Nine Inch Nails

Nine Inch Nails is the primary project of Trent Reznor, formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1988. Reznor wrote, performed, and produced virtually all of the band's music, creating a sound that merged industrial noise, electronic production, and rock instrumentation into something that had no real precedent. Pretty Hate Machine (1989) was recorded largely on synthesizers and drum machines in a studio where Reznor worked as a janitor. The Downward Spiral (1994), recorded in the rented house where Sharon Tate was murdered, is one of the defining albums of the 1990s. Reznor's collaboration with Atticus Ross has extended into film scoring, winning Academy Awards for The Social Network (2010) and Soul (2021). Gary Numan is a frequently cited influence — Reznor has called him a primary inspiration. Nine Inch Nails were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024.