Nine Inch Nails Inducted Into the 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Ohio rock band Nine Inch Nails is starting off the new year in celebration as the band will officially join the 2020 class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Nine Inch Nails will be inducted alongside Notorious B.I.G., Whitney Houston, Depeche Mode, The Doobie Brothers, and T. Rex at Cleveland’s Public Hall on May 2.

Nine Inch Nails became the face of industrial rock in the 90s with “Head Like a Hole,” “Closer,” and “Hurt” becoming instant hits, while Downward Spiral (1994) and The Fragile (1999) topped the charts upon their respective releases. The Grammy-winners kept their momentum into the early 2000s and still remain a heavy-hitter in the genre today.

I’m quite in shock. When I look back at how Nine Inch Nails are received, it always seems like we fall between the cracks. I don’t know if it’s a defense mechanism, but I just assumed we’d stay in that category, so I’m pleasantly surprised to see us acknowledged.

Trent Reznor, Rolling Stone

A nominating committee of over 500 music historians and experts helped make the decisive decision, along with a fan vote. More than 8.2 million votes were cast in the official fan vote this year, with Dave Matthews Band leading the board despite falling short on the actual ballot.

Learn more about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the official winners here.

Gear

Nine Inch Nails guitarist, Robin Finck, plays Regular Slinky and Paradigm Skinny Top Heavy Bottoms  for his voluminous tone. They also use Beefy Slinkys, Power Slinkys, and Hybrid Slinky Bass to diversify their style.

String Theory

Watch guitarist Robin Finck discusses his beginnings with music and guitar, his love of playing, and his relationship with Ernie Ball in this episode of String Theory.

Header image by Mark Benney | CC