Eminem is one of the most decorated rappers in hip-hop history, and the greatest according to Flavor Flav. Throughout his career, nine out of his 11 total solo albums have debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and 10 of them have been certified platinum by RIAA (with two earning diamond status). When it comes to his individual songs, though, he’s also put up some astounding numbers.
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Overall, Em has landed 95 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, with 22 two of those peaking inside the top 10 and 14 in the top 5. However, even with this litany of all-time great hits, there are five that have separated themselves even further from the pack by reaching No. 1. These include “Lose Yourself,” “Crack a Bottle” with 50 Cent and Dr. Dre, “Not Afraid,” “Love the Way You Lie” with Rihanna, and “The Monster,” also with Rihanna. Below, we ranked these five from worst to best.
5. “The Monster (feat. Rihanna)”
Released as the fourth promotional single for Em’s eighth studio album The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (2013), “The Monster” quickly usurped the project’s prior singles in popularity. Following up hits like “Berzerk” and “Rap God,” “The Monster” contained an epic hook from Rihanna, as she was very well known in this era.
After four weeks at No. 1, where it debuted, “The Monster” has achieved 8x platinum status.
4. “Love the Way You Lie (feat. Rihanna)”
Em and Rihanna’s first-ever collaboration, “Love the Way You Lie” established the formula for them to earn more future chart-toppers. Spending seven weeks at No. 1, the song would eventually go diamond three years after its release and now sits at 13x platinum certified.
3. “Not Afraid”
The lead single for Em’s seventh album Recovery (2010), “Not Afraid” is a classic Em hit built for a motivational playlist. With iconic lyrics like We’ll walk this road together, through the storm, it feels like the hook of “Not Afraid” is etched into the memory of every American who lived through the 2000s.
The sound earned diamond status in 2014 and now sits at 11x platinum.
[RELATED: 3 Songs You Didn’t Know Eminem Wrote for Other Artists]
2. “Crack a Bottle (feat. 50 Cent & Dr. Dre)”
Bringing together the two artists who had the most significant impact on his career, Em’s “Crack a Bottle” was a hit of nostalgia for the entire rap community in 2009. Though it only lasted at No. 1 for one week total, the song reawakened a grit and edge from Em that fans hadn’t heard in a long time, making for a key moment on his sixth album Relapse.
1. “Lose Yourself”
Widely recognized as one of the best songs Eminem ever wrote and released, and listed at No. 1 on our “Top 10 Eminem Songs” list from last year, “Lose Yourself” certified the Detroit native as a superstar in the early 2000s. Spending a whopping 12 weeks at No. 1, the song still carries an impact to this day, evident in Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s recent controversy.
Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for MTV/Paramount Global
