In the mid-eighties it seemed as if the old pop music toolbox had had its day: the days of guitar, bass and drums were over, instead machines took over and the artificial sound of synthesizers and drum machines entered the charts.
But already by the end of the decade there seemed to be a longing for the “honest” sound of the past. Bon Jovi, U2 and Guns N’ Roses brought handmade music back into play. And the two producers Jim Burns and Bob Small had the idea for a back-to-basics show in which musicians would play reduced versions of their hits on acoustic instruments.
In interviews, the two said the idea came to them when Bruce Springsteen came on stage alone with an acoustic guitar for the final encore at one of his concerts. Songwriter Jules Shear, who hosted the first episodes of the concept that MTV eventually implemented, said Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora’s acoustic performance at MTV Video Music 1989 was the catalyst for the new series.
In the first episode of “MTV Unplugged”, which was broadcast at the end of October 1989, three other acts could be seen: Squeeze, Syd Straw and Elliot Easton. It was not until the end of 1990 that the concept was finally tailored to one artist per show. The popularity increased enormously after Paul McCartney released the first “Unplugged” album in 1991 in an initially limited number, making it into the top ten of the British charts and in 1982 in the USA had his biggest success since the hit record “Tug Of War” with the Stevie Wonder duet “Ebony And Ivory”.
The album that finally made the series a household name was Eric Clapton’s “Unplugged”, which was released in August 1992, almost exactly 30 years ago, and is the best-selling live album of all time with more than 26 million copies to date .
Suddenly, a full-bearded Armani suit and reading glasses also appealed to the grunge generation, and the idea of picking up an acoustic guitar could revitalize entire careers (see also Johnny Cash’s “American Recordings” two years later).
In August, MTV shows numerous unplugged concerts in cooperation with ROLLING STONE. Here are all the TV dates:
- Thu 04.08. at 11:40 p.m.: MTV Unplugged: Placebo
- Sat 06.08. at 12:00 a.m.: MTV Unplugged: Alanis Morissette
- Sun 07.08. at 11:15 p.m.: MTV Unplugged: Pearl Jam
- Thu 11.08. at 11:40 p.m.: MTV Unplugged 2: Udo Lindenberg – Live from the Atlantic
- Sat 13.08. at 00:00: MTV Unplugged: Cro
- Sun 14.08. at 11:15 p.m.: MTV Unplugged: Marius Müller-Westernhagen
- Thu 18.08. at 11:40 p.m.: MTV Unplugged: a-ha
- Sat 20.08. at 00:00: MTV Unplugged: Max Herre
- Sun 21.08. at 11:15 p.m.: MTV Unplugged: Paul McCartney
- Thu 25.08. at 11:40 p.m.: MTV Unplugged: Liam Gallagher
- Sat 27.08. at 00:00; MTV Unplugged: Tash Sultana
- Sun 28.08. at 11:15 p.m.: MTV Unplugged: Nirvana