Acoustic versions that made history: These are rock’s best unplugged albums:
The best unplugged albums in rock: Eric Clapton – “Unplugged”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_82Dtdjf8mQ
With his unplugged performance in London’s Bray Studios in 1992, Eric Clapton set another milestone in his career: the concert recording in front of a hand-picked audience not only took him back to his blues beginnings, but also live hits that he performed together with his touring band, came as a surprise to the audience in an unamplified version. The most famous piece, however, is “Tears In Heaven,” which Clapton played for his son who fell out of a hotel window – a moment that moved the audience to tears. The resulting “Unplugged” album sold more than 24 million copies and won three awards at the 1993 Grammy Awards.
Tracklist
Signe
Before You Accuse Me
Hey hey
Tears In Heaven
Lonely Stranger
Nobody Knows You When You’re Down & Out
Layla
Running On Faith
Walkin’ Blues
Alberta
San Francisco Bay Blues
Malted milk
Old Love
Rollin’ & Tumblin’
The best unplugged albums in rock: Paul McCartney – “Unplugged – The Official Bootleg”
In 1991, Paul McCartney was the first artist to decide to release his performance on “MTV Unplugged” as a recording. The concert included some Beatles songs (“Blackbird,” “And I Love Her”) and cover versions (“Ain’t No Sunshine”) as well as the song “I Lost My Little Girl,” which the musician sang when he was 14 had written. The Unplugged show was recorded for MTV in front of around 200 guests at the Limehouse Television Studios in Wembley.
Tracklist
Be-Bop-A-Lula
I Lost My Little Girl
Here There and Everywhere
Blue Moon of Kentucky
We Can Work It Out
San Francisco Bay Blues
I’ve Just Seen a Face
Everynight
She’s a Woman
Hi heel sneakers
And I Love Her
That Would Be Something
Blackbird
Ain’t No Sunshine
Good Rockin’ Tonight
Singin’ the Blues
junk
The best unplugged albums in rock: Nirvana – “MTV Unplugged in New York”
The overwhelming success of “Nevermind”, then the later free swimming with “In Utero” and finally a surprising acoustic set in New York – Nirvana did a lot right in their short career. The Unplugged concert, recorded in New York City in 1993, remains one of MTV’s most famous acoustic shows. Not least because Kurt Cobain decided to cover many of his personal favorite songs instead of presenting his sound as an unplugged version.
Tracklist
About a Girl
Come as you are
Jesus Doesn’t Want Me for a Sunbeam (Original by The Vaselines)
The Man Who Sold the World (Original by David Bowie)
Penny Royal Tea
Dumb
Polly
On a plain
Something in the Way
Plateau (original by Meat Puppets)
Oh, Me (Original by Meat Puppets)
Lake of Fire (Original by Meat Puppets)
All apologies
Where Did You Sleep Last Night (Originally by Leadbelly)
The best unplugged albums in rock: Neil Young – “Unplugged”
It took two attempts to produce this unplugged album: Because Neil Young was dissatisfied with the first recordings for “MTV Unplugged”, the musician brought in Ben Keith, Tim Drummond and Nils Lofgren for a second recording. The concert was also released on VHS, the unplugged album with songs like “Harvest Moon”, “Long May You Run” and “Like A Hurricane” was released in 1993.
Tracklist
The Old Laughing Lady
Mr Soul
World on a String
Pocahontas
Stringman
Like a hurricane
The Needle and the Damage Done
Helpless
Harvest Moon
Transformer Man
Unknown Legend
Look Out for My Love
Long May You Run
From Hank to Hendrix
The best unplugged albums in rock: Alice In Chains – “Unplugged”
Alice in Chains ended their live break with the “Unplugged” show in April 1996 – the last time the band had appeared on stage together was on their world tour in 1993. Their third album had been released just a few months earlier. However, apart from a few support shows for the band Kiss, it was to be the band’s last concert with singer Layne Staley, who died in 2002.
Tracklist
Nutshell
Bro
No excuses
Sludge Factory
Down in a hole
Angry Chair
Rooster
Got Me Wrong
Heaven Beside You
Would?
Frogs
About Now
Killer Is Me