10 Best Hard Rock Music Videos Of The 90s
2. Closer - Nine Inch Nails (1994)
Trent Reznor wasn't compromising an inch when he and director Mark Romanek teamed up to make this disturbing spectacle. It's as if Reznor received a checklist for things he definitely shouldn't include in a video and decided he better feature a bit of everything - just incase he failed to offend some group or another.
Although the lyrics feature some pretty explicit sexual references, Reznor has claimed the song is all about self loathing as opposed to carnal desire. Regardless of the original intended meaning, he included all manor of risque visuals.
The video takes place in a laboratory that looks as though it belongs to Willy Wonka's perverted, nihilistic brother. Intercut with footage of Reznor in bondage gear are images of religious iconography, human organs and a decapitated pig.
The video drew particular criticism for showing a monkey strapped to a cross. Animal rights campaigners criticised the treatment of the animal despite the fact the director assured the public the animal was unharmed.
MTV refused to play the video until a less suggestive version had been submitted to them. The full version was eventually played but only late at night. This was an example of artists pushing the visual medium beyond what most bands would even consider.