All Nine Inch Nails Albums Ranked!

In this video I rank all of the studio albums from industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails.
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#nineinchnails #ranked #tierlist

[@Arinisonfire]

To me The Fragile is an easy S tier and the recent trilogy of EPs is his best work since the 90s. Theres something about the eclectic, abstract approach that really appeals to me. Like if TDS and The Fragile are for when im depressed, that trilogy is for when im just sort of...dissociating? The thing about modern NIN though is that they're primarily an electronic act these days, ever since Year Zero, or really since Trent started working with Atticus, the rock side of NIN has taken a back seat and while I do think it's understandable for someone who's more into rock and metal to prefer the old stuff and not vibe as much with the new, but as someone whos kinda equally into synth and guitar music, I find the new stuff consistently engaging and great...well except Hesitation Marks, that one is a bit weak lol. Props for the With-uh Teeth-uh love though. Way too many snobby NIN fans hate on it for being more straightforward, but it's nonstop bangers and i love it for that

[@fourseasons4105]

My top favorites: 1. The fragile 2. With teeth 3. Downward spiral 4. Pretty hate machine 5. Hesitation marks 6. Year zero 7. Bad witch

[@Nilso5181]

The guy is writing award winning scores. I dont think you’ve also put the time into listening to the newer stuff. Also the perfect drug on The Fragile is def a casual take.

[@Evilgrebo]

Great now I'm going to spend the rest of the day listening to NIN. Great video too.

[@DancingwithGhosts]

you gotta do it.. after that beautiful description I weaved of the downward spiral, how could you not?

[@rocznik83]

6:27 It's a sample from the movie THX 1138, from a scene where a guy gets beaten up by the cops.

[@DancingwithGhosts]

oh sick thanks for letting me know i was always curious!

[@kevingrems]

Cool breakdown. Now that I've exhausted the TOOL discography, I'm finding myself with a void to fill... possibly by NIN

[@4A5021]

Watching this for the first time "If Broken isn't S-tier I'm unsubscribing." 3 minutes in... "My man!"

[@podespault]

THE BIG COME DOWN, IT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED!

[@stinghouseproductions8502]

Just recently picked up all their 90's albums on vinyl and have been slowly going through them. I remember their hits in the 90s but I was a kid and they were a bit scary back then to me. I'm hyped to give The Fragile a listen. I remember it getting crapped on back when it was released, and I hear some of the lyrics are cringe, but I like bloated albums. I definitely hear you on losing faith in 90's bands in the mid to late 00's. I had gotten into the warped tour scene by then, so that didn't help, but it was hard to see them all lose their mojo.

[@DancingwithGhosts]

yep.. it happens to 90% of all bands after a while.. a rare few can sustain past the 30 year mark

[@joshtoten]

I feel like one's tolerance for newer NIN depends on when you got into them. For me, i didn't really get into them until right before With Teeth dropped, and that's still in my top 5. But this also makes sense for me because what was i into right before i got into NIN? Linkin Park and Mindless Self Indulgence lmao

[@joshtoten]

Oh also modwheelmood is none other than long time nin touring keyboardist Alessandro Cortini! I enjoyed most of his bands stuff but never really got into his solo stuff. Too experimental for me.

[@joshtoten]

also I love the not the actual events/add violence/bad witch trilogy. You should give them a relisten. Better than the slip/hesitation marks for sure. But yeah, the last two ghost albums are just.... They sound like leftovers from his film scores, and I have never been a fan of his score work. Oops. First Ghosts was interesting though.

[@patrickreeves4650]

broken was a game changer for me. happiness in slavery plus disintegration by the cure taught me a whole new world of music compared to unskinny bop by poison. another awesome video josh…killer stuff lately. keep it up!

[@DancingwithGhosts]

thanks Patrick. My dad brought me up listening to a lot of that 80's rock bullshit and i thought that represented all of what "rock" was and then i found all these other fantastic bands like NIN that didn't sound anything like that and it was mind altering

[@RaylanGivens123]

I really liked your comments at the end.. it definitely seems like music is a young person's game and after the initial passionate albums most artists fall off a fucking cliff... The Pumpkins is a great example, I haven't liked anything they did since Machina and its just sad really. I love NIN and they have had a few good songs since Year Zero but a lot of it is just grating noise that isn't musical imho. Downward spiral is weird and harsh to listen to, but its still musical and interesting... The new stuff is a lot of noise with the occasional banger

[@furynotes]

I argue Trent's main stuff got less love compared his Film Scores. Around the same time the NIN quality started dipping. His Film Composer cred got up, Staring with the Social Network in 2010.

[@DancingwithGhosts]

it's kind of hard to hate on a film score though.. feels like the bar is set lower

[@corntastrophy]

Honestly yea sometimes a lot of his energy is focused there. I think his song "A Minute to Breathe" felt like a genuine NIN ballad though

[@bayerhead]

I couldn't agree more with your list. As time has gone on I might put "with teeth" higher than broken and maybe on par with the downward spiral.

[@AaronRaynerKASR]

Great video! I respect your opinion/ranking - my opinion is that you've fallen into the listener's preferential nostalgia (I'm not judging... the same thing happened to me with Linkin Park and Rush) As an artist, there's a need "not" to keep repeating the same stuff and Trent certainly had his moments of fighting the commercialization of his music/art. While we may disagree on how his work progressed and how they rank against each other (despite artistic maturation), we can certainly agree that he has some epic material in his anthology! Rock on my brother. :)

[@sstaners1234]

I bought the Ghost album and I remember letting it play as people were coming and going. Minutes later someone came up and asked if the CD was skipping.

[@WickedWitchOfOz1]

I'm with you on "The Perfect Drug". I remember looking for the song back in the day only to realize I had to order the Lost Highway soundtrack. Trent Reznor did explain this in a documentary, he basically said he didn't feel like the song was his because other people influenced the writing process since it was only created for the movie. He doesn't actually really like the song which I think is fucking crazy because it's one of his best songs.

[@DancingwithGhosts]

for real! he must really be used to be a control freak where if his fingerprints aren't on everything he does, he doesn't like it

[@beszt95]

on other versions of Broken they had the two cover tracks on a separate 3" CD disc which is cool. i'm gunna have to check out With Teeth later, haven't heard it yet

[@DancingwithGhosts]

oh cool.. i love all the little variations they could do with CD's

[@AuthorativeMrM]

I agree with this ranking. I was a huge NIN in high school but I was really disappointed with The Fragile. There were a lot of great songs on it but the fact that it was a double album made it difficult for me to get absorbed in it like I did with Downward Spiral. With Teeth was pretty good, but I checked out immediately after that. The Lost Highway soundtrack was fantastic. The Perfect Drug is probably the best song on the album, but I love the rest of it, too.

[@DancingwithGhosts]

i don't know why they left perfect drug off The Fragile

[@dtPlaythroughs]

You know it's going to get real when you go full leather daddy mode.

[@DancingwithGhosts]

that's when i rank all the rammstein records

[@alanfennell4833]

Dude I know I'm late but a video on hidden tracks would be so awesome. On the Blind Melon album Soup, you can rewind past the first track to find a hidden song. I'm pretty sure it's playing backwards so it's not like a regular song, but it's still a cool idea. Love the channel!

[@alanfennell4833]

I actually am not sure if it's backwards or not, I may be remembering that incorrectly

[@thecheeseman2441]

I personally like Trent’s newer stuff. And to me, the the new EPs have pretty good hooks. Other than that. Solid list👍

[@williamfinch2777]

If you ever get the chance to listen to the downward spiral on the 5.1 SACD it's amazing

[@ahmedmulalic]

Trent Reznor deserves a spot on Mt. Rushmore. Right next to Lincoln

[@DancingwithGhosts]

😂

[@gabix7488]

My short list goes like this 1 Spiral 2 Broken 3 Teeth 4 Fragile 5 Machine I don't care and i dont like any other records by NIN. I never listened to the Ghosts things , scattered 2-3 good songs on every other records There is nothing wrong to criticize bands/ records We are the listeners, the fans, fair game

[@DancingwithGhosts]

yep i agree

[@ManBearCowGM]

With Teeth was probably the only NIN album I owned on CD at one point so it would probably be in my top tier just because I spent the most time listening to it.

[@DancingwithGhosts]

i loved with teeth

[@knives_on_static]

as a musician myself, I can totally see myself running out of creative ideas in 30 years time. You probably have to work really hard at keeping it up for that long. Like discover new music that inspires you, take new directions, collaborate with different artists, learn how to improve your skills even further. Most of these amazing 90s artists though just aren't as good as they used to be in their prime. Seems like something inevitable

[@jvig7353]

Maybe listen to The Fragile a bit more (understating it's a concept album which is why Trent wouldn't just throw on TPD for the sake of it) and it'll feel a lot less like bloat.

[@aliquidcow]

I was a HUGE Nine Inch Nails fan from around the late 90s, I remember being really excited bringing my copy of The Fragile home. Honestly I think everything from from With Teeth onwards is skippable when it comes to them, to me NIN is Pretty Hate Machine, Broken, The Downward Spiral, and The Fragile, and since then it feels like he didn't really know what to do with the project anymore. My ranking would be similar I think except I'd put The Fragile in A and With Teeth & Year Zero in B at most. Regarding The Slip, at the time I honestly thought that Trent had wanted to experiment with the whole releasing-a-surprise-album-for-free idea and had rushed something out in order to do it. Maybe harsh as I don't get the impression he's the type to ever rush something, but it is just so basic and has nothing new going on.

[@tavmansn1122]

Me: Ahh, so what if he's a small-time youtuber:) his opinion is still worthwhile! Him: had to get a bit gothier for Trent Me:Gbye👋🏻😎 Edit: jjk, just finished the video. Very nice👌🏻

[@cdjxman]

I always liked your rankings and this is a good one!🤩

[@DancingwithGhosts]

thank you, they are fun to do

[@manuelmusic5101]

Any thoughts on "Closer"? One of their most recognizable songs!

[@davidstanley9543]

Played...the fuck...out!! As soon as I hear that programmed beat drop, I change it. Great song, but I can go the rest of my life without it.

[@DancingwithGhosts]

i love the groove and the constant build ups towards the end with all the funky industrial layering. It also showed just how little Trent gave a fuck about appealing to the mainstream. In 1994, to have "I want to fuck you like an animal" in the chorus was absolutely edgy. With all that being said I hate how that one song has come to represent all of what NIN is to normies... like I know if I say "the band who sang fuck you like an animal" they'll know who i'm talking about which is a shame because they're so much more than that song.

[@corntastrophy]

Is that Moby's "Play" album on the bottom right CD rack? That guy is also another great musician. Fun fact; Him and Trent Reznor actually met when he was playing his 'Animal Rights' album.

[@DancingwithGhosts]

indeed it is.. the first CD I ever owned. He's very inspirational to me, I HIGHLY recommend both of his memoirs. They're on audible if you don't like reading.

[@corntastrophy]

@@DancingwithGhosts I actually have them in a physical copy just haven't started yet lol. Would you ever do a Moby ranking for his albums at any point? I'm kind of curious since he's had albums that are wildly successful than others that wildly flopped

[@DancingwithGhosts]

@@corntastrophy that's an interesting idea for sure! however i feel that video would do poorly because the seeming utter lack of interest in moby these days. Pretty much after Hotel his albums kinda went down hill.. he has some gems here and there song wise after that

[@corntastrophy]

@@DancingwithGhosts I honestly agree with that, Hotel was panned but I think paired with the ambient disc it's a good album (although not as great as play, everything is wrong or 18). I would say Reprise is a step in the right direction though

[@DancingwithGhosts]

@@corntastrophy i even love Animal Rights honestly

[@nathanpapp432]

Putting Ghosts I-IV in D tier is absolute nonsense.

[@fillertitle8729]

Hesitation Marks isn't that bad.

[@mrdeatheli]

You didn't say it was good.

[@exposingthedarkside9254]

It's really good imo. Call me crazy, but I'd put it in third behind Downward Spiral and The Fragile

[@gribblegreeble]

The Fragile as B borderline C album is nuts - it should be up there with Broken and TDS...With Teeth and Year Zero are not better albums than it. and PHM is an A...just too much late 80s synth sounds that make it a little too fey.

[@DancingwithGhosts]

fragile is just too bloated for my taste, woulda made a fantastic single album

[@joshtoten]

I also rank WT and YZ above TF. 🥴

[@owenh906]

i cant even remember Disc 2 of the Fragile lol. but i think Disc 1 is the my favourite

[@milumav]

To me, Nine Inch Nails lost it when they lost Chris Vrenna. Reznor and Vrenna had an AMAZING alchemical "marriage", neither has been able to achieve anywhere near the level of greatness alone than they did together. Chris Vrenna played a MAJOR role in designing the band's sound, (i.e: NIN's "sound designer"), throughout his entire time with the band. As soon as Chris was gone, Nine Inch Nails lost its signature gritty, driving, relentlessly pulsating sound, which to me, interlaced with Reznor's throat splitting, sharp, acidic vocals was the very core essence of NIN. I love Trent, but he should have recognized and acknowledged Chris Vrenna's contributuon instead of taking him for granted, and I think the older wiser father of 5 realizes and regrets that now. Ego is also a young person's game and has robbed us of so many amazing works.

[@das-panzer-maus]

The only part of this video i disagree with is ranking hesitation marks below A

[@dtPlaythroughs]

NIN isn't appreciated for how influential they are. Maybe more than Nirvana or SP for that era. I recently heard both The 1975 and Thursday recently say that NIN was the inspiration for everything for them. Two bands I would never guess would even be fans of NIN. Nevermind all the copy-cats over the years from Gravity Kills to Cold Cave.

[@DancingwithGhosts]

i hate it when bands whose music i dont like, cite bands i DO like as they sources of inspiration.. i always think to myself "if that's true then why does your music suck so bad?"

[@danielbecerra2230]

TF at B? get that shit at the very top of the S tier and Swap WT and YZ with The trilogy

[@beefsupreme694]

Don't disagree on everything after year zero. It's mediocre as hell unfortunately. However, I couldn't disagree more in the fragile, at least in the spot you gave it. It's highly emotional and experimental compared to with teeth, which had maybe 3 good songs.

[@stitchball3698]

Yes. Edit: bruh wtf this list some dog ass wtf

[@peloquin5652]

Broken, Fixed and TDP are good, everything else is rather mediocre to boring to simply bad ....

[@bryanmack4054]

I agree with your comments about Fragile…it should’ve been a single album and the opening track should’ve been Frail/Wretched