WESTLIFE

Westlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. The group's line-up comprises of Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily and Shane Filan. Brian McFadden, also one of the founding members, left the band in 2004. The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one. Westlife have sold over 44 million records worldwide which includes studio albums, singles, video release, and compilation albums.^[1] Despite the group's worldwide success, they only have one hit single in the United States, "Swear It Again", which peaked in 2000 on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 20.

The band were originally signed by Simon Cowell and are managed by Louis Walsh. The group have accumulated 14 number-one singles in the United Kingdom, the third-highest in UK history, tying with Cliff Richard. The group had also broken a few records, including "Music artist with most consecutive number 1's in the UK", which consists of their first seven singles. With 11 million album sales in the United Kingdom, the Official Charts Company credited Westlife as the second biggest-selling artist and biggest-selling band of the decade.^[2] As a celebration, the band will release their second greatest hits album in November 2011. It is also noted that Westlife are the most successful boy band to orginate from Ireland. With sales in excess of 44 million, 14 UK number ones and 25 top ten singles, the band have had more number ones, greater chart success and more sales than the other historically big boy bands of Take That and Boyzone.

On 1 June 2008, Westlife marked their tenth anniversary with a concert in Croke Park, Dublin which had more than 83,000 fans attending the special occasion. Music Week revealed on their website that Westlife are the official third top touring act within the years 2005–2008, while they were seventh top touring act of 2008.^[3] Also in 2008, they were declared Ireland's ninth-richest celebrities under 30 years old and thirteenth in general with 36 million euros as a group. In 2009, they dropped as sixteenth richest Irish with estimated 8 million euros each. They were named as the fourth most hard-working music artist in UK by PRS in 2010.^[4] In August 2011, it was reported in the Irish Examiner that the profits of the band's firm grew five-fold in 2010.^[5] On 19 October 2011, Westlife announced they were to split after their Greatest Hits album due for release at the end of 2011 and a farewell tour in Spring 2012.^[6]