| Step One | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | Steps |
| Cover: | StepOne.jpg |
| Border: | yes |
| Released: | 14 September 1998 |
| Recorded: | 1997–1998 |
| Studio: | PWL Studios (London & Manchester) |
| Length: | 39:08 |
| Label: | Jive |
| Next Title: | Steptacular |
| Next Year: | 1999 |
Step One is the debut album by British pop group Steps. It was released in the UK and Europe on 14 September 1998. The album charted at number two on the UK Albums Chart upon its release, going on to spend 64 weeks in the chart. It was beaten to number one by This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours by Manic Street Preachers, who also beat Steps' single "One for Sorrow" to number one on the UK Singles Chart with the song "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next". In February 2000, the album was re-released in the US, containing songs from both Step One and its successor, Steptacular. The tracks "5,6,7,8", "Last Thing on My Mind", "One for Sorrow", "Heartbeat" and "Better Best Forgotten" were released as the singles in UK. In 2000, the album was certified 5× Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry, and has sold over 1.4 million copies in the UK.
The album contains some covers; "Last Thing on My Mind" was originally released in the 1980s as a single by British girl group Bananarama, while "Love U More" was originally recorded by techno/house band Sunscreem. "Experienced" was originally recorded by boybands The Bario Boys & Worlds Apart, and "Stay With Me" appears on Romeo's Daughters' self-titled début album. "Tragedy", which was recorded for a Bee Gees tribute album, was paired with "Heartbeat" as a winter holiday double A-side single (included on the group's second album, Steptacular), but is also featured as a bonus track on some international editions of this album.
The album was reissued on vinyl for the first time ever in February 2024.[1] [2] It debuted at number 6 on the UK Vinyl Albums Chart.[3]
Steps’ North American debut album, released in 2000, was also (somewhat confusingly) titled Step One, yet it features a different song selection than their original album of the same name. At just eleven tracks, the American edition is primarily made-up of the group’s “standout” singles, selected from both their debut album (Step One) and their second album (Steptacular).
“Better Best Forgotten" was not included and replaced with the album track “Stay with Me”. The American release essentially a "best-of" collection for the first two years of Steps’ career, 1998 through 2000. The American edition also utilises the cover artwork from their original second album, Steptacular. The original mix of "One for Sorrow" was omitted in-favour of Tony Moran’s remix, the same version to receive airplay on American radio.
| Chart (1998–2000) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Japanese Albums (Oricon)[4] | 19 |
| Taiwanese Albums Chart[5] | 9 |
| Chart (1998) | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[7] | 35 | |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[8] | 4 | |
| UK Albums (OCC)[9] | 13 |
| Chart (1999) | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[10] | 28 | |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[11] | 30 | |
| UK Albums (OCC)[12] | 16 |
| Country | Release date | Format | Label | Catalogue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom[13] | 14 September 1998 | Standard edition (CD) | Jive / EBUL | 015911-2 |
| Standard edition (cassette) | 015911-4 | |||
| Australia | 14 September 1998 | Limited edition (CD + Dance routine booklet) | Jive / Liberation | MUSH33147-2 |
| Hong Kong | 14 September 1998 | Limited edition (CD + VCD) | Rock (HK) | ROD-9115 |
| Indonesia | 14 September 1998 | Standard edition (CD) | Zomba | Z-CD-0110798 |
| Netherlands | 14 September 1998 | Jive / EBUL | 015911-2 | |
| Japan | 1 January 1999 | Jive / AVEX | AVCZ-95107 | |
| Germany | 2 March 1999 | Jive / EBUL | ||
| Canada | 9 July 1999 | 01241-44149-2 | ||
| United States | 8 February 2000 | Jive | 01241-41688-4 | |
| Brazil | 21 August 2000 | 01241-41635-2 | ||
| Worldwide | 23 February 2024 | Vinyl | ||