Sam Fender and Olivia Dean’s “Rein Me In” hits new milestone as UK’s longest-running No. 1 of the decade

The single has spent 15 weeks at No. 1, tying it with “One Dance” as the longest-running No. 1 in the 21st century and equaling a 20th-century record for the longest-running British chart-topping hit.

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Sam Fender and Olivia Dean’s duet “Rein Me In” has become the U.K.’s longest-running No. 1 single of the 2020s so far, Billboard reported July 6, as the track reached 15 weeks at the top on the Official Singles Chart. The milestone marks a new peak for the song’s run, which has stayed in the No. 1 position across multiple non-consecutive chart cycles and continues to accumulate weeks at the summit.

Billboard said “Rein Me In” is now tied with Drake’s “One Dance” as the longest-running No. 1 single in the 21st century. It also placed the song level with Wet Wet Wet’s “Love Is All Around,” written by Reg Presley, as the longest-running British No. 1 of all time. In a separate Official Charts update highlighted by other outlets in recent weeks, the partnership has also been described as breaking additional UK chart benchmarks tied to how long it took to reach No. 1.

The chart run has been accompanied by high-profile public moments. Billboard reported that in February, the song won the BRIT Awards’ publicly voted song of the year prize, with Dean and Fender attending the ceremony in Manchester to collect the award. The BRIT Awards’ own site also lists Dean among the winners for the 2026 ceremony, reflecting the broader recognition around the artists during the period when “Rein Me In” was dominating the singles chart.

Live appearances have remained limited even as the track has climbed. Billboard said that, after a London Stadium show in June 2025 where Fender’s set included Dean joining on vocals for a new verse, the song continued to gain attention. The outlet added that three months later, the pair gave the track only its second live performance, at Dean’s show at the O2 Arena on May 3.

Billboard described the origin of the song’s momentum as beginning well before its chart apex, pointing to Fender’s long-standing affinity for the track. In that account, Fender has said he consistently liked the song since writing it as a solo piece about five years before the duet version took hold. The song’s subject matter has been characterized in interviews as drawing on themes of regret and excess, though the details of those interviews are attributed to the outlets cited in the chart narrative rather than reproduced in full.

The U.K.’s official chart body and other major music outlets have also echoed the scale of the feat. BBC News reported earlier in 2026 that “Rein Me In” set a U.K. chart record for the longest time to reach number one, and Official Charts has separately described the track’s landmark week when it registered its 15th non-consecutive week at No. 1. Together, the reporting frames “Rein Me In” as both a long-trajectory chart performer and a record-setter across different measurement points used by the U.K. singles chart over time.

As the song extends its run, the next development will be how long it can maintain or increase its number-one weeks, including whether it surpasses the historical comparisons that currently place it alongside “One Dance” and “Love Is All Around.” For now, the Official Singles Chart’s ongoing updates and the artists’ continued release and performance schedule remain the main factors that will determine how the record holds in subsequent weeks.

Why It Matters

The record underscores how a U.K. pop and rock duet centered on national artists is sustaining unusually long mass-market popularity on the Official Singles Chart.
The BRIT Awards win and the song’s continued chart dominance tie major public awards activity to broader consumer demand, affecting radio, streaming prominence, and promotional opportunities.
With chart history comparisons spanning multiple decades and international acts, the milestone may influence how the industry benchmarks long-form chart runs for U.K. releases.
Because live appearances have been relatively limited during the peak run, future public performances could be significant in sustaining or shaping ongoing chart performance.

Sources

Key Facts

Billboard reported July 6, 2026 that “Rein Me In” has reached 15 weeks at No. 1 on the U.K.’s Official Singles Chart.
Billboard said the 15-week total makes “Rein Me In” the U.K.’s longest-running No. 1 single of the 2020s so far.
Billboard reported that “Rein Me In” is tied with Drake’s “One Dance” as the longest-running No. 1 single in the 21st century.
Billboard reported that “Rein Me In” is level with Wet Wet Wet’s “Love Is All Around,” written by Reg Presley, as the longest-running British No. 1 of all time.
Billboard reported that the song won the BRIT Awards’ publicly voted song of the year prize in February, with Dean and Fender collecting the award in Manchester.
Billboard said the song had only its second live performance in about three months at Dean’s O2 Arena show on May 3, after a London Stadium performance in June 2025 where Dean joined on vocals for a new verse.