Editing Nothing Records (section)

=== Nine Inch Nails (The Downward Spiral era) ===
After ''[[Broken (Nine Inch Nails EP)|Broken]]'', Reznor began recording [[Nine Inch Nails]]' full-length debut for the Nothing / [[Interscope Records]] label, the seminal sophomore album, ''[[The Downward Spiral]]''. For the recording of ''Broken'', Reznor had moved into [[10050 Cielo Drive]] in [[Benedict Canyon, Los Angeles]], where actress [[Sharon Tate]] was murdered by members of the [[Manson Family]]. He named the home [http://www.nin-pages.de/2003_Metal_Hammer_April_english.htm studio] "Le Pig". Reznor would record  ''The Downward Spiral'' at Le Pig, co-producing it with [[Flood (producer)|Flood]]. The recordings were inspired by concept albums such as [[David Bowie]]'s ''[[Low (David Bowie album)|Low]]'' and [[Pink Floyd]]'s ''[[The Wall]]''. Guitarist [[Richard Patrick]] had left the band after touring completed for ''[[Pretty Hate Machine]]'', moving on to form his own band, [[Filter (band)|Filter]]. [[Adrian Belew]] would take over guitar duties for much of the album, while [[Robin Finck]] would become the full-time guitarist for the band.

The first single from the album, "[[March of the Pigs]]," was released on February 25, 1994. The single featured remixes by [[Dave Ogilvie]], as well as an exclusive instrumental, entitled "A Violet Fluid". A pair of music videos for the song were also shot.  The first version was ultimately scrapped, while the second and final version was directed by [[Coil (band)|Coil]]'s [[Peter Christopherson]].  Portions of the original, incomplete video eventually surfaced as part of an online, DVD [[disc image]] version of the ''[[Closure (video)|Closure]]'' DVD in 2006, which surfaced on BitTorrent website [[The Pirate Bay]].

''The Downward Spiral'' was released on March 8, 1994. The album was an immediate success, debuting at number two on the US [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] with sales of nearly 119,000 copies in its first week.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Mayfield |first=Geoff |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NQgEAAAAMBAJ&q=Nine+Inch+Nails&pg=RA1-PA135 |title=Between the Bullets: Warming Up |magazine=Billboard |volume=106 |issue=13 |page=135 |date=March 26, 1994 |issn=0006-2510 |access-date=January 20, 2017}}</ref> It also garnered wide, critical acclaim, helping elevate Nine Inch Nails into one of the most successful rock acts of the 1990s. "[[Closer (Nine Inch Nails song)|Closer]]" became the second single for the album, released on May 30, 1994.  The single included remixes from Nothing Records acts [[Coil (band)|Coil]] and [[Meat Beat Manifesto]], as well as an exclusive cover of [[Soft Cell]]'s "Memorabilia."  A music video for "Closer" was directed by [[Mark Romanek]]. Despite undergoing heavy censorship for television and radio airplay, the song received major airplay, becoming one of the biggest hits of NIN's career. The uncensored version of the music video was eventually released in 1997 on the band's ''Closure'' home video. "Piggy" and "Hurt" were both released as promotional singles to radio and received regular airplay. Nine Inch Nails also recorded a pair of exclusive songs for soundtracks. A cover of [[Joy Division]]'s "Dead Souls was released on the [[The Crow (soundtrack)|soundtrack]] to ''[[The Crow (1994 film)|The Crow]]'', while an original track, "Burn," was recorded for the ''[[Natural Born Killers]]'' [[Natural Born Killers (soundtrack)|soundtrack]]. The latter also filmed a music video and the soundtrack was released on Nothing Records. A remix of "Closer" was also used in the opening credits to the [[David Fincher]] film ''[[Seven (1995 film)|Seven]]''.

The album was promoted with the extensive [[Self Destruct Tour]], which featured opening Nothing Records acts [[Marilyn Manson (band)|Marilyn Manson]], [[Pop Will Eat Itself]] and [[Pig (band)|Pig]] during various legs. [[Danny Lohner]] would join the band as full-time bassist for the tour.  The tour included a set at [[Woodstock '94]], which was broadcast on [[pay-per-view]] and featured the band performing while covered in mud. The performance went on to become one of the most famous of the band's career. In 1995, Nine Inch Nails embarked on a tour with [[David Bowie]], with Nothing Records act [[Prick (band)|Prick]] supporting as guest openers.

A companion [[remix album]], ''[[Further Down the Spiral]]'', was released in on June 1, 1995, which once again included contributions from Nothing act [[Coil (band)|Coil]], as well as [[Rick Rubin]], [[J.&nbsp;G. Thirlwell|J. G. Thirlwell]] and some original interludes by [[Aphex Twin]]. The album was certified gold by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA) on June 26, 1996, denoting sales in excess of 500,000 copies in the US.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=Nine+Inch+Nails&ti=Further+Down+the+Spiral#search_section | title = Further Down The Spiral Sales | publisher = RIAA | access-date = 2017-05-22}}</ref>

Nine Inch Nails released the double VHS collection ''Closure'' on November 25, 1997. The first half documented the Self-Destruct Tour, while the second half compiled all of the band's music videos to that point. A DVD release was planned at one point, but never came to fruition. Instead, in 2006, an unofficial version was released on a DVD [[disc image]] and distributed via BitTorrent at [[The Pirate Bay]] by an anonymous user called "seed0." It is widely believed by fans that Reznor himself was behind the 2006 leaks, as implied by a post on his official blog: "12/21/06 : Happy Holidays! This one is a guilt-free download. (shhhh - I didn't say that out loud). If you know what I'm talking about, cool."<ref name="The Spiral"/>  As the title suggests, ''Closure'' marked the conclusion of ''The Downward Spiral'' era for the band.

A landmark release for the band, ''The Downward Spiral'' established Nine Inch Nails as a reputable force in the 1990s music scene, with its sound being widely imitated and Reznor receiving media hype and multiple honors. As of 2011, it was certified quadruple platinum and had sold 3.7 million copies in the United States.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=Nine+Inch+Nails&ti=The+Downward+Spiral#search_section | title = The Downward Spiral Sales | publisher = RIAA | access-date = 2017-05-22}}</ref>  ''The Downward Spiral'' has been regarded by music critics and audiences as one of the most important albums of the 1990s and was praised for its abrasive, eclectic nature and dark themes, although it was scrutinized by social conservatives for its lyrics.  For its tenth anniversary, the album was remastered and re-released on November 23, 2004 in high-resolution [[Super Audio CD]] (SACD) and [[DualDisc]] formats, with a second disc collecting many b-sides and rarities.  In 2017, the band reissued the album on vinyl.