![]() ![]() LL Cool J, MC Lyte, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul | “ Yo! MTV Raps Unplugged” (1991) Originally covered on The Beatles’ third studio album “ A Hard Day’s Night ” (1964), “ And I Love Her ” (1964) is the standout performance of the record: Its sparse instrumentation, disarming vocal harmonies and light piano keys feel like a weighted blanket. McCartney also covered many blues and rockabilly standards on the live album, including Bill Withers’ “ Ain’t No Sunshine ” (1971) and Gene Vincent’s “ Be-Bop-A-Lula ” (2007). ![]() The former “ Fab Four ” member covered many old The Beatles songs, including “ Blackbird ” (1968) and “ Here, There And Everywhere ” (1966). Producer Alex Coletti would later credit McCartney’s performance as being the one that solidified “MTV Unplugged” as a cult show. Paul McCartney’s acoustic and bluesy set rejuvenated “MTV Unplugged” and brought many listeners into the fold. Paul McCartney | “ Unplugged (The Official Bootleg)” (1991) Because of the lasting impact of the program, I want to examine the highs and lows of past artists who have graced their stage - the dozens who have achieved unparalleled peaks and the dozens who have given quite lackluster performances - and analyze in chronological order why some have stood the test of time. The mood of “MTV Unplugged” has ebbed and flowed since its first season aired in 1989. In addition to the Video Music Awards and their now defunct music exposure program “ 120 Minutes ,” they would - and occasionally still do - host acoustic series where the world’s biggest artists would perform stripped-back performances of their hits for an intimate audience. ![]() Before MTV devolved into vapid reality series and viewer-submission shows a la “ America’s Funniest Home Videos ,” the channel was, as the name suggests, a medium for music television. No other mainstream media productions have been able to encapsulate this vulnerability better than “ MTV Unplugged ,” a staple of the entertainment mammoth MTV. Music does not get any more raw or vulnerable than this. The unplugged album succeeds by nature of not being flashy: If the artist triumphs, it is all the more impressive and a testament to their craft. Maybe the appeal is a response to being inundated with stimulation, or maybe it is just impressive in its own right. There has always been something captivating about your favorite artists unplugging their instruments and going acoustic. ![]()
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