Secret of Westlife's Success? - Talent
courtesy of PA news

Bryan McFadden’s decision to quit Westlife marks the end of an era for a band who have enjoyed a spectacular five years at the top of the music business. Since bursting on to the pop scene they have sold over 30 million records worldwide.

With 12 number ones to their name, they are behind only Elvis and The Beatles in the list of all-time chart toppers. Their first seven singles went straight to number one, breaking a record held by The Beatles, and they were the first group to score four number ones in a single year.

The band – Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Nicky Byrne, Shane Filan and Bryan McFadden – eclipsed the likes of Take That, Boyzone and Blue. Industry experts put the secret of their success down to hard work, good songs, and something which many other boybands have in short supply – talent.

“Part of the secret of their continuing success is that, unlike some other boybands, they are actually talented singers and performers who are brilliant in concert and work incredibly hard to promote themselves,” said HMV spokesman Gennaro Castaldo. “Their clean-cut image and personal brand of well-crafted pop ballads have seen them appeal to a very broad audience, from pre-teens to their parents. They also had a very sharp manager in Louis Walsh, who has a great instinct for what the public want and knows how to deliver it.”

Walsh formed Westlife in 1998 as the successors to fellow Irish boyband Boyzone. Boyzone’s Ronan Keating was drafted in to act as their “manager” – a canny move which ensured that Westlife inherited the older group’s fanbase.

Their debut single, Swear It Again, went straight to number one in May 1998 and from then on the band were unstoppable. They found their formula – big ballads and cover versions – and stuck to it. Number one hits included Flying Without Wings, I Have A Dream, Queen Of My Heart and World Of Our Own.

Although they failed to crack America, the band are huge throughout the rest of the world. The boys are millionaires several times over and are one of Ireland’s biggest exports. Fans of boybands are notoriously fickle, as young girls move from one bunch of over-hyped heart-throbs to the next.

But Westlife’s popularity has never waned despite three band members – Bryan, Nicky and Shane – getting married. They even remained loyal when Bryan admitted a sleazy encounter with a lapdancer on his stag night.

The band notched up their last number one only four months ago with a cover of Barry Manilow’s Mandy. All this, and the fact they are due to embark on a world tour later this year, made today’s announcement a bolt from the blue for fans. It now remains to be seen whether Westlife can continue their extraordinary success as a foursome.