Nine Inch Nails, also known as NIN (stylized as NIÃÂÂÂ), is an American industrial rock band founded in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1988. The band is led by Trent Reznor, a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer, who was originally the sole official member. In 2016, Atticus Ross, a longtime collaborator, was officially added to the lineup.
Their debut album, *Pretty Hate Machine* (1989), was released under TVT Records. After creative differences with the label over promotion, the band signed with Interscope Records, leading to the release of the *Broken* EP (1992). Subsequent albums *The Downward Spiral* (1994) and *The Fragile* (1999) garnered both critical praise and commercial success. After a brief hiatus, Nine Inch Nails returned in 2005 with a new tour and the album *With Teeth* (2005). Following the release of *Year Zero* (2007), the band split from Interscope due to conflicts.
Moving forward as an independent act, they released *Ghosts I–IV* (2008) and *The Slip* (2008) before taking another hiatus. Their next full-length album, *Hesitation Marks* (2013), was followed by a trilogy of releases: the EPs *Not the Actual Events* (2016) and *Add Violence* (2017), concluding with the album *Bad Witch* (2018). In 2020, they expanded their *Ghosts* series with *Ghosts V: Together* and *Ghosts VI: Locusts*. In 2024, the band revealed upcoming projects through their multimedia company, With Teeth, and announced the *Peel It Back Tour* for 2025. During live performances, Reznor assembles a touring band under the Nine Inch Nails name. The lineup has shifted over time, with current members including Robin Finck (first joined in 1994), Alessandro Cortini (since 2005), and Ilan Rubin (since 2008), alongside Reznor and Ross.
Their concerts are known for visually immersive experiences, advanced lighting designs, and reimagined versions of their songs, sometimes blending elements of tracks not originally on the setlist. Having sold over 20 million records worldwide, Nine Inch Nails has received 13 Grammy nominations, winning for "Wish" in 1992 and "Happiness in Slavery" in 1996. Trent Reznor was named one of Time magazine's most influential people in 1997, while Spin called him "the most vital artist in music." In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Nine Inch Nails at No. 94 on its list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time." After first becoming eligible in 2014, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020.
