10 Greatest MTV Unplugged Rock Performances
2. Nirvana
One of the standout moments in Nirvana’s whirlwind career, was their iconic 1993 Unplugged performance which came some five months prior to Kurt Cobain’s suicide. The band was the hottest property in rock at the time, and MTV had played a major part in launching their success when the heavy airplay for the Smells Like Teen Spirit video had turned Nirvana into overnight superstars.
However, Cobain was becoming disillusioned with fame, and his relationship with heroin was starting to take over. Nirvana had followed up the hugely successful 1991 album Nevermind with their final, darker sounding 1993 record In Utero, and their Unplugged performance would collate a number of songs from both records alongside some surprising covers - including songs from David Bowie and The Vaselines.
Nirvana were a bag of nerves before their MTV Unplugged appearance, with Cobain especially unsure of how they were going to sound without a wall of distortion to hide behind. But their performance turned out to be a unique experience, with Kurt vocally baring his soul like never before.