Social Media Following:
- One Direction:
- Twitter: 31.7 million followers (as of January 2023)
- Instagram: 28.1 million followers (combined for all five members)
- Little Mix:
- Twitter: 13.6 million followers
- Instagram: 14.9 million followers
Global Album Sales:
- One Direction: Estimated sales of over 200 million albums worldwide.
- Little Mix: Estimated sales of over 60 million albums worldwide.
Chart Success:
- One Direction achieved more chart-topping singles and albums in major music markets like the UK and the US compared to Little Mix.
Streaming Popularity:
- One Direction: As of January 2023, One Direction's most popular song, "What Makes You Beautiful," has over 1.3 billion streams on Spotify, while their overall catalog surpasses 10 billion streams.
- Little Mix: Little Mix's most popular song, "Black Magic," has over 650 million streams on Spotify, and their entire discography has exceeded 4 billion streams.
Awards and Recognition:
- One Direction: Won numerous awards, including BRIT Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, and Teen Choice Awards.
- Little Mix: While Little Mix has received various accolades, their recognition on a global scale was generally less significant compared to One Direction.
Concert Tours and Live Performances:
- One Direction: Undertook several highly successful concert tours, often filling stadiums and arenas worldwide.
- Little Mix: Little Mix had successful tours, but on a smaller scale compared to One Direction.
It's worth noting that while One Direction disbanded in 2016, their legacy and popularity have endured, and they continue to have a broader global reach than Little Mix. However, Little Mix is highly regarded within the pop music scene, and their prominence in the UK has been substantial.
Popularity can be subjective and constantly evolving, so these comparisons represent the general trend during the peak of One Direction's and Little Mix's respective careers.