MTV Unplugged
Stripped-down concert series
MTV Unplugged is a concert series featuring artists performing acoustic or stripped-down versions of their songs, without electric amplification.
The format began in 1989 and produced landmark albums from artists like Nirvana, Eric Clapton, and Alice in Chains.
The name has become shorthand for any acoustic reimagining of typically electric music: They did an unplugged version of the song.
Simplified to basics
- strummingSweeping across guitar strings
- fingerpickingPlucking strings by hand
- rawIn original state
- unamplifiedWithout electronic volume increase
resonance · wooden · harmony · melody · ballad · folk · capo · fretboard
Raised performance platform
- audienceGathered viewers collectively
- setlistOrdered concert songs
- encoreAudience-demanded extra performance
- applauseCollective hand-clapping approval
live · venue · soundcheck · backstage · microphone · stool · onstage · rearranged
Broadcast viewing device
- broadcastTransmitted media signal
- episodesDistinct parts of a series
- cableHeavy-duty woven line
- 1990sFinal twentieth-century decade
premiere · seasons · format · guests · host · taping · studio · production
Release from earthly existence
- Pearl JamSeattle grunge pioneers
- KornPioneering nu-metal outfit
- MaxwellScottish-origin given name
- definitiveSettling a question finally
Eric Clapton · Mariah Carey · Lauryn Hill · Bob Dylan · Tony Bennett · Jay-Z · Shakira · Rod Stewart
Lit by wax flames
- cozyWarm and snug
- personalRelating to one's self
- close-upNear-range photograph
- heartfeltDeeply and sincerely meant
emotive · confessional · soulful · revealing · soft-spoken · tender · raw · unfiltered
Final twentieth-century decade
- retroEvoking recent past
- classicOf lasting excellence
- vintageQuality from past eras
- throwbackReturn to ancestral type
era · golden age · memories · timeless · defining moment · cultural touchstone · generation · youth
stripped-down
Simplified to basics
- strummingSweeping across guitar strings
- fingerpickingPlucking strings by hand
- rawIn original state
unamplified · resonance · wooden · harmony · melody · ballad · folk · capo · fretboard · chord
stage
Raised performance platform
- audienceGathered viewers collectively
- setlistOrdered concert songs
- encoreAudience-demanded extra performance
applause · live · venue · soundcheck · backstage · microphone · stool · onstage · rearranged · reinterpretation
television
Broadcast viewing device
1990s · premiere · seasons · format · guests · host · taping · studio · production · iconic
Nirvana
Release from earthly existence
Eric Clapton · Mariah Carey · Lauryn Hill · Bob Dylan · Tony Bennett · Jay-Z · Shakira · Rod Stewart · definitive · Grammy
candlelit
Lit by wax flames
heartfelt · emotive · confessional · soulful · revealing · soft-spoken · tender · raw · unfiltered · sincere
1990s
Final twentieth-century decade
throwback · era · golden age · memories · timeless · defining moment · cultural touchstone · generation · youth · heyday
- live performancesconcert, concert albums, concert recordings, concert film, play
- unpluggedacoustic, guitar, live, stripped-down, coffeehouse
- Rock Fandomfan art, fan clubs, fan forums, band tees, memorabilia
MTV Unpluggedoverproduced
Excessively refined or manufactured
unplugged, unplug, unplugs, unplugging, plug, plugs, plugged, plugging