MTV Unplugged (1989)

Genre

music television

Country

United States

Length

35 seasons, 172 episodes

Rated

TV-PG

Rating

7.1 of 10 from 14 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

Popular musicians perform acoustic versions of their songs in a live setting. The show was a regular series from 1989 to 1999 and has continued with occasional specials since then.

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What happens

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+. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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