Eminem and Rihanna’s ‘Love the Way You Lie’ Voted as Top Summer Anthem

Over the past several weeks, there has been much debate as to which track was the official summer song of 2010. Katy Perry’s “California Gurls,” Eminem and Rihanna’s “Love the Way You Lie,” Lady Gaga’s “Alejandro,” Usher’s “OMG,” and Taio Cruz’s “Dynamite” were among the most popular releases of the summer, but one was selected as an overwhelming favorite by MTV Newsroom readers.

While Gaga’s “Alejandro” was released with a great deal of fanfare and Perry’s “California Gurls” sat atop the Billboard 100 singles chart for six consecutive weeks, Eminem and Rihanna’s collaboration picked up 57 percent of the total vote. “California Gurls” came in second with just under 20 percent of the vote while Enrique Iglesias’s “I Like It” surprisingly took third place.

Although “Love the Way You Lie” touches on a far more serious subject than other popular summer tracks that were released in 2010, it has dominated the airwaves for a variety of reasons. Eminem’s triumphant return to the airwaves was extremely well-received by those within the hip-hop community.

Rihanna’s infectious chorus perfectly complemented Eminem’s emotional verses, and the brilliantly directed music video, starring Megan Fox and Dominic Monaghan, only enhanced the appeal of the track to mainstream music listeners.