Robbie Williams Sets UK Album Record with 16th No. 1

Robbie Williams has claimed the record for the most number one albums on the UK Official Charts, surpassing The Beatles with his 16th chart-topper as "Britpop" debuted at the summit this week.

The album, Williams' 13th studio release, entered the chart dated January 23, 2026, after a surprise early launch on January 16. The former Take That member had tied The Beatles' tally of 15 number ones in January 2025 with the soundtrack to his biopic "Better Man." Now, with "Britpop," Williams stands alone at the top. All but one of his solo studio albums have reached number one; the exception is 2009's "Reality Killed the Video Star," which peaked at number two.

Williams openly strategized around the release to secure the milestone. Originally scheduled for October 2025, "Britpop" was postponed to avoid clashing with Taylor Swift's "The Life of a Showgirl." He later advanced it from a planned February 2026 slot to the less crowded January week. During a London performance in October 2025, Williams addressed fans directly: "We're all pretending the scheduling change is not about Taylor Swift, but it fucking is. You can't compete with that." He added, "I was worried about making you fans...