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liamhaydn-blog · 5 months ago

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Eminem Albums Ranked & Rated:

11. Revival (2017) Rating: D- 3/10

Best Song: Arose

Worst Song: Untouchable

Song that most reflects the album: Walk On Water

Revival is the worst Eminem album. It's something virtually everyone can agree on. There's no real argument you can make for it not being the worst, no way to start this list off in a controversial, contrarian manner by putting something else.

Hiphop fans were suspicious of this album from the moment the tracklist was released, showing a significant number of featured pop artists. The surprising thing was the pop choruses were far from the worst thing about this album. Beyonce delivered a wonderful one, Alicia Keys and Ed Sheeran provided decent ones, the worst part of the album was actually when Eminem was left to his own devices.

A lot of the time, Eminem sounds bored and devoid of subject matters he really cares about. He sounds like he's rapping purely because it's been 4 years since his last album and it's time to make another, rather than really having something meaningful to say and share. When he does find a subject matter he cares about such as Police Brutality against the Black Community in America, he falls way wide of the mark in tone & delivery on 'Untouchable'. 'Like Home' an anti-Trump song during the days of Trump's America is better, but mostly due to a strong chorus from Alicia Keys, and it still falls a million miles short of the standard Eminem had previously set in political songs like "Square Dance" and "Mosh".

The middle songs feature Eminem's worst album run since Encore, and his corniest material yet. The hooks and choruses he himself provides are mostly utterly dreadful, the samples he chooses don't fit an Eminem project, his flow is by the worst it's ever been. It's pretty unlistenable & his tone and lyrics suggest he is bitter but it's not clear exactly what about.

Only the last two songs "Castle" and "Arose" save the album from being completely garbage. They are touching songs, "Castle" another dedication to Hailie, taking us back to the time before she was born, with Eminem bracing for the birth of his first child and "Arose" a great piece of storytelling from the perspective of Eminem as he lay close to death in hospital during the worst times of his addiction. These two songs and "Walk on Water" give the album atleast something redeemable but with the exception of these three songs, this project should've been shelved until Em refound his passion and creative spark.

Revival was a case of Eminem massively overthinking the direction of the project, and trying to be all things to all people, and ending up pleasing nobody. He tried to be political, he tried to produce huge commercial hits alongside huge Pop stars, he tried to be funny, he tried to show off his lyricism (ending up explaining his bars to make sure they weren't missed) and it just fell flat in every regard. He didn't seem to have a clear vision for what he wanted the project to be and instead let himself be guided by what he thought people wanted and it massively backfired.

10. Kamikaze (2018) Rating: D+ 5/10

Best Song: Stepping Stone

Worst Song: Nice Guy

Song that most reflects the album: The Ringer

With Revival mercilessly slaughtered by fans & critics alike, Eminem released Kamikaze 8 months later, an angry response to the backlash he and the album had got. With this album Eminem fired back at the critics, feeling it was now their turn to hear what he thought of them instead of always the other way round. Rappers were also beginning to see Eminem as a bit of an easy target, someone to kick while he was seemingly down with MGK, Tyler The Creator & Joe Budden all taking shots, and being fired back at here.

Eminem also took aim at the state of hip-hop in 2018, namedropping several Gen Z rappers and "their choppy flow everyone copies". Eminem would use this album to showcase how easily he can adopt that flow, regarded as technically basic by true MCs, and not only do it but do it better.

And he did, but it still wasn't particularly fun to listen to and not my favourite way to hear him rap. The album was evidence he still had much more to offer than he showcased on Revival, but it felt like more of an album for the moment, relevant in the context of that time in the immediate aftermath of the Revival backlash. But now that time has past, it doesn't have lots of replay value for me. It's possible Eminem could have got his message across by just releasing 'The Ringer' and 'Not Alike' without needing to put out a full album about it. But it was still somewhat satisfying to hear him fire back at people on other songs such as "Fall" because the level of disrespect Em was getting would make it seem like he was the first big name rapper to ever put out a bad album.

Outside of the horrible "Nice Guy" chorus, the album had fewer low points than the previous two albums but also didn't really add much in the way of true greatness. But it served the purpose of allowing him and everyone else to move on from Revival, and aswell allowed him to move past alot of the anger and bitterness that had been building up in his music over the years. He said what he needed to say and with this was beginning to draw a line under it, to move on to the next phase of his career.

9. The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (2013) Rating: C- 5.5/10

Best Song: Survival

Worst Song: Stronger Than I Was

Song that most reflects the album: Evil Twin

The Marshall Mathers LP 2 possessed plenty of warning signs for Revival. That follow-up album being so bad wasn't a massive shock given the course Eminem seemed to be taking with this record. Plenty of things wrong with Revival are also apparent on the Marshall Mathers LP 2. There are plenty of cringy lyrics & voices, his sample choices for the first time are proving to be very hit and miss. The 'Rap Rock' all over this record is one of my least favourite styles from Eminem.

Alot of the songs on this album aren't necessarily really bad, but they're not particularly good either. One example would be 'Love Game' featuring Kendrick Lamar. The songs fine. But a song with these two on it should be a lot more than just fine. There are a few exceptions to the album's mediocrity such as 'Survival' which is like a 'Till I Collapse' follow-up, in its suitability for Gym workouts & its lyrical strength in all 3 verses. 'Rap God' is a memorably impressive technical feat & 'Headlights' a touching closer to his often volatile relationship with his Mother. There are some great moments on the album, but Eminem doesn't knit it all consistently together.

8. Relapse (2009) Rating: C 6/10

Best Song: Deja Vu

Worst Song: Same Song & Dance

Song that most reflects the album: 3AM

"Fuck my last CD that shits in my trash"- Eminem rapping on Cinderella Man about Relapse.

Relapse is probably the most "love it or hate it" album in Eminem's discography. The rapper himself hates it, but the album has a cult following, plenty of Eminem fans love it and place it amongst his best records. The 5 years between his 4th and 5th record had been a tumultuous time in Eminem's life, he had gone through a 2nd divorce with his childhood sweetheart, a battle with addiction to prescription pills which had almost cost him his life & the premature death of his life-long best friend Proof after an altercation outside a nightclub which pushed Em into a deep depression.

Eminem recorded Relapse after fighting through the worst of his demons, but they were still lingering not too far away as Em released by far the darkest and most disturbing album of his career. The album's theme was heavily centred around Eminem as a deranged serial killer & sexual deviant. It's also remembered for the number of strange accents Eminem put on, rarely recording a song with his typical voice.

Some loved the accents and the extreme nature of the album's content, whereas others quickly found the accent tiresome and aswell tired of the content of gruesome descriptions of murders and sexual violence. I am more in the second category, Eminem's best song in this theme was "3AM" and that was the first song on the record. After that the theme began to get repetitive and simply not as good as "3AM".

Like Encore, Relapse was weakest in the middle before finishing strong, with "Deja Vu" my favourite song on the album, detailing Eminem's battle with addiction, just brilliant storytelling and the accent somehow really works for that song. Also coming at the end were the singles 'Beautiful' and 'Crack A Bottle', two songs which really showed Em's versatility. 'Beautiful' covered Eminem's battle with depression in a powerful but measured way. 'Crack A Bottle' was just fun, in a way Eminem wanted Encore to be, but just wasn't.

And also like with Encore, Eminem included songs on the Deluxe Edition which were better than a lot of the songs that made the album. "Careful What You Wish For" is an excellent song which would have made the album better and "My Darling" was much more interesting lyrically than the endless talk of murder.

Relapse is Eminem's least favourite album of his, and while it's far from his worst with a fair few really good songs which boosted his catalog, its far from my favourite.

7. Encore (2004) Rating: C+ 6.5/10

Best Song: Mockingbird

Worst Song: My 1st single

Song that most reflects the album: Evil Deeds

"It became a misstep and I struggled to get over the fact that I didn't do my best. My best would've been good enough if the leaks hadn't happened. But I released what I had at that point in time, and I feel that put a kind of a mark on my catalog. Encore did some decent numbers, but I was never that concerned with numbers. I was more so worried about what people think about the album. Critics and fans were important to me, and they were always at me about that project." - Eminem on Encore (2022)

This is the most frustrating and "what if?" album of Eminem's discography as it should and easily could have been so much better. It ended Eminem's 3-album run of rap classics and it didn't need to, this could easily have been Em's fourth consecutive masterpiece with a better selection of tracks, because all the material was there.

Encore was originally intended by Eminem to be his last album, his farewell to the game. The original tracklisting would have looked something like bowing out on top, still very much at the peak of his powers as 'We As Americans', 'Love You More' & 'Bully' were originally on the album, with the former two ending up on the Deluxe Edition along with 'Ricky Ticky Tok'. 'When I'm Gone' was also recorded earlier that year and was the next single he released after the album, so there's no reason it couldn't have been on the record, and it would have been the perfect closing track given the context of Em planning to walk away. With these tracks on the record, Encore would have been another strong addition to Eminem's legacy.

Instead, shortly before the Album's release the songs leaked online. A furious Eminem reacted by rushing back into the booth and recording new songs. Eminem was in the thralls of his drug addictions at the time and when reflecting on the album years later said: "Around the tail end of Encore, the songs started getting really goofy. 'Rain Man' 'Big Weenie' 'Ass Like That' – that’s when the wheels were coming off. Every day I had a pocketful of pills, and I would just go into the studio and goof off."

Encore features what was until Revival surely the worst six-track run of Eminem's career. And it comes when you'd least expect it, after a more than decent opening to the album which included a very solid 4-track run, concluding with the excellent 'Like Toy Soldiers' and 'Mosh'. The stage is then set for the Album to take a nosedive with 'Puke' and for the next half an hour you're left wondering what the fuck has just happened. 'Ass Like That' and 'Just Lose It' are two of the big singles off the album and whilst having 2 silly songs rather than just the 1 is perhaps overkill, these songs could have been passable as just comedic commercial songs to get some easy radioplay with memorable videos, IF they were atleast by far the lyrically weakest and worst songs on the album. But they weren't. 'Puke' 'My 1st Single', 'Rain Man' and 'Big Weenie' were all just as bad if not worse.

6 incredibly silly songs one after another, taking up half an hour of the albums runtime. By all means throw in 1 or 2 for some light comedic value but 6?! from the same guy who made The Eminem Show just 2 years earlier. The album's last third wasn't too bad and includes 'Mockingbird' which showed Eminem was still the brilliant, thoughtful song crafter, who could still make beautiful music with an emotional message. But it was too late to save the album, the damage had already been done.

Encore was a huge missed opportunity, with heavy drug use causing Eminem to take his eye off the ball, convincing him that putting throwaway songs that he'd recorded in mere minutes on the album was somehow a better idea than just sticking with great songs such as "We As Americans" that a relatively small number in the scheme of things had already heard due to the leak. It's hard to believe a clear-thinking Eminem would have come to such a decision and sadly this was a case of Em probably having too much power over his Album.

As the biggest Artist in the world at the time, noone had the authority to tell him that maybe putting utterly terrible songs on the album ahead of fantastic ones wasn't a good idea. The record company knew the album would still sell like crazy even if it had Eminem belching and farting all over it, which isn't an exaggeration as that was actually the case on "My 1st Single".

"They call the Slim Shady LP the greatest, the Marshall Mathers was a classic, The Eminem Show was fantastic, but Encore just didn't have the caliber to match it" Eminem raps on 'Careful What You Wish For' but the sad thing is it probably did, with a few simple changes to the track selection.

6. Music To Be Murdered By (2020)- Rating: B- 7/10

Best Song: Yah Yah

Worst Song: Little Engine

Song that most reflects the album: Godzilla

Music To Be Murdered By is Eminem's most slept on album. I don't know if after the last 3 albums people had just given up hope of Em making a good album again and just assumed he no longer could but this record deserved more credit. This album was one of Eminem's most interesting projects, full of features with both fellow old heads and aswell rappers from the new school and he meshed together perfectly with both.

The 3 songs Royce Da 5'9 features on are all highlights of the record, with 'Yah Yah' the pick of the bunch. Black Thought provides one of my favourite ever verses from a guest rapper on an Eminem album, but honestly pretty much every rapper on this album delivers. I think with this record, Eminem finally rediscovered a formula that works for him in producing a good album. The competition of other elite lyricists forced him to up his pen game, with that friendly competition he's always had with Royce and other guys from Slaughterhouse. And songs with the newer generation gave the album a feeling of freshness, keeping it modern sounding.

The beats, flows and the lyrics were on a different level to his recent work. The choruses aswell were a lot better than on recent albums, with the only exception being "Little Engine" which stepped the wrong side of the corny line. A few other songs also went close to that line at points, but for the most part he stayed on the right side of it. Though this album doesn't quite crack the top 5, it comes close as it's a genuinely enjoyable listen. At this time I was grateful for an Eminem album that wasn't a chore to get through. This album was just what Em needed at this stage in his career, a return to form. He sounded like he was having some fun again, back rapping with a pure love for the craft of hiphop again, rather than just to prove some point about how good he is.

5. The Death Of Slim Shady (2024) Rating: B 7.5/10

Best Song: Guilty Conscience 2

Worst Song: Road Rage

Song that most reflects the album: Trouble

Coming a quarter of a century after the Slim Shady LP, Eminem announces the Death of Slim Shady in this concept album. The album was a bold creative decision, which could have fell flat and risked tarnishing the Shady name. Being over 50 now, a record like this could've led to an absolute slaughtering from fans and critics if anything was lacking in the delivery or the lyrics.

But Eminem pulled it off. The confidence was apparent right from the beginning with 'Renaissance' and from start to finish, he fully dove in to the concept holding nothing back, free of any self-doubt. Eminem takes some of the best aspects of his previous work and finds a place for it on this record. There is ofcourse Slim Shady and the old voice and flow which made him so well loved. He keeps what worked on Music To Be Murdered By, again featuring new generation rappers such as JID & Ez Mil. There is the back-and-forth storytelling of Guilty Conscience 2 which is so well done & as usual the sentimental closing song, "Somebody Save Me" one of the best songs on the record.

Like Music To Be Murdered By, this is an entertaining listen that never drags. The album concept though allows Eminem to focus his songwriting more and the more consistent theme throughout is a big part of why this one ranks higher and takes a spot in the top 5. The three-track run of 'Evil' 'Lucifer' and 'Antichrist' is one of the best parts of the album with the 'Lucifer' beat being one of the best Em beats in years.

Eminem couldn't really have done much more with this record, it was as good as could be realistically hoped for. For him to be 25 years into his mainstream career and to still be making an album that deservedly takes a spot in his top 5 is testament to his longevity. Which does exist, despite significant dips along the way. But this album, following on from Music To Be Murdered By has got Eminem's career right back on track, as he has rediscovered what works for him musically.

4. Recovery (2010) Rating: B+ 8/10

Best Song : You're Never Over

Worst Song: Love The Way You Lie

Song that most reflects the album: Talkin' 2 Myself

Just a year after the release of Relapse came Recovery and it couldn't have been a more contrasting album. In truth it was very different to every Eminem album that had come before. The sound was more radio-friendly, in some respects more pop-y. Especially the enormous hits from the album "Not Afraid" and "Love The Way You Lie". At the time of its release, as a teenager I had a hard time accepting this new sounding Eminem & those singles prejudiced me against the album for a long time.

However on reflection this album can be considered Eminem's most serious and mature work. There's no skits, no Slim Shady. Coming so soon after the release of Relapse, you can hear in the precision of the lyrics the intense focus Eminem must have put into this record. It's extremely effective in putting you in Eminem's shoes, in his headspace as he struggles through attempting to piece his life back together after addiction had almost taken everything from him.

You feel his confidence returning, his sense of control over his music and his life starting to come back together. This comes out in anthemic hooks & choruses, up with some of his best ever. The album is very consistent, without a really bad song or significant dip at any point.

3. The Slim Shady LP (1999) Rating: A* 10/10

Best Song: Rock Bottom

Worst Song: I'm Shady

Song that most reflects the album: Just Don't Give A Fuck

The Slim Shady LP was the first of Eminem's 3 classic albums and in honesty a strong case could be made that you could have those 3 records in any order and you wouldn't be wrong. The SSLP is arguably Eminem's most consistent record, there's no dip at any point even for a single song, it just remains at an extremely high level throughout.

"My Name Is" followed by "Guilty Conscience" is an incredible start to an album and then comes "If I had" which is an interesting listen, given you hear the Infinite album voice of Eminem, the only song that sounds like it pre-dates the existence of Slim Shady. The reason for putting this album 3rd and not top 2 is that maybe there's slightly fewer 10/10 songs than the two albums that followed, and by slightly less I mean literally 1 or 2, but that's all it takes when the margins are this incredibly thin.

2. The Eminem Show (2002) Rating: A* 10/10

Best Song: Square Dance

Worst Song: Superman

Song that most reflects the album: White America

The Eminem Show established Eminem firmly amongst the all-time greats. His 3rd classic album in 4 years, in some ways this was Em at his very peak. With this album he proved he didn't need "shock rap", he didn't need Slim Shady. He could just rap as Eminem and at that exact time he was the best in the world. And that self-confidence flows through every lyric.

On songs like "Square Dance" Eminem showed he could do more than just poke fun at politicians through the use of a satirical alter ego, he could intelligently dissect and expose them in a direct manner. "Sing For The Moment" and "Till I Collapse" are other standouts, as is "Say What You Say" one of his best collaborations with Dr Dre, with the two flowing hypnotically off each other.

In terms of delivery in the flow and voice, this is Eminem at his best and the three-track run of 'Square Dance', 'Soldier' and 'Say Goodbye Hollywood' is one of the strongest from his entire discography.

1. The Marshall Mathers LP (2000) Rating: A* 10/10

Best Song: Stan

Worst Song: Remember Me

Song that most reflects the album: The Way I Am

Only Eminem could open his Greatest Hits album 'Curtain Call' with 'Fack' and only Eminem could put a 1-minute skit of gay fellatio in the middle of an album that sold 1.78 million copies in its first week. He could do it because the rest of the content just had to be listened to.

'Stan' for me will always be Eminem's best song, to call it genius storytelling would not be going overboard. 'The Way I Am' is also high up on the list of Eminem's greatest ever and 'Kim' remains one of if not the most shocking songs I've ever heard, still impactful over 20 years later, the rage still demanding to be listened to. It may be twisted, but the vivid cinematic picture he conjures with his words on this song are the work of a master creator. "Who Knew", "I'm Back" and "Marshall Mathers" are other highs on an album of so many.

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