Pretty Hate Machine is the debut studio album by the American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, released by TVT Records on October 20, 1989. Frontman Trent Reznor sang and performed most of the instruments, also producing the album alongside Keith LeBlanc, John Fryer and Flood, with a few other contributors. The album features a heavily synthesizer-driven electronic sound blended with industrial and rock elements. Much like the band’s later work, the album’s lyrics contain themes of angst, betrayal, and lovesickness. The record was promoted with the singles “Down in It”, “Head Like a Hole”, and “Sin”, as well as the accompanying tour. A remastered edition was released in 2010. Although the record was successful, reaching No. 75 in the US and receiving highly favorable reviews from critics, Reznor feuded with TVT over promotion of the album and eventually signed with Interscope Records. Pretty Hate Machine was later certified triple-platinum by RIAA, becoming one of the first independently released albums to do so, and was included on several lists of the best releases of the 1980s. In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked Pretty Hate Machine at number 453 on its “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” list.
Tracklisting
| Position | Title |
|---|---|
| A1 | Head Like A Hole |
| A2 | Terrible Lie |
| A3 | Down In It |
| A4 | Sanctified |
| A5 | Something I Can Never Have |
| B1 | Kinda I Want To |
| B2 | Sin |
| B3 | That’s What I Get |
| B4 | The Only Time |
| B5 | Ringfinger |
Apple Music
Release Images
Release Information
| Key | Value |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia URL | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretty_Hate_Machine |
| Format | 1× Vinyl LP, Album, Reissue |
| Label | UMe |
| Catalog Number | B0015767-01 |
| Notes | Thank you: Bart Koster (The Right Track), Mike Shea, Michael S. Toorock, Roz Earls, Seb Shelton, Bryan Grant, Larry Bole, Alison Fryer, Michelle de Frasia, Gerry Gerrard, Martin Horne, Sioux Zimmerman, Paul Conelly, Ron Musarra, Steve Woolard, Mark Jowett and all at Nettwerk, Howie Klein, Preston Sullivan/Carlysle, Kevin Donoghue/Native, Frederic Walheer/Sub Rosa. Kicking ass way beyond the call of duty. Ideas and sounds with all due respect. Clive Barker, Jane’s Addiction, Prince, Public Enemy, This Mortal Coil, Success (Screaming Trees U.K.) Various Unknown Others. ℗© 1989, 2011 AF Circle Fund, LLC, Under exclusive license to Universal Music Enterprises, A Division of UMG Recordings, Inc., 220 Colorado Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90404. Distributed by Universal Music Distribution. All rights reserved. Release includes insert with lyrics. |
| Discogs URL | Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine |