The brainchild of Trent Reznor, Pretty Hate Machine, the debut album by American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, was released on October 20, 1989. Production of the record was handled by NIN frontman Reznor and Flood, and released on the independent label, TVT Records.
Reznor has humorously described Pretty Hate Machine as "the all-purpose alternative album," saying that "if you want to stage dive to it, you can, but if you're a big Depeche Mode fan, you can get what you need out of it as well." Reznor added: "I like electronic music, but I like it to have some aggression. That 'first wave' of electro music – Human League and Devo – that's the easiest way to use it. To be able to get some humanity and aggression into it in a cool way, that's the thing ... Pretty Hate Machine is a record you can listen to and get more out of each time.”
Pretty Hate Machine has been certified triple-platinum, selling over three million copies. It’s one of the first independently released albums to do so, and was included on several lists of the best releases of the 1980s.
The album contained many classic tracks including, “Down In It,” Sin,” and the lead track, “Head Like A Hole,” - today’s ear X-tacy.
