One Direction have become the first act in the US since 2005 to achieve one million sales each with two albums released in the same year.

The British group released their debut record 'Up All Night' in North America in March and then 'Take Me Home' in November.

The former has now sold 1.51 million copies and the latter 1.04 million - meaning that they are the first act since country star Kenny Chesney in 2005 to achieve the one million sales per album in a year feat.

In 2005, Chesney shifted 1.08 million copies of his January effort 'Be as You Are: Songs From an Old Blue Chair' and 1.82 million of the November collection 'The Road and the Radio'.

'Up All Night' meanwhile is the third best selling album of 2012 in the US, whilst 'Take Me Home' is the eighth.

Adele's chart behemoth '21' is the top selling record in the US this year with 4.30 million sales, seconded by Taylor Swift's 'Red', which has sold 2.59 million.