Sam Fender is on course to make British music history, as his track "Rein Me In" featuring Olivia Dean is set to break a record that has stood for over seven decades. The indie-rock star has spent 18 weeks at the top of the Official UK Charts, tying the previous record set in 1953 by Frankie Laine with "I Believe". With the charts closing in hours, Fender is on track to secure a 19th consecutive week at number one, a first for any artist.
Historic Chart Race
Fender, from North Shields, currently holds the longest run at number one by a British artist, surpassing the previous record of 15 weeks held by Wet Wet Wet's 1994 hit "Love Is All Around". Globally, the milestone matches Canadian icon Bryan Adams, who achieved 18 weeks with "Everything I Do (I Do It for You)" in 1991. "Rein Me In" was released in June 2025 and originally written for Fender's third album "People Watching" before being reimagined as a pop-rock ballad.
The song has already smashed records for the longest consecutive run in the Official UK Top 40 and the most weeks in the UK Top 10 for any non-Christmas single. It also won Song of the Year at the 2026 BRIT Awards, beating tracks like "Defying Gravity" by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.
Social Media Campaign
Taking to Instagram, Fender urged fans to help him achieve the historic milestone. Under his nickname "Spam Fender", he shared a series of snaps promoting the song. One close-up selfie was captioned: "Spam Fender returns – download Rein Me In," with a link to his official store where fans can purchase a digital download, a version with Olivia Dean, and the instrumental for 59p.
He also reshared a selfie from his backing vocalist Brooke Bentham, who captioned her post "Download Rein Me In," to which Sam commented: "Legend." Another post read: "If we make 19 weeks at #1 we'll beat the all-time record. Set in 1953 when Winston Churchill. That is mental. Download before midnight ya legends." As an incentive, 19 fans who purchase the track before 23:59 are in with a chance to win an Official Charts Fan award, with 19 runners-up winning a "Rein Me In" T-shirt.
Song's Emotional Core
The track acts as a raw, two-way conversation exploring the painful breakdown of a relationship. Reflecting on the success, Fender said: "It's been ridiculous" and "an excuse to party." Crediting Grammy winner Olivia Dean, he added: "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!"
Fender debuted the track at his London Stadium show on June 6, 2025, with videos instantly going viral. He and Dean performed the version just days later at his sold-out homecoming show at St James' Park in Newcastle before releasing the collaboration.
