Top 10 Eminem Songs

He’s the real Slim Shady. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 Eminem songs.

For this list, we’re only considering songs Eminem performed as a solo artist and excluding those where he is featured.

This Grammy-nominated top-20 hit off Encore showcases Eminem’s storytelling ability at its finest: the ode to his daughter is real, honest, and personal. While recounting the hardships he’s gone through with his baby momma while raising their kids, Em proves once again he’s got a softer side. He also shows he knows how to turn alternative hip-hop, piano balladry and a traditional lullaby into a simple, yet touching work.

Despite the fact that it made fun of some of the very pop artists recognized by the Recording Academy, this song earned the rapper a Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance. But it was for good reason: the top-5 tune skillfully blended comedy, hip-hop, and special effects to create something fresh and original with a funky beat.

Though The Eminem Show also gave us the infectious “Without Me,” it’s this rap rock number that samples Aerosmith’s “Dream On” that’s got our vote. With Joe Perry’s guitars in the background, Marshall Mathers takes on the media and the parents blaming his music for youth violence—and he reached the Billboard Hot 100’s top 20 in the process.

While the phat beat and funky sound of the Slim Shady and Nate Dogg collaboration “Shake That” earned them a Grammy nod, we’ve chosen the Queen-inspired track for our list. Thanks to its hard rocking beat and the two rappers’ hardcore flow, you’ve got a hard-hitting but catchy tune that you can’t help but clap your hands to. Though it’s not a single, “Till I Collapse” has appeared throughout pop culture on various occasions.

The Slim Shady LP wasn’t his solo debut, but it was still his first major label release. The album spawned several notable tracks, including the Bass Brothers-produced “Rock Bottom.” Sampling a Big Brother & the Holding Company tune, the song has Eminem getting real serious about his past troubles with money. In short: it’s poignant, powerful, and thought-provoking.

Produced by Dr. Dre and Mel-Man, this single off The Slim Shady LP has Eminem mocking multiple public figures normally seen as role models—including himself. Because of its dark content, the song was censored for radio airplay but still managed to find minor chart success. Not only does “Role Model” illustrate Mathers’ lyrical style, it also showed how well the rapper and the Dr. could work together.

While Eminem and Dr. Dre’s partnership has produced notable tracks like “What’s the Difference,” and “Forgot About Dre,” it’s “Guilty Conscience” that’s the highlight for us: by pitting the two rappers against each other in a battle between good and evil, we’re given an extremely entertaining and captivating single that’s one of the finest examples of Em’s writing and rapping skills.

This hardcore hip-hop track from The Marshall Mathers LP is aggressive, dramatic and unapologetic: all qualities people usually associate with Eminem. You might just say “it’s the way he is.” Fusing much of his real-life personality with his alter ego’s image, the song showed the rapper’s range and his ability to produce strong beats while delivering some of his best lines.

There’s just something about “Stan.” Whether it’s Dido’s soulful vocals, its emotional lyrics, or Eminem’s storytelling prowess, this is the one song that even non-Eminem fans can’t help but respect. Based on the story of a deranged fan whose love for Eminem causes him to kill himself and his pregnant girlfriend, this track is considered one of the rapper’s most creative productions ever.

It didn’t win Eminem the first Oscar for a rap song for nothing: thanks to its inspirational lyrics, thumping beat and Em’s incomparable flow, “Lose Yourself” was the rapper’s most critically successful and highest charting single to that point. Though he’s since had other number one hits, it’s this theme song from 8 Mile that continues to be cited as one of hip-hop’s best.

Do you agree with our list? What’s your favorite Eminem song? Be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com for more entertaining top 10s.