The Downward Spiral

~ Release by Nine Inch Nails (see all versions of this release, 39 available)

Annotation

Lyrics are printed on inner sleeves, has gatefold cover, labels say "for promotional use only."

Limited to about 3,000 Copies.
"The label sent about 10 pieces each to about 300 different retailers..."
Billboard Magazine Apr 23, 1994 Pg 68

The intro to D1 'Reptile' is at the end of C4 'Eraser' and fades out.

Annotation last modified on 2026-01-25 18:13 UTC.

Tracklist

| |
1▼12" Vinyl
#TitleRatingLength
A1Mr. Self Destruct
programming:
Trent Reznor
producer:
Flood (British producer Mark Ellis) and Trent Reznor
mixer:
Alan Moulder (producer and engineer)
electric bass guitar, electric guitar, keyboard and lead vocals:
Trent Reznor
guitar [texture generating guitars]:
Adrian Belew
arranger:
Trent Reznor
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
Interscope Records (part of UMG Recordings, Inc.) (in 1994, in 2004) and TVT (copyright holder, no releases here please) (in 1994)
recording of:
Mr. Self Destruct
lyricist and composer:
Trent Reznor
publisher:
Leaving Hope Music Inc. and TVT Music, Inc.
part of:
The Beauty of Being Numb
3.94:32
A2Piggy
producer:
Flood (British producer Mark Ellis) and Trent Reznor
mixer:
Alan Moulder (producer and engineer)
drums (drum set), electric bass guitar, electric guitar, organ, percussion, piano, synthesizer and lead vocals:
Trent Reznor
arranger:
Trent Reznor
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
Interscope Records (part of UMG Recordings, Inc.) (in 1994, in 2004) and TVT (copyright holder, no releases here please) (in 1994)
recording of:
Piggy
lyricist and composer:
Trent Reznor
publisher:
Leaving Hope Music Inc. and TVT Music, Inc.
3.84:23
A3Heresy
producer:
Trent Reznor
mixer:
Alan Moulder (producer and engineer)
performer:
Trent Reznor
arranger:
Trent Reznor
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
Interscope Records (part of UMG Recordings, Inc.) (in 1994, in 2004) and TVT (copyright holder, no releases here please) (in 1994)
recording of:
Heresy
lyricist and composer:
Trent Reznor
publisher:
Leaving Hope Music Inc. and TVT Music, Inc.
4.053:55
A4March of the Pigs
producer:
Trent Reznor
mixer:
Alan Moulder (producer and engineer)
performer:
Trent Reznor
arranger:
Trent Reznor
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
Interscope Records (part of UMG Recordings, Inc.) (in 1994, in 2004) and TVT (copyright holder, no releases here please) (in 1994)
recording of:
March of the Pigs
lyricist and composer:
Trent Reznor
publisher:
Leaving Hope Music Inc. and TVT Music, Inc.
4.22:59
B1Closer
hi-hat [special hi-hat] programming:
Flood (British producer Mark Ellis)
programming:
Trent Reznor
producer:
Flood (British producer Mark Ellis) and Trent Reznor
mixer:
Alan Moulder (producer and engineer)
electric bass guitar, electric guitar, keyboard, synthesizer, background vocals and lead vocals:
Trent Reznor
arranger:
Trent Reznor
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
Interscope Records (part of UMG Recordings, Inc.) (in 1994, in 2004) and TVT (copyright holder, no releases here please) (in 1994)
samples:
Nightclubbing by Iggy Pop (drums (drum set))
part of:
Indie 88: Top 500 Indie Rock Songs (number: 111) and Rolling Stone: 500 Greatest Songs of All Time: 2021 edition (number: 270)
recording of:
Closer (Nine Inch Nails)
lyricist and composer:
Trent Reznor
publisher:
Arlovol Music, Leaving Hope Music Inc. and TVT Music, Inc.
4.356:13
B2Ruiner
producer:
Flood (British producer Mark Ellis) and Trent Reznor
mixer:
Alan Moulder (producer and engineer)
performer:
Trent Reznor
arranger:
Trent Reznor
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
Interscope Records (part of UMG Recordings, Inc.) (in 1994, in 2004) and TVT (copyright holder, no releases here please) (in 1994)
recording of:
Ruiner
lyricist and composer:
Trent Reznor
publisher:
Leaving Hope Music Inc. and TVT Music, Inc.
4.14:59
B3The Becoming
producer:
Flood (British producer Mark Ellis) and Trent Reznor
mixer:
Alan Moulder (producer and engineer)
guitar [ring mod guitar]:
Adrian Belew
synthesizer [ARP 2600]:
Flood (British producer Mark Ellis)
performer:
Trent Reznor
arranger:
Trent Reznor
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
Interscope Records (part of UMG Recordings, Inc.) (in 1994, in 2004) and TVT (copyright holder, no releases here please) (in 1994)
recording of:
The Becoming
lyricist and composer:
Trent Reznor
publisher:
Leaving Hope Music Inc. and TVT Music, Inc.
3.655:31
2▼12" Vinyl
#TitleRatingLength
C1I Do Not Want This
producer:
Trent Reznor
mixer:
Alan Moulder (producer and engineer)
drums (drum set) [drum performance]:
Stephen Perkins (American drummer)
drums (drum set) [drum treatments]:
Flood (British producer Mark Ellis) and Trent Reznor
performer:
Trent Reznor
arranger:
Trent Reznor
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
Interscope Records (part of UMG Recordings, Inc.) (in 1994, in 2004) and TVT (copyright holder, no releases here please) (in 1994)
recording of:
I Do Not Want This
lyricist and composer:
Trent Reznor
publisher:
Leaving Hope Music Inc. and TVT Music, Inc.
3.35:41
C2Big Man With a Gun
other instruments [steakhouse] programming:
Tommy Lee (Mötley Crüe drummer)
producer:
Trent Reznor
mixer:
Sean Beavan and Bill Kennedy (recording engineer)
additional guitar:
Danny Lohner
performer:
Trent Reznor
arranger:
Trent Reznor
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
Interscope Records (part of UMG Recordings, Inc.) (in 1994, in 2004) and TVT (copyright holder, no releases here please) (in 1994)
recording of:
Big Man With a Gun
lyricist and composer:
Trent Reznor
publisher:
Leaving Hope Music Inc. and TVT Music, Inc.
3.251:37
C3A Warm Place
producer:
Flood (British producer Mark Ellis) and Trent Reznor
mixer:
Alan Moulder (producer and engineer)
performer:
Trent Reznor
arranger:
Trent Reznor
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
Interscope Records (part of UMG Recordings, Inc.) (in 1994, in 2004) and TVT (copyright holder, no releases here please) (in 1994)
recording of:
A Warm Place
composer:
Trent Reznor
publisher:
Leaving Hope Music Inc. and TVT Music, Inc.
3.953:20
C4Eraser
producer:
Flood (British producer Mark Ellis) and Trent Reznor
mixer:
Alan Moulder (producer and engineer)
performer:
Trent Reznor
arranger:
Trent Reznor
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
Interscope Records (part of UMG Recordings, Inc.) and TVT (copyright holder, no releases here please)
recording of:
Eraser
lyricist and composer:
Trent Reznor
publisher:
Leaving Hope Music Inc. and TVT Music, Inc.
partial recording of:
Reptile
lyricist and composer:
Trent Reznor
publisher:
Leaving Hope Music Inc. and TVT Music, Inc.
5:54
D1Reptile
producer:
Flood (British producer Mark Ellis) and Trent Reznor
mixer:
Alan Moulder (producer and engineer)
performer:
Trent Reznor
arranger:
Trent Reznor
edit of:
Reptile by Nine Inch Nails
partial recording of:
Reptile
lyricist and composer:
Trent Reznor
publisher:
Leaving Hope Music Inc. and TVT Music, Inc.
5:53
D2The Downward Spiral
producer:
Trent Reznor
mixer:
Alan Moulder (producer and engineer)
drums (drum set) [drums]:
Andy Kubiszewski (American musician and producer)
performer:
Trent Reznor
arranger:
Trent Reznor
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
Interscope Records (part of UMG Recordings, Inc.) (in 1994, in 2004) and TVT (copyright holder, no releases here please) (in 1994)
recording of:
The Downward Spiral
lyricist and composer:
Trent Reznor
publisher:
Leaving Hope Music Inc. and TVT Music, Inc.
3.553:57
D3Hurt
producer and mixer:
Trent Reznor
drums (drum set):
Chris Vrenna (member of Tweaker)
electric bass guitar, guitar, piano, synthesizer and lead vocals:
Trent Reznor
arranger:
Trent Reznor
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
Interscope Records (part of UMG Recordings, Inc.) (in 1994, in 2004) and TVT (copyright holder, no releases here please) (in 1994)
part of:
Indie 88: Top 500 Indie Rock Songs (number: 167) and Indie 88: Top 500 Indie Rock Songs (number: 227)
recording of:
Hurt
lyricist and composer:
Trent Reznor
publisher:
Leaving Hope Music Inc. and TVT Music, Inc.
4.46:16

Credits

Release

manufactured by and distributed by:Atlantic Recording Corporation (not for release label use! copyrights holder, distributor within the US)
pressed by:Specialty Records Corporation (SRC)
Discogs:https://www.discogs.com/release/512609 [info]

Release group

artist & repertoire support:John Malm, Jr.
remixes:Further Down the Spiral
associated singles/EPs:Closer (Halo 12)
Hurt
March of the Pigs
Piggy
covers:The Downward Spiral (redux) by Various Artists (add compilations to this artist)
included in:The Downward Spiral + With Teeth
part of:Halo (Nine Inch Nails catalog) (number: 8) (order: 8)
Pitchfork: The 33 Best Industrial Albums of All Time (2019-06-17) (number: 17) (order: 17)
Grammy Award: Best Alternative Music Album nominees (number: 1995) (order: 24)
Pitchfork: The 150 Best Albums of the 1990s (2022-09-28) (number: 40) (order: 40)
Apple Music: 100 Best Albums (number: 74) (order: 74)
Rolling Stone: 500 Greatest Albums of All Time: 2020 edition (number: 122) (order: 122)
Rolling Stone: 500 Greatest Albums of All Time: 2023 edition (number: 122) (order: 122)
Rolling Stone: 500 Greatest Albums of All Time: 2003 edition (number: 200) (order: 200)
Rolling Stone: 500 Greatest Albums of All Time: 2012 edition (number: 201) (order: 201)
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (2005 edition) (number: 782) (order: 783)
Discogs:https://www.discogs.com/master/3719 [info]
lyrics page:https://genius.com/albums/Nine-inch-nails/The-downward-spiral [info]
other databases:http://musicmoz.org/Bands_and_Artists/N/Nine_Inch_Nails/Discography/Downward_Spiral,_The/ [info]
https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/nine_inch_nails/the_downward_spiral/ [info]
https://www.metalmusicarchives.com/album/nine-inch-nails/the-downward-spiral [info]
https://www.musik-sammler.de/album/40368/ [info]
https://www.spirit-of-metal.com/en/album/The_Downward_Spiral/14544 [info]
Allmusic:https://www.allmusic.com/album/mw0000110711 [info]
standalone website:http://tds.nin.com/ [info]
Wikidata:Q784933 [info]