The song was met with critical acclaim. Sam Lanksy ofIdolator called the song "surprisingly great" and noted it was a "mature midpoint" between the group's signature "rollicking pop-rock confection[s]" and "dreary ballads". Lanksy additionally called the song "merciful" and complimented it for using alternative-folk influences without "smell[ing] like spilled beer".[4] Amy Sciarretto ofPopCrush gave the song 4 out of 5 stars, calling it a "contemplative, acoustic guitar-driven song" and complimenting it for being "more memorable" than any of the group's previous works. Sciarretto noted that the song would resonate with listeners of many different ages and showed that One Direction "isn't just a boy band"; although noted the song was not as "crazy catchy" as their previous songs.[1] Lauren Wheeler of TheCelebrityCafe.com gave the song 5 out of 5 stars, noting that the lyrics were "reflective" and "much deeper than some of their bigger hits." Wheeler added that the song showed that One Direction "not only have range, but also have matured through their music."[7] It is often cited as one of the band's best songs.
On 31 October 2013, the song debuted at number one on theIrish Singles Chart, becoming One Direction's fourth number-one single in Ireland.[8] The song also debuted at number one in New Zealand, becoming both their second number-one debut and single on theNew Zealand Singles Chart.[9] It reached number two in the UK, kept off the top byLily Allen's cover of "Somewhere Only We Know". In Australia, the song debuted at number three on theARIA Charts and has since been certifiedGold.[10]
In the United States, it charted at number six, giving the band their fourth U.S. top ten single. It has charted in the top 15 for 19 weeks, seven of those in the top 10, and has become the band's second-highest selling single in the U.S. after their debut single "What Makes You Beautiful" (2011). The song also reached number one on theAdult Pop Songs chart, becoming One Direction's first number one on a U.S. airplay chart.[11] It has sold 2.8 million digital copies in the U.S. as of June 2016.[12]
FollowingLiam Payne's death in October 2024, the song saw a surge in sales and streams. TheOfficial Charts Company showed "Story of My Life" place at number 21 on the UK Midweek Singles Chart.[13] It re-entered the UK Singles Chart Top 100, on 25 October 2024, at number 9.[14]
Three days before the music video was uploaded, three teasers were posted, once each day. Band membersZayn Malik andLiam Payne also posted a picture from the video, with Malik posting a picture with his sister.[15][16]
The set for the "Story of My Life" music video took five days to build. The director of the music videoBen Winston and his crew hung up a combination of 6000 to 7000 pictures that show an evolution of each of the members of One Direction over the years. This music video allows theDirectioners (i.e., fans) to dive a little bit deeper into the lives of the members. The fans are used to seeing them in the public eye. "Story of My Life" allows them to connect with each of the members on a more personal and intimate level by looking back at their childhood memories.[17]
The video was directed byBen Winston, who also directed the video for their previous single "Best Song Ever". The video was accidentally published and leaked byVevo two days earlier when they were supposed to upload the second teaser for the music video, but it was immediately removed.[18] It was then officially uploaded on 3 November 2013. The video features some the band's family members: Zayn's sister, Harry's mother, Liam's parents and sisters,Niall Horan's brother and Louis' grandparents (two of whom are now deceased). It starts in a dark room with the band developing photos. Afterwards, certain family photos for each member are shown, and the photos morph into the same family members doing a current recreation of the photos.[19]Photos included in the video consist of: Zayn, aged 7, with his little sister; Louis, aged 8, with his grandparents; Harry, aged 4, with his mother; Niall, aged 4, with his brother being aged 10 when the photo was taken; Liam, aged 10, with his family.
The music video was widely praised for its depth and maturity, alongside the impressive execution of the photograph recreation segments, and is often regarded as one of the band's finest music videos. As of April 2025, the music video has reached 1 billion views.
In 2015,Alvin and the Chipmunks andThe Chipettes covered the song, with lyric changes to reflect their relationship withDavid Seville, for their live stage tourAlvin and the Chipmunks: The Musical.
In 2017, the song appeared onLea Salonga's live albumBlurred Lines.
On 12 February 2022,Natalie Imbruglia released the song after winning thethird series ofThe Masked Singer UK as "Panda". The single debuted and peaked at number 47 on the UK Official Singles Sales Chart Top 100 on 18 February 2022.[20]
Hardy Becker, a musician based in Aachen, Germany, published a cover to Spotify on 3 June 2022.[21]
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. † Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic.Note: Select 13. týden 2014 in the date selector.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic.Note: Select 24. týden 2014 in the date selector. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
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