Demise of the monoculture: why so many have never heard UK’s record-breaking No 1 single | Sam …

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Demise of the monoculture: why so many have never heard UK’s record-breaking No 1 single

Sam Fender and Olivia Dean’s Rein Me In is longest-running No 1 single in UK chart history, and yet it seems to have passed many people by

It’s the biggest song in the UK, but have you ever heard it? That was the question many were asking this week, after Sam Fender and Olivia Dean’s Rein Me In became the longest-running No 1 single in UK chart history, spending an unprecedented 19 weeks at the top.

The British Phonographic Industry said the song had resonated with listeners “in such a profound way”, while Fender thanked Dean and fans “for making this song the juggernaut that it is”.

Sam Fender and Olivia Dean’s “Rein Me In” Is Longest-Running No. 1 Single Ever in UK

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.”

Olivia Dean at Lollapalooza 2026: start time and everything to know

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