RapTV recently asked its followers a simple question: Which rap song never leaves your gym playlist? The replies flooded in, and one name appeared again and again: Eminem.
Fans mentioned “Lose Yourself”, “Rap God”, and some classic 50 Cent tracks. However, one track towered above the rest: “Till I Collapse”. The song remains the ultimate workout anthem more than 20 years after its release.
A Non-Single Anthem
“Till I Collapse” appeared on The Eminem Show in 2002. In fact, it wasn’t a single. It had no music video. Yet it exploded over time because people kept returning to it.
Later, it earned major RIAA certifications (whenever the Interscope team applied for it). By 2012, it went 2× Platinum; by 2018, it reached 5× Platinum; and by 2022, it hit 8× Platinum.
Meanwhile, the streaming numbers exploded. According to Guinness World Records, “Till I Collapse” became the most-streamed non-single in Spotify history in 2022 with 1.36 billion streams. That record still stands, and the track has now passed 2.36 billion streams.
A co-writer
Famously, the track taps into the stomp-clap rhythm of Queen’s “We Will Rock You”. Because of that, Brian May appears in the credits as a songwriter. Years ago, May said he once denied a rapper permission to sample Queen because the song promoted themes the band didn’t support. While he didn’t name the artist, he explained the refusal clearly.
“We have stopped them being used to promote violence or abuse”, May said, noting that one request came during the heyday of gangsta rap.
Clearly, that wasn’t the case with Eminem. “Till I Collapse” is intense, but its message is pure grit, a reminder to push forward when your energy fades.
Motivation
Today, for millions of listeners, “Till I Collapse” is the soundtrack to discipline. The beat goes hard while the hook fires you up, and the verses feel like a coach screaming in your ear.
All around, people from all walks of life rely on it. Be it professional athletes, morning joggers, or enthusiastic weightlifters. Basically, anyone fighting through the final reps or the last mile. Now, two decades later, the song still gives listeners the same spark.
Eminem might have dozens of hits, but this one has become the definitive global workout anthem, by fan vote and by streaming numbers.
