Nine Inch Nails is the primary creative vehicle of Trent Reznor, who founded the project in Cleveland in 1988 and has written, performed, and produced every note of its catalog. The band broke through with the 1989 debut Pretty Hate Machine and reached mainstream notoriety with The Downward Spiral (1994), one of the defining industrial rock albums of the era. Atticus Ross, Reznor's longtime collaborator, became an official co-member in 2016, and the two have continued to record and tour together while also producing acclaimed film scores.
Nine Inch Nails has one of the most extreme authorship scores in rock: Trent Reznor is the sole credited writer and producer on every track through Hesitation Marks, giving a near-perfect 100% lyricist and composer score. Atticus Ross joins as co-writer and co-producer starting with Bad Witch (2018), making that album the first to show a split credit, though both members are still credited on every track.
Covers all 10 studio albums (through Ghosts V and VI, released 2020).
Member Credit Breakdown
Percentage of all tracks (across all albums) where each member holds credit.
| Member | Period | Lyrics | Music | Production | Performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trent Reznor | 1988–present |
100%
|
100%
|
100%
|
85%
|
| Atticus Ross | 2016–present |
20%
|
20%
|
52%
|
5%
|
Discography
Pretty Hate Machine
TVT Records
The Downward Spiral
Nothing / Interscope
The Fragile
Nothing / Interscope
With Teeth
Nothing / Interscope
Year Zero
Nothing / Interscope
The Slip
Nothing / Interscope
Hesitation Marks
Columbia
Bad Witch
The Null Corporation
Ghosts V: Together
The Null Corporation
Ghosts VI: Locusts
The Null Corporation