Song · Nine Inch Nails
“Happiness in Slavery” by Nine Inch Nails
From the EP Broken (1992)
“Happiness in Slavery” by Nine Inch Nails appears on 4 radio countdowns from 4 stations between 1992 and 1999. It was first released in 1992 on the EP Broken. Its best result is #46 on the 91X Top 91 Songs of 1992. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #86 alternative song of 1992 and #5,810 alternative song of all time.
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"Happiness in Slavery" came off Broken, the 1992 EP that was Nine Inch Nails' first and only their second major release, and it's Trent Reznor at his most punishing: he wrote it, sang it and produced it, and it grinds like heavy machinery. The title, and the refrain built on it, come from Jean Paulhan's preface to Story of O, Pauline Réage's 1954 erotic novel.
Sent out as a promotional single, it reached 13 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks. The video, in which Bob Flanagan is tortured by a machine, was banned nearly everywhere. And the band's live take at Woodstock '94, later collected on the festival's compilation album, won the Grammy for Best Metal Performance in 1996.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
All Rock Formats
Year-end countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 46 | 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana | 91X Top 91 Songs of 1992 | 91 |
| 1992 | 85 | WHFS Washington, DC / Baltimore, MD | WHFS Top 99.1 Songs of 1992 | 100 |
| 1992 | 52 | CFNY 102.1 The Edge Toronto, ON | CFNY Top 102 Songs of 1992 | 102 |
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 678 | 107.7 The End | The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) | 1077 |
Also listed as: Happiness In Slavery.
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