But, overall, the success of Adams’ Unplugged album boils down to good songs and good performances. He also brought out some unexpected guests to spice things up: uilleann piper Davy Spillane, composer Michael Kamen and a group of music students from the Juilliard School. After opening with his beloved hit “Summer Of ’69,” Adams rolled out “Back To You,” the first of three new songs he’d introduce in his set. Are they going to just play the hits straight or are they going to have some fun with the formula? Bryan Adams’ MTV Unplugged performance swings to the latter. Part of the fun of watching an established artist go on MTV Unplugged is the question of what surprises they might have in store. All three of those chart-topping hits – “Stitches,” “Treat You Better,” and “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back” – got the acoustic treatment, as well as deep cuts like “Roses” and “Patience.” Mendes’ MTV Unplugged performance reminded us what we already knew – that he’s as talented a pop songsmith as John Mayer or Ed Sheeran, and he’s got a very long and fruitful career ahead of him.
In other words, he was a bona fide superstar when he recorded his MTV Unplugged special. By then, he’d topped Billboard’s US Adult Contemporary and US Adult Top 40 charts three times, debuted two albums atop the Billboard 200 and embarked on three headlining tours. Shawn Mendes was barely of legal drinking age in his native Canada when he appeared on MTV Unplugged. Three decades after its initial launch, MTV Unplugged made space for both, offering fans the opportunity to see their favourite artists in a new light.Ĭlick to load video 14: Shawn Mendes (2017) James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke and NPR’s Tiny Desk performances are perhaps today’s equivalents: one offers meme-ready snapshots of an artist letting their lighter side shine, the other allows for musicianship and more introspective performances to take centre-stage arguably neither, however, quite have the same cultural impact. Further bookings would include R.E.M., Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and, the first artist to release his performance as a live album, Paul McCartney.Ĭollectively, the MTV Unplugged performances define an era that now seems long past.
REM UNPLUGGED SERIES
Whatever the case may be, MTV’s new series had no trouble attracting huge names right out of the gate, including the likes of Sinéad O’Connor, Elton John, and Aerosmith within its first year. Some go a little further back to 1982, when The Secret Policeman’s Other Ball, a British benefit show, spawned a live album and film that were successful on both sides of the Atlantic, thanks in part to some spirited acoustic performances. Some point to well-received acoustic sets on MTV by popular acts like XTC and Bon Jovi earlier that year. MTV Unplugged first aired on November 26, 1989, though it’s difficult to say what exactly inspired its creation.
Not only one of the best MTV Unplugged performances in the show’s three-decade history, it remains one of the greatest live performances of all time. The fact that Cobain’s sweater has become a pop-cultural artefact is just one more example of how Nirvana’s performance on MTV Unplugged In New York– which turned 25 just days after the auction – has seared itself into the timeline of popular music. A while back, the shaggy green cardigan Kurt Cobain wore on MTV Unplugged was auctioned off for a staggering $334,000.
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