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Song · Nine Inch Nails

“Head Like a Hole” by Nine Inch Nails

From the album Pretty Hate Machine (1989)

“Head Like a Hole” by Nine Inch Nails appears on 65 radio countdowns from 18 stations between 1990 and 2024. It was first released in 1989 on the album Pretty Hate Machine. Its best result is #1 on the KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1996). In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #24 alternative song of 1990, #36 alternative song of all time and #150 of the '90s.

65countdowns
18stations
#1best position
1#1 finishes
11top 10 finishes
1990–2024years charted

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1990 18 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1990 107
1990 36 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana 91X Top 91 Songs of 1990 91
1990 64 Live 105 San Francisco, CA Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1990 105
1990 43 CFNY 102.1 The Edge Toronto, ON CFNY Top 90 Songs of 1990 90
1991 15 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana 91X Top 91 Songs of 1991 91

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
– 46 CRNC 90.1 CRNC Top 90.1 Songs of the '90s 91
1991 46 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1991) 302
1991 118 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1991) 500
1991 33 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition) 1002
1992 74 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1992) 500
1992 64 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1992) 299
1994 10 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1994) 497
1994 13 Live 105 Live 105 Revolutionary 500 (July 1994) 500
1994 37 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1994) 500
1995 2 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1995) 500
1995 28 Live 105 Live 105 Revolutionary 300 (July 1995) 300
1996 1 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1996) 500
1996 3 Q101 Q101 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (1996) 500
1996 29 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1996) 498
1998 36 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1998) 488
1999 41 KROQ KROQ Top 300 Most Requested Songs of the '90s (Labor Day 1999) 300
1999 25 WHFS WHFS Top 500 Songs of the '90s (December 1999) 500
1999 83 91X 91X Fat 500 Songs of All-Time (July 1999) 500
1999 11 Q101 Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1017
1999 26 WFNX WFNX Top 500 Songs of All-Time (June 1999) 500
1999 23 107.7 The End The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1077
1999 5 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1999) 500
1999 11 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
1999 120 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999) 1002
1999 75 The Buzz The Buzz Top 99 Songs of All-Time (1999) 99
2000 10 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2001 49 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2001) 498
2001 9 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2001 47 WBRU WBRU Modern Rock Top 500 (2001) 500
2002 31 K-Rock K-Rock Top 92 Party Songs of All-Time (2002) 92
2002 34 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2002) 500
2002 10 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2002 24 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) 2002
2003 23 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2003) 500
2003 13 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2003 208 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) 2044
2004 214 Q101 Q101 Top 300 Party Songs of All-Time (July 2004) 300
2004 64 107.7 The End The End Original Alternative 500 (May 2004) 500
2004 15 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2004 128 Y100 Y100 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (July 2004) 300
2005 15 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2005) 500
2005 15 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2006 33 107.7 The End The End Top 107 Songs of the '90s (December 2006) 107
2006 94 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2006 72 Live 105 Live 105 500 Co-Op Countdown (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2006 26 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2006) 499
2007 58 KROQ KROQ Top 500 Most Requested Songs of the '90s (Labor Day 2007) 500
2007 16 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2008 72 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2008) 500
2008 12 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 113 Live 105 Live 105 Memorial 500 Song List (2009) 500
2009 10 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2010 12 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2011 11 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2013 10 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2014 10 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2018 561 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs 892
2019 245 KEXP KEXP Listeners' Favorite Songs of All Time 627
2023 33 91X 91X Top 91 Songs of The Last 40 Years 91
2024 14 KEXP The Best Opening Tracks of All Time 738

Also listed as: Head Like A Hole; Head like a Hole.

Charting alongside it in 1990

Best songs of 1990 →
  1. 1Nothing Compares 2 USinéad O'Connor
  2. 2The Only One I KnowThe Charlatans
  3. 3Blue Sky MineMidnight Oil
  4. 4Enjoy the SilenceDepeche Mode
  5. 5Here's Where The Story EndsThe Sundays
  6. 6The Emperor's New ClothesSinéad O'Connor