December 10, Simon Cowell's new boy band, debuts its first project, an EP titled On Your Side, inside the top 10 on nearly every chart in the U.K. PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 24: Simon Cowell attends "America's Got Talent" Season 21 Media Day at Pasadena Civic Auditorium on March 24, 2026 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Robin L Marshall/Getty Images)
Getty Images
For roughly the past decade, K-pop has largely dominated the global market when it comes to commercially successful boy bands and girl groups. South Korean acts regularly score international hits and score bestselling albums, while comparatively few new pop groups from Western countries have emerged as forces to be reckoned with on the charts.
The United Kingdom has a particularly rich history of successful vocal groups, but recently, the nation’s musical focus has shifted toward soloists, rappers, electronic acts and DJs. The success of K-pop boy bands and all-female troupes shows that there is still an appetite for such things – but it’s been a long time since one that originated in the U.K. (or America for that matter) has broken through.
Simon Cowell, who has helped assemble or signed groups including Little Mix, Fifth Harmony, Westlife and, most famously, One Direction, is now attempting to revive the British boy band with December 10. The seven-member outfit was formed through the Netflix series The Next Act, which premiered last year.
Shortly after the show concluded and the boy band’s lineup was finalized, December 10 released its first single, “Run My Way.” Now, the group’s debut project, an EP titled On Your Side, becomes an immediate success across a number of charts in the U.K.
December 10’s First Project Debuts on Five Charts
On Your Side debuts on five British rankings this week. The EP launches inside not only the top 10, but the top five, on four of them, and it immediately establishes December 10 as one of the country’s bestselling new musical acts.
The project opens highest, at No. 3, on both the Official Albums Sales and Official Physical Albums charts. The first ranking combines purchases on physical formats with paid digital downloads, while the latter excludes sales via platforms such as iTunes and Amazon and focuses only on physical copies.
The Boy Band Trails The Rolling Stones and My Chemical Romance
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK - MAY 05: (L-R) Ronnie Wood, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards attend The Rolling Stones Album Launch Event at The Weylin on May 05, 2026 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
Getty Images
December 10 lands behind the same two rock bands on both tallies. The Rolling Stones debut at No. 1 with Foreign Tongues, while My Chemical Romance claims the runner-up position with Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys. That full-length, the last from the rockers, debuts at No. 2 on the Official Albums Sales chart and returns to the physical-only tally in the same spot, which marks a new high for the 15-year-old release.
December 10 Reaches the Top Five With On Your Side
On Your Side begins its time at No. 5 on both the Official Albums and Official Vinyl Albums charts. The Official Albums ranking is the U.K.’s primary list of full-lengths and EPs, and its methodology combines sales and streaming activity to show what the British public is listening to. December 10 simultaneously starts at No. 5 on the vinyl-only tally.
December 10 Misses the Top 40 on Only One Chart
December 10 only fails to complete a clean sweep of top 10 debuts because of its performance on the Official Album Downloads chart. On Your Side does not even crack the top 40 on the digital-only ranking, where it launches at No. 42 instead.
On Your Side Includes the Hit Single “Run My Way”
The On Your Side EP features nine tracks, though that count includes stripped-down versions of several songs. “Run My Way,” “Angel” and “Infinity (123)” have all been promoted as singles from the collection, but only “Run My Way” has made a significant commercial impact on the U.K.’s rankings so far.
The tune reached No. 68 on the Official Singles chart in February and spent two frames on the tally, which combines streams with digital and physical purchases to rank the most popular songs in the U.K.
The single performed much better when it comes to sales and sales alone. “Run My Way” reached No. 1 on the Official Singles Sales and Official Physical Singles charts when it first arrived. It also debuted atop the Official Vinyl Singles ranking several weeks later.
The track came close to the top 40 on one other roster, peaking at No. 43 in its only frame on the Official Singles Downloads chart.
December 10 Returns to the Vinyl Chart with “Run My Way”
As On Your Side arrives, “Run My Way” returns to the Official Vinyl Singles chart. This period, the group’s debut original single – the outfit shared a cover of “Bye Bye Bye” by Nsync on YouTube before “Run My Way” dropped – is back at No. 30.