Offensive enough for his gay-baiting and femme-hating, but what about the self-pity of Cleaning Out My Closet and the shlocky indulgence of Hailie's Song? Woe is he, but when it comes to phrasing, wordplay and the sheer joy of being an ass, Eminem remains forever unchallenged.
Top Tracks: White America, Without Me, My Dad's Gone Crazy
The Piano Man conquers Broadway, Eminem goes Hollywood, plus the rest of TIME's picks for the best of the year