Nine Inch Nails’ Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction just made history

The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame finally held its prestigious induction ceremony over the weekend. Although the ceremony was unconventional amid the coronavirus pandemic, various artists including Depeche Modethe Doobie BrothersWhitney Houston and Nine Inch Nails were officially inducted.

However, Nine Inch Nails’ induction is particularly historic for a reason you may not suspect.

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Due to the pandemic, the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame faced a few setbacks with its induction ceremony this year. After pushing the ceremony in March, they have now permanently moved all future induction ceremonies to the fall. On Nov. 7, the Rock Hall finally held the 2020 ceremony. However, for this year only, the show did not include any musical performances.

The ceremony, which is available to watch on HBO Max, included the Rock Hall inductions for Depeche Mode, the Doobie Brothers, Whitney Houston, Nine Inch Nails, the Notorious B.I.G. and T. Rex. Although each induction is historic in its own right, Nine Inch Nails managed to make Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame history this year.

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Nine Inch Nails’ Ilan Rubin is now officially the youngest musician to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame at 32. Red Hot Chili PeppersJosh Klinghoffer previously held the honor at the age of 33 when the band was inducted. Before that, Stevie Wonder was the youngest musician at 38 following his induction in 1989.

After being introduced by Iggy Pop, Trent Reznor accepted the award on behalf of Nine Inch Nails.

“As I’ve been wrapping my head around Nine Inch Nails being welcomed into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, I think I was most looking forward to the ceremony itself where the hopefully whole camp, past and present, was going to get together and have a moment,” Reznor says in the acceptance speech. “And we’re all stuck in our little boxes staring at our screens.”

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Each Nine Inch Nails member also gave their thanks for the award on the band’s official website. For Rubin, he shares his gratitude for being invited to play with Nine Inch Nails.

“The invitation to play with Nine Inch Nails is what I always see as the turning point in my life and career,” he says. “The uncompromising drive, creativity, and quest for perfection were immediately evident. I knew that this was the band for me. I’ve always been grateful to Trent and co. for having taken the chance on a then 20-year-old, and I feel an immense sense of pride looking back on the countless shows and hours spent playing the music.”

All of Nine Inch Nails’ statements on the historic induction are available to read here and Reznor’s acceptance speech is below.

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Even though there were no musical performances for this year’s ceremony, there were still plenty of guest appearances. Jay-Z, Nas and Lin-Manuel Miranda honored the late Notorious B.I.G for his induction. As well, Brad Paisley, Luke Bryan, Nancy Wilson and Judd Apatow paid tribute to the Doobie Brothers.

If you missed the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony this weekend, you’re in luck. The entire award show is streaming on HBO Max for those that have a subscription.

What are your reactions to Nine Inch Nails being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame? Let us know in the comments below.