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Rein Me In’s Record
Sam Fender and Olivia Dean have set a new U.K. record for longest run atop the singles chart with “Rein Me In,” which has now spent 19 weeks at No. 1, the U.K.’s Official Charts Company announced on Friday.
““Rein Me In,” which has now spent 19 weeks at No. 1”
The record overtakes Frankie Laine’s 1953 hit “I Believe,” which had held the top for 18 weeks, and Fender told the Official Charts company on Friday, “Completely lost for words, thank you so much to Olivia Dean and the fans for making this song the juggernaut that it is.”
Official Charts says “Rein Me In” first entered the chart in June 2025 and reached No. 1 on February 20 this year, then returned to the summit after being interrupted by Harry Styles’ “American Girls” on March 13.
The Official Charts Company also framed the achievement as a 73-year milestone, noting that Frankie Laine’s “I Believe” set the benchmark back in 1953.
In a separate account, Variety reported the duet “Rein Me In” has officially become the country’s longest-running No. 1 single of all time with 19 weeks at the top, surpassing “I Believe,” which held the spot for 18 weeks back in 1953.
Quotes and Chart Swaps
Fender described the moment as a personal shock when he spoke on BBC Radio 1’s Official Chart show, saying he was “speechless” when asked how it felt to break the record.
On the same BBC Radio 1 program, Fender said he wanted to “personally thank” Dean, adding, “It wouldn’t have happened without Olivia obviously, but now I feel like it belongs to the fans, they’ve made it what it is.”
Official Charts described the run as 19 non-consecutive weeks at the summit, with “American Girls” briefly halting the reign on March 13 before “Rein Me In” returned to No. 1 seven days later.
The Hollywood Reporter similarly listed the interruptions as 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.”
BBC also said the song’s journey included a slow climb, with the reworking of “Rein Me In” taking eight months to reach number one in February, and it was “just a week before it was crowned song of the year at the Brit Awards.”
What Comes Next
The record’s significance was echoed by Official Charts executives Becca Monahan and Chris Austin, interim Co-Managing Directors, who said, “For Rein Me In to break a record that has stood for 73 years is remarkable in itself.”
“For Rein Me In to break a record that has stood for 73 years is remarkable”
Official Charts also quoted Dr Jo Twist OBE, BPI Chief Executive, congratulating Fender and Dean and saying “Rein Me In” became “the most successful No.1 single in Official Charts history to cement its place as a modern classic.”
Beyond the U.K., The Hollywood Reporter said “Rein Me In” currently sits at 69 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, while NME reported it has been Number One in Ireland for 13 non-consecutive weeks and spent 36 weeks on the chart in Australia.
NME also said the song has spent 58 consecutive weeks in the U.K. Top 40 and that of those 58 weeks, 31 weeks have seen it be in the Top 10 consecutively, giving it “the longest Top 10 run since charts began.”
In the U.K. chart context, Official Charts said “Dai Dai” holds steady at Number 2 this week, while it also noted Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” climbing to Number 3 and KATSEYE entering at Number 16 with “Animal.”
