Fender and Dean Break 73-Year UK Chart Record With 19 Weeks at Number One

Sam Fender and Olivia Dean's collaboration "Rein Me In" has spent a 19th week at the top of the UK Official Singles Chart, setting a new all-time record for the longest-running Number One single in British chart history. The track overtakes Frankie Laine's "I Believe", which held the top spot for 18 weeks across three separate runs in 1953, a record that had stood for 73 years.

The milestone is a significant commercial victory for Universal Music UK's Polydor Label Group, which released the single. "Rein Me In" took an unusually long path to the summit: it entered the UK charts more than a year ago and needed 35 weeks before first reaching Number One in February 2026. For Fender, it is his first chart-topping single. For Dean, it is her second, following "Man I Need".

The song's longevity is as striking as its peak position. It has now spent 58 consecutive weeks in the UK Top 40 and 31 of those weeks in the Top 10, the longest unbroken Top 10 run since UK chart-keeping began. It is also the only song in the chart's history to return to Number One four times within a single chart run.

Ben Mortimer, President of Polydor Label Group, called the achievement "historic" and said surpassing a benchmark set "more than 70 years ago is almost unimaginable." Jo Charrington, President of Capitol UK, credited the pairing's chemistry: "They created a song that people have continued to return to week after week."

International reach

The single's appeal has extended well beyond the UK. In Ireland it has topped the chart for 13 non-consecutive weeks. In Australia it has spent 36 weeks on the chart and currently sits at Number Three. It has also logged 18 weeks on the US Billboard Hot 100, 20 weeks on the Canadian equivalent, and 31 weeks in New Zealand.

That spread matters for the broader economics of the British music industry, which relies heavily on export revenue from streaming and licensing abroad. A domestic hit sustaining international chart presence for this long is rare and strengthens the negotiating position of UK labels in overseas markets.

Recognition beyond the charts

The track won Song of the Year at the BRIT Awards in February. Fender was separately named Songwriter of the Year at the Ivor Novello Awards, where Elton John presented the prize and described him as "one of the greatest lyricists Britain has ever produced." Dean won Best New Artist at the BET Awards last month and took Album of the Year at the BRITs for "The Art Of Loving".

The pair first performed the song live at Fender's concerts in London and Newcastle before releasing the collaborative version last summer. In May, they marked nine non-consecutive weeks at Number One with a joint performance at Dean's headline show at London's O2 Arena.