3 Acoustic ‘MTV Unplugged’ Grunge Songs that Are Better than the Originals

In the 1990s, MTV Unplugged was the place to be. The series got your favorite bands together to strip down (well, not like that!) and play more classical instruments, trading buzzy electric guitars for acoustic six-strings and fat electric basses for more refined acoustic ones. The result was some truly great music that you couldn’t find anywhere else.

Here below, we wanted to explore three such offerings from seminal grunge bands at the time. A trio of tunes that may just be better played acoustic than they are in their heavy, hefty studio forms. Indeed, these are three acoustic MTV Unplugged grunge songs that have stood the test of time.

[RELATED: 3 Classic Rock Songs from the 1950s that Continue to Blow Our Minds]

“Would?” by Alice in Chains (1996)

The band’s iconic song “Would?” appeared on the 1992 LP Dirt, as well as the soundtrack for the Seattle-based movie Singles. But never was it better than on a 1996 MTV Unplugged session. Lead singer Layne Staley looked more like an apparition than a human being and while that was the result of personal demons, it gave the visual of the moment a haunting feel. As far as the lyrics, Staley and Jerry Cantrell harmonized singing them like long lost brothers, telling the story of Andrew Wood, a grunge star in Seattle who died of a drug overdose. And the music, though acoustic, was heavy and brooding.

“Jeremy” by Pearl Jam from (2019)

While recorded in 1992, this MTV Unplugged album didn’t see the light of day until a Record Store Day release in 2019 and then a wider release a year later. But for those who saw it in the moment, it was a treat to see Eddie Vedder, Mike McCready, and the boys playing their early hits from Ten with acoustic guitars. On this song, Vedder sings about a school shooting. Indeed, “Jeremy” is one of the band’s most well-known and notorious tracks. Though it tells a sad story, it’s also rather epic when played in unison acoustic.

“Come As You Are” by Nirvana (1994)

Perhaps the most famous MTV Unplugged recording, Nirvana’s was done in New York City. It features Kurt Cobain at the top of his game. Bassist Krist Novoselic plays a giant acoustic bass and a fresh-faced Dave Grohl is back on the drumkit. Here, their popular track “Come As You Are” is played with poise and skill as candles burn and flowers rest in vases. Cobain’s voice scratches and rings out like a rusty bell and the band perhaps never sounded better.

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