And POLL That Could Have Been: ILM Artist Poll #119 - Nine Inch Nails - RESULTS

Heresy was my number 2, and really could have easily been my number 1. I really love the way his voice sounds in the verses, wish he did that kind of thing more often.

https://i.imgur.com/w6xll3r.jpeg
10. Piggy
Released on The Downward Spiral, 1994
426 points, 12 voters
Studio version
Live 2008, Ghosts version
Live 2013

the outro on "piggy" is one of their very best moments

https://i.imgur.com/Mh6s68F.jpeg
9. Head Like A Hole
Released on Pretty Hate Machine, 1989
452 points, 13 voters, 1 #1 vote
Studio version
Music video
Live 2008
Live 2013

the outro on "piggy" is one of their very best moments

agreed!

no one has ever made drums sound cooler than trent reznor

Heresy has my fav sounding drums

https://i.imgur.com/vUxwqMW.jpeg
8. The Perfect Drug
Released on Lost Highway soundtrack, 1997
454 points, 11 voters, 3 #1 votes
Studio version
Music video
Live 2022

i was surprised this wasn't higher, it's so great

it's also quite odd structurally, very poppy first half but then spends the second half on that jungle-inspired breakdown and atmospheric outro

speaking of drums sounding cool

hearing the extremely glitchfucked amen break/drum solo in the middle of this is probably the thing that made me want to be a drummer, which is hilarious because it's practically unplayable (ilan rubin has somehow done it)

I love this poll thank you ufo

I wish there’d been a sidebar for “fave lyric”, I always get “shove it up inside / surprise! / lies!” in my head

fave lyric: the clouds will part and the sky cracks open and god himself will reach his fucking arm through!!! just to push you down, j-j-just to hold you down

other fave, obv: stale incense, old sweat, and lies! lies! lies!

The “inside!” / “surprise!” / “lies!” section of “March of The Pigs” is so great - a performative bow on the top of the time signature decision (which I was mentioning somewhere upthread), but also at that point Trent declaiming vaguely about “lies” was already self-parody, so it feels like one of the best examples of Trent winking at the listener and saying “yes, I really am completely ridiculous”.

https://i.imgur.com/LeYpGc3.jpeg
7. We're In This Together
Released on The Fragile, 1999
500 points, 12 voters, 1 #1 vote
Studio version
Music video

i didn't expect this to be so high, it's decent but kinda just chugs along, unusually uninteresting for a fragile track

I’m generally indifferent to the Fragile, but I like the chorus

https://i.imgur.com/1d0viVd.jpeg
6. Wish
Released on Broken, 1992
516 points, 14 voters
Studio version
Music video
Live 1995
Live 2006
Live 2008
Live 2022

Video is Sleazy at the top of his powers as a director

iirc they pretty much never play "we're in this together" live because reznor can't sing it

"the perfect drug" was also never played until 2018, though not because the drum solo was impossible but apparently because reznor didn't like how the outro felt when they rehearsed it? something about it killing the momentum

HEY PIG

other fave, obv: stale incense, old sweat, and lies! lies! lies!

― ivy., Tuesday, April 30, 2024 4:41 PM (thirty-five minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

IT COMES DOWN TO

THIS

I wouldn’t have imagined those songs placing at 7/8, will have to revisit them.

Very, very glad to see “Wish” here even as I wish (heh) it was higher

https://i.imgur.com/Hkd9duY.jpeg
5. The Becoming
Released on The Downward Spiral, 1994
518 points, 11 voters, 4 #1 votes
Studio version
Still version
Live 2009

My number one - just a really precise and concentrated encapsulation of basically everything I love about NIN

Was very surprised how high this was.

i think my favorite thing about “we’re in this together” is the…. drums

https://i.imgur.com/JDbmDGm.jpeg
4. March Of The Pigs
Released on The Downward Spiral, 1994
562 points, 13 voters, 3 #1 votes
Studio version
Music video
Live 2006
Live 2008
Live 2013
Live 2014

https://i.imgur.com/pTJKWlA.jpeg
3. Sin
Released on Pretty Hate Machine, 1989
616 points, 17 voters
Studio version

Correct

your fist

Kind of shocked Mr. Self Destruct isn’t going to place at all

i am dying to know what #1 is! i have been casually following along (did not vote) and i am so curious

You can have it all
My empire of derp
I will let you down
I will give you herp

https://i.imgur.com/Z3Q3jOd.jpeg
2. Mr. Self Destruct
Released on The Downward Spiral, 1994
626 points, 13 voters, 2 #1 votes
Studio version

Uh I meant Down In It

https://i.imgur.com/UKC8Xhd.jpeg
1. Starfuckers, Inc.
Released on The Fragile, 1999
840 points, 42 voters
Music video

lol

Glad 42 of us could get past the taste

more seriously:

https://i.imgur.com/Dx69Kq1.jpeg
1. Closer
Released on The Downward Spiral, 1994
760 points, 18 voters
Studio version
Music video
Live 2006
Live 2008

phew - good one

but it was nobody's #1?

yeah, no #1 votes

great result revelation & artwork, well done!

Great job, ufo and Thermal!

thanks for running this!

Thank you, ufo!

Mr. Self Destruct was my #1. Used to be The Becoming. However, over the years it's grown on me much much more. I feel it's the most intense and quintessential song that captures the best lyrical and sonic elements of the band. The guitars that sound like razor blades slicing skin. The equally sharp and incisive lyrics. The ambient breakdown in the middle. Belew's insane outro. It's a punch in the gut in the best way possible.

Super stoked it hit #2. I was hoping it might top this poll, but Closer is a perfect, if predictable winner.

yes thanks to thermo for their great work with the images, that saved me a ton of work

also thanks to everyone who voted or participated in the rollout

full countdown:

1. Closer - 760 points, 18 voters
2. Mr. Self Destruct - 626 points, 13 voters, 2 #1 votes
3. Sin - 616 points, 17 voters
4. March Of The Pigs - 562 points, 13 voters, 3 #1 votes
5. The Becoming - 518 points, 11 voters, 4 #1 votes
6. Wish - 516 points, 14 voters
7. We're In This Together - 500 points, 12 voters, 1 #1 vote
8. The Perfect Drug - 454 points, 11 voters, 3 #1 votes
9. Head Like A Hole - 452 points, 13 voters, 1 #1 vote
10. Piggy - 426 points, 12 voters
11. Just Like You Imagined - 402 points, 12 voters
12. Ruiner - 386 points, 9 voters, 1 #1 vote
12. A Warm Place - 386 points, 11 voters
14. Terrible Lie - 384 points, 13 voters
15. Heresy - 378 points, 9 voters
16. The Wretched - 372 points, 10 voters
17. Eraser - 368 points, 9 voters
18. Into The Void - 364 points, 11 voters
19. Beside You In Time - 314 points, 7 voters, 1 #1 vote
20. Something I Can Never Have - 312 points, 9 voters, 1 #1 vote
20. La Mer - 312 points, 10 voters
22. The Day The World Went Away - 310 points, 9 voters, 1 #1 vote
23. Last - 282 points, 8 voters
24. All The Love In The World - 280 points, 8 voters
25. Happiness In Slavery - 276 points, 7 voters
26. And All That Could Have Been - 264 points, 6 voters
27. Gave Up - 254 points, 9 voters
28. Somewhat Damaged - 252 points, 7 voters
29. The Great Below - 238 points, 7 voters
30. The Fragile - 232 points, 8 voters
31. Only - 218 points, 7 voters
32. Everything - 198 points, 5 voters
33. Copy of A - 194 points, 9 voters
33. She's Gone Away - 194 points, 6 voters
33. The Background World - 194 points, 6 voters
36. God Break Down the Door - 192 points, 6 voters
37. Various Methods of Escape - 190 points, 5 voters
38. Hurt - 168 points, 7 voters
39. The Big Come Down - 162 points, 5 voters, 1 #1 vote
40. That's What I Get - 158 points, 4 voters
41. All Time Low - 150 points, 5 voters
42. Reptile - 144 points, 5 voters
43. Burn - 140 points, 5 voters
43. Every Day Is Exactly The Same - 140 points, 4 voters
45. Ringfinger - 138 points, 4 voters, 1 #1 vote
46. I Do Not Want This - 136 points, 5 voters
47. The Hand That Feeds - 134 points, 6 voters
48. Sanctified - 124 points, 4 voters
49. The Great Destroyer - 116 points, 6 voters
49. Shit Mirror - 116 points, 3 voters
51. Even Deeper - 112 points, 3 voters
51. Leaving Hope - 112 points, 4 voters
53. This Isn't the Place - 110 points, 5 voters
53. Suck - 110 points, 6 voters
53. Less Than - 110 points, 6 voters
56. Running - 106 points, 3 voters
57. Dead Souls - 102 points, 3 voters
58. Kinda I Want To - 98 points, 2 voters
59. The Only Time - 96 points, 3 voters
60. In This Twilight - 88 points, 5 voters