Tribute Page
- 1987 - Formation- (1987–1988) While living in Cleveland in 1987, Trent Reznor played keyboards in the Exotic Birds, a synthpop band managed by John Malm Jr. Reznor became friends with Malm, who informally became his manager when he left to work on his own music. At the time, Reznor was employed as an assistant engineer and janitor at Right Track Studios. Studio owner Bart Koster granted Reznor free access to the studio between bookings to record demos, commenting that it cost him nothing more than "a little wear on [his] tape heads". Unable to find a band that could articulate the material as he desired, Reznor was inspired by Prince to play all instruments himself except drums, which he programmed electronically. He has continued to play most parts on Nine Inch Nails recordings ever since
- 1988 - Pretty Hate Machine- (1988–1991) In 1989, while doing promotion for the album, the band members were asked what shows they would like to appear on. They jokingly replied (possibly while intoxicated) that they would like to appear on Dance Party USA, since it was the most absurd option they could think of at the time. Much to their surprise, they were booked on the show, and made an appearance
- 1992 - Broken- In 1992, Nine Inch Nails relocated to 10050 Cielo Drive, Benedict Canyon, Los Angeles (renamed "Le Pig" by Reznor), the site of the Tate murders, when Charles Manson's "family" murdered Sharon Tate, wife of noted film director Roman Polanski, and four of her friends. The band used it to record Broken, an extended play (EP) that was the first Nine Inch Nails release distributed by Interscope Records and reached the top 10 on the Billboard 200. (1992–1993)
- 1993 - The Downward Spiral- (1993–1997) Nine Inch Nails' second studio album, The Downward Spiral, entered the Billboard 200 at number two, and is the band's highest seller in the US, over four million copies, among five million worldwide. Influenced by Pink Floyd and by David Bowie of the 1970s, The Downward Spiral's diverse textures and moods depict a protagonist's mental progress.
- 1994- Film- In 1994, Reznor produced the soundtrack for Oliver Stone's film Natural Born Killers, using a portable Pro Tools in his hotel room. Nine Inch Nails recorded an exclusive song, "Burn" for the film. The group also recorded a cover version of Joy Division's "Dead Souls" for The Crow soundtrack.
- 1998- The Fragile- (1998–2002) - Before the album's release, the song "Starfuckers, Inc." provoked media speculation about whom Reznor had intended its acerbic lyrics to satirize. Cinesexuality critic Patricia MacCormack interprets the song as a "scathing attack on the alternative music scene," particularly Reznor's former friend and protégé Marilyn Manson. The two artists put aside their differences when Manson appeared in the song's music video, retitled "Starsuckers, Inc." and performed on stage with Nine Inch Nails at Madison Square Garden in 2000.
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2002- Hurt - In 2002, Johnny Cash covered the Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt" for his album, American IV: The Man Comes Around, to critical acclaim. After seeing the music video, which later won a Grammy, Reznor himself became a fan of the rendition:
"I pop the video in, and wow ... Tears welling, silence, goose-bumps ... Wow. [I felt like] I just lost my girlfriend, because that song isn't mine anymore ... It really made me think about how powerful music is as a medium and art form. I wrote some words and music in my bedroom as a way of staying sane, about a bleak and desperate place I was in, totally isolated and alone. [Somehow] that winds up reinterpreted by a music legend from a radically different era/genre and still retains sincerity and meaning—different, but every bit as pure.
" -
2005- With Teeth - (2004–2006) - A further six years elapsed before Nine Inch Nails' fourth full-length album. With Teeth was released in May 2005, though it was leaked prior to its official release date.
Critical reception of the album was mostly positive: Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield described the album as "vintage Nine Inch Nails". PopMatters condemned the album, claiming Reznor "ran out of ideas."
All three singles topped the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. -
2007- Year Zero - (2006–2007) Nine Inch Nails' fifth studio album, Year Zero, was released on April 17, 2007, only two years after With Teeth, a marked change in the slow pace from the release of previous albums. With lyrics written from the perspective of multiple fictitious characters, Year Zero is a concept album criticizing the United States government's policies and their impact on the world 15 years in the future. Critical response to the album was generally favorable, with an average rating of 76% on Metacritic.
The story takes place in the United States in 2022
, which has been termed "Year 0", by the government, being the year America was reborn. It had suffered several major terrorist attacks, apparently by Islamic fundamentalists, including attacks on Los Angeles and Seattle, and in response, the government seized absolute control of the country. The government is a Christian fundamentalist theocracy, maintaining control of the populace through institutions like the Bureau of Morality and the First Evangelical Church of Plano. The government corporation Cedocore distributes the drug Parepin through the water supply, making Americans who drink water apathetic and carefree. There are several underground rebel groups, mainly operating online, most notably Art is Resistance and Solutions Backwards Initiative. In response to the increasing oppression of the government, several corporate, government, and subversive websites were transported back in time to the present by a group of scientists working clandestinely against the authorities. The websites-from-the-future were sent to the year 2007 to warn American people of the impending dystopian future and to prevent it from ever forming in the first place.
An alternate reality game emerged parallel to the Year Zero concept, expanding upon its storyline. Clues hidden on tour merchandise initially led fans to discover a network of fictitious, in-game websites that describe an "Orwellian picture of the United States circa the year 2022". Before Year Zero's release, unreleased songs from the album were found on USB drives hidden at Nine Inch Nails concert venues in Lisbon and Barcelona, as part of the alternate reality game. Fan participation in the alternate reality game caught the attention of media outlets such as USA Today and Billboard, who have cited fan-site The NIN Hotline, forum Echoing the Sound, fan club The Spiral, and NinWiki as sources for new discoveries. -
2008- Ghosts I–IV and The Slip - (2008–2010) In February 2008, Reznor posted a news update on the Nine Inch Nails website entitled "2 weeks". On March 2, Ghosts I–IV (the first release on The Null Corporation label), a 36-track instrumental album, became available via the band's official website. Ghosts I–IV was made available in a number of different formats and forms, ranging from a free download of the first volume, to a $300 Ultra-Deluxe limited edition package. All 2,500 copies of the $300 package sold out in three days.
The album was created improvisationally over a 10-week period and contributors included Atticus Ross, Alan Moulder, Alessandro Cortini, Adrian Belew, and Brian Viglione. - 2012- Hesitation Marks - (2012–2014) - By May 28 a new Nine Inch Nails album was complete. Released September 3, Hesitation Marks incorporated rhythms reminiscent of earlier releases, but was more expansive and theatrical. In addition to the recently departed Adrian Belew, Reznor employed bassist Pino Palladino along with Todd Rundgren and Fleetwood Mac's Lindsey Buckingham to achieve various art-rock elements.
- 2016 - The Trilogy (Not the Actual Events / Add Violence / Bad Witch) - (2016–2019) In October 2016, in response to a fan's question about the lack of new Nine Inch Nails music, Reznor responded with "
2016 is not over yet
". In December 2016, Reznor commented on his statement regarding Nine Inch Nails' return by the end of the year: "Those words did come out of my mouth, didn't they? ... Just wait and see what happens.
" Three days later, Reznor announced an EP titled Not the Actual Events, along with reissues of Broken, The Downward Spiral, and The Fragile, with subsequent reissues of With Teeth, Year Zero, and The Slip to be released later in 2017, these plans however fell through. Also announced was The Fragile: Deviations 1, which comprised 37 instrumental, alternate and unreleased tracks, many of which have never been heard before anywhere. Not the Actual Events was released on December 23, 2016, with fans who pre-ordered it receiving their download links one day earlier. Atticus Ross was also revealed to be an official full-time member of the band, the first member other than Reznor to be added to the band.
Nine Inch Nails was among hundreds of artists whose material was destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.
In October 2019, Nine Inch Nails was again nominated for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. -
2020 - Ghosts V–VI - (2020–present) On January 15, 2020, Nine Inch Nails were officially named as members of the Class of 2020 for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. However, due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, the induction ceremony was postponed indefinitely. Originally, only Trent Reznor was to be inducted as the sole full-time member of the group for most of its history. After holding discussions with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Reznor announced that former live band members Chris Vrenna and Danny Lohner, as well as current members Alessandro Cortini, Ilan Rubin (the youngest person ever inducted into the Hall of Fame), longtime guitarist Robin Finck, and the only other full time member of the band, Atticus Ross, would all be inducted as members of Nine Inch Nails.
On September 24, 2022, Nine Inch Nails performed in their native Cleveland for the first time since 2013 after a "Nine Inch Nails Fan Day" at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame the previous day. Over the course of the performance, all the other six inductees, as well as former members Richard Patrick and Charlie Clouser, joined Reznor on stage and even covered Patrick's Filter hit, "Hey Man Nice Shot". Reznor posted on his Discord after the show,
“When/If we tour again, it will be different. Not like 2018′s “Cold Black Infinite” tour era – It’s over.
”