The best MTV Unplugged sessions

18 November 2024, 18:48

Let's look back at some of the greatest moments of the acoustic series with Nirvana, R.E.M, Oasis, Biffy Clyro and more.

1. Nirvana - 1993

   No discussion about MTV Unplugged would be complete without mentioning Nirvana. Recorded around five months before Kurt Cobain's suicide, their Unplugged session became the last televised performance of the troubled singer before he died. Unlike many MTV Unplugged sessions, it wasn't Nirvana's own track, but instead a David Bowie cover which became one of the most memorable performances of all time.Watch the band perform Bowie's Man Who Sold The World below: 

   

   Nirvana - The Man Who Sold The World (MTV Unplugged)

2. R.E.M. - 1991

   To support the release of their Out Of Time album, the band performed a striking rendition of Losing My Religion with members of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra at the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center in Madison, Georgia. The band went on to play another MTV Unplugged session in 2001- a testament to their longevity and popularity as a band. 

   

   R.E.M. - Losing My Religion (1991)

3. Oasis - 1996

   Their epic gig at the Royal Festival Hall London saw Liam Gallagher refuse to perform, instead leaving his brother Noel to take the reins. Noel, who remarked: "Liam ain't gonna be with us 'cause he's got a sore throat, so you're stuck with the ugly four," went on to play a 12-song set to a captive audience. Unbelievably, despite not wanting to join them on stage, his brother Liam watched the whole show and heckled from the crowd. 

   

   OASIS ♪♫ THE MASTERPLAN (Unplugged 1996)

4. Biffy Clyro - 2017

   Bringing MTV Unplugged back to London for a one-off special to celebrate the MTV EMA's, Simon Neil and co went down to the woods for their intimate performance, showcasing the best of their career and latest album, Ellipsis.

   No doubt taking inspiration from Nirvana's iconic Unplugged set as the band admitted to practicing it in their garage before they got famous, the band were surrounded by an ethereal forest setting. Simon Neil - who was clad in a kimono - also covered The Beach Boys' God Only Knows, which he dedicated to his wife.

   

   Biffy Clyro - Re-arrange (MTV Unplugged Live at Roundhouse, London)

5. Bob Dylan - 1994

   Decades after going electric, Bob Dylan went acoustic again (sort of), delighting audiences with performances which lasted two nights and included renditions of his biggest hits. Watch him perform Knocking On Heaven's Door: 

   

   Bob Dylan - Knockin' On Heaven's Door (Unplugged)

6. Alanis Morissette - 1999

   On 8 September 1999, the Canadian artist performed a selection of tracks, including songs from her 1995 album, Jagged Little Pill and its 1998 follow-up, Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie.

   Watch her performance of Ironic, which solidified her status as one of the biggest singer-songwriters of the nineties: 

   

   You Oughta Know - Alanis Morissette - tradução - legendado

7. Liam Gallagher - 2019

   Liam may have missed the Oasis session for MTV, but he made up for it with his solo show from 2019, recorded at Hull's City Hall for the release of his second album Why Me? Wy Not.

   

   Liam Gallagher - Stand By Me (MTV Unplugged) | MTV Music

8. Florence + The Machine, 2011

   An amazing session recorded at Angel Orensanz Center, complete with a ten-piece choir. The show coincided with the release of Florence's second album, Ceremonials.

   

   Cosmic Love - Florence + the Machine MTV Unplugged

9. The Cure

   Recorded in January 1991, Robert Smith and co lit candles and sat on comfy pillows for a very stripped down session, which included acoustic versions of Boys Don't Cry, Just Like Heaven and Lullaby.

   

   The Cure-Boys Dont Cry Unplugged HD 1991

10. Paul McCartney

    The former Beatle was another early advocate of the show and became the first artist to release his session as an album: Unplugged (The Official Bootleg), which hit stores in May 1991. Macca performed rock 'n' roll standards like Be-Bop-A-Lula, Beatles classics (Blackbird, I've Just Seen A Face) and even a few solo tunes (Every Night, That Would Be Something).

    

    MTV Unplugged: Paul McCartney - We Can Work It Out | Prime