Download Free Nine Inch Nails * Songs

Nine Inch Nails music biography continued...

of 1989's Pretty Hate Machine. An unparalleled mix of rock music, industrial aggression, electronic experimentation and pseudo-disco beats, the album became the measuring stick for the genre and bands such as NIN's former protégé, Marilyn Manson.

Having appeared at Lollapalooza and a mud-covered set at Woodstock '94, NIN were darlings of radio and MTV thanks to (unlikely) hits such as "Closer," "Head Like a Hole" and "Hurt." The latter was covered in a stark acoustic version by Johnny Cash shortly before his passing. The dark, heroin-laced lyrics and melancholy tone were given extra weight in light of Cash's history of addiction and loss.




NIN's wide appeal can be attributed to Reznor's ability to blend aggressive music and personal themes with elements of pop music ranging from Prince to David Bowie. Bowie and Reznor toured together and collaborated on 1997's, "I'm Afraid of Americans."




It soon became clear that the music industry was changing and that the digital age was crushing the era of the album. Always on the cutting edge, Reznor quickly embraced the internet as a way of spreading his music by allowing fans not only to download his albums, but encouraging them to remix and re-imagine the songs.




The 2008 albums Ghosts I-IV and The Slip were released first online before being made available in a more traditional CD package.