Sam Fender and Olivia Dean have officially made UK chart history after the release of their 2025 duet Rein Me In.
Making its first Official Singles Chart appearance in June last year, the pop-rock ballad was released on Sam’s third solo album, People Watching.
Spending 16 weeks on the UK charts, the song has now surpassed Wet Wet Wet’s Love Is All Around (you know, the one from Love Actually) as the longest-running number one single by a UK act.
On a global scale, it’s equalled Bryan Adams, who achieved the same with his 1991 power ballad (Everything I Do) I Do It For You.
‘Take that [Wet Wet Wet frontman] Marti Pellow!’ exclaimed Sam, 32, as the news was announced, telling the Official Charts Party that the song’s success has been ‘ridiculous.’
‘Every Friday, it’s been an excuse to party,’ he added.
The song still has two weeks to go if it wants to beat the all-time longest run at No.1, with Frankie Laine setting a benchmark of 18 weeks with his 1953 ballad I Believe.
As it is, Sam and Olivia, 27, are neck-and-neck with Bryan Adams’ song from the 1991 blockbuster Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.
Rein Me In also takes the record for a song’s longest consecutive run in the UK Top 40, beating Ed Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud with 55 weeks.
At 16 weeks at no.1, it’s still going strong – however, it risks being displaced should England beat Norway in tonight’s World Cup match.
Should the team come out triumphant, it’s expected that Baddiel and Skinner’s football anthem Three Lions could leap up the charts as it previously did in 1996, 1998, 2018 and 2021.
If it does so, this will dampen Rein Me In’s hopes of beating Frankie Laine’s 18 week record.
Its success has left some baffled, with users on Reddit registering their bemusement that this one, of all songs, managed to go the distance.
Describing it as ‘not that remarkable,’ bigonebitey said that it was ‘a good song, but not sure why it’s been popular for so long.’
‘Never in a million years did I possibly foresee it basically becoming one of the biggest hits of all time,’ agreed TelephoneThat3297, calling the situation ‘wild.’
‘I find it crazy that of all the songs in British history… this is the one to do it!’ wrote Sentinel3000.
It becoming a breakout hit may have been unexpected, but many are rooting for Sam and Olivia’s little song.
‘It is a GREAT song. I’m not tired of it,’ wrote The_DimLord, ensuring that it has at least one more listener over the next two weeks.
Sam credited Dive singer Olivia Dean for much of the song’s success.
The English singer and songwriter has had a great year of her own, taking home BRIT Awards Best New Artist, British Album of the Year and Pop Act.
Olivia, who played at Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage in 2024, also won the Grammy for Best New Artist this same year.
Of their collaboration, Sam said: ‘Olivia putting the alternative narrative on it made the song really universal – that opened the floodgates.
‘There’s two sides to the story. And, it’s a toe tapper! It’s officially a banger!’