It was released on 28 October 2013 by Syco Music and Columbia Records as the second single from the group's third studio album, Midnight Memories (2013).

The song was written by band members Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, and Louis Tomlinson, along with Julian Bunetta, Jamie Scott and John Ryan.

Idolator compared the song to the works of Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, and Mumford & Sons.

Sam Lanksy of Idolator 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".

[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."

[10] In the United States, it charted at number six, giving the band their fourth U.S. top ten single.

The director of the music video Ben 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.

"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.