Sam Fender, Olivia Dean Set UK Record With 16 Weeks at No. 1

Q: After smashing a 30-year-old British record, can this duo now topple a chart milestone that has stood untouched since 1953?

Yes. Sam Fender and Olivia Dean are now within reach of the UK singles chart’s oldest surviving benchmark: Frankie Laine’s “I Believe,” which spent 18 weeks at number one in 1953. “Rein Me In” has already logged 16 weeks at the top, making it the longest-running UK number one ever by a British act. That broke Wet Wet Wet’s 15-week British record from 1994 and also drew level with Bryan Adams’ 16-week run for the longest consecutive stay at number one. To move past Laine outright, the song needs three more weeks at the summit; two more would only tie the 1953 mark. The duo’s chances are real because the song remains a major streaming and sales performer, and it has already shown unusual longevity after taking 35 weeks to climb to number one. Its momentum was boosted by the viral London Stadium performance and by Dean’s added second perspective, which helped turn Fender’s original solo track into a broader pop hit. But the record is not guaranteed. The key risk is chart fatigue: if streams keep falling, the track could be hit by the UK chart’s Accelerated Chart Ratio rule, which reduces the chart value of older songs in decline and makes it harder to stay at number one. So the path is clear but narrow: Fender and Dean have already made modern chart history, and if “Rein Me In” can hold on for another three weeks, they will surpass a record that has stood untouched for 73 years.

3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 10

Rein Me In logged a 16th week atop the UK singles chart, becoming the longest-running No. 1 ever by a British act.
That run pushed the duet past Wet Wet Wet's 1994 hit Love Is All Around and level with Bryan Adams' overall 16-week mark for (Everything I Do) I Do It For You.
Released last June as a remix of Fender's album track, the song gained momentum after Dean added a second perspective to its breakup story and a London Stadium performance went viral.
The single is Fender's first chart-topper and Dean's second, and it also set new marks for the longest consecutive UK top-40 run and most weeks in the top 10 for a non-Christmas song.
One milestone remains: Frankie Laine's all-artist record of 18 weeks at No. 1, set by I Believe in 1953.