U.K. Chart Shocker: Sam Fender & Olivia Dean's Hit Ties All-Time Record!

Sam Fender and Olivia Dean's collaborative track, “Rein Me In,” has made history by tying the all-time record for the U.K.’s longest-running No. 1 single. As of July 24, the song has spent an astounding 18 non-consecutive weeks at the pinnacle of the Official Singles Chart, a feat that places it alongside Frankie Laine’s classic “I Believe,” which achieved the same milestone in 1953.

The journey to this historic achievement began with the song's initial release in February 2025 as part of Fender’s album, "People Watching." Olivia Dean later joined Fender for a remix of the song in June of last year (2025), a collaboration that propelled it to unprecedented success. Following its remix release, “Rein Me In” embarked on a remarkable 35-week ascent to the summit of the charts, culminating in it winning the coveted Song of the Year award at the 2026 BRIT Awards.

This monumental success marks Sam Fender’s inaugural U.K. No. 1 single, while for Olivia Dean, it signifies her second, following her previous hit “Man I Need.” Throughout its dominant run, “Rein Me In” has shattered numerous records within the British music landscape. It has been recognized as the longest-running No. 1 single of the 21st century, surpassing Drake’s "Hotline Bling," which held the record with 15 weeks. Furthermore, it became the longest-running No. 1 by a British act, eclipsing Wet Wet Wet’s "Love Is All Around," also with 15 weeks. The track also surpassed Bryan Adams’ 1991 anthem “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You),” which previously held the second-place record with 16 weeks at the top.

Despite its sustained dominance, “Rein Me In” was briefly dethroned on a few occasions since its chart run commenced in February. These temporary interruptions came from several high-profile artists: Harry Styles with “American Girls” (one week), Olivia Rodrigo with both “Drop Dead” (one week) and “The Cure” (one week), Ariana Grande with “Hate That I Made You Love Me” (one week), and Taylor Swift with ‘I Knew It, I Knew You” (one week).

In other significant chart news, Shakira and Burna Boy’s track “Dai Dai” has climbed to a new peak position at No. 2, benefiting from their memorable performance during the half-time show at the FIFA World Cup Final. ANOTR and 54 Ultra’s “Talk To You” also capitalized on the prevailing summer mood, rising to No. 3. Olivia Rodrigo’s “Stupid Song” saw a two-spot increase from the previous week, landing at No. 6, while Ella Langley’s Hot 100-topping single “Choosin’ Texas” moved up to No. 5.