Rock
Sam Fender and Olivia Dean make history with chart-breaking No.1
The British stars have set a new Official Singles Chart record after their duet surpassed a 73-year milestone to become the longest-running UK No.1 single of all time.
Sam Fender and Olivia Dean have rewritten UK chart history after their duet Rein Me In became the longest-running No.1 single ever, spending a record-breaking 19 weeks at the top of the Official Singles Chart.
The collaboration between the 32-year-old People Watching singer-songwriter and the 27-year-old soul star has surpassed a record that stood for more than seven decades. Rein Me In, a reworked duet version of a track originally featured on Sam’s People Watching album, overtook Frankie Laine’s I Believe, which accumulated 18 weeks at No.1 across three separate chart runs in 1953. The milestone follows an extraordinary chart campaign that saw the song climb to No.1 after 35 weeks on the chart – the slowest ascent to the summit in Official Charts history – before returning to the top four separate times during the same chart run.
The achievement also comes after Sam and Olivia won Song of the Year at the 2026 BRIT Awards, while both artists have continued to enjoy critically acclaimed album campaigns.
Sam’s stellar career
Sam remains one of Britain’s most successful contemporary rock artists following the acclaim for Seventeen Going Under and People Watching, while Olivia has continued her rise after breakthrough releases including Messy and The Hardest Part.
According to Official Charts, Rein Me In secured the new record despite early sales projections placing Shakira and Burna Boy narrowly ahead with their World Cup anthem Dai Dai.
A social media campaign encouraging fans to purchase downloads helped propel Sam and Olivia’s single to another week at No.1.
In a statement, Ben Mortimer, president of Polydor Label Group, said: “This is a historic achievement. The accolades have continued to grow throughout this incredible journey, but to surpass a benchmark set by the great Frankie Laine more than 70 years ago is almost unimaginable. Seeing Sam and Olivia, two homegrown stars, break the record is something we’re so proud of.”
Jo Charrington, president of Capitol UK, added: “There is something completely undeniable about Sam and Olivia together on this record. They created a song that people have continued to return to week after week. To see that connection translate into the longest No.1 run in the history of the UK chart is a landmark achievement.”
Record breaker
The duet was released more than a year ago and has since broken a succession of chart records. Alongside its 19 weeks at No.1, Rein Me In has now spent 58 consecutive weeks inside the UK Top 40, 31 consecutive weeks in the UK Top 10 and 41 weeks in total inside the Top 10.
According to Official Charts, it now holds the record for the longest uninterrupted Top 40 run, the longest continuous Top 10 run and the most weeks spent inside the UK Top 10 by any non-Christmas single.
The song was produced through a collaboration between Polydor Records and Capitol UK, with the labels describing it as an example of their commitment to long-term artist development.
Becca Monahan and Chris Austin, interim co-managing directors of Official Charts, said: “Congratulations to Sam Fender and Olivia Dean on an extraordinary, history-making achievement. For Rein Me In to break a record that has stood for 73 years is remarkable in itself, but it feels especially significant to see two homegrown British artists write a new chapter in Official Chart history together.
“Sam and Olivia are both exceptional talents, and the incredible connection Rein Me In has made with audiences speaks to the strength and ambition of British music today.
“At a time when UK artists are competing on a truly global stage, this is a fantastic moment to celebrate British creativity – and a record-breaking No.1 that will now sit proudly in the history books.”
Congratulations for pair
Dr Jo Twist, chief executive of the BPI, said: “Many congratulations to Sam and Olivia on their incredible achievement with Rein Me In becoming the most successful No.1 single in Official Charts history to cement its place as a modern classic.
“In an evolving world where we all consume music globally, it’s a truly remarkable feat for Rein Me In to resonate with fans in such a profound way. The British public have taken the song to their hearts, and we should all be proud and celebrate this special moment in our music heritage.”
The song’s success has extended well beyond the UK. It remains at No.1 in Ireland after 13 non-consecutive weeks at the summit, has previously topped the Australian chart, reached No.2 in New Zealand, spent 20 weeks on the Canadian Hot 100 and become Sam’s first entry on the US Hot 100. The single has also charted in the Netherlands and Belgium, underlining the international appeal of the collaboration.
