The Most Unlikely Fantastic Duet-so far-This Century: Eminem and Sir Elton John, "Stan"--live at the 2001 Grammy Awards

“Stan" was the third and final single (after "The Real Slim Shady" and "The Way I Am") released from The Marshall Mathers LP, the second LP from rapper Eminem. The song is perhaps Eminem's most critically-acclaimed song and has been called a 'cultural milestone'. It is also included on Curtain Call: The Hits, performed with Elton John.

The speed charts above were created by Meanspeed music using the following method. The version above, as noted on the charts, are the Elton John/Curtain call LP:

1) Listen for a songs underlying pulse, almost always found as quarter or eighth notes;

2) Begin the recording again, and using a lap stop-watch. Start watch on the first discernable beat;

3) Upon the next beat, start to count. I use a simple mathematical calculator set to "0 + 1=", thereupon making the first time I hit the = key beat one, and so on. *Every* underlying beat is to be counted;

4) To perform actions 1-3 above, use one hand to hold the watch, the other to keep every beat counted;

5) Each time the counter hits a factor of ten, press the "lap" button on the stopwatch, thereby measuring the 10 beats that have immediately been heard while keeping the total time unaffected. This is a common way to time swimming laps and track laps;

6) At song's final discernable beat, hit the "Stop" button rather than the "Lap" button on the stopwatch. The final stop will also measure the final beats in isolation.

7) Record all data;

8) Repeat same process eight times;

9) Average the entire song. Using simple cross multiplication, you can determine the song's "average tempo" or "MEANSPEED"

10) Average each group of ten beats. Using simple cross multiplication, you can determine the speed albeit at an error of closer to 1 %, of each grouping of beats. One need not use 10 to create the speed graphs I have so created. So said, in my experiments groups of ten usually make for the most easily seen speed trend of any song;

11) To create a speed graph yourself, simply use the obtained numbers on a spreadsheet software program (I have been using Microsoft's Excel since 1995 with most excellent results);

12) If it is simply a general number within 3-5% error rather than the scientific error described above, simply use the "tap link" on this site, or any of the other such "tempo" programs available.


Ian Schneider
April 13, 2007
Meanspeed Music