Westlife Albums

[Blanchefle Strycker]

In2012, the Official Charts Company listed Westlife 34th amongst the biggest-selling singles artists in British music history. They are currently the sixteenth overall biggest group of all time.[3] As of April 2018, the group has sold more than 55 million records worldwide.[4]

They accumulated a total of 26 top ten hits including 15 number one singles as lead artist and as featured artist, 8 number one albums and 13 top 5 albums in the United Kingdom alone. 20 out of 29 singles as lead artist and as featured artist they have released in the United Kingdom have certifications from 1999 to 2022.[5] They are also currently ranked twenty-fourth with most number ones albums of all time.[6] They have had 36 number-one albums worldwide. This earned them the following Guinness World Records: first to achieve seven consecutive number-one singles in the UK, most singles to debut at number one on the UK chart and top selling album group in the United Kingdom in the 21st century.[7][8][9] Despite their success, Westlife never managed to break into the United States, achieving only one hit single in 2000, their debut single "Swear It Again", which peaked at number 20 on Billboard Hot 100 and was certified Gold.

However, "Swear It Again" was the band's first number-one single in the United Kingdom and Ireland followed by seventeen more number-ones from their succeeding singles "If I Let You Go", "Flying Without Wings", "I Have A Dream/Seasons in the Sun", "Fool Again", "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)", "My Love", "Uptown Girl", "Queen of My Heart"/"When You're Looking Like That",[B] "World of Our Own", "Unbreakable", "Tonight"/"Miss You Nights", "Mandy", "Everybody Hurts",[C] "You Raise Me Up", "The Rose", "Hello My Love",[D] and "Dynamite"[E] from 1999 to 2019.

We're ranking the best Westlife albums of all time, with their discography ranked from best to worst by fans worldwide. Formed in Dublin in 1998, Westlife were Ireland's answer to the Backstreet Boys of America and Take That from England -- boy bands that were popular at the time. While Westlife never blew up in the U.S., they became multi-platinum artists with their peak sales coming from the Y2K sophomore release Coast to Coast (2000). Since then, the super-group only continues to make music, write songs, and do their thing.

From their popular album World of Our Own (2001) to their tribute to Frank Sinatra, Allow Us to Be Frank (2004), to their latest 2021 studio LP Wild Dreams, all of your favorite Westlife full-length projects are featured below.

To make it easy for you, we haven't included Westlife singles, EPs, or compilations -- only studio albums. If you think that the top Westlife album isn't high enough on the list, then be sure to vote for it so that it receives the credit it deserves. Make sure you don't just vote for critically acclaimed albums; and if you have a favorite Westlife album, then vote it up, even if it's not necessarily the most popular.

Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, and Shane Filan bonded over a love of music at school in Sligo. They quickly formed a band with three other school friends, under the name Six As One, before changing it to IOYOU.

In February 2024, Mark Feehily announced that he has been forced to 'stand down from Westlife touring' due to his health. In a post shared to his Instagram page, Mark explained that he will be unable to join the band on their upcoming tour dates in Canada, the USA, Mexico and Brazil.

In 2013, Shane signed a record deal, later going on to release his first solo album 'You and Me' in November 2013. The album included the singles 'Everything to Me', 'About You' and 'Knee Deep in My Heart.' It reached Number 5 in the UK charts and is certified Silver.

Shane later went on to release his second solo album 'Right Here' in September 2015, which topped the Irish Albums Chart and included the single 'Me and the Moon'. His third solo album 'Love Always' was then released in August 2017, charting at Number 5 on the UK charts.

Having established a career as a presenter on television and radio, Nicky competed in Strictly Come Dancing back in 2012, where he was partnered with professional dancer Karen Hauer. Nicky released his debut solo album, 'Sunlight', in May 2016, which reached Number 8 on the Irish Albums Chart.

Mark has released solo music, with his debut solo single 'Love Is A Drug' released in April 2015. He then released his debut solo album 'Fire' in October 2015. As a solo artist, Mark has also been a support act for Wet Wet Wet and Mariah Carey.

According to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), Westlife has been certified for 13.1 million albums, 1.3 million video albums, and 10.4 million singles, with a total of more than 24 million combined sales in the UK.

In a statement, the band described the album as "uplifting", explaining that it "captures the mood of the moment" and has "moments of reflection and is about new beginnings, hope and looking to the future".

'Flying Without Wings' was released in October 1999 and was the third single that was released from Westlife's self-titled debut album. The song reached Number 1 on the UK Chart and is certified Platinum.

Westlife released a cover of Billy Joel's hit 'Uptown Girl' in March 2001. The song was the lead single from the band's third studio album 'World of Our Own', as well as being the 2001 Comic Relief charity single.

'World Of Our Own' was released in February 2002, and was the second single to be released from the band's third album of the same name. The song reached Number 1 on the UK Chart and is certified Platinum.

Westlife's version of 'You Raise Me Up' was released in October 2005 as the lead single from the band's sixth studio album 'Face to Face.' The song reached Number 1 on the UK Chart and is certified Platinum.

Kian Egan, Mark Feehily and Shane Filan knew each other from school, forming a pop group with fellow students Derrick Lacey, Graham Keighron, and Michael Garrett called Six As One in 1997, soon changing their name to IOYOU. When Mark's mum Mae Filan got in touch with Louis Walsh, who managed Boyzone, and he took them on - but when they got shot down by Simon Cowell, Louis fired Derrick, Graham and Michael, and held auditions to replace them.

They recruited Nicky Byrne and Brian McFadden, and officially became Westside in July 1998 - quickly changing to Westlife when they discovered a band already called Westside.

They signed a 4 million deal with RCA Records, and they were the opening act for both Boyzone and Backstreet Boys, with Ronan Keating of Boyzone co-managing the group with Louis. They recorded their first EP, 'Swear It Again', in 1999, which went to Number 1 in the UK

The band's self-titled debut album 'Westlife' was released in November 1999, containing singles 'Flying Without Wings', 'Seasons in the Sun' and 'More Than Words', topping the charts in Ireland and going to Number 2 in the UK.

The band released their second album 'Coast to Coast' a year later, spawning singles 'Against All Odds', 'What Makes a Man' and 'When You're Looking Like That'. It went to Number 1 in the UK and Ireland, beating Spice Girls' 'Forever', and the boys embarked on their 'Where Dreams Come True Tour' in 2001.

Westlife's third album 'World of Our Own' was released just one year later, containing singles 'Uptown Girl', 'Evergreen' and the album's titular song. It went to Number 1 in the UK and Ireland, and they sold over 12 million records in just three years. Westlife won Best Pop Act at the BRIT Awards in both 2001 and 2002.

Their 'Unbreakable - The Greatest Hits Vol. 1' was released in 2002, also going to Number 1 in both the UK and Ireland and Westlife then went on 'The Greatest Hits Tour' in 2003. They released their fourth album 'Turnaround' later that year, spawning singles 'Hey Whatever', 'Mandy' and 'Obvious' - it went to Number 1 in the UK and Ireland.

Bryan announced that he was leaving the group in March 2004 to spend more time with his family, as he had two young daughters with then-wife Kerry Katona (pictured). He also reverted back to using the spelling Brian. His departure came three weeks before the band went on their 'Turnaround Tour', with Brian watching in the audience.

The remaining members carried on without him, releasing fifth album '...Allow Us To Be Frank' in 2004 which was a Rat Pack tribute album and contained many covers by Frank Sinatra, going to Number 3 in the UK. They released sixth album 'Face to Face' in 2005, containing 'You Raise Me Up', seventh album 'The Love Album' in 2006, which contained covers of famous love songs and eighth album 'Back Home' in 2007.

To celebrate their 10-year anniversary, Westlife put on a show called '10 Years of Westlife' at Croke Park in Dublin in June 2008. In July, Louis announced that the group would be taking a hiatus for one year until July 2009.

They released 10th album 'Where We Are' in November 2009, and they won a Guinness World Record as the top selling album group of the 21st century. Westlife took part in the 2010 charity single 'Everybody Hurts' to raise money for victims of the Haiti earthquake, along with Rod Stewart, Mariah Carey, Take That and Kylie Minogue among many others. Their eleventh album 'Gravity' was released in November 2010, going to Number 1 in Ireland and Number 3 in the UK.

In March 2011, Westlife split from Simon Cowell's label Syco, and released their album 'Greatest Hits' in November 2011, and despite rumours that Brian could reunite with the band for an interview, this never happened. Westlife announced their 'The Greatest Hits Tour' or 'The Farewell Tour' on 18th October 2011, and announced their split a day later.

The statement read, 'The decision is entirely amicable and after spending all of our adult life together so far, we want to have a well-earned break and look at new ventures. We would like to thank our fans who have been with us on this amazing journey and are part of our family too. We never imagined when we started out in 1998 that 14 years later we would still be recording, touring and having hits together. It has been a dream come true for all of us. Kian, Mark, Nicky and Shane.'

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