Before we had NPR’sTiny Deskmusicseries or services where any musician/creator with a camera and the internet could livestream or upload songs from any intimate setting for audience viewing, there wasMTV Unplugged. Running in its first heyday iteration from 1989 to 1999,Unpluggedwas MTV providing its viewers with another way to digest the work of their favorite artiststhat didn’t involve music videos(orhow they shook up expectations). Instead,acts would play in an acoustic-based “stripped-down” setting, bringing a different life or set of performative ideas to songs that fans (often) knew so well.
This was not only innovative and aided by the involvement of many big-name musicians, but, in my opinion, allowed heavier rock/grunge or pop-leaning bands/artists to thrive brightest. In an era that consisted of a lot of significantly layered studio production and effects (especially in the latter ’90s),MTV Unpluggedallowed both performers and viewers to get right down to the heart of honest musicianship andwhat songs were about down in their bones. The commercial success of many of these recordings also showed how receptive listeners were to these new re-imaginings of musical material.
10The Eagles,Hell Freezes OverSpecial(1994)
A Rebirth Over Internal Resentments
One of the things I’ve always admired aboutMTV Unpluggedwas the ability for the show to bring together major artists in its day. Take the Eagles, for instance, who appeared on the network for an acoustic reunion concert in 1994after having been broken up since 1980.TheHell Freezes Overspecial (later released under a live album of the same name) was a reference to an interview Eagles drummer Don Henley gave shortly after the breakup, saying the group would play together again “when Hell freezes over.”
Despite their divisiveness, the lineup of Henley, guitarist/vocalist Joe Walsh, guitarist/vocalist Glenn Frey, bassist/vocalist Timothy B. Schmit, and guitarist Don Felder runs as smoothly as silk through eleven cuts here that spotlight what the Eagles do best. The harmonies are tight, the guitar work is superb, and the hits sound as good as they ever did, elevated by the quieter instrumentation. The reimagined, Spanish flamenco take on “Hotel California” is a particular highlight to me, showing whatthe song could do outside its rock odyssey roots.
9Alanis Morissette,Alanis Unplugged(1999)
Unplugging A Jagged Little Pill
One of the many great appeals I’ve always found present withinMTV Unpluggedwas howit could bring out the softer side of artistsand frame that beautifully front and center. Take Alanis Morissette, for instance, who recorded a 1999Unpluggedepisode that’d later be released as a live album (1999’sAlanis Unplugged). The Canadian singer-songwriter was best known for 1995’s grunge-heavyJagged Little Pilland the 1998 world-leaningSupposed Former Infatuation Junkieat this point, so it was fascinating to see the layers of her work pared down.
The result was a highly rewarding experience, as Morissette showed her emotional center could thrive just as evocatively with the amps turned down and the production squared to a minimum. Morissette’s voice, in particular, bloomed within the cleaner intimacy of theUnpluggedscenery. And the reinventions of her songs struck a chord as well, with the piano-led take on “You Oughta Know” replacinga tone of righteous angerwith one of quiet, open-throated,bare-to-the-world confession. It’s an arrangement that made me evaluate the radio-friendly staple song in a whole new way of shape as well as perspective.
8Pearl Jam,MTV Unplugged(1992)
The Softer Side Of Grunge Rock
Seattle’s own Pearl Jam created their signature spin onMTV Unpluggedin 1992, not long after their 1991 debut LPTenhad taken its titanic place in the growing grunge scene (with Seattle leading the way). With how popular gigantic riffs, booming percussion, and mile-high vocals were at that time, it’s interesting to me that Pearl Jam chose to instead take this moment to show offtheir softer and more melodic side, demonstrating that their charm wasn’t only about being loud.
The deconstruction opportunity offered byMTV Unpluggedwas the perfect proving ground for this, as the arrangements onTensongs like “Black” were still just as intense and haunting (albeit in a different fashion). Lead man and vocalist Eddie Vedder could still just as easily show off his singing prowess, while also letting his lyrics breathe more openly with added articulation. The sound layers may come down in these scenarios, but that often means the words get turned up instead.The tone ofVedder’s words is especially magnetic to me here.
7Bruce Springsteen,In Concert/MTV Plugged(1992)
A Geared Up Twist Courtesy Of The Boss
Leave it toThe Bossto take theMTV Unpluggedformat down a uniquely different path. Recorded in 1992 and released as theIn Concert/MTV Pluggedrecord in 1993, Bruce Springsteen initially began the show with a new acoustic-based song called “Red Headed Woman.” But after that, the New Jersey nativetook off with a full-band electric setheavily based on albums he’d recently simultaneously released back then,Lucky TownandHuman Touch. With Springsteen’s trademark amigos, The E Street Band, temporarily on the sidelines at the time, the arrangements here take on a different persona.
Springsteen reportedly ditched the acoustic format ashe wasn’t pleased with the way his hired band soundedin that space. What follows is best described as songs still having Springsteen’s heart driving them, but with a soundscape heavily echoing theLucky Town/Human Touchspace he was in then. Take the reimagining ofNebraskatrack “Atlantic City,” for instance, which moves off of the guitar/harmonica lonely folk combo and instead embraces a richer, almost country-rock Celtic-sounding vibe. It may not have been what was expected, but leave it to Springsteen to still make it work.
6Neil Young,Unplugged(1993)
Getting It Right The Second Time Around
Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young made his first appearance onMTV Unpluggedin late 1992, though the results were far from ideal. Characterized by the false starts of many songs and Young’s growing dissatisfaction, the musician eventually bolted from the stage and out onto the street with the producers of the show following behind him. While Young did return for a few more tracks,he refused to have the performance released. In early 1993, Young returned to try again, with much greater success.
Between a mixture of solo cuts and acoustic backing from much of the band that helped him on hisHarvest Moonalbum, Young moves seamlessly between the already stripped-down “Needle and the Damage Done” to songs like the unexpected ease of the normally experimentalTranstrack “Transformer Man.” Though the greatest surprise reinvention is arguably “Like a Hurricane,” which goes from its blistering acid-rock origins toa simple backing of pipe organ and harmonica. The haunting hymnal take is worth the price of listening alone, in my opinion.
5Paul McCartney,Unplugged (The Official Bootleg)(1991)
A Beatle Goes Bare In Sound
Fresh off a major solo world tour at the time, former Beatle Paul McCartney took the opportunity to perform on the then-fledglingMTV Unpluggedin 1991, becoming the first artist on the show to subsequently put out his session as an official release. This is probably the most acoustic-leaning and truly unplugged concert of the series, as McCartney and his bandaren’t hooked to amplifiersand have their instruments externally mic’d.
What follows is an extremely intimate affair, as songs ranging from Beatles classics, McCartney solo staples, and older cover tunes are handled with a delicate, living room sense of skill. This doesn’t feel like one of the biggest musicians in the world placed high and away from his audience on a massive arena stage. No, to me, this is much more a reflection of the young man who cut his teeth playing in skiffle groups or at the Cavern Club, finding an audience. It’s all abouta true sense of connection here.
4Alice In Chains,Unplugged(1996)
The Dark Depths Of Turbulence
Grunge rockers Alice in Chains recorded their ownMTV Unpluggedshow in 1996, which laid bare most of their biggest hit songs in that trademark acoustic-led format. This was Alice in Chains' first show in two and a half years at this point, and much like their grunge brethren Pearl Jam and Nirvana before them, they used their time to open upthe depth of heaviness, turbulence, and emotionburied beneath the trademark riffs fans knew so well.
Adding to the introspection was the condition of frontman Layne Staley by this time, who delivered strong vocals here but was weakened by ongoing drug issuesthat would eventually claim his lifea few years later. His struggle was so heartbreakingly apparent, giving songs like “Down in a Hole” an almost prophetic sense of inevitable tragedy that makes it hard for me to watch/listen to decades later.
3Jimmy Page & Robert Plant,No Quarter: Jimmy Page And Robert Plant Unledded(1994)
A Long-Awaited Rocker Reunion
If theMTV Unpluggedreunion of the Eagles wasn’t a big enough get for the series in 1994, bringing guitarist Jimmy Page and vocalist Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin back together in the same yearwas just icing on the cake. While this wasn’t a true Zeppelin reunion, given drummer John Bonham’s death years prior, and bassist John Paul Jones never being informed the endeavor was occurring, this was still a major event in the history of rock and roll greats.
Filmed in Morocco, Wales, and London, this set of Zeppelin tracks mixed with Middle Eastern and Moroccan-influenced songs is not only acoustic-based, but also features a Moroccan string band and Egyptian orchestra. This eclectic mixture perfectly suits the often unorthodox approach that Zeppelin had,meshing blues, rock, metal, and folk togetherwith a world music sense of sensibility. To me, “Rain Song” is one of the most poignant songs of the set, with tremendously soothing Page acoustic solos.
2Eric Clapton,Unplugged(1992)
Slowhand’s Subtle Acoustic Brilliance
The great singer and guitarist Eric Clapton recorded hisMTV Unpluggedset in 1992, sparking award-winning attention and commercial sales thathave easily made it the most successfulMTV Unpluggedalbumever released. Featuring a mixture of songs from Clapton’s artistic catalog as well as some older blues-related standards, Clapton showed that he could be just as captivating, poignant, and subtly articulate going acoustic as he could on the electric stage.
The rendition of “Tears in Heaven” here was particularly striking given its tragic backstory about the death of Clapton’s young son, as was the rearrangement of “Layla,” which gave the older song a much different life in a way that made it seem entirely new. It speaks to the power of Clapton’s ability on the guitar that he could make the format ofMTV Unpluggedseemjust as potent as any of his loud full-band work. Not to mention, the production allows the instruments on the recording to breathe separately and together in a way that’s both clean and inviting.
1Nirvana,MTV Unplugged In New York(1993)
An Unorthodox Swan Song
Nirvana’s 1993MTV Unpluggedconcert (later titledMTV Unplugged in New Yorkon official release) was my first ever exposure to the format, and as such,remains my favorite of the bunch. Despite rehearsal issues and fears Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain wouldn’t perform when it came time for taping, Cobain and company followed through and delivered arguably some of the most compelling highlights of their career.
Whether it was covers like David Bowie’s “The Man Who Sold the World,” their fiery take on Leadbelly’s “Where Did You Sleep Last Night,” or off-beat originals like “Pennyroyal Tea” and “Something in the Way,” Nirvana (much like Pearl Jam) showed they had another gear wellbeyond that of simply the super loud rockers. That cover of “Where Did You Sleep Last Night” particularly showed another side to Cobain that, sadly, we never got to see more of before his untimely death. I’m still nostalgic for a Cobain solo album in this style we’ll never hear.
