British Pop-Rock Star Breaks Beatles' Chart Record After 58 Years

Robbie Williams surpasses The Beatles with 16 UK No. 1 albums. Williams delayed Britpop's release to avoid competition with Taylor Swift’s album. “Britpop is the record I’ve always wanted to make...means everything to me,” said Williams.

For nearly six decades, The Beatles have held the record for the most No. 1 albums in the U.K. Now, that title belongs to Robbie Williams. With his latest release, Britpop, the singer earns his 16th chart-topper, pushing him past the Fab Four.

The milestone comes after Williams made the decision to delay Britpop’s release to avoid direct competition with Taylor Swift — a move that ultimately proved to be well worth the wait.

The former Take That member officially surpassed the long-standing benchmark after the album debuted at No. 1 on the U.K. Official Albums Chart.

Williams had been tied with The Beatles since January 2025, when the soundtrack for his biopic, Better Man, claimed the top spot. His chart-topping catalog now includes 12 solo studio albums, two greatest hits collections, the Better Man soundtrack and his 2022 compilation XXV.

“Britpop is the record I’ve always wanted to make, and seeing it become my 16th Number 1 album means everything to me,” Williams said in a press statement.

“Thank you to all the fans who have been with me every step of the way. You’ve made my dreams come true.”

The Beatles had held the record since 1967, when Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band topped the charts, with their most recent No. 1 coming in 2000 via the compilation 1.

Williams was transparent about his ambitions when he announced the album delay in October 2025.

Speaking to fans during a London performance, he explained the timing, saying, “We’re all pretending [the scheduling change] is not about Taylor Swift, but it f****** is. You can’t compete with that.”

At the time, Swift had just released The Life of a Showgirl, and as expected, it soared to the top of the charts. The release earned her 15th No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

“I was worried about making you [fans] all wait for the record,” he continued. “But then I was like, ‘F*** it’ … How many times in your life do you get to have the most No. 1 albums the U.K. has f****** ever had?”

Now, Williams is preparing to return to the stage, with a short U.K. tour performing Life Thru a Lens and Britpop in full, followed by a summer European run.

Source: Isabella Torregiani/parade.com