Sam Fender and Olivia Dean just made history on the UK Billboard charts. “Rein Me In,” their collaborative single from his 2025 album People Watching, clocked its 19th week atop the chart, making it the longest-running No. 1 single ever in the United Kingdom. They broke a 73-year record for that achievement; Frankie Laine’s hit “I Believe” previously held the title with 18 weeks back in 1953.
“Rein Me In” came out with the rest of People Watching in February 2025, but the Dean-featuring version was tacked on in June of that year. It then took a long but steady climb to hit No. 1 this past February. After winning Song of the Year at the 2026 BRIT Awards, it’s barely been dislodged from that spot. Only four other songs briefly claimed No. 1 on the UK charts during that time, for one week each: Harry Styles’ “American Girls,” Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drop Dead,” Ariana Grande’s “Hate That I Made You Love Me,” and Taylor Swift’s “I Knew It, I Knew You.”
Fender told the Official Charts Company that he was “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 U.K. record!” As for Dean, she celebrated the milestone during her headlining set at Lollapalooza, where she brought out Fender to perform the single together. It marked the first time they ever played it together in the United States.