The show had been negotiating with Cobain for some time when he and the band finally agreed to participate.
In recent years, the show has invited Latin and South American singers, as well as musicians who are popular in Europe and Asia.Ī particularly poignant episode associated with MTV Unplugged is Nirvana’s 1993 performance. In 1991, recognizing the growing popularity of rap music, Unplugged invited LL Cool J, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, and MC Lyte to perform. Bruce Springsteen also chose to perform with fully amplified instruments, thus bringing into question the point of calling the show “Unplugged.” The resulting album, No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded, was certified Platinum worldwide. It was not an actual reunion given that Jon Bonham had since passed, but also that John Paul Jones was not even told about the event and thus did not participate. In one case, Robert Plant reunited with Jimmy Page in 1994 for a show titled “Unledded” which included amplified instruments such as Page’s guitar – with additional orchestral musicians and some acoustic instruments. In some cases, certain instruments were “electrified” given that, for example, by the nature of the frequencies, an acoustic bass guitar is often difficult to hear. Clapton’s release, simply titled Unplugged, went on to sell 26 million copies worldwide, earning six Grammy Awards for the album, including Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year (“Tears in Heaven”), Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, Best Rock Male Vocal Performance, and Best Rock Song. Many of the artists who appeared on MTV Unplugged took the opportunity to release their performances commercially, some with great success - most notably Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart, Mariah Carey, Alice in Chains, and Tony Bennett.
As a result, the audience was often small in number, providing a more personal setting for the artists, audience, and viewers. Along with the idea that performers would be mostly on mic’d acoustic instruments, a side-effect of the quieter performance was that the venue was usually smaller. Initially, it was hosted by songwriter Jules Shear (“All Through the Night”, “If She Knew What She Wants”) but in later seasons no host was used. It quickly became a cultural phenomenon, earning three Prime Time Emmy awards and the George Foster Peabody Award. The first season included artists such as Poison, Squeeze, Joe Satriani, Aerosmith, Elton John, Joe Walsh, and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Created by producers Robert Small (MTV’s The Spoken Word) and Jim Burns, the genesis for this idea was predicated on the question “How can we create another venue for artists?”
Starting in 1989, airing initially for ten years, and then periodically continuing to this day, MTV Unplugged provided the opportunity for popular musicians to perform music without the typical amplification, mixing, and such that you might find on one of their CDs or during a concert performance. Back when MTV actually played music, a particular show introduced fans to a unique perspective on their favorite bands and musicians.
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