The Marshall Mathers LP

The Marshall Mathers LP sold over 1.76 million copies in its first week in the U.S., setting what was then the record for the fastest-selling solo album in American history. It has since sold over 35 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling hip-hop albums of all time.

'Stan' tells the story of an obsessively devoted fan named Stanley who writes increasingly desperate letters to Eminem, culminating in Stan driving his car off a bridge with his pregnant girlfriend inside. The track features Dido's vocals sampled from her song 'Thank You,' and the word 'stan' eventually entered the Oxford English Dictionary as a term for an overzealous fan.

The album was primarily produced by Dr. Dre, who had signed Eminem to his Aftermath Entertainment label, along with the Bass Brothers (Jeff and Mark Bass) and Eminem himself. Dre produced key singles including 'The Real Slim Shady' and 'The Way I Am.'

The album drew intense criticism from organizations including GLAAD for its homophobic lyrics, and from politicians including Lynne Cheney, wife of then-Vice President Dick Cheney, for its violent content. Despite—or partly because of—the controversy, the album won the Grammy for Best Rap Album and was widely praised by music critics.