With six albums landing on Billboard’s 21st Century list, Eminem once again proves why he is in a league of his own.
Eminem’s impact on music is undeniable, but Billboard’s Top 200 Albums of the 21st Century list does not quite give him the credit he deserves. While six of his albums made the cut — more than any other rapper — it is hard to ignore how some of his most iconic projects were undervalued.
Take “The Eminem Show”, for instance. It is the best-selling hip hop album of all time, recently crossing 40 million units sold worldwide. Yet, it was placed at No.39 and ranked seventh among hip hop albums. Similarly, “Curtain Call”, the longest-charting hip hop album in Billboard history and the seventh across all genres with an astounding 717 weeks, landed at No.53, ninth in hip hop. And the No.1 hip hop spot? That went to Lil Baby’s “My Turn”.
Still, the sheer number of Eminem albums on the list speaks volumes. Joining “The Eminem Show” and “Curtain Call” are “Recovery” (No.67), “The Marshall Mathers LP” (No.121), “Encore” (No.154), and “The Marshall Mathers LP2” (No.192). With six entries, Eminem edges out Drake, who has five, and comes second overall only to Taylor Swift, who leads with seven.
While Eminem’s music continues to shape the industry, this ranking serves as a reminder that even a legacy as monumental as his can still be undervalued. For fans, though, the numbers don’t lie — Marshall Mathers remains one of the greatest artists of this century.
