killshady wrote:maaaan exclude sales!!! JUST NUMBERS IN BILLBOARD 200 (#1 or #2 etc)
Eminem Show was extremely well received. It was prime Eminem. He was still building his fan base. He's not gaining any new fans now. He's 15 years in. His fan base is set at this point.
Recovery was pushed much more commercially than MMLP 2 was. You couldn't go anywhere without hearing NA or LTWYL and he did more appearances and had a bigger spotlight during that album cycle. The label went all in promoting that shit after the disappointing reception to Relapse.
Then he went ghost (solo wise) for 3 years and still had the second highest selling album of the year.