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Sam Fender, Olivia Dean's 'Rein Me In' becomes longest-running UK No. 1 single in chart history

Published Aug 1, 2026 10:31 am

Sam Fender and Olivia Dean have made UK chart history after their hit collaboration "Rein Me In" became the longest-running No. 1 single in the country's history.

The song has now spent 19 weeks at the top of the Official UK Singles Chart, surpassing the previous record of 18 weeks set by Frankie Laine's "I Believe" in 1953.

The milestone ends one of the longest-standing records in British music.

Other blockbuster hits that came close but fell short include Bryan Adams' "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You," which spent 16 weeks at No. 1 in 1991, Wet Wet Wet's "Love Is All Around" with 15 weeks in 1994, Drake's "One Dance" with 15 weeks in 2016, and Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You," which topped the chart for 14 weeks in 2017.

Reacting to the achievement, Fender said he was "completely lost for words," thanking Dean and fans for turning the song into what he described as "the juggernaut that it is."

Originally written for Fender's 2025 album "People Watching," "Rein Me In" was initially released as an album track. It gained new momentum after being re-recorded as a duet with Dean, who added a new verse from the perspective of the woman left behind in the song's narrative.

The duet version was released in June 2025 and took 36 weeks to climb to No. 1.

Since reaching the summit in February, it has repeatedly returned to the top after brief interruptions by releases from Harry Styles, Olivia Rodrigo, Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift.

Its success is particularly notable because it came despite the UK's "accelerated decline" chart rule, introduced in 2017 to prevent older songs from dominating the rankings for extended periods. Under the system, streams are given reduced weight after a song has spent at least 10 weeks on the chart and experiences consecutive declines in streaming.

This week, "Rein Me In" held off Shakira and Burna Boy's official FIFA World Cup song "Dai Dai," which remained at No. 2.

The collaboration also won Song of the Year at the 2026 BRIT Awards, further cementing its status as one of the biggest British hits of the decade.

Related Tags

Sam Fender Olivia Dean Rein Me In UK Singles Chart UK No. 1 Official Charts British music Frankie Laine BRIT Awards
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