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How Sam Fender and Olivia Dean’s Rein Me In broke the UK’s singles chart record
Sam Fender and Olivia Dean’s duet Rein Me In has set a new UK singles chart record after spending 19 non-consecutive weeks at number one, surpassing Frankie Laine’s 1953 record with I Believe. The achievement is significant because it gives Fender his first number one single and establishes the song as the longest-running chart-topper in British music history.
Originally released as a solo track from Fender’s Mercury Prize-winning album People Watching, the song was reworked as a duet in June 2025 with a new verse written and performed by Dean. It entered the charts that month but did not reach number one until February 2026, shortly before winning Song of the Year at the Brit Awards; its popularity was also helped by a viral live performance clip on TikTok.
In short
- Rein Me In spent 19 non-consecutive weeks at UK number one.
- It overtook Frankie Laine’s 1953 chart record.
- Dean’s duet verse helped broaden the song’s appeal.
Explained simply
The UK singles chart ranks songs by their popularity, using measures such as sales and streaming. A song can return to number one after other tracks take its place, so weeks at the top need not be consecutive.
Sam Fender is a singer-songwriter from north-east England, and Olivia Dean is a London-born singer and songwriter. “Rein Me In” began as a solo track on Fender’s album People Watching; Dean later added a verse and performed it with him as a duet.
The record is measured against earlier chart-toppers, including Frankie Laine’s “I Believe”, which held the top spot for 18 weeks in 1953. Chart records offer one way to compare how long songs have stayed popular across different eras.