Robbie Williams Dethrones The Beatles, Secures All-Time UK Chart Record with 'BRITPOP'

Robbie Williams has officially claimed the title of the artist with the most UK Number One albums of all time, surpassing the legendary The Beatles. His newly released album, 'BRITPOP,' debuted at Number One, marking his 16th chart-topping solo effort. This achievement propels him ahead of the Fab Four, who held the record with 15 UK Number One albums.

The album's release was somewhat of a surprise, dropping last Friday after an initial postponement from October 2025 to February 2026. Now, it has landed Robbie Williams at the pinnacle of the UK Albums Chart.
Robbie Williams and The Beatles. CREDIT: Hector Vivas/FIFA/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

"This is unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable," Williams told BBC News. "I’ve always said my success has been the equivalent of stretching an elastic band from Stoke-on-Trent to the Moon. Well, I reckon the elastic band just got longer, and now it’s orbiting Venus."

He added, "It’s just sensational what has happened. I feel like the Forrest Gump of pop."

Notably, every one of Robbie's studio albums has reached Number One, with the exception of 2009's 'Reality Killed The Video Star'.

Martin Talbot, CEO of Official Charts, remarked: "Not even the confident young 26-year-old from Stoke-on-Trent would have believed this were possible when he joined Take That back in 1990, but here he is, on top of the world, the UK’s number 1 album artist – of all time! Just let that sink in, Robbie!"
Robbie Williams celebrates scoring a record-breaking run of Number One albums in the UK. Credit: Press/Robbie Williams

'BRITPOP' fended off competition from Madison Beer’s 'Locket', which debuted at Number Three, and dethroned Olivia Dean’s 'The Art Of Loving', which had held the top spot for three weeks. Sleaford Mods’ 'The Demise Of Planet X' entered the chart at Number Six.

The Official Albums Chart Top 5 for January 23:

1. Robbie Williams – ‘BRITPOP’
2. Olivia Dean – ‘The Art Of Loving’

1. Madison Beer – ‘Locket’
2. Nathan Evans & Saint Phnx – ‘Angels’ Share’
3. Fleetwood Mac – ‘50 Years – Don’t Stop’

Earlier this month, Williams confessed that surpassing The Beatles' record was a major ambition. "Let me just qualify that by saying I’ve broken the matrix. When that sort of record is mentioned and it’s me, I don’t know how that’s happened, I just know that it has. It massively makes my imposter syndrome come out to play and the first thing I feel is embarrassed about it."

"And then the other bit, where the ego steps in is going, ‘It’s outside of my family, my kids and my wife, the most important thing to me in the world’,” he added. “Do I think I deserve that? No. Am I on the precipice of maybe achieving that? Yeah. Should I grab it with both arms? Yeah. And can I learn to be grateful and happy for it? Grateful, maybe, proud, I’m not sure yet, we’ll see if that happens.”

Following Williams and The Beatles in the all-time list are The Rolling Stones, Taylor Swift (both with 14), Elvis Presley (13), Madonna, and Bruce Springsteen (both with 12).

As previously reported, Williams delayed the release of 'BRITPOP' to avoid clashing with Taylor Swift’s album. "Here’s the truth: I want 16 Number One albums," he told an audience last autumn. "Taylor then decided to put her album out the same weekend as me. I was like, ‘For fuck’s sake!’”

'BRITPOP' features the singles 'Pretty Face', 'Rocket', 'Spies', and 'Human', as well as a track co-written with Gary Barlow about being Morrissey's stalker.

Williams is set to embark on a series of intimate UK dates next month, titled the 'Long ’90s' tour, including a performance at London’s O2 Brixton Academy on February 8.

NME's three-star review of 'BRITPOP' described it as "a love letter to the ’90s and a bid to live forever". It added, "He’s standing firm...Robbie knows his game and has done a record for himself...That’s what makes him Robbie. For that alone, he’ll live forever."

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