Courtesy Rock & Roll Hall of FameThe Rock & Roll Hall of Fame officially inducted Nine Inch Nails and Depeche Mode over the weekend.
The industrial titans and the synth-pop icons were honored alongside fellow inductees The Doobie Brothers, T. Rex, The Notorious B.I.G. and Whitney Houston during a pre-recorded HBO TV special taking the place of the usual in-person ceremony, which was canceled this year due to COVID-19.
The show began with an introduction from Dave Grohl, who commented that each of the inductees shared in common the “undying spirit of rock n’ roll.”
Iggy Pop inducted Trent Reznor and company, commenting that, “Listening to Nine Inch Nails feels like hearing the truth, so it gets you a little bit closer to God,” a reference to the band’s iconic single, “Closer.”
In accepting the induction, Reznor thanked the other six NIN members who received the Rock Hall honor alongside him, as well as several past members, including Filter‘s Richard Patrick. He also thanked his family and the “intense” Nine Inch Nails fans that can “drive me out of my mind” but are nevertheless “the best.”
“Even now, music’s always been the thing that keeps me going,” Reznor said. “As an artist, I think the most significant accomplishment or feeling is realizing something you’ve created from a fragile and intimate place has reached out, resonated and affected someone else, possibly changing how they see the world.”
“So, as to whatever being in a Hall of Fame means, thank you for the recognition,” he added.
Actress Charlize Theron inducted Depeche Mode, and commented on how the trio provided the “soundtrack to my life.” Frontman Dave Gahan thanked his band mates past and present, and spoke on how finding music changed his life and kept him, as keyboardist Andy Fletcher quips, from “still stealing cars.”
The ceremony also included Slash, Kirk Hammett and Tom Morello paying tribute to the late Eddie Van Halen.
By Josh Johnson
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