MTV Unplugged is an American television series on MTV showcasing musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999 and less frequently from 2000 to 2009, when it was usually billed as MTV Unplugged No. 2.0. Since 2009, MTV Unplugged specials have aired occasionally, sometimes online only. Episodes and specials have tended to showcase one artist or group, playing a combination of their hit songs and covers.
Many of the artists who appeared on the show in the 1990s released their Unplugged session as an album, and some of these albums were commercial and critical hits. Eric Clapton's Unplugged (1992) sold 26 million copies worldwide and became the best-selling live album of all time. Other Unplugged albums that went platinum include Mariah Carey's MTV Unplugged (1992), Rod Stewart's Unplugged...and Seated (1993), 10,000 Maniacs' MTV Unplugged (1993), Tony Bennett's MTV Unplugged (1994), Page and Plant's No Quarter (1994), Nirvana's MTV Unplugged in New York (1994), Alice in Chains's Unplugged (1996), Shakira's MTV Unplugged (1999), Lauryn Hill's MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 (2001), Alicia Keys' Unplugged (2005) and Ricky Martin's MTV Unplugged (2006). Some of these albums produced successful singles as well, including Mariah Carey's No. 1 hit cover of "I'll Be There".
The show received the George Foster Peabody Award and three Primetime Emmy nominations, in its original form.
A limited-run reboot of MTV Unplugged came in 2009, featuring six acts, which won the Emmy Award for Best New Approach.
As of 2021, several episodes are available to watch on Paramount+.
π½ Album: MTV Unplugged In New York
π€ Artist: Nirvana
π Date: 1993-11-18
π§ Total tracks: 14
Track List:
About A Girl
Come As You Are
Jesus Doesnβt Want Me For A Sunbeam
The Man Who Sold The World
Pennyroyal Tea
Dumb
Polly
On A Plain
Something In The Way*
Plateau
Oh, Me*
Lake Of Fire
All...
π½ Album: Unplugged
π€ Artist: Alice In Chains
π Date: 1996-07-29
π§ Total tracks: 13
Track List:
1. Nutshell
2. Brother
3. No Excuses
4. Sludge Factory
5. Down In A Hole
6. Angry Chair
7. Rooster
8. Got Me Wrong
9. Heaven Beside You
10. Would?
11. Frogs
12. Over Now
13. Killer Is Me
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