Jump to content

Westlife

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For their self-titled album, see Westlife (album).

Westlife
Westlife in 2021 Left to right: Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan and Nicky Byrne
Westlife in 2021
Left to right: Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan and Nicky Byrne
Background information
OriginSligo and Dublin, Ireland
GenresPop
Years active
  • 1998–2012
  • 2018–present
Labels
Members
Past membersBrian McFadden
Websitewestlife.com

Westlife are an Irish pop group formed in Dublin in 1998. The group consists of members Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, and Nicky Byrne. Brian McFadden was a member before leaving in March 2004. The group disbanded in 2012 after 14 years and later reunited in 2018.

In Ireland, the group has 11 number-one albums, 16 number-one singles, and 34 top-fifty singles. They have sold over 55 million records and are holders of four Guinness World Records.[1][2][3][4] Westlife has received numerous accolades including one World Music Award, two Brit Awards, four MTV Awards, and four Record of the Year Awards.

The group has released twelve studio albums: four as a five-piece and eight as a four-piece. They rose to fame with their debut international self-titled studio album, Westlife (1999). It was followed by Coast to Coast (2000), World of Our Own (2001), and Turnaround (2003). Following the departure of McFadden, the group released the cover albums ...Allow Us to Be Frank (2004) and The Love Album (2006), the albums Face to Face (2005), Back Home (2007), Where We Are (2009), and Gravity (2010), followed by an eight-year split.

After reforming in 2018, the quartet released the studio albums Spectrum (2019) and Wild Dreams (2021).

History

[edit]

Formation and early years (1997–1998)

[edit]

Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, and Shane Filan, all schoolmates at Summerhill College in Sligo, Ireland, participated in a school production of Grease with fellow Sligo men Derrick Lacey, Graham Keighron, and Michael Garrett. The sextet formed a pop vocal group called Six as One in 1997, which they later renamed IOYOU. The group, managed by choreographer Mary McDonagh and two other informal managers, released a single titled "Together Girl Forever" under Sound Records.[5] McDonagh first encountered Egan as a six-year-old student at her weekly dance classes and came to know Filan and Feehily in their early teens as they starred in shows such as Oliver! and Godspell for Sligo Fun Company.

Westlife are managed by Louis Walsh.
Westlife were originally signed by Simon Cowell.

Louis Walsh, the manager of fellow Irish boy band Boyzone, came to know the group after Filan's mother Mae contacted him, but the group failed to secure a BMG record deal with Simon Cowell. Cowell told Walsh: "You are going to have to fire at least three of them. They have great voices, but they are the ugliest band I have ever seen in my life."[6] Lacey, Keighron, and Garrett were told they would not be part of the new group, and auditions were held in Dublin where Nicky Byrne and Brian McFadden were recruited.

The new group, formed on 3 July 1998, was originally named Westside, but as another band was already using that name, the group was renamed Westlife.[7] They signed a four-million-pound record deal with RCA Records. Westlife's first big break came in 1998 when they opened for Boyzone and Backstreet Boys' concerts in Dublin. Boyzone singer Ronan Keating was brought in to co-manage the group with Louis Walsh. Their first live television performance as a group was on the Irish TV series The Late Late Show broadcast on 13 November 1998. They performed "Flying Without Wings".[8]

Westlife, Coast to Coast and World of Our Own (1999–2001)

[edit]

In April 1999, the group released their first single, “Swear It Again", which immediately topped the charts in Ireland and in the UK for two weeks. It was the biggest-selling single in the first week by a debut artist.[9][10] Their second single, "If I Let You Go" was released in August 1999, which made them the first boy band to hit No. 1 with their first two singles.[11] Their third single was "Flying Without Wings" (their first 'Record of the Year' and their third No. 1 single), released in October of the same year. "Flying Without Wings" was also included on the soundtrack of the Warner Brothers film, Pokémon: The Movie 2000. Their first album, simply titled Westlife, was released in November 1999 and went to No. 2 in the UK and No. 1 in Ireland. The album was the biggest chart dropper on the Top 40 in UK music history when in its 58th week on the charts it leaped from No. 79 to No. 3 before falling to No. 37 the following week.[12] In Scotland, the album debuted at number 6 in 1999 but subsequently peaked at number one year later in 2001.[13]

In December 1999, a fourth single was released, the double a-side "I Have A Dream"/"Seasons in the Sun". It was the 1999 UK Christmas number-one single and their fourth No. 1 single.[14][15] They are one of only five acts to achieve four number ones in the UK Singles Chart in one calendar year.[16] The fifth and final single from the album, "Fool Again", also peaked at No. 1.[17] With this, they became the only male band to have every single release from an album that reached No. 1 in the UK. Afterward, Westlife signed to Arista Records for the North American release of their debut.[18] "Swear It Again" peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.[19] On 1 July 2000, they were honored as Freemen of the Borough of Sligo.[20]

Coast to Coast, their second album, was released a year later and was their first No. 1 UK album, beating the Spice Girls' Forever album by a large margin; the chart battle was widely reported by British media. It became the country's 4th biggest-selling album of 2000.[21][22] This is their second No. 1 album in Ireland. The album was preceded by the duet with Mariah Carey "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" and the original song "My Love" (their second Record of the Year award). Both singles reached No. 1 on the UK charts, their sixth and seventh number ones respectively.[23][24] With this, Westlife broke the record of the most consecutive No. 1 singles in the UK with their first seven singles.[25] However, in December 2000, their eighth single "What Makes a Man", debuted at No. 2, breaking their string of consecutive number ones.[26] The single "My Love" was controversially used by the Central Intelligence Agency as part of a torture program in Afghanistan. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, "the music pounded constantly as part of a scheme to assault prisoners' senses".[27]

Outside the UK and Ireland, they gained chart success with "I Lay My Love on You" and "When You're Looking Like That". They were included in the top ten earners list of all acts in the UK and Ireland and sold over 2.5 million units in the Asia Pacific region.[28][29] In February 2001, they began their first world tour, "Where Dreams Come True Tour".[10] A recording of a concert from the tour live from Dublin was released on 19 November 2001.

On 12 November 2001, Westlife released their third album World of Our Own, peaking at No. 1 in the UK and Ireland. "Uptown Girl" (their first single to be on the List of million-selling singles in the United Kingdom), "Queen of My Heart" and "World of Our Own" were released as singles, all of which peaked at No. 1 in the UK.[30][31][32] "Bop Bop Baby" was also released as a single and peaked at No. 5 in the UK. In 2002, Westlife went on their second world tour, the World of Our Own Tour. By the end of the year, IRMA awarded the band for 1 million units sold in Ireland.[33] The group sold more than 12 million records in a span of three years.[34]

Unbreakable, Turnaround, and McFadden's departure (2002–2004)

[edit]
Brian McFadden left Westlife in March 2004.

Westlife released their eleventh UK No. 1 single, "Unbreakable" in 2002.[35] Amidst rumors of a split, Westlife released their first greatest hits album in November of that same year titled Unbreakable - The Greatest Hits Vol. 1, which peaked at No. 1 in the UK and Ireland. During this time, Westlife achieved a Guinness World Record for most public appearances by a pop group in 36 hours. The band made stop-offs in five different cities (Dublin, Belfast, Edinburgh, London, and Manchester) to promote their then-new album. The release was followed by the double A-side single "Tonight"/"Miss You Nights", which debuted at No. 3 in the UK and No. 1 in Ireland.[36] Following this release, the group premiered a TV documentary titled "Wild Westlife". It was directed by Iain MacDonald and features their daily life as musicians and their tour experiences. It was aired on BBC Choice.[37] In 2003, Westlife went on their third world tour, the Unbreakable Tour.[38] A recording of a concert from the tour in Manchester was released in November 2003.

In September 2003, Westlife released "Hey Whatever", which peaked at No. 4 in the UK.[39] Their fourth studio album, Turnaround, was released in November 2003, earning the group another No. 1 album in the UK and Ireland. "Mandy", was released a week before the album and became the band's twelfth No. 1 single. It also won them their third Record of the Year award.[40] "Mandy" is the single with the longest leap to the top (from No. 200 to No. 1) in UK music history.[41] "Obvious" was released as the final single from the album, charting at No. 3.

On 9 March 2004, just three weeks before embarking on their fourth world tour, McFadden left the group, citing a desire to spend more time with his family.[42] McFadden's final public performance as part of Westlife was at Newcastle upon Tyne's Powerhouse nightclub on 27 February 2004.[43][44] He subsequently began a solo career, and reverted the spelling of his first name back to its original 'Brian'.

Less than a month after McFadden's departure, the group began their Turnaround Tour.[45] A recording of a concert from the Turnaround Tour, live from Stockholm, Sweden, was released in November 2004.

Face to Face, Back Home, and cover albums (2004–2008)

[edit]

In September 2004, they performed at the World Music Awards, where they were recognized as the Best Irish Act of that year. They then released a Rat Pack-inspired album, their fifth album ...Allow Us to Be Frank, which peaked at number 3. No singles from this album were released in the UK, but the track "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?" had a music video produced and was released as a physical single in other European countries. "Smile" and "Fly Me to the Moon" also had music videos produced. Prior to the release of the ...Allow Us to Be Frank album, Westlife scouted for "the perfect fan" to help promote the album.[46] After X Factor-style auditions, they found Joanne Hindley, who recorded "The Way You Look Tonight" with the group.[10] A television program documenting this process, She's The One, was presented by Kate Thornton.[47] Westlife embarked on "The Number Ones Tour" in early 2005.[48] A recording of a concert from the tour, live from Sheffield, was released in November 2005.

In October 2005, Westlife released the single "You Raise Me Up", which became their thirteenth number 1 single. It was taken from their sixth album Face to Face which also peaked at No. 1 in the UK.[49][50] "You Raise Me Up" was awarded as their fourth Record of the Year in the UK. In December of that year, the group released "When You Tell Me That You Love Me", a duet with Diana Ross, as the second single. It debuted and peaked at No. 2.[51] The third single from the album, "Amazing", peaked at No. 4.[52] Westlife embarked on the "Face to Face Tour", traveling extensively to the UK, Ireland, Australia, and Asia.[53][54] The group performed 32 shows and recorded 238,718 attendances.[45] A recording of a concert from the tour, live from Wembley Arena, was released in November 2006.[55]

Westlife on their 2006 concert tour

In late 2006, Westlife signed a new five-album deal with Sony BMG Music Entertainment. Their seventh album, The Love Album was a concept album that consisted of popular love song covers. The album debuted at No. 1 in both the UK and Ireland. It was the top-selling album of 2006 in Ireland. The only single from The Love Album, "The Rose", became their 14th UK No. 1 single.[56] Westlife kicked off their eighth world tour, "The Love Tour", in Perth, Australia.[57] The group then went on to other Australian cities before moving on to South Africa, the UK, and Ireland. The tour grossed £1,031,033.[58]

On 5 November 2007, Westlife released their eighth album, Back Home, which contained nine new original songs and three cover songs. The album debuted at No. 1 in the UK and Ireland. It was also 2007's fifth biggest-selling album in the UK. The first single released from the album was "Home", which peaked at No. 3 in the UK.[59][60] "Us Against the World" was released as the second single and "Something Right" became the third single in Europe and the Asia Pacific region. On 15 December 2007, they premiered a two-hour show called The Westlife Show where they performed 10 of their songs, hosted by Holly Willoughby.[61] They embarked on the Back Home Tour on 25 February 2008. This tour marked the first time that the group had traveled and performed in New Zealand, performing four sold-out shows in Auckland, Wellington, New Plymouth, and Christchurch. Westlife were the seventh top touring act of 2008.[62]

10th anniversary, Where We Are, and Gravity (2008–2010)

[edit]
Westlife performing at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in 2009.

To mark their tenth year in music, Westlife staged the sold-out concert 10 Years of Westlife in Croke Park on 1 June 2008.[63][64] The group announced that they would be going on hiatus for a year after their Back Home Tour.[65]10 Years of Westlife – Live at Croke Park Stadium was released on 24 November 2008 and went straight to No. 1 on the UK, Ireland, South Africa, Hong Kong, and New Zealand Music DVD charts. On 13 December 2008, while on hiatus, Westlife made an unexpected appearance during that year's X Factor final where they performed "Flying Without Wings" with runners-up JLS. In the last week of January 2009, a DVD titled The Karaoke Collection was released. On 18 March 2009, Westlife won the Best Irish Pop Act at the 2009 Meteor Awards for the ninth consecutive time.

Their tenth album, Where We Are, was released on 30 November 2009 in the UK and peaked at No. 2 on both Irish and UK Albums Charts. The lead single, "What About Now", was released on 23 October 2009 and peaked at No. 2 on both Irish and UK Singles Charts.[66] The tour in support of this album was "The Where We Are Tour".[67] A recording of a concert from the tour, live from London, was released in November 2010. They were part of the Haiti charity single in early 2010 with "Everybody Hurts", which was organized by Cowell.[68] The single peaked at No. 1 on both Irish and UK Singles Charts. That year, the Guinness Book of World Records announced that Westlife were the top-selling album group of the 21st century with 10.74 million albums sold in the UK alone.

On 14 November 2010, the single "Safe" was released. It debuted on the UK Singles Chart on 21 November at No. 10. The album Gravity was released on 22 November 2010.[69] It was entirely produced by John Shanks.[70] The album went to No. 1 in Ireland and No. 3 in the UK. This is their ninth No. 1 in Ireland; this album made Westlife one of the few musical acts to have number-one albums in three consecutive decades (1990s, 2000s, 2010s) in their home country.

Greatest Hits and split (2011–2012)

[edit]

In March 2011, they began their eleventh major concert tour, the Gravity Tour. This tour marked the first time the group traveled to Oman, Namibia, Guangzhou, and Vietnam for concerts. As of 2011, the group were the longest reigning band and second longest reigning number one music act in the 21st century in UK. On 14 March 2011, Westlife confirmed that they had left Cowell after 13 years and his record label Syco Music after nine years. Byrne said of Cowell: "he got so busy [...] and we needed someone who was on it all the time."[71]

After going back to RCA Records full-time for a one-year album contract, they announced their Greatest Hits album would be released on 21 November 2011. It debuted at No. 1 in Ireland and No. 4 in the UK. The first single "Lighthouse" was released in November 2011. A follow-up promotional single "Beautiful World" was released the same month. The Greatest Hits Tour was announced on 18 October 2011, with dates in the UK confirmed for May 2012. Stereoboard reported that the tour sold out within minutes.[72] The farewell tour consisted of eight dates in China and 33 in the UK and Ireland; in total, the band sold 489,694 tickets from the tour.[73] On 19 October 2011, Westlife officially announced they were splitting following the tour.[74]

ITV commissioned a one-off music event titled Westlife: For the Last Time.[75] Another show, The Westlife Show: Live, was broadcast on 1 November 2011.[76] Following this, they were guests on The Late Late Show.[77] They were honored at that time by the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) with four specially commissioned bar stools to mark 49 performances at the venue for over 380,000 fans, selling more tickets than any other act.[78] The band had their final concert on 23 June 2012 at Croke Park Stadium in Ireland. The 82,300 capacity show was sold out in 4 minutes. Due to this popular demand, an extra date was added at Croke Park on 22 June 2012, which also sold out. Combined, there was a total of 187,808 spectators on both nights, exceeding the capacity of the stadium.[79] Their last concert was screened live in more than 300 cinemas in the United Kingdom,[80] and 200 cinemas worldwide.[81][82] They released a DVD of the show, which went to number 1 in both UK and Irish charts. That year they were the 34th top-grossing tour act with earnings of $35.2 million (€27 million). Following the split, all four members released albums and singles individually.

Reunion, Spectrum, and tour (2018–2020)

[edit]

On 23 September 2018, it was reported that the group was signed to Universal Music Group for a new five-year album and tour deal with Virgin EMI Records.[83][84] On 3 October 2018, the group formally announced that they were working on new music.[85][non-primary source needed] McFadden was not involved in the reformation, saying in an interview with Closer Magazine, "I only met the guys when I joined the band and have no regrets about leaving."[86] On 19 December 2018, Egan and Feehily posted a picture of the group's first rehearsals together in six years.[87][non-primary source needed][88][non-primary source needed]

"Hello My Love",[89] their first single since 2011 was released on 10 January 2019.[90][non-primary source needed] Their first UK performance in seven years and of the single was on The Graham Norton Show on 11 January 2019.[91][92] They also performed the single on the 24th National Television Awards on 22 January 2019. Their first Irish performance and television appearance together was on the final night of Dancing With the Stars Ireland on 24 March 2019. The single peaked at number 13 in the UK and reached number two in Ireland and Scotland. The single was certified Gold in the UK seven months after its premiere. In Ireland, it has a 2× Platinum certification.

Their eleventh studio album Spectrum was released on 15 November 2019. The album peaked at number one in Ireland, Scotland, and the UK. It was certified Gold in the UK and Platinum in Ireland. The second single from the album was "Better Man". It reached number two on the UK Singles Sales Chart and Scottish Singles Chart. The third single, "Dynamite", was released on 5 July 2019. The fourth single from the album, "My Blood", was released on 25 October 2019. "My Blood" peaked at number ninety-six on the UK Singles Chart and at number six on the Scottish Singles Chart. It also peaked at number forty-six in the Irish Singles Chart.

On 17 October 2018, Westlife announced The Twenty Tour and said: "Every country that wants to see Westlife will see us at some point. We won't step away from this until we've managed to tour the world."[93] The second day of the tour in Croke Park had a live film broadcast in selected cinemas on 6 July 2019. This was released in a video album in different formats on 13 March 2020. It reached number 1 in the UK and Ireland and stayed at the top spot for more than thirty weeks on their official charts.

On 13 September 2019, they announced the Stadiums in the Summer Tour which was scheduled to begin the following year. However, it was postponed until 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wild Dreams (2021–2023)

[edit]
Interview with Westlife in 2021.

On 17 March 2021, they formally announced that they signed a new album deal through Warner Music UK and East West Records.

They performed on a BBC Radio 2 event on Ulster Hall, Belfast on 25 August 2021 that was broadcast on 10 September 2021.

"Starlight", the lead single from their twelfth studio album, was released on 14 October 2021. The album, Wild Dreams, was released on 26 November 2021.[94][non-primary source needed]

On 29 October 2021, a new schedule for their renamed fourteenth concert tour, The Wild Dreams Tour, was released. It included fourteen new dates and venues, with eight more dates added later. They announced that their Wembley Stadium date would be streamed live in various cinemas in Europe. On 17 December 2021, a Westlife concert filmed at London’s Bush Hall Venue and broadcast by Tencent’s WeChat (Weixin) in China had an audience of almost 28 million. They were special guest performers on the Backstreet Boys livestream concert on the same platform on 24 June 2022.[95][96]

On 14 August 2023, Westlife announced their first ever tour dates in Canada and the United States. They performed in Toronto, Boston, New York City, and Chicago in March 2024.[97] On 12 April, Westlife announced the With Love Tour.

Public image and endorsements

[edit]

Westlife's debut album and single coincided with the apogee of boy band popularity. They had album certifications in Brazil, Mexico, the Philippines, and the United States as well. They had more than 50,000 official fans club members in mainland China alone in 2006.[98] In 2009, "Flying Without Wings" was listed as the seventh most popular song for the wedding's first dances in the UK.[99] In 2012, their version of "You Raise Me" and also "Flying Without Wings" made it to the top 20 most popular songs used at funerals.[100] In 2016, three of their songs ("I'll See You Again", "Flying Without Wings", and "You Raise Me Up") made it on the top pop music choices for funerals in Ireland.[101]

The band performed for the Sultan of Brunei and was paid £2.5 million to play a private concert of seven songs.[102] They also performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in 2000, 2005, and 2009.[103] They also played for Queen Elizabeth II twice, Barack Obama and for Pope John Paul II.[104] They were the first ever pop band to top the entertainment bill at the Vatican City and a private concert for the Pope.[105]

Their second studio album Coast to Coast received additional products, mostly in Asia, that included MRT transport ticket, picture card calendar, postcard set, signed fold-out poster, glossy slipcase and Filofax.[106][107] They received sponsorship from Tayto in 2000[108] and for their concert tours from Calvin Klein in 2001, Adidas in 2002, and Volkswagen in 2011. A book written by the members of Westlife was released on 16 June 2008 by HarperCollins UK Publishing titled 'Westlife - Our Story', as part of their 10th-year celebration.[109] The band released two perfume gift sets, "X" and "With Love".[110]

Charitable support

[edit]

The group has supported various charitable causes. They were involved in the "Helping For Haiti" charity single that was released in February 2010, as well as releasing a cover version of "Uptown Girl" for Comic Relief.

They have participated in a Royal British Legion poppy appeal, Irish Blood for Life 2004 and did an advertisement for Galway's Irish Water Safety campaign.[111][112] They also lent their support to the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS).[113] On 4 November 2005, they performed with other music artists at the Coca-Cola Dome in Johannesburg, South Africa for The "Unite of the Stars" Gala Banquet charity concert that supports four charities: the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, Unite Against Hunger, St. Mary's Hospital and the Topsy Foundation.[114] They also performed live for charity on Sport Relief,[115] Macmillan Cancer Support,[116] Croí, Western Alzheimer's, O'Dwyer Cheshire Home, Mayo Cancer Support Group, Marie Keating Foundation,[117] Outward Bound Trust,[118] ChildLine, Children in Need, Sheffield's Children Hospital. They had also helped for auctions on Meningitis Research Foundation,[119] Carlton Celebrity Auction for Centrepoint (for the homeless),[120] the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, and The Samaritans),[121] Zutto charity painting,[citation needed] Pushing The Envelope (for National Literacy Trust).[122] They've been involved also with the following organizations: Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID),[123] Cancer Research UK, United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP),[124] Muscle Help Foundation,[125] Global Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign,[126] and Real Man campaign.[127] They are also included as ambassadors of The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC).

Members

[edit]

Timeline

[edit]

Discography

[edit]
Main articles: Westlife discography and Westlife songs

Awards and nominations

[edit]
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Westlife

Tours

[edit]

Concert tours

[edit]

Headlining

Supporting

  • Boyzone – Where We Belong Tour (1998)

Promotional tours

[edit]
  • 1998–2012; 2018–present UK and Ireland Tour
  • 1999 European, East Asian and Southeast Asian Tour
  • 2000 European, North American, South American and Asian Tour[128]
  • 2001, 2002 European, Korean, Mexican and United States Tour
  • 2003 European, Hong Kong, Japan, and Malaysian Tour
  • 2005, 2006 European, Taiwan Tour
  • 2007 Australian Tour
  • 2009 Swedish Tour[129]
  • 2019 Singapore, Indonesian, Chinese, Swedish Tour[130]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Benett, Dave (16 September 2010). "Westlife Party". Getty Images UK.
  2. ^ "UK Irish Embassy honours West-life". Irish Examiner. 26 November 2003.
  3. ^ "Top-selling album act of the 21st century in the UK". Guinness World Records. October 2010.
  4. ^ "Westlife". 8 June 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  5. ^ "Westlife manager tells it straight". BBC. 29 October 2001.
  6. ^ Cowell, Simon (2003). I Don't Mean to Be Rude, But.... Broadway Books. ISBN 0-7679-1741-3.
  7. ^ Bower, Tom (2012). Sweet Revenge: The Intimate Life of Simon Cowell. Random House Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0345533951.
  8. ^ "Welcome Westside 1998". Raidió Teilifís Éireann.
  9. ^ "Dublin Darling Westlife Wins Over Europe, Aims For Success in U.S." Billboard. 5 February 2000 – via Google Books.
  10. ^ a b c "Westlife on GMTV". GMTV. Archived from the original on 27 December 2007. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  11. ^ "Found the 'Love' of a Westlife Time". Billboard. 5 February 2000 – via Google Books.
  12. ^ "Record-Breakers and Trivia – Albums". everyhit.com.
  13. ^ "Scottish Albums (14 January 2001)". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  14. ^ "Westlife, Shania Top UK. Christmas Charts". Billboard. 20 December 1999. Archived from the original on 27 December 2007. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  15. ^ Sexton, Paul (10 January 2000). "Westlife Tops UK Singles Chart For 4th Week". Billboard. Archived from the original on 27 December 2007. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  16. ^ "Artists who scored multiple Number 1s in a year". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  17. ^ Sexton, Paul (3 April 2000). "Westlife Go Five For Five on UK Singles Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on 27 December 2007. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  18. ^ Taylor, Chuck (5 February 2000). "Dublin's Darling Westlife Wins Over Europe, Aims For Success in U.S.". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 6. Nielsen Business Media. p. 110. ISSN 0006-2510.
  19. ^ "Radio Concert Monitor | Professional Journal archives from". AllBusiness.com. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  20. ^ "Westlife Honoured with Freedom of Sligo 2000". Raidió Teilifís Éireann.
  21. ^ "Westlife Outlasts Spice Girls in UK Chart War". Billboard charts. 13 November 2000. Archived from the original on 27 December 2007. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  22. ^ "Platinum Awards". British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on 27 December 2007. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  23. ^ "Westlife Defy The 'Odds' On UK Singles Chart". Billboard charts. 25 September 2000. Archived from the original on 27 December 2007. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  24. ^ "Westlife Continues UK Singles Chart Monopoly". Billboard charts. 6 November 2000. Archived from the original on 27 December 2007. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  25. ^ "Search result of "billboard books westlife" via Google". 18 November 2000.
  26. ^ "Bob The Builder Ends Westlife's UK Chart Run". Billboard charts. 26 December 2000. Archived from the original on 27 December 2007. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  27. ^ "Out of the Darkness". American Civil Liberties Union.
  28. ^ O'Flynn, John (5 July 2017). The Irishness of Irish Music. Routledge. ISBN 9781351543361.
  29. ^ "Billboard 11 Aug 2001". 11 August 2001.
  30. ^ Sexton, Paul (12 March 2001). "Westlife Return To Form on UK Singles Chart". Billboard charts. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  31. ^ Sexton, Paul (12 November 2001). "Westlife, Steps Top UK Charts". Billboard charts. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  32. ^ Sexton, Paul (19 November 2001). "Boy Bands Crowd UK Charts". Billboard charts. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  33. ^ "Westlife, 1,000,000 sales award". whytes.ie.
  34. ^ Chua, Jonathan (17 November 2002). "Unbreakable: A fitting title for the Westlife". Philippine Star. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  35. ^ Sexton, Paul (11 November 2002). "Westlife, Blue Top UK Charts". Billboard charts. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  36. ^ Sexton, Paul (31 March 2003). "Linkin Park, Room 5 Crash into UK Charts". Billboard charts. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  37. ^ "BFI | Film & TV Database | WILD WESTLIFE (2002)". Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. 16 April 2009. Archived from the original on 24 January 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  38. ^ "Westlife: The Greatest Hits Tour (2003)". Yahoo Music. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  39. ^ Sexton, Paul (22 September 2003). "Darkness, Black Eyed Peas Lead UK Charts". Billboard charts. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  40. ^ Sexton, Paul (1 December 2003). "Young, Westlife Top UK Charts". Billboard charts. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  41. ^ "Record Breakers and Trivia: Singles: Individual Hits: Number 1s". EveryHit. Retrieved 21 March 2008.
  42. ^ "WESTLIFE SPLIT – OFFICIAL – NME". NME. 9 March 2004.
  43. ^ "Boy-band Westlife become foursome". BBC News. 9 March 2004. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  44. ^ "Westlife – Greatest Hits Tour [2004]". Amazon UK. 4 October 2003. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  45. ^ a b "Study: U.K. Arena Attendance, Ticket Sales Up". Billboard.
  46. ^ "Westlife She's the One (2004)". BFI. 16 April 2009. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  47. ^ "Westlife She's the One (2004)". BFI. Archived from the original on 18 July 2018.
  48. ^ "Pollstar – Welcome to the New Pollstar!" (PDF). pollstarpro.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 October 2016. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  49. ^ "Westlife celebrate chart double". BBC News. 7 November 2005. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  50. ^ Sexton, Paul (31 October 2005). "Westlife, Robbie Williams Top UK Charts". Billboard charts. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  51. ^ Sexton, Paul (19 December 2005). "Obscure Duo Nizlopi Tops UK Singles Chart". Billboard charts. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  52. ^ Sexton, Paul (27 February 2006). "Madonna, Jack Johnson Take Lead on UK Charts". Billboard charts. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  53. ^ "China youth prefer Westlife to politics". NineMSN. 17 July 2006. Archived from the original on 10 March 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2007.
  54. ^ "Live at Wembley: Face To Face Tour 2006". HMV. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  55. ^ "HITS Daily Double : Rumor Mill – SOLO MEN RULE U.K. MUSIC. WHY?". HITS Daily Double.
  56. ^ Sexton, Paul (13 November 2006). "Westlife, Jamiroquai Assume Control of UK Charts". Billboard charts. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  57. ^ "Love Westlife?". GMTV. Archived from the original on 23 December 2007. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  58. ^ "Curtains Up (or Down?) on the Concert Business". Narip.com.[permanent dead link]
  59. ^ "The UK Top 40 Singles". BBC Radio 1. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  60. ^ Wemyss, Euan (12 November 2007). "Westlife: Pop's not dead!". STV. Retrieved 22 December 2007.[permanent dead link]
  61. ^ "The Westlife Show Live – Saturday 15 December". Tvthrong.co.uk. 15 December 2007. Archived from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  62. ^ Cardew, Ben. "Spice Girls top UK live league". Music Week. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  63. ^ "10 Years of Westlife Concert". Westlife.com. Archived from the original on 7 December 2007. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  64. ^ "60 SECONDS: Kian Egan". Metro (Associated Metro Limited). Retrieved 31 March 2008.
  65. ^ "Westlife 'Back Home' Tour 2008". Metro Radio. Archived from the original on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  66. ^ "Top 100 2009 – UK Music Charts". uk-charts.top-source.info.
  67. ^ "Pollstar – Welcome to the New Pollstar!" (PDF). pollstarpro.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 January 2016. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  68. ^ Kreps, Daniel (2 February 2010). "Simon Cowell's "Everybody Hurts" All-Star Charity Single Premieres". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  69. ^ "Westlife New Album Announcement". Westlife.com. Archived from the original on 9 October 2010. Retrieved 30 September 2010.
  70. ^ "Westlife announce new album release". Digital Spy. 5 October 2010. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  71. ^ "Westlife Felt 'Unloved' By Cowell". Contactmusic. 13 April 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  72. ^ "Westlife Tickets For May 2012 Farewell Tour Sell-Out After Hysterical Rush For Tickets". Stereoboard.com. 21 October 2011. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
  73. ^ "Pollstar – Welcome to the New Pollstar!" (PDF). pollstarpro.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 May 2017. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
  74. ^ "Westlife to split up" Archived 21 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine. RTÉ Ten. 19 October 2011.
  75. ^ "Westlife – For The Last Time (ITVl)". steveandersonproductions.com. Archived from the original on 19 June 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  76. ^ "Official News (GLOBAL) – The Westlife Show: Live – ITV1". Westlife. 23 October 2011. Archived from the original on 20 November 2011. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
  77. ^ "Fans in shock as Westlife call it a day after 14 years at the top". Herald.ie. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
  78. ^ "Scottish tribute to Westlife's signature bar stool move". London Evening Standard. 20 June 2012.
  79. ^ "Westlife sell out show in record breaking time and add date". Music-News.com. 22 June 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  80. ^ "XL Video supplies LED Screens for Westlife Farewell Concert". Livedesign. 22 July 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  81. ^ "WESTLIFE – THE FAREWELL CONCERT: Saturday, June 23rd". Westlifecinema.com. 23 June 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  82. ^ "BBC – Westlife farewell to be screened live in cinemas across the UK, Ireland and mainland Europe – Media Centre". BBC.
  83. ^ "Westlife reunion 'definitely going ahead' – WITHOUT Brian McFadden – Goss.ie". 23 September 2018.
  84. ^ "Here's when Westlife are going to bring their reunion tour to Ireland". Her.ie. 25 September 2018.
  85. ^ "Westlife Official Instagram of Westlife". Instagram.
  86. ^ "Brian McFadden has no reason to keep in touch with Westlife bandmates". Femalefirst.co.uk.
  87. ^ "kianegan So this happened... our first sing song together since we got back together! 2019 will be nothing but Epic! Can't wait for you all to her the new tunes! All coming early 2019!!!! Graham Norton Jan 11 is where it all starts! #westlife #westlifetwenty". Archived from the original on 23 December 2021 – via Instagram.
  88. ^ "markusmoments Rehearsal time,bring on 2019! ❤️". Archived from the original on 23 December 2021 – via Instagram.
  89. ^ "Louis Walsh on Westlife, Boyzone, The X Factor and Elf on the Shelf". Irish News.
  90. ^ "January 10th 2019 #HelloMyLove". Instagram. Archived from the original on 23 December 2021.
  91. ^ "The Graham Norton Show lines up an X-Men superhero and an American Horror Story star And Westlife, too. Obviously". Digital Spy. 13 December 2018.
  92. ^ "The First Graham Norton of 2019 Features One of the Most Highly-Anticipated TV Comebacks of the Decade". lovinmanchester.
  93. ^ "Westlife". 1883 Magazine. 18 October 2018. Archived from the original on 18 October 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  94. ^ "Westlife Official Preorder link of new album". Dig!.
  95. ^ "28 Million Watch Westlife Livestream In China". pollstar. 25 December 2021.
  96. ^ "BACKSTREET BOYS BREAK WECHAT RECORD". Hits Daily Double.
  97. ^ "Westlife Official Instagram account". August 2023.
  98. ^ "China youth prefer Westlife to politics". MSN. Archived from the original on 18 July 2006.
  99. ^ "Lonestar's Amazed voted most popular song for wedding first dances". The Daily Telegraph. 29 July 2009. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022.
  100. ^ "Songs by Westlife and Robbie Williams used most at funerals". pressparty. 15 October 2012.
  101. ^ "Westlife Revealed as Popular Music Choice for Funerals". 98fm.com.
  102. ^ "Westlife – Shane Filan talks about getting paid £500,000". Daily Mirror. London. 6 October 2014. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  103. ^ pommivabrik (15 March 2010). "Westlife and Secret Garden – You Raise Me Up (Nobel Peace Price Concert 2005) HD". Archived from the original on 28 October 2021 – via YouTube.
  104. ^ "The Queen watches Riverdance, Westlife and The Chieftains at Irish music concert". 20 May 2011. Archived from the original on 22 May 2011.
  105. ^ "Westlife – Biography". Ticketmaster.co.uk.
  106. ^ "Westlife – Coast to Coast + poster & postcards Korea CD ALBUM (172078)". Eil.com. 29 November 2000. Retrieved 9 February 2012.
  107. ^ "Westlife – Coast to Coast + poster & cards Taiwan CD ALBUM (171142)". Eil.com. 20 November 2000. Retrieved 9 February 2012.
  108. ^ "Pop go the sponsors". The Irish Times.
  109. ^ Westlife – Our Story. Amazon UK. 2008. ISBN 978-0007288120.
  110. ^ "Westlife Perfume 3 piece perfume Gift Set". FactorMe.co.uk. Archived from the original on 27 November 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  111. ^ "WestLife aid poppy appeal". BBC News. 30 October 1999. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  112. ^ "Westlife support IWS". Galway Independent. 16 April 2008. Archived from the original on 8 October 2008. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  113. ^ "1 in 4 will need a blood transfusion – Westlife lends support as IBTS launches Blood for Life Week 19–25 September 2004". Giveblood.ie. 25 September 2004. Archived from the original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  114. ^ "Celebs jet into SA". November 2006.
  115. ^ pommivabrik (21 December 2009). "Westlife – Us Against The World (Sport Relief 2008) HQ". Archived from the original on 28 October 2021 – via YouTube.
  116. ^ "Media centre". 1 January 1900.
  117. ^ "Castlebar – County Mayo – Westlife Charity Weekend". castlebar.ie.
  118. ^ "Exclusive event with Westlife in aid of The Outward Bound Trust". Eventful.
  119. ^ "Charity auction – VIP Westlife tickets". 3 September 2012. Archived from the original on 3 September 2012.
  120. ^ "Carlton Celebrity Auction". compleatseanbean.com.
  121. ^ "Westlife launch Samaritans' new Sligo text service". The Irish Independent. 29 December 2005.
  122. ^ "Stars get artistic for charity auction". hollywood.com. 4 November 2009. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  123. ^ "Jade, 13, gets to meet her Westlife heroes ... thanks to The Star". thestar.co.uk.
  124. ^ "Actor Will Smith and family auction art to help UN feed hungry in Haiti". 8 January 2010.
  125. ^ "Muscle Help Foundation Awarded £10,000 By Big Lottery Fund". ablemagazine.co.uk. 28 August 2014.
  126. ^ "Shire Health International: First Ever Global Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign Unites Independent Charities from around the World. – Free Online Library". thefreelibrary.com. Archived from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
  127. ^ "Hot celebs show they're 'Real Men'". 8 August 2011.
  128. ^ "Exhausted Bryan rejoins Westlife". BBC. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  129. ^ "Westlife in Sweden". westlife.com. Archived from the original on 10 August 2011. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  130. ^ "Singapore! Excited for this… we'll see you next week 🇸🇬" – via Twitter.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Westlife.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Westlife&oldid=1253344183"