Halo numbers are the numbers assigned to pieces of the Nine Inch Nails discography in the order that they are released, so that a collection can be neatly ordered, supplied, and bragged about. Halo numbers are sometimes modified for variations of a release, such as the different versions of The Downward Spiral.
Some Halo numbers are shared with promotional items; Halo 10 is shared with the Hurt and Piggy promo CDs and Halo 16 is shared with the Into The Void promo CD. There are also promotional releases that are given 'Seed' numbers.
Origin
Trent Reznor's decision to use a numbering system for his releases stemmed from the fact that Depeche Mode had already come up with a similar system, using BONG for singles.[1]
Halos
There are four types of Halo:
- Studio albums
- Singles/EPs
- Remix albums/EPs
- Live releases
| Halo # | Name | Release Year | Album Type | Description | Find It |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Down In It | 1989 | Single/EP | First NIN single, teaser for Pretty Hate Machine. | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 02 | Pretty Hate Machine | 1989 | LP | NIN's first major studio release. | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 02R | Pretty Hate Machine (2010 Remaster) | 2010 | LP | A remaster of the original album, with new artwork and packaging by Rob Sheridan, and a bonus 11th track of "Get Down, Make Love". | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 02B | Halo I-IV | 2015 | LP Box Set | A vinyl-only set containing Pretty Hate Machine and its three singles, released for Record Store Day (Black Friday) 2015. Though it contains four halos, the number given to the box labels it as an expanded version of Halo 2. | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 03 | Head Like A Hole | 1990 | Single/EP | NIN's second single promotion with studio remixes of "Head Like A Hole", "Terrible Lie", and "Down In It". | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 04 | Sin | 1990 | Single/EP | NIN's third single. Contains alternate mixes of "Sin" and a cover of Queen's "Get Down, Make Love". | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 05 | Broken | 1992 | EP | NIN's second major studio release; initially sold with a 3" mini disc that contained two bonus tracks (later to be tracks 98 and 99 on the CD in some regions, 7 and 8 in others). Recorded in secret so as to evade TVT Records' input. | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 06 | Fixed | 1992 | Remix/EP | A companion CD to Broken. Contains several remixes by industrial pioneers like Coil and J. G. Thirlwell of Foetus. | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 07 | March Of The Pigs | 1994 | Single/EP | Teaser for The Downward Spiral and the first official single from the album. Contains original and remixed versions of the song as well as one TDS b-side, several "Reptile" remixes, and "Big Man With A Gun" (depending on the region). | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 08 | The Downward Spiral | 1994 | LP | NIN's third major release, helping establish the name as an icon in both the music industry and the alternative rock community. | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 08 DE | The Downward Spiral (Deluxe Edition) | 2004 | LP/Remix | NIN's 10th anniversary release of The Downward Spiral CD. The first disc contains the original album digitally remastered in high resolution stereo and digitally remixed and remastered in high resolution 5.1 surround sound (SACD layer), while the second contains digitally remastered b-sides, remixes, demos, and rarities. | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 08 DVD-A | The Downward Spiral (DualDisc) | 2004 | LP | DualDisc edition of NIN's 10th Anniversary of The Downward Spiral CD. Its CD side contains the remastered album, while its DVD side contains the album upmixed into high quality 5.1 surround sound and 2.0 stereo (in Dolby Digital and MLP lossless), as well as the music videos for "Closer" (director's cut), "March Of The Pigs", and "Hurt", an image gallery, and a discography up to 2004. | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 09 | Closer To God | 1994 | Single/EP | Promotion for one of NIN's most well-known singles. Contains many remixes of "Closer" and other TDS songs as well as a cover of Soft Cell's "Memorabilia". | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 10 | Further Down The Spiral | 1995 | Remix/EP | A companion disc for The Downward Spiral with alternate interpretations of some TDS songs, including original works by Aphex Twin. | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 10v2 | Further Down The Spiral (International version) | 1995 | Remix/EP | An alternate version for international markets that has a different track listing and includes exclusive remixes of "Heresy" and "Ruiner". | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 11 | "The Perfect Drug" Versions | 1997 | Remix/EP | An EP with remixes of "The Perfect Drug", originally made for the Lost Highway Soundtrack. U.S. version does not contain the actual title track. | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 12 | Closure | 1997 | Double VHS/Prototype Double DVD | The first NIN live compilation to capture how far the band has come. The first tape contains live concert and backstage footage, while the second contains music videos. The DVD was leaked onto torrent sites around Christmas 2006. | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 13 | The Day The World Went Away | 1999 | Single/EP | First single from and promotional teaser for The Fragile. Includes alternate versions of the title track and "Starfuckers, Inc." as well as a remix of the title track. | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 14 | The Fragile | 1999 | Double LP | NIN's two-disc follow up to The Downward Spiral. One of NIN's most atmospheric, experimental and personal albums to date. | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 15 | We're In This Together | 1999 | Import Single/EP | One of NIN's most potentially optimistic singles to date. Comes as 3 separate CDs that include bonus tracks left off the final studio CD cut of The Fragile (but included on the vinyl release), as well as the full length version of "The Perfect Drug", some remixes, and a mashup. | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 16 | Things Falling Apart | 2000 | Remix/EP | A companion disc for The Fragile containing various remixes and reinterpretations of its songs, an album outtake, and a cover of Gary Numan's "Metal". | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 17 CD1 | And All That Could Have Been | 2002 | LP/VHS/DVD/Deluxe LP | A live album featuring NIN performing during the Fragility Tour v2.0 tour. Deluxe LP comes with the bonus disc Still. | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 17 CD2 | Still | 2002 | Bonus CD | A bonus disc that comes with the Deluxe LP of And All That Could Have Been or separately from nin.com. Contains softer, stripped down versions of various NIN songs, as well as some new material and outtakes from The Fragile. | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 18 | The Hand That Feeds | 2005 | Single/EP | First single and promotion teaser for With Teeth. This is the first song NIN released in "open-source" multitrack format, inviting public remixes. | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 19 | With Teeth | 2005 | LP | NIN's follow-up to The Fragile, focusing more on the rock side of the band and featuring live drumming by both Jerome Dillon and Dave Grohl. | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 19 DVD-A | With Teeth (DualDisc) | 2005 | LP | DualDisc edition of With Teeth. This release is similar to the DualDisc edition of The Downward Spiral, with the DVD side featuring a 5.1 surround sound mix. | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 20 | Only | 2006 | Single/EP | Second single from With Teeth and NIN's second "open-source" single. | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 21 | Every Day Is Exactly The Same | 2006 | Single/EP | NIN's third single from With Teeth. Includes two versions of the single, two versions of "The Hand That Feeds", and two versions of "Only", one of which was remixed by hip-hop artist EL-P. | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 22 | Beside You In Time | 2007 | DVD/HD-DVD/Blu-ray | DVD with footage from the "Live: With Teeth" tour and some bonus material. Also available in both of the competing high definition video formats of the time. | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 23 | Survivalism | 2007 | Single/EP | First single and promotional teaser for the upcoming album Year Zero and the third NIN song to be officially open-sourced. | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 24 | Year Zero | 2007 | LP | Nine Inch Nails' last album with Interscope, a highly electronic concept album set in the year 2022. More info at Year Zero Research. | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 25 | Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D | 2007 | Remix/EP | The official remix companion to Year Zero. Contains remixes by Saul Williams, Ladytron and Modwheelmood. Includes DVD with the entirety of Year Zero as multitracks. | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 26 | Ghosts I–IV | 2008 | Double LP | NIN's first independent release. A 36 track instrumental album fully licensed under Creative Commons in several different formats, initially over the internet and then at retail. Ghosts I was released for free on a torrent site. | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 26 DE | Ghosts I–IV (Deluxe Edition) | 2008 | Double LP | A deluxe edition of Ghosts I-IV, featuring the album, a DVD of multitracks for each track including previously unreleased "37 Ghosts" & "38 Ghosts", plus a Blu-ray disc of all 36 Ghosts in high resolution audio accompanied by a slideshow. | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 26 LE | Ghosts I–IV (Limited Edition) | 2008 | Double LP | The Limited Edition version of Ghosts I-IV, this release was limited to just 2,500 numbered copies, each hand-signed by Trent Reznor. It has the same details as the Deluxe Edition, but also features the album on vinyl as well as two high-quality giclée prints of images to accompany the album. | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 27 | The Slip | 2008 | LP | Ten track album released for free download only through nin.com. | |
| 27 CD-LE | The Slip (CD + DVD) | 2008 | LP | Physical form of The Slip, released on 21st July 2008 and limited to 250,000 CDs worldwide. The pack also includes 3 stickers featuring the artwork for various songs on the album. | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 28 | Hesitation Marks | 2013 | LP | NIN's ninth major release, recorded in secret and the first album on a major label since Year Zero. | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 28DCD | Hesitation Marks (Deluxe Edition) | 2013 | LP | The deluxe edition of Hesitation Marks. The album comes with an additional CD containing 3 additional remix tracks and a 28 page hardcover ecolbook. | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 29 | Not The Actual Events | 2016 | EP | The first in a trilogy of related releases, and first NIN release to include Atticus Ross as a member. | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 30 | The Fragile: Deviations 1 | 2016 (digital) / 2017 (physical) | LP | An alternate incarnation of The Fragile. "Halo 30" printed in official digital PDF booklet. | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 31 | Add Violence | 2017 | EP | The second in a trilogy of related releases, preceded by Not The Actual Events. | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
| 32 | Bad Witch | 2018 | LP | The third in a trilogy of related releases, preceded by Add Violence. | Find it on Amazon Find it on eBay |
Strobe Light
Strobe Light was announced on April Fools' Day 2009. The only real clue to this album being a prank is that it was not assigned a Halo marking, as it would have been Halo 28. As part of the joke, the album was said to have been produced by Timbaland and feature special guest singers such as Jay-Z and Fergie.
"Halo-less" Official Releases
- Head Like a Hole UK 12" vinyl release (1990)
- Into The Void (1999)
- The Hand That Feeds - DFA mixes 12"
- Capital G (2007)
Promotional Releases
Promotional singles released to radio or the internet:
- Happiness In Slavery (1992)
- Wish (1993)
- Physical (1993)
- Hurt (1994)
- Burn (1994)
- Piggy (1995)
- Starfuckers, Inc. (1999)
- Into The Void (2000) (NOTE: contains different content than the Australian commercial release)
- Deep (2001)
- Ghosts I (2008)
- Discipline (2008)
- Came Back Haunted (2013) (NOTE: also sold as a standalone digital-only commercial release)
- Copy Of A (2013) (NOTE: also sold as a standalone digital-only commercial release)
- Everything (2013) (NOTE: also sold as a standalone digital-only commercial release)
- Burning Bright (Field On Fire) (2016)
- Less Than (2017)
- This Isn't The Place (2017)
- God Break Down The Door (2018)
Seeds
Seed numbers are used to catalog promotional releases that come directly from NIN, in a similar manner to the Halo numbers. The bootleg three-part The Definitive NIN collection was released via BitTorrent.
| Seed # | Name | Release Year | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Collected | 2005 | DVD in card sleeve, sent out in the post via nin.com and given away at GameStop stores to promote With Teeth. Includes discography and clips of music videos. |
| 02 | The Definitive NIN - The Singles | 2006 | Uploaded to The Pirate Bay, features mainly NIN's singles from Pretty Hate Machine through to With Teeth. Made available as a torrent. Includes artwork. Later streamed in various playlists that expanded on the original torrent. |
| 03 | The Definitive NIN - Deep Cuts | 2006 | Uploaded to The Pirate Bay, features non-single songs from NIN's back-catalog up to and including With Teeth. Made available as a torrent. Includes artwork. Later streamed in various playlists that expanded on the original torrent. |
| 04 | The Definitive NIN - Quiet Tracks | 2006 | Uploaded to The Pirate Bay, features quieter songs from NIN's back-catalog up to and including With Teeth. Made available as a torrent. Includes artwork. Later streamed in various playlists that expanded on the original torrent. |
| 05 | Lights In The Sky | 2008 | Free download from lightsinthesky.nin.com to promote NIN's 2008 tour, includes a song from each supporting act on the upcoming tour and one NIN song. |
| 06 | NINJA 2009 Summer Tour EP | 2009 | Free download from ninja2009.com to promote NIN's 2009 tour. It includes new music from Nine Inch Nails, Jane's Addiction and Street Sweeper. The new songs by NIN are the long awaited studio recordings of "Not So Pretty Now" and "Non-Entity" which were both created some time during the With Teeth era. |
| 07 | Live 2013 EP | 2013 | Made available for streaming on the official NIN Spotify account, a compilation of four songs from the NIN 2013 Festival Tour. Includes a reworked version of "Sanctified". |
| 08 | Remix 2014 EP | 2014 | Made available for streaming from Beats Music before it was absorbed by Apple Music. Contains remixes of four tracks from Hesitation Marks. |
See also
- Remixes
- Music videos
- Bootlegs
- Sigil numbers (How To Destroy Angels discography)
- Null numbers (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross discography)
- Soundtracks