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Song · Nine Inch Nails

“The Perfect Drug” by Nine Inch Nails

Released 1995

“The Perfect Drug” by Nine Inch Nails appears on 50 radio countdowns from 22 stations between 1997 and 2025. It was first released in 1995. Its best result is #12 on the Q101 Top 101 Songs of 1997. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #23 alternative song of 1997, #683 alternative song of all time and #184 of the '90s.

50countdowns
22stations
#12best position
0#1 finishes
0top 10 finishes
1997–2025years charted

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Nine Inch Nails - The Perfect Drug

Video from YouTube (NineInchNailsVEVO). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube

"The Perfect Drug" was Trent Reznor's contribution to David Lynch's Lost Highway, written for the film and released on its soundtrack and as a single from it, and it's Nine Inch Nails at its most restless. Reznor wrote the words, shares the music credit with Charlie Clouser, Danny Lohner and Chris Vrenna, and produced it himself; Dave Ogilvie engineered and Alan Moulder mixed.

The thing moves like a panic attack set to a breakbeat: skittering drum and bass rhythms, industrial clatter and a voice crawling over the top in a fever of want. Nothing else on the radio sounded quite like it.

Mark Romanek directed its music video, later collected on the Closure VHS. Reznor at first counted it as his least favorite work and refused to play it live, which made it a cult object among fans, until he finally gave it its concert debut at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in September 2018, more than two decades on. The remix EP, "The Perfect Drug" Versions, leaves the original version off entirely, and in North America the soundtrack was the only place to hear it on record.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

Hard Rock & Metal

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1997 69 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1997 107
1997 41 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana 91X Top 91 Songs of 1997 91
1997 40 Live 105 San Francisco, CA Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1997 105
1997 12 Q101 Chicago, IL Q101 Top 101 Songs of 1997 101
1997 50 WHFS Washington, DC / Baltimore, MD WHFS Top 99.1 Songs of 1997 100
1997 47 107.7 The End Seattle, WA The End Top 107 Songs of 1997 107
1997 45 105.7 The Point St. Louis, MO 105.7 The Point Top 105.7 of 1997 106
1997 12 WBER Rochester, NY WBER Listener Countdown 1997 99
1997 55 102.7 WEQX Southern Vermont and the Capital District of New York (Albany) WEQX Top 102.7 of 1997 103
1997 37 KNRK Portland, OR KNRK Top 94 Songs of 1997 94
1997 26 Triple J Australia (national) Triple J Hottest 100 of 1997 100
1997 55 Radio & Records United States (national airplay chart) Radio & Records Top 97 Songs of 1997 97
1997 99 WRCX Rock 103.5 Chicago, IL WRCX Top 103 Songs of 1997 103

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1998 72 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (1998) 100
1999 229 WHFS WHFS Top 500 Songs of the '90s (December 1999) 500
1999 110 91X 91X Fat 500 Songs of All-Time (July 1999) 500
1999 165 Q101 Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1017
1999 166 WFNX WFNX Top 500 Songs of All-Time (June 1999) 500
1999 721 107.7 The End The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1077
1999 1715 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
1999 473 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999) 1002
2000 1715 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2001 1715 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2002 1707 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2002 85 The Buzz The Buzz Top Songs of All-Time (Labor Day 2002, partial) 144
2003 1692 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2004 163 Q101 Q101 Top 300 Party Songs of All-Time (July 2004) 300
2004 158 107.7 The End The End Original Alternative 500 (May 2004) 500
2004 1692 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2005 1691 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2005 450 99X 99X Freedom of Choice 1000 (2005) 1000
2007 459 KROQ KROQ Top 500 Most Requested Songs of the '90s (Labor Day 2007) 500
2007 754 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2008 749 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 382 Live 105 Live 105 Memorial 500 Song List (2009) 500
2009 768 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2010 785 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2011 813 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2013 839 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2014 879 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2014 406 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2014) 500
2015 422 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2015) 500
2019 491 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2019) 500
2020 170 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2020) 420
2021 168 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2021) 420
2021 23 KISW KISW 25 Greatest Soundtrack Songs in Rock 25
2022 170 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2022) 420
2023 150 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2023) 420
2023 480 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2023) 500
2025 188 WFPK WFPK Top 500 Songs of the '90s 500

Charting alongside it in 1997

Best songs of 1997 →
  1. 1Song 2Blur
  2. 2Walkin' On The SunSmash Mouth
  3. 3TubthumpingChumbawamba
  4. 4FlySugar Ray
  5. 5The Impression That I GetThe Mighty Mighty Bosstones
  6. 6Semi-Charmed LifeThird Eye Blind

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