Changes

}}'''"Head Like A Hole"''' is the first track on the 1989 release ''[[Pretty Hate Machine]].'' It was the first commercial success [[Trent Reznor]] had and received wide radio rotation at the time. Though Reznor doesn't dislike the song, he was quite surprised it became as big as it did, especially due to its relatively easy writing process compared to some of the lesser recognized tracks on ''Pretty Hate Machine'' ("[[That's What I Get]]" and "[[Kinda I Want To]]" most notably.).

The version that appears as the first track on ''Pretty Hate Machine,'' it's perhaps one of the most well known [[Nine Inch Nails]] songs. Its pounding synth bassline, tribal rhythms and chants, layered guitar and catchy double chorus are all signature aspects of the song. The stereo wipe at the end fades into the beginning of "Terrible Lie." The tribal chants are [[samples|sampled ]] from "Samburu Warriors' Initiation (Kenya)" taken from field recordings under the title ''East Africa Ceremonial & Folk Music'' (performed by the Samburu Tribe of Kenya and recorded by David Fanshawe.)[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G08Wvtspmjo] There is a sample from 3:12 to 3:19, first appearing in the right channel and then the left, that may be a saxophone.

Exclusive to the UK version of the ''Head Like A Hole'' single, the mix is notable for its "realistic" drums and strange instrumentation, much of which isn't present on any of the other remixes. It is perhaps the most unique remix, having a different vocal take with a few lyrical differences from the original version of the song (in particular, the verses clearly say "God of money" rather than "God Money"), as well as using an inverted version of the bassline rather than the bassline itself and a totally different drumbeat. The only element that found its way over from the other mixes is the wood percussion intro from the original version of the song, which the drum beat follows exactly. The song ends by fading away while Reznor whispers "You know... you know who you are" repeatedly. This line is found only on this version, though it does appear in the printed lyrics on the ''Pretty Hate Machine'' album. It has been billed as "Head Like A Hole (Demo)" and "Head Like A Hole (Go-Go Mix)" on various bootlegs. As indicated on the credits of the ''Head Like A Hole'' 12" vinyl single, this remix was completed in November 1990. It features a sample in the choruses that also forms the main rhythm of "The Wrong Name and the Wrong Number" by Mark Stewart. Adrian Sherwood was involved in the production of the Stewart song, and he and Keith LeBlanc were both members of Mark Stewart And The Maffia at the time they worked on ''Pretty Hate Machine'', though whether they had direct involvement with the "Opal" mix is unknown. LeBlanc and Sherwood aren't credited on any of the "Head Like A Hole" versions except Keith's mixing of "Slate". The remix also samples "Tamborine" by Prince and "Release It" by PrinceThe Time (which also samples "Squib Cakes" by Tower Of Power.)

<blockquote>"I don't remember what i was thinking about at the time, but it was pretty much about yelling at a beast without putting a face to it. I wrote it at the last minute as a throwaway. The rest of 'Pretty Hate Machine' was already written, and we'd revised everything else about nine times. Up until then song-writing had been a meticulous and agonising process, but this took me 15 minutes in my bedroom. The fact that it produced this huge reaction really pissed me off becuase I hadn't agonised over it. I was still back in Cleveland, and I had a job working at a studio where I'd spend time at night learning how to record and engineer things and I tried to work out how my voice sounded. I was playing everything myself but I had no confidence in playing guitar. I was convinced that if any real players heard it they'd laugh. Now I know that's bullshit but at the time I was very insecure."</blockquote> 

[[Image:AshleyOart.jpg|thumb|Digital single artwork]][[Image:NIN_BLACK_MIRROR_TEE.png|thumb|Promotional T-Shirt]]In June 2019, the anthology TV series ''[[wp:Black Mirror|Black Mirror]]'' aired the episode "Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too", which featured versions of "Head Like A Hole" and "[[Right Where It Belongs]]" with new lyrics written by Charlie Brooker and recorded by Miley Cyrus, entitled "On A Roll" and "Right Where I Belong" respectively. Cyrus also recorded direct covers of both songs, all of which were sanctioned and approved by Reznor - a rarity for any cover of Nine Inch Nails. The songs were recorded and released under the name "Ashley O", Cyrus' s character name in the episode. The band also released a collaborative t-shirt on their website, featuring Brooker's new lyrics.