10 Greatest Acoustic Rock Albums

10. Nirvana - MTV Unplugged in New York

As the biggest stars to emerge from the grunge scene, Nirvana will forever be synonymous with volume, aggression, and distortion. And while that was a big part of their sound, it’s always worth remembering just how tuneful and melodically accomplished they were, both as musicians and songwriters.

This live acoustic set perfectly evidences this. Some of their canon is ready-made for a stripped back rendition - “Something In The Way” and “All Apologies”, most notably, whose album versions are sombre and string-assisted. More interesting are the rockers. The explosive “Pennyroal Tea” is stately and emotional, and the up-tempo, poppy “On A Plain” almost sounds like a good time country tune here.

Perhaps most notable of all are the covers. The band are joined by Curt and Cris Kirkwood to belt through some Meat Puppets covers, and Cobain re-ups his Vaselines fandom. It’s an all round remarkably dynamic performance from Nirvana, who can play delicate stuff or wrangle the acoustic instruments for all they’re worth.

It’s Cobain’s show, though, and he ends things with a version of the traditional "Where Did You Sleep Last Night". It might just be his definitive performance, growing from a bluesy wail into a bloodied roar. Recorded not five months before his suicide, it remains utterly haunting.