The term "[[Nine Inch Nails|nine inch nails]]" has been used in various cultural references, and as an otherwise unlikely phrase is often assumed to be in reference or tribute to the band. Examples include musicians such as [[Tori Amos]], video games such as ''[[Quake]]'', movies such as ''[[Man on Fire (2004 film)|Man on Fire]]'', and literature such as ''[[The Dark Tower (2004 novel)|The Dark Tower]]''.
==In music== * Singer [[Tori Amos]] has alluded to Nine Inch Nails in her lyrics: "Precious Things" mentions "demigods with their nine-inch nails" and "Caught a Lite Sneeze" finds her "[making her] own [[pretty hate machine]]." [[Trent Reznor]] sang back-up vocals on Amos' "Past the Mission." Amos sometimes includes the opening line of "Hurt" in live improvisations, and has performed the majority of the song at various times in concert, sometimes with silly alternative lyrics such as "I hurt myself today/to find a jellybean". The term "[[Starfuckers, Inc.|Starfucker]]" was used in Amos's song "Professional Widow" on the album Boys for Pele. Many believe that Amos and Reznor were more than friends, and Reznor has confessed that Courtney Love meddled in their friendship, causing them to drift apart. Some believe Amos's song, "She's Your Cocaine" is about the two of them. * Eminem's "My Name Is" from his 1999 album The Slim Shady LP includes the line "Wanna see me stick Nine Inch Nails through each one of my eyelids?" in the first verse, commonly seen as a nod to the band. * Progressive metal band Dream Theater has performed a live medley called "Caught in Alice's New Nine-Inch Millennium Tool Garden." It used the lyrics of their earlier release "Caught in a Web", but with new music which was a combination of the styles of Alice in Chains, Nine Inch Nails, Tool, and Soundgarden, all of which were prominent rock bands during the 90s. The band later wrote new lyrics to the song and released it as "New Millennium" on the album Falling into Infinity. * Nine Inch Nails is referenced in the Phi Life Cypher remix of Gorillaz' "Clint Eastwood": "Now rearrangin' your whole skeletal structure then I find some nine inch nails to perform some acupuncture." * Weird Al Yankovic has paid tribute to NIN more than once: "[[Closer]]" is parodied in the "Alternative Polka" from Bad Hair Day, and "[[Terrible Lie]]" and "Closer" in "Germs" from Running with Scissors. * Following the feud with Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit, in their 2000 song "Hot Dog" returned the lyrics of Closer, stating "You wanna fuck me like an animal/You'd like to burn from the inside." The use of the lyrics was actually meant as a tribute to Trent Reznor, whom Durst admires, though it is often misinterpreted as an attempt at "bashing" him. Reznor cleared the use of his lyrics with no trouble, and received credit in the liner notes for the song. "Hot Dog" also mentioned "A nine inch nail/ get knocked the fuck out" and two NIN song-titles: "[[The Perfect Drug|A Perfect Drug]]" and "Closer". * In Crazy Town's 1999 album The Gift of Game, the song "Darkside" contains the lyric "Devils eyes and nine inch nails." * The MC Lars song Signing Emo contains the line "Industrial comes back/The pres. needs a NIN." MC Lars has stated he is a fan, but live often replaces NIN with Tool, a sign of the current relevance of Tool to the industrial scene.. * In the song "In My Backyard" by Dead Celebrity Status, the band references Nine Inch Nails in the line "Like a Nine Inch Nail being pushed in by Trent Reznor", this track also references many other bands. * Nine Inch Nails are referenced in the song "Overcome" by Within Temptation. The last two lines of the fifth verse are "Sorry do my nine inch nails/Slash your soul?" * In the video for Good Charlotte's "Keep Your Hands Off My Girl", a NIN sticker can be seen on a band member's guitar.
==In film==