Nine Inch Nails

The Nine Inch Nails are the birth-child of Trent Reznor, the rock god often credited with bringing industrial music to a mainstream audience. NIN released their debut album, Pretty Hate Machine, in 1989, signing with independent record label TVT. It wasn't until '91 that MTV picked up on the single "Head Like a Hole," a rock-heavy track from Pretty Hate Machine. With the help of MTV and touring with more alternative rock bands, versus strictly industrial, NIN were quickly gaining a fan base. NIN's second album, the Downward Spiral, featured the moody electronic mayhem of "Closer," a song whose chorus began with "I want to f*ck you like an animal." An edited version of "Closer" became an MTV staple. Besides Reznor's success with NIN, he has produced and collaborated with several artists from Marilyn Mason to Johnny Cash. Reznor pioneered a new breed of industrial music, based not only on electronics but on structured and solid songwriting.