Sam Fender and Olivia Dean break UK record for longest-running No. 1 single

Sam Fender and Olivia Dean break UK record for longest-running No. 1 single

Sam Fender and Olivia Dean have secured the longest-running No. 1 single in U.K. Chart history. Their collaborative track Rein Me In reached its 19th week at the summit on the chart dated July 31, surpassing a record that had stood for 73 years.

The previous record was held by Frankie Laine, whose song I Believe ruled for 18 non-consecutive weeks in 1953, a period when Sir Winston Churchill served as Prime Minister. The achievement of Rein Me In comes after a tight seven-day battle with Shakira and Burna Boy’s Dai Dai, which served as the official anthem of the FIFA 2026 World Cup. While Dai Dai led the Official Singles Charts midweek, it ended the week at No. 2.

Fender, 32, from North Shields, told the Official Charts Company he was completely lost for words and thanked Dean and the fans for making the song a juggernaut.

"Completely lost for words. Thank you so much to Olivia Dean and the fans for making this song the juggernaut that it is. Can't believe we broke the UK record!"

Sam Fender, via Official Charts Company

The track's path to the record was a slow climb. Originally issued on Fender’s People Watching LP in February 2025, a new version featuring Dean was released in June of that year. The song took 35 weeks to reach the top spot, eventually hitting No. 1 in February and won song of the year at the 2026 BRIT Awards. Since reaching the summit, it has only been dislodged by four tracks: American Girls by Harry Styles, Drop Dead by Olivia Rodrigo, Hate That I Made You Love Me by Ariana Grande, and I Knew It, I Knew You by Taylor Swift, each of which spent one week at No. 1.

The song serves as a pop-rock ballad and a raw conversation about a relationship breakdown. Fender credited Dean's contribution with making the song universal, stating that her alternative narrative opened the floodgates.

The track broke several other milestones on its ascent:

• It became the longest-running No. 1 of the 21st century after 16, surpassing Drake’s One Dance (2016).
• It became the longest running for a British act in its 16th week, conquering Wet Wet Wet’s stint for Love Is All Around (1995).
• It became the longest-running No. 1 of the 2020s after 14 weeks, surpassing Alex Warren’s Ordinary (2025).

Globally, the milestone equals the success of Canadian artist Bryan Adams and his 1991 song Everything I Do (I Do It for You). The song also won song of the year at the 2026 BRIT Awards.

Becca Monahan and Chris Austin, interim co-managing directors at the Official Charts Company, noted that the feat feels especially significant because it comes from two homegrown British artists competing on a global stage.

To help secure the record, Fender encouraged fans to download the track for 59p. He offered 19 fans who purchased the song before 23:59 on Thursday the chance to win an Official Charts Fan award, with another 19 fans in second place eligible for a Rein Me In T-shirt. Fender said he intended to celebrate the record with a Chicago beef sandwich.

The success of the collaboration has contributed to Dean's international rise, which included wins at the MOBOs, BRIT Awards, and Grammys. This is Dean's second No. 1 single, following Man I Need, and it is Fender's first.

The current top five singles are as follows:

On the album charts, Charli XCX has become the first British female artist to earn two No. 1 albums in the same year with her latest record, Music, Fashion, Film, and her companion album to Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights. Other notable chart positions include Michael Jackson's The Essential at No. 2, Olivia Rodrigo's You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love at No. 3, Snow Patrol's 20th anniversary edition of Eyes Open at No. 4, and Dean's The Art Of Loving at No. 5.

Regarding international performance, Rein Me In peaked at No. 64 on the Billboard Hot 100 and currently sits at No. 69.