MTV Unplugged is an American television series on MTV. It showcases recorded live performances of popular music artists playing acoustic or "unplugged" variations of songs. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999. From 2000 to 2009, it aired less frequently and was usually billed as MTV Unplugged No. 2.0. Since 2009, MTV Unplugged specials have aired occasionally, sometimes through online or subscription 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. Albums such as Mariah Carey's MTV Unplugged (1992), Nirvana's MTV Unplugged in New York (1994) and Alice in Chains' Unplugged (1996) became notable hits of the program. Other Unplugged albums that went platinum include 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), 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. Directed by Matthew C. Mills and produced by Spacestation in New York, the season featured Katy Perry, Adele, Paramore, Vampire Weekend, Silversun Pickups and All Time Low. It is the only season of MTV Unplugged to win an Emmy Award. As of 2021, several episodes are available to watch on Paramount+.
Contents
Unplugged
The term "unplugged" has come to refer to music that would usually be played on electrified instruments (such as an electric guitar or synthesizer) but is rendered instead on instruments that can be played without electricity, for example acoustic guitar or traditional piano, although a microphone is still used. In most cases, the bass (or bass guitar) is amplified, and a Hammond organ is sometimes used.
MTV launched MTV Unplugged in 1989. The show featured musicians performing unplugged versions of their electric repertoire. Many of these performances were subsequently released as albums, often featuring the title Unplugged. It was believed that the show was inspired by a 1989 MTV Video Music Awards acoustic performance by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora; however, the show was already in production. Although the showrunners have admitted that prior to the influence of that performance, the show was initially meant to be only for "young, up-and-coming artists" rather than the "big, stadium, electric-arena-type acts".
Launch of Unplugged
The MTV show titled Unplugged, drawing on this phenomenon, was created by producers Robert Small and Jim Burns. Songwriter Jules Shear hosted the first 13 episodes. The pilot and first seven episodes were produced by Bruce Leddy, after which Associate Producer Alex Coletti took over for the remainder of the series, producing the show through 2001. After the first 13 episodes, the role of host was eliminated. The show was produced by Viacom and RSE Inc and was most frequently directed by Milton Lage and Beth McCarthy.
The first episode of MTV Unplugged was taped on October 31, 1989, and aired about a month later on November 26.
Selected list of artists
1989–1992
The series first aired November 26, 1989, featuring Squeeze, Syd Straw and Elliot Easton. The first 13 episodes were hosted by American singer-songwriter Jules Shear and featured Aerosmith, Elton John, Sinéad O'Connor, Poison, Joe Satriani and Stevie Ray Vaughan among others.
Joe Walsh appeared on the show in 1989 with Dr. John. According to the book I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution by Rob Tannenbaum and Craig Marks, Walsh wanted to perform the Eagles classic "Desperado", but Joel Gallen received a three-page fax from Don Henley denying permission to use the song. MTV invited Henley to perform on the show, but Henley wanted to have a show featuring only himself. At that point, MTV was sharing the time between different artists. Dr. John was not originally scheduled to be part of the episode. With only Walsh booked, producers went next door where a VH1 morning show was being taped with Dr. John, and asked if he would be willing to join Walsh on Unplugged. Henley performed his solo episode in 1990.
The Cure performed their MTV Unplugged session in their London studios on January 24, 1991. Their playlist featured classic songs such as "The Walk", "If Only Tonight We Could Sleep", "Just Like Heaven" and a new song, "A Letter to Elise", which would be released on their next album.
Paul McCartney's 1991 appearance was later released on the Unplugged (The Official Bootleg) album.
On March 5, 1991, Sting performed a set mostly centered around songs by The Police or from his album The Soul Cages. Sting enjoyed the experience to the extent that the following month he did a similar set in his home town of Newcastle at the tiny Buddle Arts Centre.
On April 10, 1991, Unplugged aired its first ever acoustic rap show. The special kicked off with individual performances by LL Cool J along with MC Lyte (Cappucino), De La Soul (Ring Ring Ring), and A Tribe Called Quest ("Can I Kick It?") and a five-piece back-up band, Pop's Cool Love. The highlight of the show was LL Cool J's energetic renditions of "Jingling Baby" and "Mama Said Knock You Out".
In 1992, Mariah Carey performed a cover version of The Jackson 5's hit "I'll Be There" along with backup singer Trey Lorenz. That live version was released as a single and went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as in Canada, New Zealand, Netherlands, and became a hit elsewhere. Due to high demand, the performance was released as an EP, MTV Unplugged, which eventually sold over 10 million copies worldwide. The performance was released in video form as well, achieving success particularly in the US, Europe, Japan, and Australia.
1993–1994
On January 9, 1993, Swedish duo Roxette recorded the show at Stockholm Circus. During the show, they covered songs from other artists such as Aretha Franklin, Neil Young and The Byrds.
In December 1992, Neil Young attempted to record an episode at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York but abandoned the performance after numerous false starts and disagreements with his backing band. Young eventually recorded a performance in February 1993 at Universal Studios in Los Angeles that was broadcast on MTV in March 1993 and released that June as his Gold selling Unplugged album.
On April 20, 1993, Midnight Oil recorded an episode at Sony Music Studios in New York City. They recorded a 17-song set which included many of their hits and an encore cover of "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" originally recorded by Eric Burdon and the Animals. The set was broadcast edited in the US while Australia received a longer 9-song set. The full set was released on DVD in 2017. "One Country" was attempted in their session but was not finished and not released.
On April 21, 1993, Soul Asylum performed their set two months before the release of "Runaway Train" music video. Lulu was the special guest who sang "To Sir With Love" in a duet with Dave Pirner, who was introduced to actress Winona Ryder backstage and they dated for the next three years.
The MTV Unplugged special featuring Uptown Records artists, known as "Uptown Unplugged," aired on May 31, 1993 in the United States. It was taped at Universal Studios in Los Angeles and featured performances by Jodeci, Mary J. Blige, Father MC, Heavy D & The Boys, and Christopher Williams. The set of Jodeci ended with Stevie Wonder's "Lately". The group's version of the song was later released as a promotional single, claiming the number one spot on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart as the group's fourth number one R&B hit.
Rod Stewart performed a session with Ronnie Wood on February 5, 1993, at Universal Studios, Los Angeles. Selections from this recording aired in May and were released on the album Unplugged...and Seated.
On November 17, 1993, British rock group Duran Duran filmed their acoustic performance after a brief hiatus from their world tour due to lead singer Simon Le Bon's vocal straining after 11 months on the road. They played many of their classic hits as well as their 1990 single "Serious".
1995–1999
On February 14, 1995, Hole recorded a live acoustic performance in front of an audience at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York City. Along with a string ensemble, Courtney Love, Eric Erlandson, Patty Schemel and Melissa Auf der Maur played 13 songs, a mix of hits off Live Through This, new material, covers by Duran Duran and Donovan, and the unreleased Nirvana track "You Know You're Right." The show first aired on April 18, 1995.
On February 14, 1995, the Cranberries recorded a nine song-set accompanied by Electra Strings quartet, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The performance aired on April 18, 1995.
On February 15, 1995, Live performed a nine-song set of their own material and a cover of Vic Chesnutt's "Supernatural".
On May 4, 1995, Argentine musician Charly Garcia appeared at the MTV studios, bringing together his "Cassandra Lange" band for his third live album. Garcia included some of his classics and the result was issued as a live album, after Garcia re-recorded some of the material.
On August 9, 1995, Kiss performed on an episode that would lead to the reunion of the original members. Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons invited former members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley to participate in the show. Fan reaction was so positive that the following year the original Kiss lineup officially reunited, together for the first time since 1979. The recording of the episode was released as the album Kiss Unplugged.
On August 10, 1995, Chris Isaak performed a set on an episode, including his hit song "Wicked Game".
On September 14, 1995, Chilean band Los Tres held an MTV Unplugged performance in Miami Beach, Florida. It was attended by Antonio Restucci and Cuti Aste, two Chilean musician friends of the band. This was the first unplugged album of a Chilean group for MTV and (according to MTV technicians) is the only truly unplugged concert that has been performed at some distance from each instrument as only the dynamic range of analog microphones were used. The resulting album, MTV Unplugged, went quadruple platinum and was the most popular album in Chile in 1995. The recording was made just a few months after the death of Chilean musician Roberto Parra, an important inspiration for the band. Because of this, the group dedicated the concert and album to the memory of "Uncle Robert" and played two cuecas, "El arrepentido" and "La vida que yo he pasado", as well as the popular foxtrot "Quien es la que viene alli". The latter song became a success of great proportions, possibly the most important in the career of the band. The new song on the album, "traje desastre", was also touted as a single from the album, and featured a video directed by Chilean film director German Bobe. The album contains 15 songs, of which 12 are their own compositions and three of Roberto Parra.
2000–2009
Since 2000, the Unplugged format has been revived on a number of occasions for specials.
In 2001, Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz performed on MTV Unplugged and released an album of the performance on November 20, 2001.
In 2001, Hikaru Utada became the youngest singer and the third Japanese (the first and second being Chage and Aska) to be featured on MTV Unplugged.
Lauryn Hill unveiled her much-anticipated new material on a 2002 MTV Unplugged special and later released it on the album MTV Unplugged No. 2.0. It had been three years since the release of Hill's The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Hill appeared with her hair cut off and performed in a stripped-down, minimalist style. Her set included her playing an acoustic guitar, spoken word segments, and occasionally breaking down in tears.
American rock band Staind performed on MTV Unplugged on July 16, 2001, and released a DVD of the performance including songs not included in the original MTV broadcast. Cold guitarist Terry Balsamo also appears as a guest performer. The DVD was certified Gold in 2003, selling over 500,000 copies. The performance has yet to be released on CD, digital markets, or streaming platforms.
Chilean rock band La Ley performed on MTV Unplugged in 2001, and released an album of the performance, which went on to win a Grammy award. This is the band's best selling album. After the album's success, La Ley was finally able to internationalize themselves and they make their way to foreign countries such as the United States. The album contains older songs from previous albums plus three new songs.
Jay-Z recorded a performance of Unplugged on November 18, 2001, with The Roots serving as his backing band. The subsequent album sold over 600,000 copies and made it to No. 20 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Dashboard Confessional recorded an Unplugged show in New York in 2002, and became the first band without a platinum record to do so. The band released the show as MTV Unplugged 2.0 on CD and DVD.
2010–2019
An MTV Unplugged performance featuring German rapper Sido was recorded on January 28, 2010 in Berlin.
MTV revived the show on March 10, 2010 with Adam Lambert.
In 2010, American musician B.o.B recorded an Unplugged performance.
In October 2010, Mexican rock band Panda recorded their MTV Unplugged performance in Mexico City. It aired on November 23, 2010.
In March 2011, K-os performed an MTV Unplugged in Toronto that was recorded for a future album and DVD.
On March 4, 2011, an MTV Unplugged performance featuring Lykke Li debuted on MTV.com.
In May 2011, Los Tigres del Norte MTV Unplugged was aired on MTV Tr3s. They became the first Regional Mexican group to ever record an Unplugged.
On May 13, 2011, Thirty Seconds to Mars recorded an Unplugged performance at Sony Music Studios in New York City. The band's set list consisted of songs extracted from their third studio album, This Is War (2009) and cover versions of songs by U2 and The Police. The performance was later released as a four-track extended play with a video accompaniment package. The Unplugged version of "Hurricane" won the MTV Award for Best Live Performance.
On June 12, 2011, Lil Wayne performed acoustic versions of his catalog, being the first rapper to have a televised Unplugged since 2001, when Jay-Z recorded with The Roots. The special was labeled MTV2 Presents: Lil Wayne Unplugged, premiering on MTV2, MTV and MTV.com.
In April 2012, Florence and the Machine starred in an MTV Unplugged special.
In May 2012, 9mm Parabellum Bullet performed at Billboard Live in Tokyo. A DVD was released with unbroadcasted songs.
2020–present
In 2020, during the COVID-19 global pandemic, MTV launched MTV Unplugged at Home; the series featured 14 online episodes.
On February 23, 2021, MTV released a performance by BTS, the first South Korean band to appear on Unplugged.
On July 2, 2021, Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga gave a performance in front of an intimate studio audience in New York City. The recorded performance aired on MTV Unplugged on December 16, 2021.
In 2021, British band Bastille recorded an MTV Unplugged performance in Porchester Hall.
On June 9, 2022, American alternative rock duo Twenty One Pilots performed new versions of several songs (both old and new) on MTV Unplugged.
In 2022, Polish band Lady Pank recorded an MTV Unplugged performance in Warsaw, which was released as a CD, vinyl, and video on the Player streaming platform.
Performances using the "Unplugged" format
The rock band Tesla performed an all-acoustic live set on July 2, 1990 that was released under the title Five Man Acoustical Jam in November of that year, following the format established the previous year by MTV Unplugged.
MTV's sister channel VH1 airs VH1 Storytellers, interspersing mostly acoustic performances with the artists discussing the history, meaning and memories of the songs.
Bon Jovi performed unplugged in 2007 on CMT. The Police, Mary J. Blige, Kenny Chesney and John Mayer were scheduled to perform.
The fourth season of Canadian Idol featured an Unplugged night which was held at Toronto's Masonic Temple. This episode of Canadian Idol was a tribute to MTV in two ways: a direct tribute to the Unplugged format, and to celebrate the recent licensing of the new MTV Canada which was located in the Masonic Hall until 2012.
On July 30, 2020, Code Orange performed a livestreamed acoustic set on Twitch spoofing MTV Unplugged under the title of "MUDTV Mudbanger's Ball" during the COVID-19 pandemic. The band described it as "conceptually akin to classic MTV Unplugged performances, but with nightmarish digital twists and turns." The performance was later remastered and released on September 4, 2020, as their album Under the Skin.