Sorry I'm not as deep a person everyone seems to be; these are just my favorites.

Into the Void

Burn

Non-Entity - I once had to bring in something professionally written for an english class and I read this and a few people got teary eyed. It was an adult night school class. I told everyone Trent Reznor wrote it but not that he was Nine Inch Nails... Sometimes Nin has a reputation for vulgarity since Closer was released and some think it is unacceptable, I love to slip this on people. It is undeniable.

Now I'm Nothing/Terrible Lie (live) - Not sure if it is a cheap shot to include this but I think it is a good straight to the point song opening to a deeper song. I think the two contrast each other so it is cool that they are linked together.

Ruiner (Version) - I'm not much for the Downward Spiral version because it's hard to hear the words for me but the remix on Further Down the Spiral v2 is pretty awesome.

Ringerfinger (Twist) - The Pretty Hate Machine version is great, the Purest Feeling version is awesome. It takes on such a different meaning on that cd and it is pretty wicked. ...Tip of your switchblade...

The Big Comedown - I remember I loved this song when I first heard it, however... it is unbelievable live.

Sunspots

Wish - Like many people, this is a favorite.

All the Pigs, All Lined Up - I like March of the Pigs, but this remix is gravy to me. After the first time I heard this I really had no need for the original anymore. To me it is everything the original had plus so much more.

Lesse here, this might take me awhile
(In no particular order, that would be too hard)

The Downward Spiral
Piggy, amazing song, as stated before when the drums kick in shit gets crazy
March of the Pigs, Just pure rage. Gets me pumped up for anything

The Fragile
The Day The Whole World Went Away, Beautiful song. Can relate to it alot
La Mer, Probably my favorite NIN Instrumental
The Way Out is Through

Year Zero
The Good Soldier, Love the drums and bass in this song
In This Twilight
Zero Sum, "May god have mercy on our dirty, little hearts" Amen.

The Slip
Discipline, Helps remind myself to keep focused
Echoplex
Lights on The Sky, Haunting and beautiful at the same time.

Ghosts-
28 Ghosts-IV
34 Ghosts-IV

As far as songs that have some level of personal meaning to me this is my list-

The Becoming
Somewhat Damaged
Even Deeper
La Mer
Right Where it Belongs
And All That Could Have Been
Beside You In Time
A Warm Place
The Persistence of Loss
Zero Sum

Here are my most listened and my all time favourite NIN songs. The Fragile is my favourite record from any artist so there are many songs from the album. I didn't really write what the songs mean to me, but why i like them/what sounds good in them.



10. Heresy
I really like the energy in this song. The synth's, the drums, guitars sounds great in this song.
9. Reptile
The industrial sounds in this song just blew my mind first time I listened it, and still does.
8. The Big Come Down
I really like the lyrics in this song, it got me through some bad times in my life.
7. The Fragile
The lyrics in this song are great. And the solo is great too.
6. Burn
Really aggressive song and that's why I like it. The guitar riff in the chorus sounds really good.
5. La Mer
My favourite instrumental track by NIN.
4. The Great Below
Beautiful song and really great lyrics.
3. The Way Out Is Through
I really love the progression of this song. The synths sounds great and the guitar's tone is just unbeliavable
2. Somewhat Damaged
One of the heaviest songs in the NIN catalog. I like the heaviness in this song and the lyrics.
1. The Day The World Went Away
Just like in TWOIT I like how this song build's up to the end. This song also have great lyrics.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/02/2010 09:25AM by Vma5.

I feel like my favorite songs by NIN are mostly very different from many other people who have posted on here, but I feel like that's a good thing I guess.

10. The Fragile (from The Fragile-Left)-If there's a song that I ever thought Trent showed more care for another human being than I could have imagined, it would be this one. After listening to the pain and angst in TDS, I feel almost as if Trent sees someone, someone beautiful, with whom he knows exactly how they feel: like there's no hope at all. I think it's meant to be a positive song towards someone you deeply love and care for.

09. All The Love In The World (from With_Teeth)-I feel like there's a deeper meaning that what I feel this song is about, but it makes me feel like it's talking about being in love with someone that's so much better, and so much more loved than you could ever be. Trent's mention of insects makes me smile, as it reminds me of Reptile, which was probably tied with this one, honestly.

08. 1,000,000 (from The Slip)-I love the chorus, and the way the song has such an urgency to it, but at the same time, it's constant and energetic. I love how the feelings of misplacement and numbness are conveyed so straightforward. "I feel a million miles away....I don't feel anything at all..."

07. Getting Smaller (from With_Teeth)-The craziness at the beginning, like the song is trying to find a good spot to begin. Another song about feeling misplaced and having no voice, seems like a common concept in his lyrics. The energy and anger in Trent's voice makes me just wanna yell along with him.

06. The Mark Has Been Made (from The Fragile-Right)-The build-up of this song reminds me of a movie's soundtrack that builds from slow points to a huge plot change. It's my favorite of all of NIN's instrumentals and I've started off many a mix cd with it.

05. You Know What You Are? (from With_Teeth)-I realize that most of my favorites on this list are from this album, but I can't help but love it. This track's drum ferociousness attracted me instantly. The repetition is perfect: "don't you f***ing know what you are?" Makes me think of that one person you just can't stand, everything they are, you know is fake-yet they think they're just fine.

04. The Perfect Drug (from The Perfect Drug)-Although I can't say I enjoy any of the remixes of this track, the original stands out in my mind as one of the most inventive of NIN's songs. The lyrics of denial of being addicted to someone that you know in reality is screwing with you, and the musical elements come together with the emotion of the lyrics perfectly. The ending where everything slows down, and Reznor chants "Take me....with you..." display the sense of longing for someone and addiction I and many others have felt many times before.

03. The Collector (from With_Teeth)-Right from the opening drum beat and heavy bass at the beginning of this song, I loved it. The lyrics come out to me as if showing exhaustion and frustration with the "Weight of the world" concept and trying to be perfect and not mess everything up. Plus, the innuendo of the chorus is hilariously catchy.

02. Self-Destruction pt. 2/Mr. Self-Destruct (from Further Down the Spiral/The Downward Spiral)-Considering I heard Self-Destruction part one, two, and final before I heard the original, and also considering part two was the reason I became fascinated with industrial music, I have to say that I've probably listened to the variations of the much-loved first track from TDS more than any other NIN track. The tantric emotion of the music collides with the creepiness of a voice in your head combines into a phenomenal and addictive headphone experience that makes my eyes do loops with the swirling guitar riff every time I listen to it.

01. Every Day Is Exactly the Same (from With_Teeth)-Everyone said they hated this song, and that it was the turning point from NIN's good music to their "getting too old and annoying" stage. I heavily disagree completely. The song and lyrics have a special longing for a change in a world that repeats itself without difference everyday. Anyone who's spent day after day doing the same schedule and nothing changing can relate to this song. The end of the song, where the vocals slow down to speaking softly the words of a letter, is my favorite part of the song. It indicates that a change was attempted for better, and we all want to make a change for the better to escape the world we tire of after so long. So all-in-all, it's a very positive song for me, despite the obvious pain and negativity displayed.

Not in order:

1) The Wretched
2) Just Like You Imagined
3) In This Twilight
4) Reptile
5) Sunspots
6) Every Day Is Exactly The Same
7) Hurt
8) Terrible Lie
9) The Becoming
10) Zero Sum

10) Head like a Hole
How it starts. You begin to really become aware of the world around you. Not long 'til you're frustrated with the others. Not long at all.

9) Wish
Yes, the others are definitely a pain in the ass. What about you, though?

8) Gave up
Yea, definitely you.

7) Closer
Can't keep it up. Don't care anymore. Give in.

6) Piggy
I just don't care anymore.

5) Eraser
Yea, keep telling yourself that. Let it build up, who cares. It won't collapse and crush you, definitely won't. Okay, maybe it will.

4) We're in this together now
A hope? A chance? It's perfect. You want it, you know you do. It's the only way out.

3) And all that could have been
Perfect is all but obtainable. Maybe next time.

2) Leaving Hope
This is it, finality. You can feel it, you can almost swear it's there, but it's not; there is no light at the end of the tunnel. It's the truth, and it's the reality of our situation. No escaping it.

1) Adrift and at Peace
That's just how it is. So what now? Why not go take a walk on a pretty beach and watch the sunset with someone you like. Sounds like a good idea to me.


That's my story and I'm sticking to it?

The Great Below - reminds me of a night I had with a good friend, driving around in his M3 with the windows down and moon-roof open. uncertainty, fear. probably my all-time fave.

Sanctified - haunting music, reminds me of being a desperate youth.

We're In This Together Now - anger, optimism, loyalty. soothing ending.

Ringfinger - good electronic beat. good to drive to.

Me, I'm Not - love it. especially live.

A Warm Place - another one that brings back memories. driving around at night in my Z28.

The Perfect Drug - ending is my favorite part. awesome video.

The Big Come Down - favorite from the Fragile right disc. industrial version of "money". tore it down and built it up.

Head Like A Hole(clay) - first nin song got into, but this version has more effects.

Something I Can Never Have - classic, tide crashing in. realization of what's gone.

I have never tried to "rank" his songs before. Here goes "nothing" <har har>!

10. Where is everybody? - Only TR could make an out-of-tune guitar sound so good.

9. Gunshots by Computer - never expected a rap song out of this guy- not normally my thing... but Saul is more poet than rapper. A nice mod to Hyperpower.

8. Something I can never have (studio version from All that could have been) -- that crackle in his voice in the final reprise - like a knife in my chest every listen.

7. Gave Up (From Fixed) ... that creepy intro just does it for me. And the drum and bass in the middle is mind-blowing.

6. Ruiner (Version) (From FDTS-UK Release): ... what is better than ruiner? Ruiner @ the disco!!! This track single-handedly opened my mind to other forms of electronica. Before this song, if it wasn't industrial, it was crap.

5. Terrible Lie (Concert Version): Just the minor tweaks... the extra "oh oh's" ... LOVE IT! "You fucking promised me!"

4. A Warm Place: The first instrumental song I ever loved. La Mer deserve an honorable mention as well.

3. The becoming: The human/machine references in this piece are stunning.

2. The Wretched: Always loved this song. The YZ made me REALLY love this song. I just loved the tie in/ "Presence" reference - so early on.

1. In this Twilight / Zero Sum : I hate to cop out, but I always viewed them as one long song. I cannot listen to the former without the later. It took about 3 listens before I got it. And when I did, I cried like a little baby.

As for my favorite record.... in sheer volume, PHM is the winner.
In pure artistic terms, I never thought he'd outdo TDS, but YZ has taken the cake.

This was a pretty good read, I picked up a few songs I had actually never heard before that were on this list. I tend to fall in the camp of the way a song sounds has more of an effect on me than its lyrics, although they do play a part. So now I am procrastinating on my homework by giving NIN some love.

10. With Teeth - This song is the title track off the album which usually says something, but even though it stands alone it has amazing dynamics, I about jumped out of my skin the first time I listened through the piano part halfway through the song with the volume turned up, I should have learned after "The Day the World Went Away". It might just be me but it has a strongly sexual vibe, maybe because of what my girlfriend in college told me teeth were supposed to represent in dreams.

9. Right Where It Belongs - This song is amazing, as others have said a tear-jerker... especially while wasted looking into an actual mirror. I've felt Trent's work mirrors my own life in so many ways, although I guess meaning is always where you find it he is the only artist I've met in a dream. This song has a lot of truth to it as it talks about how life is kind of like a dream, which I feel is a major theme throughout WT. It's exactly how I felt going through rehab and withdrawing from alcohol, like I was about to wake up at any instant. The fact that this album was the first one he wrote sober also carries meaning to me, and what a conclusion.

8. Metal - I didn't like this song the first time I heard it, but on repeatedly listening to Things Falling Apart I realized what an important place it held in the album. It comes toward the end, setting the stage for the lyrical launch into the album's coda which is brilliant like all of NIN's albums. It also defines a moment in Trent's life when things are about to change... happening after The Fragile and before With Teeth, it's impact is similar to The Perfect Drug. I like the line "my treatment is tomorrow they sent me saying I am an American to you"

7. The Frail from Things Falling Apart - Another amazing piece, because it shows what a musical genius is standing behind NIN, not because it takes a major theme from The Fragile and sublimes it into stringed instruments but because it's done with such emotion and emphasis... while still remaining uncompromisingly true to NIN's overall sound by putting in a chorus of chirps whistles and other textural sounds that rather than distract actually add to the overall effect.

6. The Fragile - This song is absolutely gorgeous... it sounds like a shaman dragging a heavy tambourine around a fire singing about a mythical goddess. And still the anger of The Fragile comes through, a defiant helplessness that bursts into a recurring theme. The bridge is brilliant, the percussion modulating to dissonant melody offering an alternate perspective on what is taking place in a technique that is unique and vital throughout the album and NIN's body of work at large.

5. The Day the World Went Away - Another song with terrifying dynamics, rife with metaphorical meaning both in its emotive transitions and lyrics. There are so many different ways this song can be interpreted, but it definitely seems to carry political undercurrents while at the same time keeping a hidden personal core. It could be about death, or on a deeper level of introspection it could be about withdrawing into an inner world.

4. Head Like A Hole - I heard this song for the first time at age 10 or so at a laser show in a planetarium before I knew NIN existed. It's still a favorite of mine because it's so easy to nod your head and fist pump to. This song is epic in concert and could be considered the theme to a generation right up there with "Smells Like Teen Spirit".

3. Ripe (with Decay) - My favorite instrumental NIN track. As I said before Trent is a master at closing, and the fact this comes at the end of The Fragile is no mistake. It's part of a circular narrative and a clue to why he calls his albums halos. It begins with spooky dissonant acoustic guitar and the sounds of insects buzzing reminiscent of The Downward Spiral. As the track drones on it grows in intensity and becomes increasingly terrifying, building wave upon wave until reaching a crescendo, then falling back into silence before restarting the droning cycle of guitar. It goes on and on, finally drifting off into an expansive halt with the sounds of night insects, and then, refusing to wander off quietly it starts up again with an echoing drumline evoking things beyond the grave, coming in again with a lyrical guitar riff that just refuses to die. It cuts out both abruptly and in a signature layered style, unfulfilled, leaving the listener questioning what comes next. The overall effect is immortal.

2. Hurt - A personal song, spiritual, emotional, epic. Hearing about this life truly speaks to why NIN was formed to begin with. It was covered by a legend, Johnny Cash, which only adds to the value of the song as a nod by another great musical hero. It's still Trent's song and you can tell any time he performs it live that it is intensely personal. I learned to play this on guitar because I knew it was just something I had to do before I died.

1. Closer - I'm not trying to be cliche, but I truly believe this song embodies the soul of NIN. Sexually frustrated, isolated, and transcendent. My brother once said he realized this song had nothing to do with sex. I think it has everything to do with sex, it's all about sex but also points to the fact that most people have no clue what sex is really about. Understanding the meaning behind this song is a quest any aspiring spiritually awake person should seek to undertake. It's simpler than anyone could realize. I think it's hidden in the descending chromatic scale that occurs throughout The Downward Spiral, in the strange acoustic artifacts in the background at the song's beginning, in the music video, and in the lyrics. The closing words "Through every forest / above the trees / Within my stomach / scraped off my knees / I drink the honey / inside your hive / You are the reason I stay alive" I continually find new meaning in. This song transcends so many genres and it is so much a part of the general psychic consciousness that I feel confident in saying because it exists people will be listening to NIN hundreds of years from now.

I may not be as good of a judge, I just started listening to NIN a few months ago, but here are my top 10
10) Only
9) The Hand That Feeds
8) Discipline
7) We're In this Together
6) Star****ers, Inc.
5) Head Like a Hole
4) Into the Void
3) March of the Pigs
2) Closer
1) Every Day Is Exactly the Same
Well, I realize that the task is impossible. All NIN songs that I have listened to are really good, these are the first that came to mind

The Four Of Us Are Dying ~ My three best friends and I went to the city and dropped some super-powerful acid about a year ago. One of the worst/best experiences of my life, and if nothing else it solidified our friendship in stone. This is the song that best represents it, in both its titular and sonic qualities.

La Mer ~ I'm getting the lyrics of this tattooed at some point in time. I hit bottom in my life, and I tried to kill myself to this song, but I couldn't do it. Halfway through the song I stepped down from the chair. Later learned that Trent wrote this oceanside when contemplating suicide, which I thought was interesting given my situation.

1 Ghosts I ~ I learned this on guitar one night, and played it in the graveyard in the woods near my home. One of the most settling and emotional experiences in my life. It inspired me to write some songs for the dead. Music that isn't meant for human ears definitely has a different process involved, and it helped to shape my style in years to come.

The Fragile ~ A testament to helping my friend out of a suicide. After having been there myself it killed me to see what was happening to her. This song was the theme of that moment, I guess. I showed it to her. She thought it was cool(: The drum climax on the Still version is what got me interested in playing drums, as well.

We're In This Together ~ Fritz Lang's Metropolis (1927) is quite possibly my favorite movie/story of all time, and the video for this song is inspired by that movie. The pairing works quite well, and the borrowed Bowie lyrics in the second chorus is quite classy.

The Line Begins To Blur ~ First time I did cocaine was to this song, I wanted to make sure it would be to this song.

The Bullet Man Theme ~ Best fight I've ever had.

Discipline ~ Best sex I've ever had.

The Beginning Of The End ~ My favorite chord progression, and the drones/drums/vocal melodies are just incredible.

And All That Could Have Been ~ One of my favorite songs of all time, check out vkgoeswild's cover of it on youtube. Breathtaking.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/01/2012 02:24PM by Atlas99.

1. Mr. Self Destruct
This has been my favourite song pretty much since I first heard it. And you know what? I just can't explain it. Something about the Belew atmospheric guitars, plus the Flood/Trent production powerhouse, plus those lyrics sang in that way... It's a statement of intent for The Downward Spiral, but it tells a story on its own. Incredible mix... amazing composition and structure... so fundamentally right. Sorry I can't be more specific.
Bringing this list into the present, I like how the Immigrant Song cover uses MSD's trick of a bassy, droning growl buried in the background just after a line of vocals (though in the verses, whereas MSD uses this technique in the choruses). It adds a huge amount of menace to the song.

2. Tetsuo theme
So complex, such imaginative instrumentation, so evocative... by turns terrifying, atmospheric, epic, funky and downright bizarre. Absolute masterpiece in my opinion, and it came out of nowhere.

3. Happiness In Slavery
Sums up the theme of Broken pretty succinctly (so does Wish, come to think of it), but it's so much more than that. There's not a dull moment - lots of change throughout the song, loads of swaggering excess, blistering guitars, catchy screaming. I find it nearly impossible to resist a vigorous headbanging session whenever this song plays.

4. Leaving Hope
Beautiful. Complex. Moving. Perfect.

5. I Do Not Want This
This song has special relevance for me, having suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome for most of my life - I interpret most of the lyrics as a reflection of my experiences. Lots of masterful production in the music, too, particularly the configuration of the guitars during the choruses, and that long... er... loud section, evocative of a journey or transformation.
It's not perfect though: as much as I love Stephen Perkins' drumline, a bit of variety would have been nice (beyond just production tweaking), and I don't feel that we really needed a repetition of the shouted end lyrics.
On the subject of Perkins, I'd love to hear him provide a full drum performance on a NIN song - I think he'd be a much better fit than Dave Grohl.

6. Underneath It All
I love momentum in rock songs. This penultimate piece of The Fragile feels like a crazy train ride through to the side's conclusion, with layers, noise and intensity constantly building. Also very partial to the basic but catchy bass drum pulsing through the song.

7. Another Version of the Truth
I love the segmented concept of the song... it feels like something's about to transpire in the first third, as the droning sound builds to the muted piano melody, then a sudden sense of calm and acceptance in the second third as the drone breaks and the melody changes, and then the sense of the aftermath arriving as the droning synth overwhelms the piano.

8. Quake theme
Kind of a guilty pleasure - such a simple tune, yet the way's executed... The drone building menacingly in the background, the keyboards evoking a descent into hell, the fast-paced and powerful guitar forcing the horns to be thrown, before all being swallowed up in several minutes of sombre eeriness. Curiously it feels more descriptive of Doom than Quake, but I think it's one of the most evocative things Trent's ever done.

9. The Warning
You'd never know from the intro just how amazing this song is - it kicks off the way virtually every track on the album does, with a few seconds of the beat and some verse elements, then adding the main riff, then vocals kicking in shortly after. But the treated vocals work brilliantly, and despite having such a catchy main riff, Trent isn't afraid to run wild with it, piling up the intensity as the second half scorches through. I'd like to think that a real alien communication would be this awesome.

10. Ruiner
What a difference a bitrate can make. Recently re-ripped all my NIN albums in lossless format (previously 200-odd mp3) and this track was transformed. It's been the main song going round in my head ever since. So much depth, power and momentum, particularly in the 5.1 mix.

Special mention: The Day The World Went Away
Combine all the various versions and you'd have by far my favourite song (I've given it my best shot and in my humble opinion it works pretty damn well). On their own, though... the album version's too loud and lacks the soul of the others, Quiet version is too laid-back and lacks the power of the original song, Still version lacks the technical depth of the other two.

:edited: somehow managed to mix up Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/15/2012 02:03AM by DrVertigo.

this is so hard, I have to think about it a bit more.

armchair_handjob posted:

I could put these 10 on a loop & listen until the end of time

I would rather loop all work from TR

10. Only
9. Piggy
8. Ruiner
7. We're in This Together
6. Just Like You Imagined
5. La Mer
4. The Great Below
3. Survivalism
2. The Warning
1. Zero Sum