unplugged

Unplugged performances strip music down to its acoustic essentials — no electric guitars, no synthesisers, no electronic processing. The concept was popularised by MTV Unplugged, which launched in 1989 and featured rock and pop artists performing their hits acoustically. Some of the most celebrated Unplugged sessions — by Nirvana, Eric Clapton, and Alice in Chains — produced albums that equalled or surpassed their electric counterparts in critical acclaim. The format revealed the strength of the underlying songs and the artists' musicianship. Going unplugged has become shorthand for an authentic, stripped-back approach to music.