MTV Unplugged

Shawn Mendes performs acoustically.

An elite lineup of the Garden State's greatest superstars, including Queen Latifah, Wyclef Jean, Redman, Naughty By Nature's own Treach, Poor Righteous Teachers, Heather B, and hip hop pioneers The Sugarhill Gang, with musical direction from Emmy-winning artist, Adam Blackstone, joined forces on-stage for a once-in-a-lifetime episode of the iconic music series taped at the historic Newark Symphony Hall. Additional performances from Lady Luck and Lords of the Underground solidify the night as a true salute to Jersey hip hop.

Twenty One Pilots are an American musical duo from Columbus, Ohio. Initially a band, the group was formed in 2009 by lead vocalist Tyler Joseph along with Nick Thomas and Chris Salih, who both left in 2011. Since their departure, the line-up has consisted of Joseph and drummer Josh Dun.

Bastille are an English pop rock band formed in 2010. The group began as a solo project by lead vocalist Dan Smith, but later expanded to include keyboardist Kyle Simmons, bassist and guitarist Will Farquarson and drummer Chris “Woody” Wood.

Icons Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga swing it on a selection of classic Cole Porter duets from their six-time Grammy-nominated album, "Love for Sale.

Miley Cyrus performs an acoustic set of original songs and covers including Britney Spears's "Gimme More," and is joined by Noah Cyrus for a rendition of "I Got So High That I Saw Jesus."

Recorded in Hull, UK in August of 2019, MTV Unplugged showcases Liam Gallagher’s solo career highlights alongside Oasis classics in new arrangements featuring backing choir, a string section and more. The MTV special aired globally in September in celebration of the release of his second solo album WHY ME? WHY NOT and includes the solo hits “Wall of Glass” and “One of Us” as well as Oasis’ global smash single “Champagne Supernova”.

Jack Antonoff and the band perform a stripped-down set of new tracks from “Gone Now” for their fans at the iconic Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ. Special guests include Lorde and Carly Rae Jepsen.

In 2017, Norwegian band a-ha recorded the MTV Unplugged – Summer Solstice album and DVD/Blu-ray. The album and DVD/Blu-ray were released on 6 October 2017. It was recorded live at the Harbour Hall at Ocean Sound Recordings in Giske, Norway on 22 and 23 June 2017. MTV had first approached a-ha 10 years earlier, but the band had put it off several times until 2017. The performance includes a selection of guest artists, including Lissie, Alison Moyet, Ian McCulloch and Ingrid Helene Håvik.

Shawn Mendes plays a stripped-down, acoustic set of his most popular hits like, “Mercy” and “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back” at the Ace Hotel in Los Angeles, California.

On the 19th of August, Placebo performed a unique one-off show for MTV Unplugged at the London Studios in the UK. Here we present the results of this incredible show.The band were encased in spectacular LED box during the performance, from where they belted out some of their most well-loved tracks such as 'The Bitter End' and 'Every You Every Me.' Some new gems were dropped in for good measure, alongside surprise guests Joan As Police Woman and Majke Voss Romme (Broken Twin). No Placebo show would be complete without some signature cover versions and this set did not disappoint, from the breath-taking opener to the show- Sinead O'Connors 'Jackie' to a melancholy version of Pixies 'Where Is My Mind'

Jack Antonoff and the band perform a stripped-down set of new tracks from “Gone Now” for their fans at the iconic Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ. Special guests include Lorde and Carly Rae Jepsen.

Shawn Mendes plays a stripped-down, acoustic set of his most popular hits like, “Mercy” and “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back” at the Ace Hotel in Los Angeles, California.

German reggae artist Gentleman performs accompanied by Ky-Mani Marley, Milky Chance, Shaggy, Christopher Martin and more. This was the first time MTV Unplugged had a reggae artist after 25 years.

In an intimate live performance, Kinky joins forces with MTV for their first-ever 'Unplugged' album, featuring a superstar line-up of guests and new versions of their classic hits.

The iconic German rockers perform on September 11 and 12, 2013. The Scorpions played two fantastic acoustic sets in the Lycabettus theatre of Athens. The open-air theater - designed by the Greek architect Takis Zenetos in 1965 - is situated on Mount Lycabettus, at a height of 300m, and offers an impressive view of the Greek metropolis. The show captivates with its numerous intimate moments and infectious adrenaline rushes (such as during a percussion solo). What can be stated with certainty is that the Scorpions evidently enjoyed this musical roller-coaster ride through their own history. It is equally obvious that both rock songs and power ballads display their class and style even when rendered as acoustic versions. The melodies maintain their timeless compositional appeal and the quality of the performance proves time and again that the Scorpions are blessed.

The country star performs her hits including "Good Girl" and "Before He Cheats," as well as a surprise cover of Coldplay's "Fix You."

British singer-songwriter Rita Ora performs a wide selection of her hits at a concert in New York City, featuring a variety of fan favorite tracks such as "How We Do (Party)," "R.I.P." and numerous other well-received songs.

American pop rock singer-songwriter Kelly Clarkson performs a selection of her hits at an acoustic concert in New York City, featuring a variety of her older tracks, as well as songs from her 2011 album, "Stronger.

Los Angeles rock band 30 Seconds to Mars performs an acoustic concert in New York City, featuring a selection of fan favorite hits such as "Hurricane," "Kings and Queens," "Closer to the Edge," and numerous others during May 2011.

English folk rock band Mumford and Sons perform private and intimate concert in New York City for their fans, including hits such as "Roll Away Your Stone," "Little Lion Man," and "Sigh No More" during the spring of 2011.

Ayaka's concert took place on November 18, 2009 at Osaka-Jo Hall. It was Ayaka's last solo concert before her hiatus to treat her illness of Graves' disease.

Spunky singer-songwriter Katy Perry takes the 'MTV Unplugged' stage armed with jazzy, stripped-down and soulful arrangements of her hit songs. This is a performance not to be missed. 1. "I Kissed a Girl" / 2. "Lost" / 3. "Ur So Gay" / 4. "Thinking of You" / 5. "Hackensack" / 6. "Waking Up in Vegas" / 7. "Brick By Brick"

Paramore shot their 'MTV Unplugged’ performance in late summer 2009 in New York City. Vocalist Hayley Williams, guitarists Josh Farro and Taylor York, drummer Zac Farro and bassist Jeremy Davis took to the stage armed with only acoustic guitars and a handful of songs designed to shock your heart into life. Although only a very lucky few were there to watch them tear through hits "That's What You Get," "Misery Business" and "Decode," as well as "Ignorance" and "Brick By Boring Brick" off of their latest album, Brand New Eyes, MTV.com has the entire performance here for everyone else to see. It is in the live setting where Paramore shine and their Unplugged performance proves that yet again.

Julieta Venegas, who won Latin Grammys and Mexiacan Grammys in the past, appears for an Unplugged session in Mexico City. Recorded on April 6th in Mexico City in front of 600 people. She was supported by Oscar winner Gustavo Santaolalla, Brazilian singer Marisa Monte, Spanish rapper Mala Rodríguez; and Juan Carlos Son, vocalist for the group Porter and Natalia Lafourcade.

The band legendary for inspiration behind the Unplugged phenomenon is set to take center stage for a 3 night unprecedented 3 channel event. MTV, VH1 and CMT will each host a night and each edition will encompass the music of their audience. This is scheduled days after the release of their newest album Lost Highway.

On December 9, 2006, a band whose name is inextricably linked to growling, horror-flick-caliber rage, stood before a live orchestra and introduced a lucky crowd of 50 to something completely different. To drive their new sound home, Korn invited some special guests to accompany their orchestra (which consisted of cellos, upright bass, cimbassos, trombones, a singing saw, a glass harmonica, choir bells and a set of Japanese conga drums called taiko). Amy Lee from Evanescence joins Korn for "Freak On A Leash" and The Cure guest on a mash-up of "Make Me Mad" and "In Between Days." Nowhere else is the transformative power of 'MTV Unplugged' more apparent. Watch as California hard rockers Korn strip down and give their angry anthems a new flamenco flair, in this classic episode of 'MTV Unplugged.'

MTV Unplugged was taped on August 17, 2006 in Miami. It premiered on MTV Latin America, MTV Tr3s and MTV Puerto Rico in October 2006. The performance includes Puerto Rican influences, particularly "Tu Recuerdo" (based mainly on a Puerto Rican "aguinaldo jíbaro," and finishing with an "aguinaldo orocoveño") and "Pégate", a Puerto Rican plena. Christian Nieves plays the Puerto Rican cuatro on both songs.

On July 14, 2005 Alicia Keys performed at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York. Set List: 1. Intro Alicia's Prayer / 2. Karma / 3. Heartburn / 4. Footsteps In The Dark / 5. Intimate Friends / 6. How Come You Don't Call Me / 7. If I Was Your Woman / 8. If I Ain't Got You / 9. Every Little Bit Hurts / 10. NY State of Mind / 11. Wild Horses / 12. Diary / 13. Let Me Prove My Love To You / 14. Stolen Moments / 15. Fallin' / 16. Latoya / 17. Welcome To Jamrock / 18. Love It Or Leave It Alone

Following the success of Blueprint, Jay-Z took a break from the studio productions of Timbaland and Just Blaze and stepped into acoustic surroundings for a taped edition of MTV's long-running Unplugged series. With the talents of the Roots as his backing band, Jay-Z fails to miss a step and feels just as comfortable in the unplugged arena as he does with drum machines and a mixing desk in front of him. The skills of Roots drummer Ahmir Thompson emulate even the slightest nuance from the originally programmed electronic beats, and Jay-Z fails to take this for granted, gently shifting from one song to the next in medley form with ease. With a strong track listing spanning his entire career of chart-topping hits, this album is the perfect introduction to Jay-Z's prolific catalog and a fun listen for the most dedicated of fans. ~ Rob Theakston

Performing at MTV Studios in Times Square, NYC, Lauryn Hill unveiled her much-anticipated new material and later released it on the album MTV Unplugged No. 2.0. It had been three years since the release of Hill's The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Hill appeared with her hair cut off and performed in a stripped-down, minimalist style. Her set included her playing an acoustic guitar, spoken word segments, and occasionally breaking down in tears.