MTV Unplugged In New York

It's OK, I prefer them unplugged, but some poor songs on here.

Elegiac

All the better for not just doing a greatest hits and instead zoning in on Meat Puppets 2. Hopefully that David Bowie gets an album on here too

Been going back to this for years. Raw and enjoyable while giving the best versions of already great songs.

I find this album to be a very good introductory album to Nirvana. Not just if you’ve never listened to them but also if you’re like me and only knew nevermind. The songs off of nevermind were the only ones I knew at first from this album but I quickly grew to really appreciate these other ones. This album has incredible tracks spanning all 3 of the bands albums while also including really great covers of a few different songs. This album was my first introduction to “about a girl”. I really really like this song and it’s one of my favorite on the album. It goes so hard. “The man who sold the world” is a pretty controversial one but in my opinion I find bowies to be infinitely better than this cover. It’s definitely not bad by any means whatsoever but bowies is just better. I find it crazy how many people only know nirvanas version of this song. Maybe it’s just because I’m such a huge Bowie fan but I’d take the original version of the song any day. The other covers here are really good such as “Jesus doesn’t want me for a sunbeam” and “lake of fire”. I really like the meat puppets covers and it definitely intrigues me to listen to them. My favorite cover is also the closer of the album, “where did you sleep last night”. I really like Cobain’s vocals here. I think I prefer the acoustic version of “all apologies” to the original. The guitar is so so beautiful. This really is one of the best songs ever recorded and is easily my favorite Nirvana song. The guitar intro is also just so iconic. This album really left an impact on me after I first listened and I’ve continuously come back since. This may be my favorite Nirvana project just for how well spread it is throughout their whole catalog while including additional covers. It gets 4.5/5 stars, nearly flawless. My favorite song is “all apologies”

Plateau - Live

If it were possible for me to give this album 6 stars I would. It’s a true must listen for anyone who considers themselves a fan of music.

david geffen should have bought leadbelly's guitar for kurt. also inviting the meat puppets to this is the best thing that has happened probably ever.

Huge nirvana fan, not my favorite album tho but still ez 5

April 15 2026 Wednesday Good listen, not the biggest nirvana guy but still enjoyed Need to listen to an actual album in full again Always saw this album in Barnes and noble and now finally listening

I hate that spotify just has the live recordings of this album. it was enjoyable though

This is the album that gets the hype for the ultimate Unplugged performance. And it is pretty damn good. It's neat to hear Kurt interact with the crowd, even minimally. Pennyroyal Tea is an especially emotional and poetic song that Kurt performs by himself. And other favorite tracks of mine include Lake of Fire and Something In The Way. This whole album feels bittersweet (knowing what would happen not too long after) and is very well performed. It's a great example of the Unplugged format.

Favourite songs: Polly, Come As You Are, The Man Who Sold the World, Jesus Doesn't Want Me For a Sunbeam

When I was 10 my family took me to a house party quinceañera and I was bored and one of the only kids. I found and stayed watching tv and as I channel surfed, there was this channel called MTV that played this unplugged for hours. Kurt Cobain died that week. Never been a fan even though I blasted Nevermind in my late teens, but I do love this album. Timeless, perfect, nostalgic, melancholic, strangely humorous. I know all the songs by heart and look forward to listen to this with my daughter as she grows up.

It's perhaps difficult to separate this album from the context surrounding Nirvana, and for many that only serves to enhance the experience. For me, as someone who has no strong feelings either way about the band, this is a fine, albeit seemingly mundane, live performance; though the comments from Kurt and others do give it a sense of life.

Had this on CD and enjoyed it immensely. Cobain was a legendary talent. Loved the cover of Bowie's The Man Who Sold the World.

I just can’t do live albums. Season: True Fall Favorite Song: Where Did You Sleep Last Night

Beautiful renditions of Nirvana classics with some adorable and hilarious banter between songs. Kurt’s voice is the star. What’s not to love?

🥀

MTV Unplugged was amazing and this was peak. The rawness and vulnerability in Kurt’s performance is unmatched. This was a 5* for me when it came out and I’ve only loved it more on re-listens since. 5/5

The pinnacle of MTV's "Unplugged" series and fitting swan song for Nirvana.

Incredible album. One of the best live albums I’ve ever heard. Amazing set.

Good music, sounds great live.

Great album. Nirvana and Clapton appearing on MTV and doing their unplugged concerts was quality entertainment. The subsequent recordings were terrific!

Loved it

Is it a good album? Indisputably. But is it one of the best live albums of all time? No, because for me, it doesn't capture their energy.

Nirvana no falla, tiene tomones muy bueno

*No doubt that this was an important recording/concert in music history. *I don't overly love acoustic versions of rock songs, but Kurt's performance is fantastic.

Gran álbum con los grandes exitos de Nirvana, los unplugged están hechos para que los puristas cierren la boca.

Simply not as aligned with this one as I'd like to be but it has plenty of strong moments.

Cobain manages to be overstated and somehow an underrated musician. I think especially the more distance we get from Nirvana the clearer it is how singular he was as a writer of chord progressions, a guitarist and a voice. The cult of fandom can go. But I want his music to stick around for a long time

a raw and incredibly vulnerable portrait of an artist at the peak of his powers

About a Girl — the guitar line is so catchy on this. The vocals aren't the cleanist, but they're definitely emotive. Come As You Are — the guitar line on this haunting and the lead guitar that comes in later is a big earworm. The harmonies on the final chorus are eerie and sound amazing. Jesus Doesn't Want Me For A Sunbeam — catchy rhythm guitar and chorus. Focused lyrics about rejection from traditional christian ideals. The Man Who Sold The World — that electric riff slaps. The best vocal performance up to this point. The prechorus does a great job at moving to the chorus in an unexpected and interesting way. The lyrics are sorrowful and regretful and the instrumental matches them in their own catchy way. Great close to the song too. Pennyroyal Tea — sweet depressing solo. Surprisingly catchy hook. Dumb — that's a really catchy string section. Bass line slaps. The lyrics are far from poetic, but are extremely honest and potent. The harmonisations at the end help the outro not fall flat and dull. Polly — haunting lyrics with almost lackadasical guitars matching the disturbed mind of the character Cobain is voicing. Don't really understand the chorus and don't find it that catchy, but it does help build the character. On A Plain — really catchy motifs. Cobain's voice is really good at feeling in pain at all times. Something In The Way — haunting and sorrowful. Best vegan song I've ever heard. The lyrics explore the uncomfortableness of living in a system that has carved up the world to serve its growth. Despite there being no evidence to make the life of other creatures feel as important as our own, that something is there, unexplainable but everpresent and vengeful; the looming strings exemplify this something. Plateau — an honest portrayal of settling for where you are out of fear of being somewhere higher. Catchy riffs. Cobain does sound like Shaggy on that high note. Oh Me — another slow, melodic, catchy song. The idea of an internal infinity feels dreadful. It's clear how Nirvana's songwriting set them apart in the mass's eyes to the rest of the grunge groups at the time. Lake Of Fire — Cobain refuses to sing normally. The bass, drums, and guitar all have a relentless groove. The vocals are catchy in all their quirkiness. All Apologies — again... that rhythm guitar is catchy af. Not sure what the "Everyone is gay" line is supposed to mean; can't tell if it was just the ignorant homophobia of the time or a very unclear attempt at LGBTQ support. Not as catchy to me as the other songs and Cobain's vocals don't quite do it for me on this one. Cobain, king of the (uncontrolled and self-damaging) vocal fry. Where Did You Sleep Last Night — one of the better Cobain vocal performance. The range and power and emotion he puts into this song probably stopped him from singing for the week after. That deep string is also amazing (for a band without a string specialist, it's amazing that every use of string is perfect). An amazing close to the set. Favourite song: Something In The Way Least favourite song: All Apologies Overall: the songwriting throughout this is impeccable. No song feels empty or too long. The only issues I have with some songs is that they don't leave as big an impression on me as some of the standouts here. The standouts are many though. Cobain's vocals can sometimes leave me wanting a more traditionally trained singer, but then equally his voice reaches emotions that a traditional singer would struggle to find. He is both what stops this from being perfect to me and what makes this a masterpiece. Rating: 4.6/5 Horses -> 4.6/5 Van Halen -> 3.0/5

Nirvana plays what is basically their greatest hits album in the form closest to how Kurt Cobain conceived these songs. The reason this album has the notoriety it has is because when stripped down to the bare essentials, the song writing speaks for itself and the band's tight performance proves why they reached the zenith of popularity at the time. About a Girl is the first great nirvana song, just a really interesting tune and dissonant chord progression. With this being played years later, the performance is even better. An excellent first song. Come As You Are is by all means a Classic and this performance is no detraction. The acoustic sound works so well despite the original using such heavy distortion. Jesus Doesn't Want Me For a Sunbeam is a cover originally by The Vaselines. The accordion adds a brightness not seen in nirvana songs and seems to just work. That being said, this is probably my least favourite cover on the album, because, despite being an alright song, it's not particularly interesting and the melody doesn't speak to me. The Man Who Sold The World has Nirvana covering a lesser known David Bowie song and completely surpassing the original in the way you wouldn't even realise it was a cover. The mostly acoustic instruments work extremely well with the cutting electric guitar soaring atop the rhythm section. Pennyroyal Tea is a great Kurt Cobain solo performance and features bare bones acoustic strumming that brings a spotlight to the really good song writing. Dumb is a self-deprecating song about being an outcast. Because the subject is different, he's led to believe he's dumb, not as good, etc. The blunt lyrics are the crux of the song. Musically, the song is really poignant, especially the bridge, which is one of Nirvana's best instrumentals. Being an acoustic set, this song benefits from its dark string backing and contrasts nicely after Pennyroyal Tea. Polly has some of the darkest lyrics in all their music and the music matches the misery of Polly, the girl Kurt is talking about. This is a great performance of the song, might be better than the original recording. On a Plain is one of nirvana's catchiest songs; not mentioned enough if you ask me. The melody is simple, its lyrically succinct. The acoustic guitars sound really good too. What more do you want? Something In The Way, The Batman song ~ song from The Batman. Its so bleak and depressing, it's immediately clear why a Nirvana song written about living under a bridge is the theme song for Batman. Apparently Kurt possibly did live under a bridge for some time. This song is perfect for a unplugged gig - one of the highlights of the album for sure. Plateau is the first Meat Puppets cover and stands out on the album stylistically. It's not my favourite, however Nirvana make pretty good work with the song. Kurt Cobain uses falsetto and it sounds really good with the redneck accent. Oh Me is another Meat Puppets cover. The instrumental is pretty damn fine and the bass lick is really cool. Solid performance and a good tune. Lake of Fire is the last Meat Puppets cover and it is legendary as far as covers go. Kurt kills the vocals on this one, never heard the original but I'm not sure the original dudes would've sung it better. All Apologies has one of Nirvana's best riffs and is one of the best songs so it's interesting to hear how it sounds live. I do think its a bit empty compared to the original but either way its a solid rendition. Where Did You Sleep Last Night as the final song is the chef's kiss, the ideal send off. Nirvana smashed this cover. Their style of grunge compliments Lead Belly's bluesy folk, Nirvana smashed this cover. Kurt's screaming vocal in the later verses sound immense, its heavier than a lot of heavy metal. Favourite Songs: About a Girl, Come As You Are, The Man Who Sold The World, Polly, Something In The Way, Lake of Fire, All Apologies, Where Did You Sleep Last Night Least Favourite: Jesus Doesn't Want Me For a Sunbeam Overall, this album stands to be one of the finest live albums in the popular canon. No doubt I would buy this on vinyl. Still can't believe I have never listened to it in full. Nirvana at their peak performing their greatest hits and a few of the best covers out there makes this an essential. Rating: 4.75/5

very basic songwriting (the guest artist tracks are the best of the lot) but sold by the performances. lead vocals in particular are compelling despite (or perhaps because of) clearly struggling at times.

Maybe not the best album on here, but likely the easiest 5-star review for me. Gut punch after gut punch. Weird but very apt coincidence that I get this 2 days after Live Through This.

Not the biggest fan of live albums, some good renditions and such. Man who sold the world for one

I hate live albums. My standard is: how easily can you tell that this nonsense was recorded live (outside of applause between sets and such). This is an excellent album and an excellent Nirvana showcase. Love the acoustic touches here.

I genuinely don't even know where to begin with this one. First off, I'll start by just saying that this is a 5. I have rolled so many 5 star albums where I love ~4 songs the most, and picking a favorite is difficult. For this live performance, every single song is a banger. Like, genuinely every single song is outstanding here. This is the first of 3 Nirvana albums I have rolled, and it's very likely going to be the first of 3 5 star albums as well. Ultimately, I'm going to pick the closer, "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" as my favorite, because the context makes it even more interesting. Shortly after this performance, he'd be dead. Murdered?? Probably, but that's a story for a different time. I'm also going to pick that one because to my knowledge, you can only find it on this album. That gives the other classic Nirvana songs a slightly better shot at being picked later as my favorite. I mean seriously, picking a favorite is so tough because I've heard these songs so much, and they truly never get old. As a fun little anecdote, let me tell you how dumb I was as a kid. My parents would only listen to Pearl Jam when I was a kid, which unsurprisingly is my all time favorite band because of it. At some point, I heard that they had a rivalry with Nirvana, so I forced myself into thinking Nirvana sucks and is overrated. As I got older and realized how freaking stupid that was, I VERY quickly came to find out just how good this band was. They don't just deliver here, they amaze spectacularly with every song. Another aspect that's really great about this album is just how truly FUNNY and human it is. Kurt talking about someone tuning a harp, how he'll surely mess up part of a Bowie song, and then remarks at the end "I didn't mess it up, but I might mess this next one up" is just so cool. God damn I wish I could have met that guy. He may truly have died being one of the coolest people in history. His stage performance and presence is LEGENDARY here. I could talk for hours about why and what I love about each individual song from this performance, but it's all been said before. So I'll leave this review a bit shorter than usual, otherwise I risk writing a novel. Just know that on the list of albums joining the 5 star club, this is a 6 star instead. God it's good, truly one of the best albums I've rolled so far and a majority of the site agrees.

A lot of track I've not heard here, but like several rock bands their song translate to acoustic really well. One of the best Quireboys gigs I've ever been to was an acoustic one. Anyway back to the case in point. I enjoyed this. It will definitely be on my look out for list at festivals. Worth a four any day.

I remember being a bit underwhelmed by this at the time. I preferred my Nirvana plugged in and loud. And I wasn’t familiar with many of the cover versions. Listening again, I can really appreciate the talent, and the arrangements. Pennyroyal Tea was a bit too strained, but when the rest of the musicians participated more there were some beautiful noises. Something In The Way, Oh My and Come As You Are the standouts.

Its not quite 'Unplugged' is it? It was great to hear some old favourites played in a semi-accoustic way, especially the songs from Nevermind as I cannot bear to listen to them in their original form now due to being overplayed to death. With everything dialled back to 1 or 2 on the amplifiers, which they weren't supposed to be using, you can appreciate Cobain's songwriting and musicianship. With the tracks stripped back, rather than jump up and down in a mosh pit spilling your beer all down ones self, it makes you want to sit down with a glass of fine wine and listen. I'm not sure if that was the desired effect, but at my age it's probably a safer course of action. What makes this even more refreshing is I never bothered with this when it came out, so to listen with fresh ears after all this time was a good thing.

Jst not really my thing but good

About a girl - 5 Come as you are - 5 Jesus don't want me for a sunbeam - 4 The man who sold the world - 5 Pennyroyal tea - 4 Dumb - 4 Polly - 4 On a plain - 4 Something in the way - 5 Plateau - 4 Oh me - 4 Lake of fire - 5 All apologies - 5 Where did you sleep last night - 5

Never been that keen on the outpourings of grief for Kurt which always colours my opinion of the music. This was a bit better than I expected to start with but tailed off as time went on.

I'm quite familiar with this album. Surprisingly, it wasn't in my library. I've remedied that so that I can listen to it start to finish for today. It's just great.

I don’t really like love albums but this one was good

The album starts off grisly and growly and not a lot of full on singing. It evolves into a mellow grunge. My favorite song was the man who sold the world. The acoustics add a very cool feel to it

El album realmente me gusto mucho, las letras son muy profundas, sentí que es intimo, mas suave, pero al mismo tiempo muy emocional. La voz de kurt se siente impresionante y a la vez vulnerable.

actually a pleasant listen

i mean it's nirvana and mtv unplugged. can't really get much better besides dark side of the moon. 4 stars.

I love Nirvana but this one was a dreary, plodding slog. Really liked The Man Who Sold The World. Will not be revisiting this album.

Estuvo bien. Me gustó.

When you want to listen to Nirvana but you also want to chill

The Man Who Sold the World... classic cover.

Gold

ilk şarkı gayet güzeldi ilk defa nirvana dinliyorum gönül isterdi ki ilk albümünden basliyim ama site bana bunu önerdi bakalım nasıl devam edecek suan 2.sarki başladı ikonik sakri come as you are Mevlana ne demiş come as you are şuan son şarkıya geçiyorum baya güzel bir Live albümü bide bu benim ilk Live albüm dinleyisim gercekten çok güzeldi şuan son şarkıda bitti gerçekten çok güzeldi nirvananin diğer albümlerini de kesinlikle dinliyecegim

Everything about this just feels like a perfect storm.

i increasingly feel that a lot of what is interesting about nirvana is gestured at, but not rly captured by, a lot of the cliches and legends that surround them. the strikingly beautiful set of the unplugged concert, with the lilies and candles, became this sort of funereal symbol of the band's unexpected end...theres definitely a lot of power to that imagery, but much like in utero i dont tend to prefer to think of this as a self-conscious swan song. viewed outside retroactively imposed meaning, the choice of decoration illustrates what was unique ab nirvana at their peak of popularity...this is not the stage of a glossy rock band, but its also definitely not the stage of a more "authentic" diy punk band. its just defiant and emotional and, if i may be so bold, Androgynous...a fairly under-appreciated quality of their mystique. what's rly cool ab nirvana as this big legendary popular band is how they used their popularity to force public attention on things they thought were worthwhile, with the confidence of a band who's authentic idiosyncrasies had unexpectedly taken the world by storm without any degrading bargaining with their identity or impulses...and their ultimate flex (well, perhaps besides getting record deals for the melvins and daniel johnston) was turning a bunch of deep cuts and covers into this huge Canon Event for pop culture. idk, its hard not to feel good ab the whole thing...a comforting moment where art broke capital over its knee, kind of revealing the inherent absurdity of the whole setup. this is still an emotionally demanding set for all the obvious reasons, but i dont think it should just be cast in shades of gray, yk?

Nothing will ever replace the feeling of hearing Kurt sing Bowie

this was really cool. a live album! curious about that choice making the list.

The goat of concert/live albums, this is truly special and is led by its strong and popular on its own covers.

If you know raw, you know this. Nirvana's Unplugged is definitional when it comes to rawness that's true to life, which means that it's not only not put on, but that it takes some time getting used to. B/c that's the only way raw is able to get going: unhurried, unpolished, unplugged. Nothing raw ought to be immediately relatable, even if there's a spark keeping you engaged & present. That is, it SHOULD be too deep for comfort, but once you plunge, you'd be happy you did. Nirvana's never an easy listen for me, & it remains unexplained how popular they are, especially w/ this record. I often have to tune out in order to tune back in, to take a break so I can invest again, as I'd be wont to do w/ Beethoven, Billie Holiday, Ray Charles, or anyone so 'raw.'

I unfortunately have an aversion to live albums - I'm here for the music not for the applause and talking introductions. It's a shame because I love Nirvana but I feel like live albums like this don't hit quite the same. *** I've changed my mind *** I decided to watch the recordings of the songs on YouTube and the added visual element made a whole lot of a difference and really captured how special a moment in time that was. I think I just originally found difficulty enjoying it because I was comparing the songs to the normal recorded ones I hear more often that are a lot better quality! Also I actually LOVE their rendition of Plateau it just clicks something in my brain when he sings high like that.

Samey and made me sad

MTV has committed countless crimes against our society and this recording alone is almost enough to make up for it. When I was in 5th grade my brother got a new stereo for his birthday, so I inherited his old CD boombox. I only had a few CDs laying around my bedroom, whatever my brothers weren't listening to at the time. This album was one of the first "repeat listens" of my life. I would listen to this maybe 3 or 4 times in a row almost every day for months on end. I had heard some Nirvana songs on the radio, but this was the first time I heard any of their lesser known songs -- every single song instantly hooked me in. A lot has been said about how this performance showed "another side" of Nirvana, or how they revealed a different kind of depth underneath the trashy noisiness of their studio albums. I think Kurt was a more complete and thoughtful artist than even his devotees gave him credit for, and he struggled to reveal the depth of his aesthetic taste without being tacky. If anything, this Unplugged performance allowed him to do just that and made a direct link between Kurt's songwriting and the blues tradition. It also gave him space to show off the immense control he had over his voice -- it is truly shocking to hear how he was able to channel such a wild, noisy, passionate singing voice into this instrument that was so widely admired. Even though Nirvana are perennially loved by teens and adolescents, I find more to love as I get older. This performance hits me right in the center of my heart and I expect I'll listen to it for the rest of my life.

I love this album

I love this album.

how are live versions sometimes better than studio ones

I normally don’t like live albums; or unplugged. But nirvana is good. 2.75

Really fun and relaxed ? recording in a way I didn’t know nirvana could be. Really pleasant surprise

I've never loved Nirvana, but always thought they were fine. However, this album really showcases how Kurt Cobain really can't sing. I feel really bad for his throat, especially on Pennyroyal Tea. This album has done nothing to change my mind on Nirvana, but it's my first Nirvana album in this project, so maybe the studio albums might do something for me.

no me gusta nirvana mil disculpas

- Some enjoyable songs, although Cobain's voice can be a bit grating at times - I definitely prefer the acoustic rendition of their songs

4 stars My third day in a row of live albums and another positive one after shitting on many of them. This is unique in it being recorded for television broadcast and acoustic-ish, so less harsh instruments to negatively impact the sound quality. It’s why I feel like live jazz albums play better, this more toned down presentation of rock is more pleasant to listen to live than a full on live Nirvana album would have been. The vocals can standout in the way they are meant to and not strain to be heard over screeching guitars. Additionally, the presentation of covers provides a unique variety to what would be expected from a Nirvana album during their huge rise to success, shunning nearly all of their singles from Nevermind in place of the lesser known deeper cut tracks that are more fitting for the softer set. This is a fitting farewell to the group, as it displays the power of the music stripped of the screaming, blaring guitar, and smashing drums. Dave Grohl’s restraint is particularly impressive, given how much he can do on a drum set. It’s definitely a live album worth revisiting and worthy of this list.

Never a fan of Nirvana. But I have to admit not only about the quality of the album, but also its historical importance. It definitely set the baseline for any unplugged/acoustic work after it. 9/10

I don't like live, but this was pretty clean.. I might just not like nirvana, or maybe I just heard it so much I'm over it

Great music, chill vibes, probably Nirvana's best performance.

Felt more personal than the studio versions, plus having a cover of one of bowies songs is always a good bonus

I own(ed) this

I believe in the holy trinity of grunge MTV Unplugged albums. In the name of Nirvana, Alice In Chains and Pearl Jam, Amen!

No bad tracks. I don’t feel funereal vibes, I just remember it from the time as a great live performance by a great band. No need to get maudlin about it.

Knew this would be an enjoyable listen. Also knew it wouldn't truly blow my mind, in that Nirvana has never been THAT band for me in the same way they were for everyone else. Still, a solid live unplugged album.

slushal sum go dostatuchno nqa nujda pak

Nice concert 3 stars

Супер, но чутка поэнергичнее бы

This is a hard one for me because it is firmly between a 4 and a 5 for me. I don't know that it is as iconic as Nevermind and In Utero. But also maybe it is MORE iconic than both. So many covers--but covered with such care and revealing of KC's innerlife. There is also some really lovely playing on the record. So, five it is, I guess!

Nirvana is one of those bands that I’ve always been meaning to listen to, so I’ve been excited to get their albums on here so that I had to listen to it. As expected, they’re pretty great. This sounds exceptionally good for a live performance. I only knew one or two songs on here so it was a good exposure to their other stuff. Excited to hear them on the original albums soon!

I wish this could have been a double album. It is so very good

boring

like the instruments and also the context of the album

i like nirvana. really good live album. polly live hits difffrent same as something in the way. id say between 9.5/10 to a 10/10

Excellent, classic album

Honest first impression: a strong 4. Although there are some repeating melodies, every track has a very nice arrangement - guitars are amazing. And this makes the album sound diverse and themed at the same time. Probably the best live album ever. I wasn’t able to tell it was a live album. So +0.5 star for this reason. And also after I read a bit more of the band, I can appreciate this album a lot better. Definitely a five.

Honestly, I don’t know where to begin with this. I think I will just have to try and get down all of my thoughts about this and hope it’s coherent and gets the point across. This album is probably the most raw showcase of emotions ever recorded. For those who listen to this album in its entirety, we are treated to Kurt, a really great guitar player, trading in his pedals and going acoustic. He isn’t flashy in his playing, but when you hear how well his voice matches to the somber chords he plays, it all comes together. If you’ve never seen the video recording, I recommend you give it a watch. Kurt wears baggy clothes that hang off his body. Despite smiling at the crowd, you see how gaunt he is and how much it seems like he’s holding back his emotions. During songs, he closes his eyes and you see him almost transported away from the stage, almost like he believes he’s able to get away from it all. Kurt is probably one of the most famous members of the infamous ‘27 club’. This was one of their last live shows, and one of the last recordings of Kurt playing live music before he took his life three months later. This whole performance puts forward his pain, his suffering, and his lifetime of emotional distress. This is album is art. It’s pain. It’s suffering through the music and trying to put on a happy face. It’s so beautiful and haunting, especially as we know what’s right around the corner for Cobain. This album is an all time great.

One of the greatest live performances of all time, RIP Kurt Cobain. There are no notes, it’s a five every day of the week. There are plenty of moments where you can understand just how influential and iconic Nirvana were, and it shows just how talented they were to have an acoustic performance be so highly regarded. Now to go watch the video of this album.

This is the first time that I have ever really understood the Nirvana hype. It was really interesting listening to this as a live "greatest hits" album. I put that in quotes since "Smells Like Teen Spirit" wasn't on there, but it feels like they really curated the set list for an acoustic setting. I really enjoyed this and ended the album wanting more. This is another 9/10 album for me, but I'm rounding up this time.

It's kinda sad. Melancholy might be the right word.

Wow. This is a really good live album. It takes these otherwise grungy, heavy and distorted songs and transforms them into introspective and melancholy songs. The lyrics really take centre stage on this album. This was Kurt Cobain's last album with Nirvana before he died and his whole soul is bared on this album. This is a fantastic album through and through. The cover of David Bowie's The Man Who Sold The World is particularly a standout. Highlights: Come As You Are The Man Who Sold The World Dumb Polly On A Plain Where Did You Sleep Last Night

Just a banger album. 4.5/5

The one where Kurt covers Lead Belly. A great live album, and the final chapter for Nirvana. Hard to be objective given that I’ve listened to this album so many times. Their own material is great (the superior versions of Pennyroyal Tea and All Apologies) but the covers are exceptional. The Vaselines, Bowie, Meat Puppets and Lead Belly songs all get five star renditions.

I’m not normally fan of live album on here, but this is one of a kind. Incredible performance. Brilliantly thought out covers alongside Nirvana classics reimagined for an acoustic show.

cool covers of well know songs :)

I personally feel Alice in Chains MTV unplugged is better, but this is still a solid 5 star album for me. It's my era and I love all of the big 4 grunge bands. 5 stars

About A Girl - 4/5 Come As You Are - 4.5/5 Jesus Doesn't Want Me For A Sunbeam - 3/5 The Man Who Sold The World - 4/5 Pennyroyal Tea - 3.5/5 Dumb - 4/5 Polly - 3.5/5 On A Plain - 4/5 Something In The Way - 3.5/5 Plateau - 4/5 Oh Me - 3/5 Lake Of Fire - 4/5 All Apologies - 4/5 Where Did You Sleep Last Night - 3/5

I love this album. The choice to not do some of their biggest songs in favour of deep cuts and random covers such as Plateau and their expertly handled cover of Bowie's The Man Who Sold the World make this a very special and intimate look at one of the biggest bands of the 90s.

Every song that Nirvana chose in this live performance is great, I know some songs from movies (czs im a movie sucker) like Come as You Are, Something in the Way, and The Man Who Sold the World. I try to expand my art's library beyond visual art, and this is one of the recommendation.

Not really into many live albums, but this is a great one. I want to give it a 4 or 4.5, but I think I have to go with 5 solely based on the last song, Where Did You Sleep Last Night. What a way to end a set and damn does he put all of himself into it.

Well that was awesome. Great songs, great covers, great set. Lived up to the rep.

Easy listening Nirvana. Those songs and covers is what I remember from MTV being reprised over and over again, the songs did get more easy to process but, gor me, it just sayd how much the band has sold themselves out at this point. They claimed to be rebels but were shaking hands with the music industrybon the background. As for the music, the instrumental is ok but it is a big meh 3 for me

Lost my notes. Something about this being better than their debut album, but it just doesn't do much for me.

not my style but good

Gran álbum para arrancar con esta pagina. Chill para una tarde de otoño. Empezamos con 4 estrellas. Recomendado

Maravilloso muchos recuerdos

The quintessential zeitgeist moment of my generation. Incredible in respect to the fact that Nirvana essentially came to their largest popular audience to date to play several cover tunes and nary a song from their smash hit album Nevermind. The strange irony of their lives seemed to be that no matter what they did to eschew what people expected of them, they continued to gain in popularity. This is the irony that chewed away at Kurt, it seems. He hated fame and riches, and both kept coming to him seemingly no matter what he did to shun that pursuit. In this performance, Nirvana revealed a depth of artistry and influences from musicians people probably would not have expected them to revere.

Not as good as I was hoping for

Solid

Just an awesome way to experience a band. Listening to it years after the first listen, it's sorta funny how not good Kurt's voice is on some of these tracks. Regardless, tons of emotion and every cover shined. Highlights were "come as you are" "polly" "lake of fire" and "where did you sleep last night".

Old school rock fkn rocks🤟🤠

This might be my favorite nirvana record. Gen X apathy and artistic integrity rolled into a nice, eerie acoustic package. 4/5

The benchmark for the TV series. Quite an event and a great record.

I like Nirvana a lot but am certainly not a fan. But this is clearly one of the all time great musical performances.

Very meaningful

Banger of an album

Beautiful songs and covers. Not really a big nirvana listener but was a pleasure to listen to.

One of the great live albums of all-time, a remarkably intimate set, albeit not entirely acoustic, in which Nirvana reveals both their own musicality and some of their musical influences and inspirations, including David Bowie, Lead Belly, Meat Puppets, and Vaselines. An essential listen and absolute classic.

Overrated

No.144 You know what, I knew this would be good, but it was so much better.

Raw and unfiltered , one of the all time great albums of all time.

I have listened it while doing my homework and realised that this was kind of bad idea: my brain had simply forgotten most of the songs. I will give this album second chance someday, but right now I have no desire to listen it again. Sorry, Nirvana :(((

Standout Track: Something In The Way

Overwhelmed with a sad melancholic nostalgia and this was my first time even listening to the album

When to listen: the world is against you. Love this album, great music great sound

Iconic and a bit grating at times

I know many have this as 5/5 but I say 4/5 because this is the best version of maybe one or two of these songs and the rest are better on their respective albums. However it is a legendary live album. 4.5/5

I hadn't listened to Nirvana in ages and, I realise never to this record in full. Intimate and unpolished, but musically very accomplished at the same time. Kurt's voice is excellent. Really enjoyed this and forgot how good some of their songs are, and how well they translate to being performed acoustically. I just don't think I'll get the urge to rush back and put it on repeat

Possibly one of if not the best live album of all time.

Wenn ich keine 5 Sterne gebe werde ich womöglich enterbt, aber The Man Who Sold The World allen ist schon genug für 5 Sterne.

This and Shakiras and Eric Claptons unplugged session are my favourite ones! In general that unplugged format was awesome!

The first live album I fell in love with as a kid. Perfection.

425/1089 - Is this album redundant because of songs existing on different albums on this project? Yes. Is it not really "unplugged" because his instrument has electric pickups and is plugged into an amplifier? Also yes. Is the best song a David Bowie cover and not a band original? Positively. Is Kurt Cobain himself a cynical drug addict which makes the interludes on the video annoying to listen to? Again, yes!

The best.

This was all good but I just never connected with grunge the way people like ten years older than me did

I listen to this and I oscillate continuously between reverence, sadness, loneliness, catharsis, joy, longing, and contentedness. What a perfect recording. Love the covers. Love the originals. And love my favorite Nirvana song in particular, About a Girl

Definitely five stars

i know people love Nirvana and I can see why. only problem I had is that I don't typically like vocalists with scratchier voices unless they're women. was still very good and listening to this taught me the names of some songs I've heard before without knowing. very cool.

No logro entender porque todo el mundo es tan hater la verdad, me molesta un poco la comunidad que hay acá que se quieren creer mejores que el resto por no gustarles algo que claramente si marco una generación es porque algo bueno debe tener. La voz de Kurt rota pero clarísima, la performance que hacen, que hayan fundado básicamente un género. A mi Nirvana me acompaño en mi adolescencia y me hizo ser muchas cosas que soy hoy y que no soy. Hizo que empezara a adentrarme en la música y mucho de lo que hoy escucho y que estoy abierta a escuchar. Esta plataforma la descubrí en twitter en base a un hilo de gente que comentaba que ya no podian encontrar nueva música que les gustara y me puso triste ver que tanta gente piensa eso y me doy cuenta que mucha de las personas que estan acá son esas personas que en realidad parece ser que no les gusta la música en si. Bueno el album muy bueno, la gente de esta plataforma deja que desear. Besos Rosa 💋

5/5 no skips, even the songs they cut out of the version that aired.

I was never the biggest Nirvana fan. I think I was maybe 5 years too young to really get into them at their peak. But, I love this unplugged album. It feels real and raw, I like that it isn't perfect and I respect the band for not playing their biggest hits and just playing what they wanted. I didn't realize some of the songs were covers until many years later...those covers (especially Lake of Fire) are some of the best songs on the album.

I don't put Nirvana on the same pedestal as others. Even at the time, they didn't get with me nearly as much as most. That being said, this is their masterpiece. The moment we can truly feel the pain and sadness that the world put in Him. It is haunting and sad and brilliant and beautiful.

I can't really think of many flawless live albums. This comes close, but I guess my only criticisms would be that there are one, or maybe two too many covers for my personal liking, and I find the starkness of Pennyroyal Tea to be unpleasant (although, perhaps also a great strength of this performance) - however it's an incredible document of a cultural moment.

Finally hearing this legendary concert in its entirety (although I heard the edited version, not the unedited one). It is very interesting to hear a band that its very well known by its powerful performances and raw energy, playing acoustic versions of their themes in addition with some other covers. Obviously they picked the tracks that could work the best with this performance, like "Come As You Are", "Polly", "Something in the Way" and "All Apologies", which are songs that are already acoustic or emphasises on being very melodic and not so frenetic. I will say that I think it could having being super interesting to see how they would adjust more chaotic songs like "Territorial Pissings", "Very Ape" or even "Endless,Nameless" to fit this act. As I was saying, it is a very toned down recording compared to their studio albums, yet, still has a great display of energy, mainly coming from Kurt Cobain's screams. That's right, despite being acoustic, nothing stops this man for giving all he has in songs like "About a Girl", "Lake of Fire" and specially "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" with probably the most powerful and most passionate performance in the whole concert. And when it comes to the more subtle moments, they are also fantastic. Pieces like "Polly", "Something In the Way" and "Oh, Me" are super serene and pleasant to listen to. Another of my favourite traits are the accompanying instruments, like the accordion in "Juses Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam" which adds a nice folk feeling, or the cellos in "Dumb" and "All Apologies". Finally, a little complain I have is that the vocals feel a bit forced when Kurt Cobain try to reach the high notes in the songs "Plateau" and "Lake of Fire". Apart from that, I think this is a incredible performance. I personally prefer when they are at their most frenetic and chaotic, but it doesn't bother me or make this experience any less enjoyable. Postscript: it is incredible hard to listen to "About a Girl" without thinking of the terrible cover Puddle of Mud did. Damn it was awful.

16/03/2026 It's a solid album. No more, no less. Spotify listeners: 37.1 million

Connu. Un classique des albums live. Que des sons incroyables, une performance de Kurt Cobain (surtout sur la dernière) impeccable. Mon album préféré de Nirvana. J'ai bien envie de lui mettre 4.5 mais pas possible. Possible révision plus tard

J’vais probablement en choquer certains, mais pour moi c’est un album sans plus. On retrouve des classiques du groupes, mais je trouve que la version live dénature complètement les morceaux. Certains apprécient l’esthétique, moi pas trop. Ce sera 3, parce qu’il y a quand même des sacrés morceaux.

Absolute banger album, by far my favorite yet

4.5 - I wish this were on a 10 point scale, but it's closer to a 5 than a 4. It's my third favorite Unplugged behind Pearl Jam and Alice In Chains.

I grew up rural and didn't get MTV, so I'd never even heard of unplugged until Tesla did it. And the next one I heard about was this one. I thought they were the only two unplugged concerts until for a large portion of my life. This one was so groundbreaking though, that it could even find its way into a rural Oregon farm community.

Really good jam session. Loved the ending track really sticks the landing

ALBUM DE ANIVERSARIO \O/ FAVS (top 3): jesus doesnt want me for a sunbeam, the man who sold me the world, something in the way mençoes honrosas: come as you are, pennyroyal tea, plateau, oh me é um album ao vivo... cantam bem, eu curti nota final: 3.5/5

my most unpopular opinion ever is probably that I dont really care for Nirvana a few songs were cool though

Sad listening to this one knowing the very known history of how close it was to his death. They were at the peak of their power and the confidence in these recordings is reflective of that. I don't think this is as good as their studio stuff, but is still kicks you in the gut.

es ist MTV Unplugged in New York von Nirvana, was soll man da noch sagen?

нет, лайв звучит ещё хуже, пас

i loved that! i feel like nirvana has grown on me and i like hearing the emotion in kurt's voice even if it didn't used to be my favorite voice itself to listen to; it feels like there's more to the performance than his literal voice and i think this record allows me to hear that. fav tracks: About A Girl; Something In The Way; All Apologies

Wonderful album! This was probably the 10th or so time I've listened to it, but it was even better than before. I started listening to Nirvana a couple years ago, and, while I really like the raw aggression and power, this unplugged version did a great job of showcasing Kurt's songwriting abilities and the musicality within their songs. Favourite tracks: About a Girl, The Man Who Sold the World, Pennyroyal Tea and Where Did You Sleep Last Night?

Heartfelt outing from an important band and important time

I just don't like nirvana, come as you are is good tho.

So many thoughts on this album, especially knowing the backstory and understanding when it was released. Was the first ever unplugged session on MTV which was "plugged", in that kurt cobain required the use of an amp for his acoustic guitar so that he could use a foot pedal in conjunction with his music MTV pissing off the band in many ways, such as begging them to play more singles (come as you are was the only at-the-time single played), preferring that they don't play as many covers (could you imagine a world without the man who sold the world, lake of fire, and where did you sleep covers?), and pushing cobain to perform an encore even though he told producers many times he didn't think he could give a better vocal performance than he did with where did you sleep last night The band being nervous in general about performing live with stripped back instruments, then performing the entire set/album in one take The bands request to include bouquets of stargazer lilies (often included at funerals), meant to signal a transitional period from a heavier grunge style to a more folksy, stripped back style. Adding everything together, nirvana produced one hell of a performance which would unknowingly be one of their last. Every second of it sounds perfect, even with all of its minor imperfections, and left me wanting so much more

It’s a snapshot in time performance. Taking away the production leaves the songs and the band shown in better focus. They were a good band. 4

Top three live albums of all time for sure.

haven’t listened to the whole album but from what i heard it’s gas 4/5

In retrospect, this performance is more valuable as a cultural touchstone than an actual Unplugged appearance. There's some absolutely all-time performances including Kurt breaking out About a Girl to a national audience. But other songs just don't pack the same punch without the punch of the Jazzmaster and the thick layers of fuzz. It's important but not their best, and while it's crucial to listen to it, only a few songs will stick.

What an experience it is to watch this on YouTube in 2009 when you start to discover “good music”. Imagine hearing Man Who Sold the World for the very first time, ever! Imagine then listening to the David Bowie original and being like wow I literally am the first 14 year old who has ever discovered - and enjoyed- David Bowie. This is solid, this is quintessential teenage music. You gotta love a bit of Nirvana whether you grow out of it or not, you gotta give something to your inner teenage child and be like here’s one for you. So here’s one for you teen Sarah, you’re loving listening to this for the first time and then putting it through a YouTube to mp3 converter to listen to again and again on your little hand me down iPod.

Dripping, nay, SWIMMING in angst, I enjoyed this a lot and it hit the spot for a sleepy commute. Naturally the Nirvana album that includes folk songs and spirituals is gonna be my fave, but I think Kurt’s voice genuinely works best over minimal backing

Just the best of the best. I wouldn't be surprised if this was one of the highest rated albums on this list.

Haven't met a live album that deserved to be on here yet

Enjoyed it more than I thought I would

Could only get into a few songs.

Love it. No notes!

Arguably the greatest live album of all time. Peak MTV and peak 90s music. Kurt got to show his real musical talent in a more laid-back, acoustic environment. All the songs are so good and the accompanying artists did so well too.

All-time classic. This is a different side of nirvana, and not orchestrated I. The typical fashion. They came well prepared for this onetime live event and it killed

9/10

Beautiful

Like normal Nirvana, but worse

This was incredible

Kurt Cobain pidió que decorasen el plató de MTV como si fuera un funeral, y los testigos de los ensayos y de la grabación coinciden en que el humor de Kurt en esas fechas distaba mucho de ser dicharachero. De hecho un día antes de grabar dijo que no iba a hacerlo, manteniendo el suspense casi hasta el momento de empezar. Pidió que conectaran su acústica a un amplificador, cosa que no era lo común en un “unplugged”, por lo inseguro que se sentía. ¿Premonición de algo? Seis meses después se quitó la vida. Sea como fuere, en este directo la banda, y Kurt en particular, muestran un sentido de la delicadeza y la intimidad poco esperado, que llega a momentos de rabiosa emoción en algunas ocasiones. Es una grabación que, por lo que las circunstancias envuelven, trasciende lo musical, y eso se siente a lo largo de su duración. La banda decidió no tocar gran parte de sus éxitos (exceptuando “Come As You Are”) y seleccionó canciones menores, alguna todavía no publicada todavía (“All Apologies”) y versiones de, entre otros, David Bowie. Al final, lo que salió de las entrañas quedó para la historia de la música.

It always feels like a sign of strong songwriting when a song sounds good with only acoustic instruments, and that applies here even if some tracks are just stripped-down electric versions. Cobain had that raw intensity that can sell almost any song, like he came alive in the music even when it was about being closest to the limits of existence. Yet this album demonstrates how that wasn't self-absorption but a need to connect, because nearly half the tunes are covers, tributes to songs that shaped him.

There's a whole chapter in the MTV oral history ("I Want My MTV" by Rob Tannenbaum and Craig Marks) that's worth reading to grasp Kurt's profound vision of this hour of music and what a thumb in the face it was to MTV's producers, who just wanted a night of Teen Spirit. I was, of course, the perfect age for this - 14 when it aired, 15 when it was released. I watched the first viewing, and then watched it over and over throughout the year as a way to mourn Kurt Cobain, the man who, more than anyone else, upended my musical taste and introduced me to the concept of music imprinting on your identity (my mom didn't want to write the family Christmas letter in 1994 and turned it over to then 15-year-old me; I dutifully laid out what each member of the family had been up to, and then spent the paragraph reserved for my own update processing my feelings about Kurt Cobain's suicide. That letter's become an endearing family heirloom.) I still listen to this through the lens of mourning Kurt. How could you not? The small talk between songs, the gentle sighs, the little lyric flubs here or there ("I'm anem-enny royal tea"). It's a relic of the man himself at his most real, or at least as close as we mortals could get. It contains so much of who he was: - A peek at the music that inspired him (I spent so much of my young musical education searching for the albums he'd mention in interviews, etc) - A forefronting of the Beatles-esque pop melodies that animated his punk-by-way-of-grunge sound and made it so accessible to the masses - The grunge aesthetic, arguably more coherent than the sound, as evidenced by the black candles, the cardigans, the stargazer lilies - So many great songs - His complete grasp of those songs ("Come As You Are" feels like a concession; otherwise, there are no hits to be found here, largely because they wouldn't work nearly as well in this setting) - Using their moment to showcase a whole second band (three Meat Puppets songs with the Meat Puppets!) - His sense of humor and natural charisma, and the warmth the bandmates seemed to have for each other, which neutralized some of the sensationalized rhetoric, especially between Kurt and Dave Grohl - His voice, filled with emotion, the not-so-secret sauce that made Nirvana's dumb lyrics so weighty and meaningful When he climbs outside of the limits of his register at the end of "Where Did You Sleep Last Night", I have the same experience every time. Kurt, why are you straining your voice so much? You don't have to do this to yourself. But also, thank you for giving us all of yourself. It got me through the worst years of my life. I still cannot write about Kurt without retreating to a 15-year-old version of myself. It still hurts a little remembering how much he meant to me. It still feels like knowing someone who understood all the bad stuff. And Unplugged in New York still feels like a balm. This recording is a miracle.

An absolute all time classic, one that I actually own.

Very intimate & personal.

No words needed 5 stars

Surprised how many songs I knew

Classic Nirvana songs packaged in a solid live album. Nice to hear Cobain sounding just as good live.

I liked Nirvana at first but something happened and they got totally off the rails in terms of making music. Unplugged really shows that they can be artists and were very talented. But his use of certain substances sort of derailed the whole thing quite quickly.

Nirvana’s sound is so much better when it’s raw and stripped back. I’ve always thought this watching their live performances. After Bleach, the biggest thing that bugged me was how commercialized that edgy sound became. I’ve heard some of MTV’s unplugged before, and now I wanna go binge those. There’s tons more artists I like that did these. This was a really fun listen, and the fact that it’s a live album definitely makes it okay for having so many covers. They rock. Where did you sleep last night is a certified hood classic.

I love this so much Nirvana is in my top 10 now. This is the original 2 dollar bill by the strokes and one of the best live concerts I’ve ever seen. The band doesn’t know what song where did you sleep last night and Kurt plays the progression for them twice so they know the changes it’s a perfect set up to the guy he was and the videography and stage are so intriguing I loved this compilation and every song was amazing and the cigarettes being lit. I wish smoking was like good for you.
Anyways I will be thinking of nirvana for the rest of my life and the lessons that Kurt can teach us. The very very end he signs 3 things two for some fans who may be seat fillers but fan and one fan the final one that looks just like him and he searched him out clearly symbolism to how he saw himself and it’s beautiful 10/10 
Choose life

My Favorite Nirvana album

This is absolutely the greatest live performance of my lifetime, and Kurt Cobain singing Where Did You Sleep Last Night is the rawest emotion you will ever hear in yours. 5.5 - Legendary

Awesome and everlasting

A haunting but also cozy live album. My dad had this one on a lot when I was a kid, the David Bowie cover being permanently ingrained in my memory. This was a great time. Makes me want to watch the DVD of the performance, which I haven't seen since I was a kid

Its covers, its acoustic versions of their existing songs, it’s somehow one of the most important cultural touchstones of the 90s, of alt rock, of rock in general. I didn’t forget how perfect it was, I just enjoyed listening to it again.

Awesome album, one of my favorite MTV Unplugged albums. I remember watching this on MTV when it came out

Interesting album, but top 1000?

Album 69 Top 3 favorites off the album: Lake Of Fire, Something In The Way, Jesus Doesn't Want Me For A Sunbeam I wasn't looking forward to listening to this one because I'm not a fan of Nirvana. I'm happy to say that this turned out to be a good listening experience. Similar to my experience of Zeppelin, this has not converted me to a Nirvana enjoyer, but has drawn me away from being a Nirvana avoider and put me in the solidly curious about Nirvana category. I think it's a case of, "everyone goes on and on about how incredible they are, and they're good, and they made big waves, but not in the pool I chose to steep myself in." It's not their fault that I just wasn't listening to grunge during my formative music years. Really, it's not anyone's fault; it's just what it is. Smells Like Teen Spirit has also been so crazy overplayed that I've had little to no interest in consuming more of their work. Come As You Are was on my radar, too, and slightly less overplayed (very, very slightly). I enjoy live albums, sometimes more than the studio ones. This sampling of their discography feels manageable and gave me a better feel for what directions they've gone in. I even liked Cobain's voice a little bit more than before. Character development! Lower distortion on some of the guitars + quieter background instrumentation = more room for me to appreciate some riffs and general construction. I'll be going ahead and listening to the studio recordings when I get caught up on my other listening. This could be a one-off enjoyment of unplugged versions. I can't say for certain, but I'm happy with this for the time being, and that's enough.

Literally know all these songs but it was nice to hear a live version of it. Made me remember nirvana even existed, defo going to add them into more playlist.

Fantastic first recommendation. Great album. Don’t love live, but probably why it’s a top album.

good but not my fav!!

I remember being really underwhelmed by the amount of obscure covers and lack of, uhm, Nirvana songs when this aired on MTV. But somehow I owned this CD as did my other three freshman roommates. I don't know man. It's definitely got its moments and I appreciate the early 90s time capsule moments of the banter between songs. But this is not really that great.

Best Song: Plateau I just put Plateau as my favorite song because today it is, tomorrow it may be something else from this album as there are no bad songs on here. It is kind of funny that a punk band who helped to usher in 90s grunge best album from their collection being an unplugged album (in my opinion). There is not a ton to say except it is a great album and should be on the rotation of anyone who likes music. 5/5.

kinda a life hack

I've found through the first year-ish of this project that I guess I'm not much of a Nirvana fan. That said, this is excellent.

Enjoyed hearing the songs in a live environment and witnessing how great the vocals are even without tuning. Enjoy the album versions more but cool perspective nonetheless.

I really don't enjoy Nirvana. Gave it a try, but his voice just isn't for me.

Kurt raw and simple. What a talent, biggest and most beautiful aura of an unplugged ever.

bored except for the bowie cover

Unplugged more like un good. I’ve never really gotten into nirvana or grunge in general and this live set with all the energizing electric sounds removed certainly didn’t change my mind. Plateau here is genuinely one of the worst vocal performances I’ve heard.

I've thought for a while now that every Nirvana song sounds the exact same and this hasn't convinced me otherwise

Likes: choice of songs is perfect; while not truly unplugged, it is emotionally unvarnished and raw; very tight and focused sonically; Kurt’s vocals showcase the idiosyncrasies that define him Dislikes: Kurt’s vocals also show some weakness that remind you why producers often double tracked him - it usually works for the song, though Overall, a record that is greater than the sum of its parts. There are likely Unplugged sessions that sound better, are more hit-laden, or are more electrifying. But whether as a last statement of a dying man, or simply the biggest band in rock making a record that sonically at odds with their breakthrough album, it’s hard to imagine the Nirvana legacy without this album.

Loved it.

Schpa Mange bangers, men noen sanger mangler god harmoni og melodi 4/5

The more I go through this list, the harder I find to determine what makes a 5 a 5… if I could give it a 4.5 I would. This album is so beautiful, pure talent just gorgeousss. I’m not giving it a 5 as it’s a bit mellow for my personal taste.

Pretty ait. Good tunes. Decent! Nothing bad to note and the music is just generally high quality.

Greatest live album of all time - 5/5 PN

Album Review 079 MTV Unplugged by Nirvana (1994) Rating 4.5/5 Nirvana proving that grunge can be more than angst and distortion pedals. Highlight for me is the Leadbelly cover that closes the set but this is consistently strong and a landmark album in rock.

How many times have you listened to this?

Nirvana não é das minhas bandas favoritas, o "Nevermind" nunca me pegou, mas sempre tive carinho pelo "In Utero", o acústico é bem surpreendente, o Cobain se mostra bem versátil e uma ótima escolha de repertório. Uma agradável surpresa

Great almbum, one of my favorite

Just great! Surely one of the best live albums ever I real high point in the 1001 Album journey

Great album!

Sounds incredible for a live recording, each band member is on point throughout this

Bolje nego nevermind, neironičo mi se više svidjaju kad sviraju akustične verzije. Ocena 3,75/5

Slušala sam u srednjoj mrzi me sad iznova, tad mi je bilo odlično pa nek ostane tako

Fine! Haha :)

Geiles Album, tolle Songs, ich lieeeebe the man who sold the world die Gitarre am Anfang klingt toll, auch wenn ihh cm im Refrain eine andere gitarrenmelodie genutzt hätte, tolles Album besonders für eine unplugged Version, die Lieder klingen fast wie im Orginal nur wirken sie persönlicher was toll ist

I usually give a hard time to live albums (Although I never ding them points for being a live album) in these reviews, but if there were ever a live album to put on the list, it's this one. Culturally significant, curated playlist that avoids being a greatest hits compilation, different format. Amazing. Fantastic performance from Nirvana on this one, with them picking out an amazing tracklist of a few big hits, a handful of deep cuts, and absolutely great covers, particularly the David Bowie track The Man Who Sold the World (Which I honestly preferred over the original). Cobain sounds amazing (Despite him apparently playing through drug withdrawals), love Krist's bass (and accordion!) playing, and of course Grohl holds things down on the drums. Just a very intimate, legendary performance.

good for chilling

peak

This is a good live album, but I still hold these types of albums should be largely excluded from this list. Half of this is fairly standard versions of Nirvana's own tracks.

I really liked this performance. I liked that it was a lot of deep cuts.

WWW

This was such a cultural juggernaut at the time that if you weren't there for it you may not quite "get" it. This is the band that destroyed the bubblegum pop era of the late 80s and early 90s and here they were stripped down with that Cobain cry that dripped with pain. Not every song works, but as a whole this was such a moment, and some of these tracks play better unplugged than their original release.

Nice

I still don't get Nirvana, sorry. Did absolutely nothing for me

This is possibly my most favorite album of all time. I can listen to this album on repeat and never get tired of it. A perfect album

buen tracklist

already listened, 9/10, will relisten at night. best tracks man who sold the world where did you sleep last night? dumb pennyroyal tea

9/10

I liked it more but I don’t enjoy the singer

Definitivamente lo volvería a escuchar

Some great tunes on this album. But, damn this band was sloppy. I guess that was part of the appeal.

Just amazing in so many different ways….a national music treasure 🎸

This was pretty good. I don't usually like live albums, but I think the fact that it's "unplugged" instead of like an arena setting makes it much more palatable. Plus some of the songs are iconic performances.

Enjoyable

There is so much lore around this record and the live performance. I do feel like the lore is larger than what this album actually is. It is pretty good, there are some strong moments; Where Did You Sleep Last Night, The Man Who Sold The World, and Something In The Way are my favorites. But the remainder of the songs are somewhat repetitive and boring at times.

LOVE the guitar tones throughout this. Not very ‘Unplugged’ however lmfao. Kind of wish the accordion was used on a few more occasions beyond just Jesus Don’t Want Me for a Sunbeam which surprise surprise is my favourite here. Then again that would probably lessen its effect in that one song (: My attention did waver a bit towards the end, this is likely my own bias against stuff I’m not v familiar with but I suspect were a few tracks left out of the performance it would be just as, if not more, impactful. In general I preferred the covers as compositions to the originals. very haunting to think that the man singing here would no longer be alive less than 5 months after this performance. 3.75/5

I miss Kurt man

Phenomenal. Sublime. Incredible. Any positive adjective you want to use here to describe this masterpiece is ok with me. Best Song: Where Did You Sleep Last Night? Rating: 10/10 Stars: 5/5

I adore this album. I already loved Nirvana before this album, and I truly respected the MTV Unplugged series. But when those two things came together, it was magic for me.

A classic - very cool set of songs and great alternative takes on their own stuff, as well as some off the beaten track covers.

I usually hate live albums but this one didn’t bother me. I thought this album was ok but I also hadn’t listened to a lot of nirvana outside of this so I had nothing to compare it to.

The greatest live album of my lifetime

Such a powerful album. I remember wishing they would just release the CD already after the Unplugged aired. I always felt that Kurt was on the verge of doing a reverse Dylan, making folk music more popular. What would have that next album been? So happy that this album was mostly covers a less popular songs from Nirvana’s catalog. A must live album!

Heard before love it!

the best!

Courtney: still great! Craig: remember it being a little better…

Come on, you mean the legendary live show recording of Nirvana?

Enjoyed this album, captures a unique moment in Nirvanas career. Some great arrangements.

This is stripped back, messy, and at times out of tune, but compelling. The cover choices are great and the songs in general are fittingly haunting. I can see why this is a commonly a 5; it’s an essential part of rock music history, but I now only enjoy it enough for a 4.

This is fabulous. I think I like nirvana more than I’d perhaps like to admit … they are slowly crawling up my rankings ! A great live album too - polly and all apologies sound great. Almost all the songs I really liked that I hadn’t heard of were Meat Puppets covers so I must check them out

Ya entendí el hype 🚬

3.5/5

The only album that is a concert/compilation that can compete with Nevermind.

A bit dull

That one album which people try to play on the guitar, who never has it in their hands. 5/5 Iconic and legendary event and theese tracks absolutely perfect.

Var helt ålreit dette, skjønner ikke helt hypen bak livealbumet da - hørte på det så mulig opplevelsen er litt annerledes hvis man ser videoen i tillegg. 3/5

Ganske bra, liker viben. Men syntes ikke de låtene jeg kjenner igjen blir bedre av at de er "unplugged" da.

Skulle ønske eg var der!

I was underwhelmed by this . I actually don't think that Cobain is very good acoustic. Grohl and Novaselic carry the album but can't make up for the poor vocals

Clapton probably put Unplugged on the map, but this is the first one I remember taking over the zeitgeist. I remember when this started popping up in kids' CD cases in 5th grade or so, and all I knew at the time was it had a few cool versions of the hits we'd all heard at that point, and a bunch of weird cover songs that I had no context for (at the time I probably didn't even know who David Bowie was let alone the Meat Puppets). Both parts of this album though just work - awesome alternate versions of huge songs, and cool interpretations of the work of others. The memories of hearing songs like Plateau for the first time still stick with me - such an odd song, with an odd delivery, and weirdly haunting lyrics. Cobain's deadpan patter between songs is sort of funny and endearing, and the rawness of the vocals is so apparent with the stripped-back instrumentation. Really good stuff.

Love the raw vocals, guitar tonality, and retrained drums. I prefer this version of About a Girl and is actually the one I hear in my head when I think of it. Love a live album that is actually meaningfully and significantly different than the studio.

Watched the full actual performance in place of just listening to the album. One moment that will haunt me forever now: Finale of "Where Did You Sleep Last Night." Kurt's voice is and has always been pretty amazing -- harsh, powerful, but always musical. We lose that here. "I'm going where the cold wind blows. In the pines, in the pines, where the sun don't shine. I'd shiver..." It's tortured, guttural, and frankly hard to listen to. He looks lost somewhere inside himself. Clearly what he's doing with his voice is unhealthy and unsustainable, but obviously that's not the point. He squeezes out "the whole," and suddenly comes to. I don't know what to make of the look in his eyes in that moment. Is it scared? Primal? Enlightened? Furious? Then he finishes. Going where the cold wind blows: in the pines, where he'll shiver the whole night through. Maybe he saw something for himself, or about himself. I don't know. What a way to go out. Better to burn out than to fade away. Side note: Dave Grohl is freaking precious here. The blue turtleneck, the ponytail with the red hair tie, the meek drumming with the Promark Hot Rods. Love this guy.

One of my favorite live albums! Huge fan of Nirvana and have listened to this many times, so I kind of know it like the back of my hand. Love hearing Kurt's voice and the parts in between songs. Cover your hair and your eyes! 'kay, this is called 'Oh Me' "Would you like to hear my voice, sprinkled with emotion?" “What else should I say? Everyone is gay”

No album can bring me back to a time and place more than Unplugged in New York, late at night in my childhood bedroom in 1995, listening to Kurt over and over. Even today, 31 years later, listening to it on the train home from work, I could have easily cried. A true masterpiece, quite simply the greatest live recording ever released. Where Did You Sleep Last Night is the single greatest performance in music history. I will go to my grave believing that. 9.7/10

Me when my throat hurts

I mean, come on.

A classic, sets the standard for live unplugged music from the Grunge era. I'm from Seattle, has to be a 5.

i'm not the biggest nirvana fan out there but this was a great live album. very raw, very intimate. did not miss any of their biggest songs, they were not needed here.

this is so perfect i don't know. it's my favorite group. i don't want to hear anything hahaha

Those who watched Nirvana in New York are making me jealous. "MTV Unplugged in New York" is the perfect live album. I love Nirvana's mix of originals and covers. Who even cares about "Smells Like Teen Spirit" after listening to "MTV Unplugged in New York"? Nirvana managed to make three songs from an album I didn't like sound brilliant. 5 stars for "MTV Unplugged in New York".

An absolutely solid live album; showing the best of Nirvana and Kurt Cobain. Raw vocals, raw performances. Lovely guitar. Some might say they reached their peak with this album. I can certainly see why it's considered one of the best live albums of all time. For me, Nirvana hits hardest as a teenager or early twenty something. As a 25 year old, less so. Still, I really like it a lot. I knew most of the songs but their cover of the meat puppet's plateau was new to me, and I enjoyed that. How can ya rate this lower than 4 glowing stars??

I always feel like, to some degree, live albums are essentially just greatest hits albums, but this one distinguishes itself with some really great covers and a nice mix of original songs. The energy and music are great, it's easy to see how this one became a hit.

heart soothing

This album is so fun as it is like I am just sitting in a green room with Nirvana as they pick away and play and have a good time. While it is not what I expect to hear when I see the name Nirvana, it showcases how great of performers they were. I would listen to this album again.

Epic

Uma visita à Tita adolescente. Mais melancolia que raiva, agora, não combinou bem com a sessão de ginásio onde escolhi ouvir o álbum, mas as palmas ao vivo deu motivaçãozinha extra.

Sem dúvida o álbum mais ouvido da minha adolescência

Tem alguns bangers, mas na generalidade é um álbum ok

Há poucas live performances mais icónicas, e traz (pelo menos alguma) closure ao percurso deles como banda. A voz do Kurt a quebrar na última frase: "I'd shiver the whole night through" é das que fica para sempre na memória.

CLASSIC. Not one single skippable song.