Little Mix and the Most Successful Groups in 'X Factor' History

On Monday, Nov. 9 at 10:30 a.m. PT/1:30 p.m. ET, Yahoo Live in the U.K. will live stream Little Mix’s Get Weird album release concert and Q&A from across the pond. Tune in HERE to watch!

Only three singing groups have ever won in the entire history of the international X Factor franchise – but interestingly, the group contestants have been among The X Factor’s biggest success stories. When it comes to The X Factor, there really is strength in numbers.

For instance, Fifth Harmony are far and away the top act to emerge from The X Factor USA. And of course you’ve all heard of a little boy band called One Direction, who placed third on the U.K. show five years ago. And 1D-associated girl group Little Mix (the only group to ever actually win the U.K. competition) just released their third album, Get Weird – a funkier, edgier effort featuring a guest spot from Jason Derulo – that is sure to elevate their profile on this side of the pond.

To celebrate Little Mix’s new album and Yahoo Live live stream concert on Nov. 9, here are the most successful groups in X Factor history.

9. Emblem3 (The X Factor USA, Season 2)

Simon Cowell signed this reggae-pop boy band (who repeatedly insisted that they were not a boy band) to his Syco label after their fourth-place finish in 2012. Their single “Chloe (You’re the One I Want)” – reportedly inspired by Season 2 X Factor co-host Khloe Kardashian – barely cracked the Hot 100, but their debut album Nothing to Lose made it to #7. The departure of original member Drew Chadwick and a split from Sony left the group’s future in doubt, but they recently announced that they’re all back together and releasing a new album in 2016.

8. Alex & Sierra (The X Factor USA, Season 3)

The first and only group to win the U.S. competition, this adorable real-life couple charmed viewers with their unique acoustic covers of songs like Britney Spears’s “Toxic” and A Great Big World’s “Say Something.” Also signed to Syco, their critically praised album It’s About Us debuted at #8, and in 2015 they embarked on the “Good Guys & A Girl” national tour with Andy Grammer.

7. Union J (The X Factor U.K., Season 9)

This boy band (originally a trio, with a fourth member adding during their X Factor run) scored four top 10 hits and one top 10 album in Britain, and won the Best British Breakthrough trophy at the BBC Radio 1 Teen Awardsin 2013.

6. G4 (The X Factor U.K., Season 1)

The operatic former barbershop quartet broke up in 2007, three years after their second-place finish on the very first X Factor series. However, they managed to score two platinum albums (one of which went to #1) and one top 10 hit in Britain during their short run. The reunited in 2014 and plan to release a Christmas album this year.

5. Jedward (The X Factor U.K., Season 6)

These “double divas of Dublin” only came in sixth and were considered joke contestants throughout their season (they covered “Ghostbusters” on Movie Night, for instance), but John and Edward Grimes are clearly having the last laugh. They’ve represented Ireland twice at Eurovision; starred in Celebrity Big Brother and two of their own children’s TV programs; appeared in Sharknado 3, for which they also recorded the theme song, “Oh Hell No”; modeled for major fashion designers; and racked up two platinum albums in Ireland and one #2 hit in the U.K. (a duet with Vanilla Ice, of course). A 2013 report declared them at that time to be the fifth most financially successful X Factor U.K. contestants ever. Not too shabby, especially for a duo that Simon Cowell once said gave “the worst performance I have ever sat through.”

4. Fifth Harmony (The X Factor USA, Season 2)

These girls, who were put together by mentor Simon Cowell on the show, had to play second fiddle to Emblem3 throughout their season, and then-judge L.A. Reid once crabbily dismissed their harmonizing skills and dubbed them “Fifth Unison.” But after their game-changing and quite prophetic “Anything Could Happen” performance, they advanced to the finale over Emblem3 (ultimately coming in third). Cowell and Reid took notice and jointly signed them to Syco/Epic, and now 5H are the true breakout stars from The X Factor USA. Their debut EP Better Together debuted at #6, followed by an Artist to Watch award win at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards (they beat Sam Smith!). Their full-length album Reflection debuted at #5 this year, and to date they’ve had two platinum singles, “BO$$” and “Sledgehammer,” with another single, “Worth It” feat. Kid Ink, actually going double-platinum. Girl power!

3. Little Mix (The X Factor U.K., Season 8)

Although Little Mix maybe be best known in the States for group member Perrie Edwards’s previous engagement to One Direction’s Zayn Malik, they actually did what 1D could not: They WON The X Factor, a year after 1D had to settle for third place. They’ve since had seven top 10 hits in Britain, including three #1’s, and two albums that made the top 10 on both sides of the pond; in fact, in 2012 they earned the highest debut U.S. chart position by a British girl group (breaking the record previously held by the Spice Girls). Their just-released third album, Get Weird, is also sure to make a high debut. As of last year, Little Mix had sold more than 5 million singles and 2.5 million albums internationally. Most recently, they co-wrote the Britney Spears/Iggy Azalea single “Pretty Girls.”

2. JLS (The X Factor U.K., Season 5)

While this R&B vocal group never made much of a dent in the U.S. charts, the runner-ups enjoyed a stupendous career in the U.K. before splitting in 2013. Their debut album sold more than 1 million copies, and they racked up a whopping 10 top 10 hits (including five #1’s) and five top 10 albums (including one #1). A 2013 financial report estimated the members were worth a cool combined $24 million. Surely it’s only a matter of time before they launch a successful U.K. reunion tour, right?

1. One Direction (The X Factor U.K., Season 7)

These lads really don’t need an introduction, do they? Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, and Zayn Malik all auditioned separately, but after being assembled (at then-judge Nicole Scherzinger’s suggestion) as a new-school boy band, they quickly became an international phenomenon. They’ve won five Brit Awards, four VMAs, 11 EMAs, and 19 Teen Choice Awards; they’re the first band in the history of U.S. Billboard 200 chart to have their first four albums debut at #1; and Forbes listed their earnings at $130 million for 2015. So why did Zayn quit, and why exactly is the group going on indefinite hiatus after the November 2015 release of their fifth album, Made in the A.M.? One Direction, you’ll be missed.

Additional reporting by Paul Grein

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