Nine Inch Nails Top Amazon's 2008 Sales List … But Not for the Album You Might Expect

Nine Inch Nails made the most noise last year with the release of The Slip, their for-free digital download record that was one of 2008’s best rock albums. So it was a bit of a surprise that when Amazon announced its list of the Bestselling MP3 Albums of 2008, Nine Inch Nails took the top spot … but for Ghosts I-IV, the instrumental collection Trent Reznor released just before The Slip.

Ghosts I-IV, for those who may not remember, was initially available for free back in March through the band’s website before being sold in different price packages. Ghosts signaled Reznor’s willingness to try new musical directions after officially parting with his record label, Interscope, in 2007. A month after Ghosts was unveiled, The Slip came out, pushing the more experimental Ghosts to the background, but clearly NIN fans hadn’t forgotten about it, as the record beat out the likes of 3 Doors Down and Coldplay’s Viva La Vida for the No. 1 spot on Amazon’s list.

When music journalists talk about artists who had a huge 2008, they really need to remember Trent Reznor. He may not dominate critics’ lists like he did back with The Downward Spiral, but in terms of figuring out how to merge artistry and ahead-of-the-curve online marketing during an uncertain time for the music business, it’s hard to argue with what he achieved last year.

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Photo courtesy the Null Corporation.