Pretty on the Inside
Pretty on the Inside is the first album by Hole, released on 17 September 1991. The band had formed in 1989 around vocalist, songwriter and guitarist Courtney Love and lead guitarist Eric Erlandson. Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth and Don Fleming of Gumball produced it. The sound is abrasive: distorted, interlocking guitars, screamed vocals, and punk that sounds happily rough around the edges. Love's lyrics work in abstract fragments, picturing violence, death and female sexuality.
It is the raw starting point of a story that later turned towards a less abrasive sound on Live Through This, Celebrity Skin and Nobody's Daughter. Critics at the time likened it to Black Sabbath and Patti Smith, and "Teenage Whore" went to number one on the UK Indie Chart. Love later called the record "unlistenable", though she came to see making it as transformative. It has since won a cult following among punk fans and has influenced songwriters such as Brody Dalle and Scout Niblett.
Pretty on the Inside: tracklist, credits and charts
11 tracks · 38:29Tracklist
- 1Teenage WhoreEmery, Erlandson, Love, Rue2:58
- 2Babydoll4:59
- 3Garbadge Man3:19
- 4Sassy1:43
- 5Good Sister/Bad Sister5:47
- 6Mrs Jones5:26
- 7Berry2:46
- 8Loaded4:19
- 9Star Belly1:46
- 10Pretty on the Inside1:28
- 11Clouds3:58
- Produced by
- Kim Gordon, Don Fleming
- Recorded at
- Music Box Studios (Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S.)
- Recorded
- March 1991
- Labels
- City Slang, Caroline (United States)
- Length
- 38:29
Singles
- “Teenage Whore” · 2 September 1991
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart · 1991 | 59 |
| UK Indie Albums (Music Week) · 1991 | 7 |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
Released the same week
Also released on 17 September
Every year →
More from Hole
Full discography →
The best of 1991
All of 1991 →
More on City Slang
The label →Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia + wikidata
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 1 July 1991 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 17 September 1991 | |
| Wikidata | 17 September 1991 | |
| US release | 1 July 1991 | earliest US date |
| UK / Europe release | 1991 | earliest UK or European date |
10 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | XW | Astralwerks | 00724384045753 | other |
| 1991 | DE | City Slang | 0718750407122 | other |
| 1991 | XE | EFA | 0718750407122 | other |
| 1991 | FR | City Slang | 724384045722 | other |
| 1 July 1991 | US | Caroline Records | 017046171021 | original |
| 31 December 1993 | US | Caroline Records | other | |
| 1994 | US | Caroline Records | 017046171021 | other |
| 10 November 2017 | US | Universal Music Special Markets | 646315170115 | other |
| 18 September 2026 | US | Capitol Records | 199957839334 | remaster |
| 18 September 2026 | — | Capitol Records | 199957839327 | other |
Cover art sources
coverartarchive · upscaled: major: best source 1200x1200, upscaled to 1500 (x1.25)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| coverartarchive ✓ | 1200×1200 | upscaled: major: best source 1200x1200, upscaled to 1500 (x1.25) |
| deezer | 1200×1200 | upscaled |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |