20. God Given (2007)
Instead of being Nine Inch Nails’ most powerful album, Year Zero tends to lean towards a slick and polished sound that appeals to Grammys voters. However, there is still a recognizable NIN touch to the mainstream blues-rock, almost as if it has been sealed with a dark NIN wax stamp. The track “God Given” serves as a pop highlight, with its distorted noises creating a groove reminiscent of what Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, or Kylie Minogue may have experimented with during a moody period.
“I hope we can meet again (2020).”
The background music featured on the six collections of Ghosts can be likened to the score of a true crime series on Netflix portraying a killer accountant. However, there are a few standout tracks. While using a music box reminiscent of children’s horror movies has become a common theme in NIN’s work, “Hope We Can Again” executes it exceptionally well. The piano melody is pure and moving, and the additional ambient sounds, particularly the piercing sine wave, add depth and prevent it from becoming overly sweet.
18. God Break Down the Door (2018)
Inspired by David Bowie’s Blackstar, NIN incorporated a jazz vibe into this fast-paced acid-breakbeat song with passionate saxophones and precise percussion. Trent Reznor’s sardonic supper-club singing style is reminiscent of Bowie in his later years. It boldly explored new territory for the band, yet they have not gone beyond this point; it is featured on their latest collection of tracks, the 2018 mini-album Bad Witch.
17. Something I Can Never Have (1989)
Before there was Hurt, there was this: a stately ballad at the heart of their debut album, Pretty Hate Machine, that showed the breadth of Reznor’s vision from the off. “You make this all go away” could be about the salvation of love, but also pre-empts the reliance on drugs and alcohol that would define his next decade.
Please turn off this in 2020.
Aside from the average sketches, pleasant piano playing, and uneventful emotional expression found throughout most of the Ghosts content, there is a captivating 13-minute piece that is significantly less intelligible. The sounds of machinery clunking to a fast-paced rhythm and boots crunching in unison on gravel are punctuated by the wailing of sirens in a ghostly valley. It resembles an art house thriller portrayed through industrial music.
15. Various Methods of Escape (2013)
By 2013, Reznor and his bandmate, Atticus Ross, had solidified their creative partnership. They secured their first Oscar in 2010 for their exceptional score for The Social Network, which successfully conveyed a feeling of uneasy anticipation. This led to the release of Hesitation Marks, the band’s fourth outstanding album. Some would argue that it is their most commercially successful album yet, following their previous successes with Pretty Hate Machine, The Downward Spiral, and The Fragile. Hesitation Marks showcases Reznor’s exceptional talent for writing memorable melodies, evident in tracks such as Find My Way, All Time Low, and Disappointed (each of which could have easily made this list). Particularly noteworthy is the R&B influence in Various Methods of Escape, where Reznor’s seductive falsetto takes the lead.
14. Into the Void (1999)
The Downward Spiral, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this month, did indeed lead to a downward spiral for Trent Reznor. While working on the next album, The Fragile, Reznor was struggling with drug addiction and openly admitted to contemplating suicide. Even on the track “Into the Void,” he sings about having visions of his own demise. However, despite its dark lyrics, this remains one of the band’s smoothest and funkiest songs, with Reznor’s vocals gliding over a black linoleum floor as he croons: “I tried to save myself, but I keep slipping away.”
“The Day the World Went Away” released in 1999.
Utterly resistant to playlisting culture and indeed to ranking exercises like this, The Fragile lacks immediate pop singles, but offers a magnificently sprawling whole-album experience. Reznor said he intended it to sound like “someone struggling to put the pieces together” and the sequencing is cleverly topsy-turvy: The Day the World Went Away is a valedictory proto-Arcade Fire epic singalong, baffling you at side one, track two.
12. The Wretched (1999)
The initial track, We’re in This Together, sets the tone for The Fragile as The Wretched follows suit with NIN’s exceptional ability to create a slow and seductive vibe. Their rendition of Adam and the Ants’ Physical (You’re So) is another shining demonstration of their talent. Merging elements of trip-hop and heavy metal, they portray a powerful image of God reigning over Reznor.
11. Less Than (2017)
The first song on the Add Violence EP surpasses the attempts on Year Zero with its mainstream pop-rock sound. The chorus is enviable to Dave Grohl and features powerful backing vocals that could be sung with emotion and accompanying hand gestures. It has the potential to be performed on a morning television show, but the production packs a heavy punch and the lyrics touch on themes of oppressive rule.
10. March of the Pigs (1994)
This is a high-energy punk track with a fast tempo of 270 beats per minute, influenced by the rhythm of “Lust for Life” and a touch of methamphetamine that creates a jittery effect. Reznor sings about his personal struggles with the music industry, sarcastically mocking the greed of those in power: “All the executives are organized in a row / I give you everything you desire / Peel back your skin / Does it make you feel good now?” The last line is delivered with a humorous tone, accentuated by a flamboyant piano riff reminiscent of musical theatre.
9. The Background World (2017)
Wrapping up the Add Violence EP, this lengthy track ranks among NIN’s finest. The EP explores the concept of living in a simulation, while The Background World tears through the illusion: “The world is bleeding out / It splits itself in two / Behind the background world / It’s constantly bleeding through.” Reznor’s powerful chorus is unforgettable, as he and Ross settle into a three-beat rhythm that stumbles and breaks with each repetition, resembling a fading radio signal from a doomed planet discovered too late.
8. Heresy (1994)
Reznor’s fascination with God is intriguing, as he appears to yearn for a belief system to guide him and give his life purpose. However, he also harbors deep mistrust towards organized religion, particularly Christianity, which he mercilessly criticizes in a scornful cry: “God is dead! And no one cares!” This phrase has likely echoed through many a slammed teenage bedroom door, but Reznor’s delivery adds a maturity to it, accentuated by the seductive riff – perhaps paying homage to another renowned example of pop-industrial blasphemy, Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus.”
7. Copy of a (2013)
Hesitation Marks surfaced the techno that had always roiled in Nine Inch Nails’ seabed; its second single, Copy of a, would sound great bouncing off the concrete walls of a post-industrial club space. It has a fiendish Detroit bassline, while Reznor, singing one of his most infectious melodies, has the sinister smoothness of a federal agent playing good cop – but the way he repeats phrases with inhuman accuracy gives him away as a replicant.
This film is called “The Hand That Feeds” and was released in 2005.
The thrilling sound of someone defibrillating themselves. Reznor was seemingly beyond hope, nearly dying from a heroin overdose in 2000, but he engaged with rehab and emerged five years later with this heroic return single. With the biggest and best riff in their catalogue, Reznor again lays into organised religion, but his words – “can you get up off your knees?” – could be a call to any kind of resistance, including against your worst impulses.
5. Came Back Haunted (2013)
Reznor’s creative output reveals the humanity of tension and release. He captures a sense of tension, anger, and powerlessness, while also exhibiting swagger, outbursts, and cleansing actions – all of which speak to our flawed nature and innate brokenness. These themes are exemplified in his powerful track, “Came Back Haunted.” Reznor expresses fear as he returns home, emotionally damaged from his internal struggles. The haunting beat reflects his agitated state, but then the guitars kick in and he sings with abandon, confessing, “I couldn’t control myself!” This song is a profound exploration of the topics of innocence, temptation, and wrongdoing, and the irresistible pull they hold.
4. Closer (1994)
Reznor takes on all roles, both dominant and submissive, in what could be considered the most sexually charged goth song ever (and that’s saying something). The infamous line “I want to make love to you like an animal” resonates with each new generation of teenagers, but in reality, Reznor is using sex as a means to escape his self-hatred and reach a state of divine transcendence: “Assist me in becoming someone else … you bring me nearer to God.” This is a unique concept in the world of popular music, past and present.
3. Head Like a Hole (1989)
“The first song on Nine Inch Nails’ first album showcased their desire for mainstream success. Instead of just one memorable chorus, the song featured three. The lyrics speak about standing against corrupt capitalism, but the strong songwriting makes lines like “bow down before the one you serve” sound like a commanding order. This signaled the arrival of a band that fans could truly idolize. As they continued to delve into the power dynamics of drugs, money, and sex, their approach became more complex and contradictory. And with this, dominatrices found a new anthem.”
2. Terrible Lie (1989)
Reznor takes on a persona similar to that of Job, expressing frustration with a God who has abandoned him and a world crumbling around him. However, the lyrics could also be interpreted as a rebuke of the failed promises of postwar stability, prosperity, and unity. The song showcases a spiritual and existential crisis that progresses from childish outbursts (“I deserve a sincere apology”) to complete desperation (“I desperately want to believe”). The band’s combination of glam rock and sinister techno adds to the intensity of the track. The repeated title line acts as a symbolic gesture, pointing a finger at the sky in anger and helplessness.
1. Hurt (1994)
The cover by Johnny Cash transformed this into an anti-My Way tune: a requiem for the end of life for someone filled with regrets too numerous to list. However, the original version is even more powerful, a ballad sung by a person whose substance abuse and self-harm have become intertwined. At the time, Reznor was struggling with addiction and his voice quakes with genuine self-hatred and confusion, before erupting in anger at the certainty of his downfall. There is a hint of dry humor in lines like “you could have it all / my empire of dirt” – oh, thanks Trent! – and “I wear this crown of shit”. However, the final explosion of guitar chords, drowning out his last words, can only symbolize oblivion. This track is undoubtedly one of the greatest songs, and displays of theatrical performance, of the 1990s.
Source: theguardian.com
