Nine Inch Nails History (1988–)

With a captivatingly brash sound, Nine Inch Nails commercialized the industrial rock genre.

Nine Inch Nails History (1988–) and Event Information

Nine Inch Nails: Early Years

Born Michael Trent Reznor on May 17, 1965, Trent Reznor, the only official and constant member of Nine Inch Nails, lived a very solitary and mundane childhood and adolescence in rural Western Pennsylvania. In 1987, shortly after his move to Cleveland, Ohio, Trent Reznor, while a part of the Cleveland-based band Exotic Birds, decided to record a few solo demos. After persuading a record studio owner for free studio time, Trent Reznor began recording what would become some of Nine Inch Nails’ earliest tracks. While recording the demos, Trent Reznor was met with the challenge of finding band members; however, after an exhaustive search, Trent Reznor decided to take the path of similar artists, such as Prince, playing all of the instrumentals for his albums, except for drums, making Nine Inch Nails one of today’s few one-man bands. In 1989, Trent Reznor recorded and released his first commercial single “Down with It.”

Nine Inch Nails: Beginnings

Nine Inch Nails’ first studio album Pretty Hate Machine was released in 1989. Pretty Hate Machine was written and performed by Trent Reznor. Three singles off of Pretty Hate Machine made the Billboard charts. “Down with It,” released in 1989, peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart, while “Head Like a Hole” and “Sin,” released in 1990, peaked at No. 17 and No. 10 on the Billboard Hot Dance Music chart respectively. “Head Like a Hole” continues to be one of Nine Inch Nails’ most requested and most recognizable singles at live concerts. Pretty Hate Machine faired exceptionally well as an independent band’s debut studio album, reaching platinum status and spending 113 weeks on the Billboard 200. Nine Inch Nails followed its initial success with a North American tour that launched the band into mainstream success. While performing at Lollapalooza in 1991, Nine Inch Nails took the spotlight away from headlining bands, such as the Violent Femmes and Jane’s Addiction. After its first set of major venues, Nine Inch Nails gained popularity among numerous untapped demographics and, in the process, gained a cult following.

Nine Inch Nails: New Heights

The success of Pretty Hate Machine and the 1990-91 tour led Nine Inch Nails to reach even higher, releasing the 1992 EP Broken. Broken only contained six songs and two bonus tracks; however, Broken garnered Nine Inch Nails the momentous commercial success that Trent Reznor was seeking. “Happiness in Slavery,” a live rendition performed at Woodstock in 1994, and “Wish” earned Nine Inch Nails the only two Grammys in the band’s history. Broken peaked on the Billboard 200 at No. 7. Nine Inch Nails did not go on tour to promote the album, rather letting the publicity from a controversial music video and record company turmoil spur Broken’s popularity.

Nine Inch Nails: Downward Spiral

Nine Inch Nails’ third studio album is entitled The Downward Spiral; however, the title is hardly representative of the overwhelming success of the album. The Downward Spiral debuted on the Billboard 200 chart at No. 2, the highest album debut in Nine Inch Nails’ history. While The Downward Spiral spawned two charting singles, “March of the Pigs” and “Closer,” neither garnered the success witnessed by the singles off of Nine Inch Nails’ previous two studio albums. Spin magazine ranked The Downward Spiral No. 11 on a list of the “Top 90 Albums of the ‘90s.” The album gained even greater achievement when it was named No. 200 on Rolling Stone’s list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.” The Downward Spiral was a great departure from the original sound of Nine Inch Nails, utilizing melody to convey mood and intensity. This concept would follow Nine Inch Nails from this point forward, becoming the band’s signature sound.

Nine Inch Nails: More Success

Nine Inch Nails continued its success with the release of two more albums The Fragile and With Teeth, which both debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. “Every Day Is Exactly The Same” from With Teeth garnered some success for Nine Inch Nails after a six-year lull. The track peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart, staying there for a record 94 weeks, and at No. 56 on the Billboard Hot 100. During the fall of 2005, Nine Inch Nails went on a North American tour to promote With Teeth, performing in New Orleans shortly after Hurricane Katrina. The Slip, the newest album from Nine Inch Nails, is notable for its release, without prior promotion or advertisement, as a free download on the Nine Inch Nails official Web site.

Nine Inch Nails: Greatest Hits