Sam Fender and Olivia Dean's collaborative single 'Rein Me In' has spent its 19th week at No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart, making it the longest-running chart-topper in the chart's history. The milestone, confirmed on 3 August 2026, breaks a record that had stood for 73 years.

The previous holder was Frankie Laine's 'I Believe', which topped the UK chart for 18 weeks in 1953. 'Rein Me In' drew level with that total on 24 July, according to the Official Charts Company, before claiming the record outright the following week. The single is also the longest-running No. 1 by a British act of all time, a distinction the Official Charts Company confirmed on 10 July.

'Rein Me In' originated on Fender's 2025 album 'People Watching'. The version featuring Olivia Dean was added in June 2025 and gave the track its chart life. It first reached No. 1 in February 2026 and went on to win Song of the Year at the 2026 BRIT Awards. Its 19 weeks at the summit have not been consecutive: across the record-breaking run, four other songs each held the top spot for a single week — 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 he was 'completely lost for words' and thanked Dean and fans for making the record possible. Dean marked the occasion during her headlining set at Lollapalooza, where she brought Fender onstage to perform 'Rein Me In' together for the first time in the United States.

The Official Charts Company, which compiles the UK Singles Chart, measures a song's position using a combination of sales and streaming data across the week. A 19-week reign means 'Rein Me In' has outlasted every single to top the chart since the UK's official singles chart began in 1952.

Fender's official store has marked the moment with a 'North Shields Reissue' 7-inch single on clear vinyl — a reference to the North Shields neighbourhood in northeast England where Fender grew up. The release celebrates both the anniversary of 'People Watching' and what is now the longest-running No. 1 single in UK history.