The Fragile

The Fragile is the third studio album by Nine Inch Nails, a double album released in September 1999 on Nothing/Interscope Records and produced by Reznor and Alan Moulder, recorded in the aftermath of The Downward Spiral's commercial and critical success while Reznor was experiencing substance abuse and depression that would eventually require treatment. Reznor wrote all material; the album's 23 tracks across two discs represent the most formally ambitious and tonally varied release in the NIN catalog, ranging from the chaotic industrial metal of 'No, You Don't' and 'Starfuckers, Inc.' to the ambient instrumental passages of 'La Mer' and 'The Way Out Is Through.' The Fragile debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with 228,000 first-week sales and has been certified platinum in the United States; 'We're in This Together' reached number one on the Modern Rock chart. Critical reception was initially divided, some reviewers found the double album sprawling while others praised its ambition, but subsequent reassessment has been consistently positive, and the album is now regarded as the equal of The Downward Spiral in terms of artistic ambition and execution.