This is where fans get off the bus. Sleeping pills and Valium heavily influenced the recording sessions. "Puke," "Rain Man," "Big Weenie," and "Ass Like That" are intentionally stupid. Eminem later admitted he was "running on fumes" here. These tracks represent the sound of a genius bored with his own fame.
In November 2004, Eminem was on top of the world—but the cracks were beginning to show. Following the massive success of The Marshall Mathers LP and The Eminem Show , the rapper released Encore , the final chapter of his "trilogy" of major studio albums before a hiatus that lasted nearly five years. eminem encore song list
Just when you think the album is a washout, the final five tracks salvage it. "Mockingbird" is one of his most beautiful songs. "Spend Some Time" shows melodic maturity. "One Shot 2 Shot" is a fun D12 reunion. The title track "Encore" ends the show with a bang. Critical Reception & Legacy Upon release, Encore received mixed reviews (Pitchfork gave it a 4.5/10, while Rolling Stone gave it 4/5 stars). Commercially, it was a smash (double platinum in five weeks), but fans felt the drop in quality from The Eminem Show was staggering. This is where fans get off the bus
The album starts strong. "Yellow Brick Road" is a masterclass in damage control. "Like Toy Soldiers" (sampling Martika's 80s hit) is heartbreakingly prescient—it was a plea to stop rap beef that ultimately failed (Proof was killed in 2006). "Mosh" remains one of the most ferocious political rap songs of the 2000s. Eminem later admitted he was "running on fumes" here
6.5/10. Half a classic, half a hangover. Do you agree with this assessment of the Encore tracklist? Which song do you think is the worst—"Big Weenie" or "My 1st Single"?
While often considered the weakest of his original three major releases, Encore is a fascinating, messy, and darkly comedic time capsule. It features some of his most juvenile humor alongside devastatingly personal confessionals. Below is the complete official song list for Encore , broken down by disc (for the special edition) and analyzed track-by-track. Encore was released in standard and "Deluxe" editions. The standard edition contains 20 tracks (including skits), while the Deluxe (Fan Edition) added a second disc of instrumentals and music videos. Disc One: The Main Album | # | Song Title | Featured Guest(s) | Producer(s) | Key Notes | |---|---|---|---|---| | 1 | "Curtains Up" (Skit) | N/A | Eminem | Opening skit featuring a nervous Eminem backstage. | | 2 | "Evil Deeds" | N/A | Dr. Dre | A tense opener about childhood trauma and responsibility. | | 3 | "Never Enough" | 50 Cent & Nate Dogg | Dr. Dre & Mike Elizondo | A high-energy, aggressive track dedicated to fan hunger. | | 4 | "Yellow Brick Road" | N/A | Eminem | A reflective apology for a leaked racist tape from his youth. | | 5 | "Like Toy Soldiers" | N/A | Eminem | A somber warning about the Proof vs. Royce da 5'9" beef. | | 6 | "Mosh" | N/A | Dr. Dre & Mark Batson | A politically charged anti-Bush anthem. | | 7 | "Puke" | N/A | Eminem | A gross-out track about hating an ex-girlfriend. | | 8 | "My 1st Single" | N/A | Eminem | Eccentric beat; a fan-divisive track about drug slumps. | | 9 | "Paul" (Skit) | Paul Rosenberg | N/A | Manager Paul begs Em to leave the "dirty" songs off the album. | | 10 | "Rain Man" | N/A | Dr. Dre | Absurdist, stream-of-consciousness humor about being lazy. | | 11 | "Big Weenie" | N/A | Dr. Dre | A childish, repetitive diss track aimed at critics. | | 12 | "Em Calls Paul" (Skit) | Paul Rosenberg | Dr. Dre | A drugged-up voicemail to his manager. | | 13 | "Just Lose It" | N/A | Dr. Dre & Mike Elizondo | The lead single; a parody of Michael Jackson. | | 14 | "Ass Like That" | N/A | Dr. Dre & Mike Elizondo | A synth-heavy, goofy track about celebrity crushes. | | 15 | "Spend Some Time" | Obie Trice, Stat Quo & 50 Cent | Eminem | A rare, melodic R&B collaboration about toxic relationships. | | 16 | "Mockingbird" | N/A | Eminem | A heartbreaking lullaby to his daughter, Hailie. | | 17 | "Crazy in Love" | N/A | Eminem | A sample of Heart's "Crazy on You"; about obsessive love. | | 18 | "One Shot 2 Shot" | D12 (Proof, Bizarre, etc.) | Eminem | A posse cut that plays like a club scene from a movie. | | 19 | "Final Thought" (Skit) | N/A | Eminem | Brief 15-second skit. | | 20 | "Encore / Curtains Down" | Dr. Dre & 50 Cent | Dr. Dre & Mark Batson | The bombastic finale with the infamous "Fack... oops wrong album" energy. | Disc Two (Deluxe Fan Edition) This bonus disc contains instrumental versions of tracks 1-18 plus the music videos for "Just Lose It," "Like Toy Soldiers," "Mockingbird," "Ass Like That," and a behind-the-scenes featurette. The Three-Act Structure of Encore To understand the song list, you have to understand the album's chaotic production. Tracks were leaked online just weeks before release, forcing Eminem to scrap several serious songs (which later appeared on Straight From the Lab ) and rush-record silly ones.