On this day in 1989 “Nine Inch Nails” released their groundbreaking debut album Pretty Hate Machine. Recorded almost entirely by sole member Trent Reznor, this album took the “Industrial” style and combined it with elements of “Pop” with traditional verse-chorus structure that added accessibility as opposed to bands such as “Ministry” or “Skinny Puppy” whose music was on the more harsh and tumultuous side. This was the beginning of Reznor’s typical lyrical themes of angst, depression, obsession, addiction, society, and religion, and the sincerity of it all still to this day can resonate with anyone whom feels misunderstood and alienated. Sure this album sounds instrumentally skeletal compared to what followed in the “Nine Inch Nails” discography, but I can’t think of a better starting point for what became an important legacy in music history. Happy Anniversary.
