legacy is that they achieved something that very, very few pop acts before them have: They evolved. One Direction’s sound in 2015 is nothing like its sound in 2011, but their musical output and popularity never dipped. Most boy bands either burn out or fade away from the public eye before they get a chance to tinker with their sound; for instance, *N SYNC dove into R&B but right before breaking up, while Backstreet Boys tried a few new looks but only after everyone stopped paying attention.

One Direction was given the opportunity to grow into a formidable pop-rock presence while inhabiting the spotlight, partially because an ambitious release schedule kept the new music flow steady, partially because their musical impulses were often correct. No one can claim that One Direction kept doing the same thing over and over again, and anyone who says that the music noticeably sagged at any point in their run is seriously off-base.