Stan

"Stan" is a song by American rapper Eminem, with vocals sampled from the opening lines of British singer Dido's song "Thank You". It was released in 2000, as the third single from Eminem's third album, The Marshall Mathers LP (2000). "Stan" peaked at number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100. Outside of the United States, "Stan" topped the charts in 12 countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and Ireland. The 45 King-produced track also uses a slightly modified break from "Thank You" as its base sample; both songs were released as singles in late 2000. Retrospectively, "Stan" has been called one of Eminem's best songs, and, alongside "The Real Slim Shady" and "Lose Yourself", is considered one of his signature songs. In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked "Stan" 296th on its list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, upping their ranking to 223rd in a 2021 updated list. The song was also listed 15th on VH1s list of the greatest hip-hop songs of all time and named in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. The song was nominated for multiple awards, including Best Song at the MTV Europe Music Awards, Video of the Year, Best Rap Video, Best Direction, and Best Cinematography at the MTV Video Music Awards. It won Best International Artist Video at the MuchMusic Video Awards. In April 2011, Complex magazine put together a list of the 100 greatest Eminem songs and ranked "Stan" second. The eponymous character's name gave rise to a slang term that refers to overzealous, maniacal, overly obsessed, entitled fans of a celebrity or personality; the term has since been included in the Oxford English Dictionary. Lyrics The song tells the story of a person named Stanley "Stan" Mitchell (voiced by Eminem) who claims to be Eminem's biggest fan. It has been suggested the name "Stan" is a portmanteau of the words stalker and fan, though it is unknown if the name was chosen with that intention. The term "stan" has since become an internet slang term for an extremely obsessed fan of something or someone and is derived from the song's title. He writes Eminem several letters; over two verses, he is shown to be obsessive over the rapper, and grows increasingly frustrated and angry when there is no reply.