Robbie Williams has overtaken The Beatles to become the artist with the most UK number one albums in chart history.
His new release, Britpop, debuted at number one last Friday, marking the 16th chart-topping album of his solo career, which began in 1997 with Life Thru A Lens. The achievement places Williams ahead of The Beatles as a group, though only Paul McCartney has more UK number ones overall.
Speaking to BBC News, Williams described the moment as surreal.
“This is unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable.
I feel like the Forrest Gump of pop.”
He added that his success has often felt accidental rather than planned, a career shaped as much by survival as ambition.
Britpop looks back to the moment Williams stepped out of Take That and into the chaos of the mid-1990s. The album artwork recreates the infamous 1995 Glastonbury image of a bleached-blond Williams, taken shortly before his departure from the band. He has described the record as “the album I wanted to make after I left Take That”, and a nod to a golden era of British music inspired by Oasis, Elastica and Supergrass.
The album features guest appearances from Gaz Coombes and former bandmate Gary Barlow, the latter appearing on Morrissey, a track written from the perspective of a delusional fan. Critics have largely welcomed the release, with four-star reviews from both The Guardian and Rolling Stone, praising Williams’ renewed confidence and creative freedom.
Away from the charts, Williams reflected on how different this milestone feels compared to his early fame, which was marked by addiction and mental health struggles.
“I’m going to take this week to remind myself how lucky I am.
I can sit in the moment now, take a breath, and smile.”
Despite the record-breaking headline, Williams insists his family will keep his feet on the ground. As his daughter recently reminded him, the achievement is a UK record only.
“I won’t get too carried away,” he said.
