List of artists featured on MTV Unplugged
Below is a list of musical artists, bands, and groups that have performed on the television series MTV Unplugged.
Performances by performance date
1989
- Neil Young - The Palladium, NYC, September 5 and 6
- Squeeze, Syd Straw and Elliot Easton – National Video Center, NYC, October 31
- The Smithereens and Graham Parker – National Video Center, NYC, December 13
- 10,000 Maniacs and Michael Penn – National Video Center, NYC, December 13
- The Alarm and Nuclear Valdez – National Video Center, NYC, December 14
- Joe Walsh and Dr. John – National Video Center, NYC, December 14
1990
- Stevie Ray Vaughan and Joe Satriani – National Video Center, NYC, January 30
- Michelle Shocked and Indigo Girls – National Video Center, NYC, January 30
- Sinéad O'Connor and The Church – National Video Center, NYC, January 30
- Don Henley – Hollywood Center Studios, Los Angeles, March 30
- Great White and Damn Yankees – Hollywood Center Studios, Los Angeles, March 30
- Crowded House and Tim Finn – Hollywood Center Studios, Los Angeles, March 30
- Hall & Oates – Chelsea Studios, NYC, May 17
- Elton John – Chelsea Studios, NYC, May 17
- Aerosmith – Ed Sullivan Theater, NYC, August 11
- Crosby, Stills & Nash – Ed Sullivan Theater, NYC, August 11
- Ratt and Vixen – Ed Sullivan Theater, NYC, August 11
- The Black Crowes and Tesla – National Video Center, NYC, November 19
- The Allman Brothers Band – National Video Center, NYC, November 19
- Poison – National Video, NYC, November 19
1991
- The Cure – London Limehouse TV Studios, London, January 24
- Paul McCartney – London Limehouse TV Studios, London, January 25
- Winger and Slaughter – National Video Center, NYC, March 5
- Sting – National Video Center, NYC, March 5
- R.E.M. – Chelsea Studios, NYC, April 10
- Yo! Unplugged Rap: LL Cool J, MC Lyte, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest and Pop's Cool Love – Chelsea Studios, NYC, April 10
- Elvis Costello – Warner Hollywood Studios, Los Angeles, June 3
1992
- Eric Clapton – Bray Film Studios, Windsor, England, January 16
- Paul Simon – Kaufman Astoria Studios, Astoria, Queens, New York, March 4
- R&B Unplugged: Boyz II Men, Shanice and Joe Public – Kaufman Astoria Studios, Astoria, Queens, New York, March 16
- Mariah Carey with Trey Lorenz – Kaufman Astoria Studios, Astoria, Queens, New York, March 16
- Pearl Jam – Kaufman Astoria Studios, Astoria, Queens, New York, March 16
- Queensrÿche – Warner Hollywood Studios, Los Angeles, April 27
- John Mellencamp – Warner Hollywood Studios, Los Angeles, April 27
- Joe Cocker – Montreux Jazz Festival, Montreux Casino, Montreux, Switzerland, July 2
- Annie Lennox – Montreux Jazz Festival, Montreux Casino, Montreux, Switzerland, July 3
- Eurythmics – Montreux Jazz Festival, Montreux Casino, Montreux, Switzerland, July 5
- Bruce Springsteen – Warner Hollywood Studios, Los Angeles, September 22
- k.d. lang – Ed Sullivan Theater, NYC, December 16
- Neil Young – Ed Sullivan Theater, NYC, December 16
- Arrested Development – Ed Sullivan Theater, NYC, December 17
1993
- Roxette – Stockholm Circus, Sweden, January 9
- Rod Stewart with Ronnie Wood – Universal Studios, Los Angeles, February 5
- Denis Leary – Universal Studios, Los Angeles, February 6
- Uptown Unplugged: Jodeci, Father MC, Mary J. Blige, Christopher Williams and Heavy D – Universal Studios, Los Angeles, February 6
- Neil Young – Universal Studios, Los Angeles, February 7
- Midnight Oil – Sony Music Studios, NYC, April 20
- Spoken Word I: 99, Maggie Estep, Barry Yourgrau, Reg E. Gaines, Bob Holman, Edwin Torres and Henry Rollins – Sony Music Studios, NYC, April 20
- 10,000 Maniacs with special guest David Byrne – Sony Music Studios, NYC, April 21
- Soul Asylum w/ special guest Lulu – Sony Music Studios, NYC, April 21
- Boom Crash Opera - Melbourne's Channel Nine studios, June
- Duran Duran – Sony Music Studios, NYC, November 17
- Stone Temple Pilots – Sony Music Studios, NYC, November 17
- Nirvana with guest appearance by Meat Puppets – Sony Music Studios, NYC, November 18
1994
- Tony Bennett – Sony Music Studios, NYC, April 12
- Spoken Word II: MC Lyte, Toby Huss, Bahiyyih Maroon, Eric Bogosian, Matthew Courtney, Hal Sirowitz, Gil Scott-Heron, Larry McDonald, and Wanda Phipps – Sony Music Studios, NYC, April 13
- Spoken Word III: Max Blagg, Danny Hoch, Maggie Estep, Jim Carroll, John S. Hall; and Paul Beatty – Sony Music Studios, NYC, April 13
- Lenny Kravitz – Sony Music Studios, NYC, April 14
- Page and Plant – London Studios, London, England, August 25–26
- Los Fabulosos Cadillacs – Miami, September 29
- Caifanes – Miami, October 28
- Björk – Fountain Studios, London, England, recorded on September 1, aired on November 7
- Eagles – Warner Brothers Studios, Burbank, CA, November 8
- Bob Dylan – Sony Music Studios, NYC, November 17–18
1995
- Hole – Brooklyn Academy of Music – Brooklyn, NY, February 14
- The Cranberries – Brooklyn Academy of Music – Brooklyn, NY, February 14
- Melissa Etheridge with Bruce Springsteen – Brooklyn Academy of Music – Brooklyn, NY, February 15
- Live – Brooklyn Academy of Music – Brooklyn, NY, February 15
- Sheryl Crow – Brooklyn Academy of Music – Brooklyn, NY, February 15
- Charly García – Miami, April 28
- Herbert Grönemeyer – Studio Babelsberg, Berlin, Germany, May 14
- Café Tacuba – Miami, May 15
- Chris Isaak – Sony Music Studios, NYC, June 9
- Kiss – Sony Music Studios, NYC, August 8
- Los Tres – Miami, September 14
1996
- Soda Stereo with Andrea Echeverri – Miami, March 12
- Seal – Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn, NY, April 9
- Alice in Chains – Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn, NY, April 10
- Tori Amos – Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn, NY, April 11
- Hootie & the Blowfish – The Horseshoe, Columbia, South Carolina, April 19
- Illya Kuryaki and the Valderramas – Miami, April 26
- CHAGE and ASKA – The Fountain Studios, London, June 19
- Harlem Yu – The Fountain Studios, London, June
- Colonial Cousins – The Fountain Studios, London, June
- El Tri - Miami, June
- Oasis, excluding Liam Gallagher, with Noel Gallagher on lead vocals – Royal Festival Hall, London, England, August 23
- George Michael – Three Mills Studios, London, England, October 11
- Maldita Vecindad – MTV Studios, Miami, October 12
1997
- Santa Sabina – Miami Broadcast Center, Miami, Florida, April 2
- Luis Alberto Spinetta – Miami, April 19
- The Wallflowers – Brooklyn Academy of Music, NY, May 5
- Maxwell – Brooklyn Academy of Music, NY, June 15
- Jewel – Brooklyn Academy of Music, NY, June 24
- Fiona Apple – Aired July 2
- BLACKstreet – Brooklyn Academy of Music, NY, September 3
- Aterciopelados – Miami, September 7
- Bryan Adams – Hammerstein Ballroom, NYC, September 26
- Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds with Eric Clapton and Stevie Wonder – New York City, October 18
- Erykah Badu – November 18
1998
- Björk – MTV Studios, New York, February 22
- Los Ratones Paranoicos – MTV studios, Miami, March 11
1999
- Maná – Miami, March 10
- Shakira – Manhattan Center Studios, New York, August 12
- Alanis Morissette - The Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York, September 18
- The Corrs – Ardmore Studios, Co. Wicklow, Ireland, October 5
- Incubus - AT&T Studios, Los Angeles, November 6
2000
- Die Fantastischen Vier – Stalactite cave in Balve in the Sauerland, Germany, September 20
2001
- R.E.M. – MTV Studios, NYC, May 21
- Hikaru Utada – Tennouzu Studio, Tokyo, Japan, June 21
- La Ley – Miami Broadcast Center, June 28
- Staind – MTV Studios, New York City, July 16
- Lauryn Hill – MTV Studios, New York City, July 21
- Alejandro Sanz – Gusman Center, Miami, October 2
- Jay-Z with The Roots, MTV Studios, New York City, November 11
2002
- Dashboard Confessional – MTV Studios, April 24
- Die Ärzte – Albert-Schweitzer-Gymnasium, Hamburg, Germany, August 31
2003
- Ken Hirai – February 13
- Nickelback – MTV Studios, Bussum, Netherlands, September 16
2004
- Diego Torres – Buenos Aires, Argentina, March 4
2005
- Hitomi Yaida – Tokyo FM, Tokyo, Japan, April 24
- Queens of the Stone Age – SilverWings, Berlin, Germany, June 10
- Giorgia – June 20
- Alicia Keys – Brooklyn Academy of Music, NY, July 14
- Die Toten Hosen – Burgtheater, Vienna, Austria, September 1–2
2006
- Ricky Martin – Miami, August 17
- Kayah – Toya film studio, Lodz, Poland, November 28
- Korn, with guest appearance by Amy Lee of Evanescence, and Robert Smith and Simon Gallup of The Cure – MTV Studios, NYC, December 9
2007
- Hey – September 10
- Bon Jovi – June 22
- Mary J. Blige
- Kenny Chesney
- John Mayer
- Alex Britti September 24
- Ne-Yo
- Joss Stone
- Maroon 5
2008
- Julieta Venegas – Estudios Churubusco, Mexico City, March 6
- Söhne Mannheims vs. Xavier Naidoo – Schlosstheater Schwetzingen, Germany, July 2
- Amy Winehouse
2009
- Sportfreunde Stiller
- Adele
- Silversun Pickups
- All Time Low
- Paramore
- Katy Perry – NEP Midtown Studios, New York City, July 22, 2009
- Ayaka – Osaka-jō Hall, Osaka, Japan, November 18
- The Script
- Wilki
- Tomoya Nagase
2010
- Vampire Weekend
- Sido
- Despina Vandi
- Adam Lambert
- Trey Songz
- The Script
- Phoenix
- Mando Diao
- Kult
- Panda
- Camila
- B.o.B
- Train
2011
- Thirty Seconds to Mars – May 13, New York City
- Zoé
- Lykke Li – April 7
- Los Tigres del Norte – May 24 at Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, CA
- Lil Wayne – June 12
- Salyu – June 13 Billboard Live TOKYO
- Mumford & Sons – June 24
2012
- Juanes – February 1
- Florence and the Machine with guest appearance by Josh Homme–April 2 at Angel Orensanz Center, New York
- Walk the Moon – August 2
- Rita Ora – September 7
- Die Fantastischen Vier – Sony Music Studios in Berlin, Germany, October 26
2013
- Scorpions - Athens, Greece
2014
- Gentleman
- Miley Cyrus – January 29
- Kinky – June 3
- Pepe Aguilar – June 5
2015
- Cro - July 3
- Placebo - August 19
- Enrique Bunbury - September 1
- Unheilig - October 3-5
2016
- Mika Nakashima - January 10
- Miguel Bosé - May 12
- Mizuki Nana - October 23
2017
- O.S.T.R. - March 20
- Emmanuel - June 15
- A-ha - Ocean Sound Recordings, Giske, Norway, October 3
- Shawn Mendes - The Theatre at Ace Hotel, Los Angeles
- Bleachers featuring Lorde and Carly Rae Jepsen - The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, New Jersey
2018
- Molotov - April 12
- Los Auténticos Decadentes - May 24
- Biffy Clyro - May 25, Recorded at Roundhouse, London
- Gang of Youths - July 25, Recorded at Cobblestone Pavilion, Melbourne
- DMA's – October 11, Recorded at Memo Music Hall, Melbourne,
2019
- Café Tacuba – March 5, Sala Nezahualcóyotl, Centro Cultural Universitario, CDMX.
- Liam Gallagher – August 3, Recorded at Hull City Hall, Hull
2020
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, MTV rebranded the show to MTV Unplugged at Home, as part of the network's #AloneTogether campaign, a social media initiative created to encourage the practice of social distancing among young people "in the hope of 'flattening the curve'" of the outbreak. It became an online series instead, with episodes released on MTV's YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter accounts, and featured a mix of local and international artists performing from their respective homes around the world.- Wyclef Jean – March 20. Jean was the first artist to perform under the new At Home format
- JoJo – March 25
- Yungblud – April 1, Los Angeles
- Alessia Cara – April 3. Cara was the first artist featured after MTV announced the official launch of At Home as a livestreaming series earlier that same day.
- Melissa Etheridge – April 7
- Finneas O'Connell – April 10
- Jewel – April 14
- Shaggy – April 17
- Kiana Ledé – April 21
- Monsta X – April 24
- Bazzi – May 1
- Marcus Mumford – May 5
- CNCO – May 8
- Hayley Kiyoko – May 12
- Clueso – May 20, Germany
- Fobia – October 2, Frontón Mexico in Mexico City. The band was the first to record under the concert-without-an-audience format for the show. The location of the performance was not disclosed at the time to avoid crowds outside the venue.
- Miley Cyrus – October 16, Los Angeles
2021
- BTS – February 23, South Korea
- Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga – aired December 16
- Bastille with Charlie Barnes – aired December 23
2022
- Twenty One Pilots – aired June 9
- Liella! – aired May 27th & 28th
2023
- A Hip Hop 50th Celebration of Jersey's Finest: Heather B., Lady Luck, Lords of the Underground, Poor Righteous Teachers, Queen Latifah, Redman, The Sugarhill Gang, Treach, Wyclef Jean – Newark Symphony Hall, Newark, NJ – aired December 14.
2024
- Los Bunkers - October 9, Santiago, Chile
European MTV
Brazilian ''Acústico MTV''
| Recorded | Released | Artist | Main article |
| 1990 | Marcelo Nova | Acústico MTV: Marcelo Mova | |
| 1991 | 2006 | Barão Vermelho | Acústico MTV: Barão Vermelho |
| 1992 | 1999 | Legião Urbana | Acústico MTV: Legião Urbana |
| 1992 | 1992 | João Bosco | Acústico MTV: João Bosco |
| 1992 | 1992 | Seal | Acustico MTV Seal |
| 1994 | 1994 | Gilberto Gil | Acústico MTV: Gilberto Gil |
| 1995 | 1995 | Moraes Moreira | Acústico MTV: Moraes Moreira |
| 1997 | 1997 | Titãs | Acústico MTV: Titãs |
| 1997 | 1997 | Gal Costa | Acústico MTV: Gal Costa |
| 1998 | 1998 | Rita Lee | Acústico MTV: Rita Lee |
| 1999 | 1999 | Os Paralamas do Sucesso | Acústico MTV: Os Paralamas do Sucesso |
| 2000 | 2000 | Capital Inicial | Acústico MTV: Capital Inicial |
| 2000 | 2000 | Art Popular | Acústico MTV: Art Popular |
| 2000 | 2000 | Lulu Santos | Acústico MTV: Lulu Santos |
| 2001 | 2001 | Cássia Eller | Acústico MTV: Cássia Eller |
| 2001 | 2001 | Roberto Carlos | Acústico MTV: Roberto Carlos |
| 2001 | 2002 | Cidade Negra | Acústico MTV: Cidade Negra |
| 2002 | 2002 | Jorge Ben | Acústico MTV: Jorge Ben Jor |
| 2002 | 2002 | Kid Abelha | Acústico MTV: Kid Abelha |
| 2003 | 2003 | Marina Lima | Acústico MTV: Marina Lima |
| 2003 | 2003 | Charlie Brown Jr. | Acústico MTV: Charlie Brown Jr. |
| 2003 | 2003 | Zeca Pagodinho | Acústico MTV: Zeca Pagodinho |
| 2004 | 2004 | Ira! | Acústico MTV: Ira! |
| 2004 | 2004 | Marcelo D2 | Acústico MTV: Marcelo D2 |
| 2004 | 2004 | Engenheiros do Hawaii | Acústico MTV: Engenheiros do Hawaii |
| 2005 | 2005 | Bandas Gaúchas:
| Acústico MTV: Bandas Gaúchas |
| 2005 | 2005 | O Rappa | Acústico MTV: O Rappa |
| 2005 | 2005 | Ultraje a Rigor | Acústico MTV: Ultraje a Rigor |
| 2006 | 2006 | Lenine | Acústico MTV: Lenine |
| 2006 | 2006 | Zeca Pagodinho | Acústico MTV: Zeca Pagodinho 2 - Gafieira |
| 2006 | 2007 | Lobão | Acústico MTV: Lobão |
| 2007 | 2007 | Sandy & Junior | Acústico MTV: Sandy & Junior |
| 2007 | 2007 | Paulinho da Viola | Acústico MTV: Paulinho da Viola |
| 2010 | 2010 | Lulu Santos | Acústico MTV: Lulu Santos |
| 2011 | 2012 | Arnaldo Antunes | Acústico MTV: Arnaldo Antunes |
| 2019 | 2019 | Tiago Iorc | Acústico MTV: Tiago Iorc |
| 2022 | 2023 | Manu Gavassi | Acústico MTV: Manu Gavassi canta Fruto Proibido |
Grammy awards and nominations received for ''Unplugged''
Won
- 1993 – 35th Grammy Awards to Eric Clapton
- * Grammy Award for Album of the Year – Unplugged
- 1995 – 37th Grammy Awards to Tony Bennett
- * Grammy Award for Album of the Year – MTV Unplugged: Tony Bennett
- 1996 – 38th Grammy Awards to Nirvana
- * Best Alternative Music Album – Unplugged in New York
- 2000 – Latin Grammy Awards of 2000 to Shakira
- * Best Female Rock Vocal Performance – "Octavo Día"
- * Best Female Pop Vocal Performance – "Ojos Así"
- 2000 – Latin Grammy Awards of 2000 to Os Paralamas do Sucesso
- * [Latin Grammy Award for Best Brazilian Rock en español|Rock Album|Best Brazilian Rock Album] – Acústico MTV
- 2001 – 43rd Grammy Awards to Shakira
- * Best Latin Pop Album – Unplugged
- 2002 – Latin Grammy Awards of 2002 to Cássia Eller
- * Best Brazilian Rock Album – Acústico MTV
- 2007 – Latin Grammy Awards of 2007 to Ricky Martin
- * Best Pop Vocal Album, Male – "Unplugged"
- * Best Long Form Music Video – "Unplugged"
- 2007 – Latin Grammy Awards of 2007 to Lobão
- * Best Brazilian Rock Album – Acústico MTV
- 2007 – Latin Grammy Awards of 2007 to Lenine
- * Best Brazilian Contemporary Pop Album – Acústico MTV
- 2007 – Latin Grammy Awards of 2007 to Zeca Pagodinho
- * Best Album Samba/Pagode – Acústico MTV – 2 Gafieira
- 2008 – Latin Grammy Awards of 2008 to Julieta Venegas
- * Best Alternative Album – "Unplugged"
- * Best Long Form Music Video – "Unplugged"
- 2008 – Latin Grammy Awards of 2008 to Paulinho da Viola
- * Best Album Samba/Pagode – ''Acústico MTV''
Nominations
- 2000 – 42nd Grammy Awards to Maná
- * Best Latin Pop Album – Unplugged
- 2000 – Latin Grammy Awards of 2000 to Shakira
- * Album of the Year – Unplugged
- * Best Pop Vocal Album – Unplugged
- * Best Short Form Music Video – "Ojos Así"
- 2003 – 45th Grammy Awards to Lauryn Hill
- * Best Female Rap Solo Performance – "Mystery of Iniquity"
- 2003 – Latin Grammy Awards of 2003 to Kid Abelha
- * Best Brazilian Contemporary Pop Album – Acústico MTV
- 2006 – 48th Grammy Awards to Alicia Keys
- * Best R&B Album – Unplugged
- * Best Female R&B Vocal Performance – "Unbreakable"
- * Best R&B Song – "Unbreakable"
- * Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance – "If I Was Your Woman"
- 2007 – Latin Grammy Awards of 2008 to Ricky Martin
- * Album of the Year – Unplugged
- * Record of the Year – "Tu Recuerdo"
- 2008 – Latin Grammy Awards of 2008 to Julieta Venegas
- * Record of the Year – "El Presente"
- * Song of the Year – "El Presente"