THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

438-Nine Inch Nails-Head Like a Hole.

1990-Number 45 single.

Best Bit-At 2.37. Nothing in Pop music is totally original. Artists are influenced by what they have heard, and the very best add their own new ideas, and thus influence the next generation.

Trent Reznor, was born Michael Trent Reznor, on May 17th, 1965, in New Castle, Pennsylvania, United States, he is a musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and composer. He came to prominence as the founder, lead vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and primary songwriter of the ‘Industrial Rock’ band Nine Inch Nails, whom he formed in 1988, and at the time of writing remain active. Since the bands inception Trent Reznor has employed a total of 32 musicians for studio work and for touring, including the English musician Atticus Ross, who first teamed up with Reznor in 2002, and became only the bands second full time member in 2016. The band name ‘Nine Inch Nails,’ and this songs title ‘Head Like a Hole’ was inspired by a quote by Al Jourgensen the lead singer of the American Heavy Metal group ‘Ministry’ who said,’Listening to Ministry is like having a nine inch nail hammered into your head like a hole.’ With Nine Inch Nails, Trent Reznor has been nominated for 13 ‘Grammy Awards,’ winning for the songs ‘Wish,’ in 1992, and ‘Happiness in Slavery,’ in 1996. In 1997 the American magazine ‘Time’ named Reznor one of its most influential people of that year, while the American ‘Spin’ magazine has described him as ‘The most vital artist in music.’ Nine Inch Nails were inducted into the ‘Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’ in 2020, after being nominated in 2014 (the band’s first year of eligibility) and again in 2015.

The discography of Nine Inch Nails who have sold in excess of 20 million records worldwide, includes 11 studio Albums released between 1989-2020, and 19 singles released between 1989-2018, there are also six extended plays, (EP’s) three remix Albums, one soundtrack Album, two official compilation Albums, and one live Album available. In America on Billboard, two of their studio Albums have reached the Number 1 position, ‘The Fragile,’ (1999) and ‘With Teeth,’ (2005) while two of their singles have made the Billboard Hot 100 top 40, with ‘The Day the World Went Away,’ peaking the highest at Number 17 in 1999, and ‘Head Like a Hole’ failing to chart. In the UK, Nine Inch Nails have had six top 40 hits singles, with ‘The Hand That Feeds,’ charting the highest at Number 7 in 2005. Trent Reznor has also released music not using the ‘Nine Inch Nails’ name. With Atticus Ross he has written music for 22 films between 1994-2024, including music for ‘Natural Born Killers.’ (1994) and ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,’ (2011.) In 2013 Reznor and Atticus, and three others released a studio Album called ‘Welcome Oblivion,’ as a group called ‘How to Destroy Angels.’

Head Like a Hole’ was the second of three singles released from ‘Pretty Hate Machine,’ the debut studio Album from Nine Inch Nails, from October 1989, the song was written by Trent Reznor, with the production being by Reznor, and Mark Ellis, who is better known by his stage name ‘Flood.’ All 10 tracks on the Album were written or co-written by Trent Reznor, who was also one of five producers used on the Album. Reznor also played very nearly all of the instruments, as well as providing the vocals.

Nine Inch Nails are one of the leading exponents of ‘Industrial Rock,’ which is a fusion genre that fuses ‘Industrial Music’ and ‘Rock Music.’ In the 1990’s, Industrial Rock broke into the mainstream, with artists and bands such as Nine Inch Nails, White Zombie, and Marilyn Manson leading the way. ‘Industrial Rock’ initially originated in the 1970’s, and drew influence from early experimental and industrial acts such as the English group ‘Throbbing Gristle,’ and the American band ‘Chrome.’ Industrial Rock became more prominent in the 1980’s, with the success of artists such as the English group ‘Killing Joke,’ (see also best songs 819) and the American band ‘Swans.’ ‘Industrial Music’ is a genre of music that draws on harsh, mechanical, transgressive, or provocative sounds and themes. The American on line music database ‘ALLMusic’ defines ‘Industrial Music’ as the ‘most abrasive and aggressive fusion of rock and electronic music,’ that was ‘initially a blend of avant-garde electronics experiments (tape music, musique concrète, white noise, synthesizers, sequencers, etc.) and punk provocation.’ The term was coined in the mid-1970’s, with the founding of ‘Industrial Records,’ by members of Throbbing Gristle, and the American artist Monte Cazazza (1949-2023.)

‘Head Like a Hole’ is a song about the control that money has over some people, and the pain associated with it. Trent Rezner has said that the song is ‘Pretty much about yelling at a beast without putting a face to it.’

‘God money I’ll do anything for you. God money just tell me what you want me to. God money nail me up against the wall. God money don’t want everything he wants it all.’