Today (April 5) marks the 26th and 18th anniversaries of the passing of Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain and Alice In Chains’ Layne Staley.

Cobain and Staley were two voices that helped define a genre, a generation and a changing of the guard. Both were incredible forces live as evident in their performances on MTV Unplugged.

In their memory, take a look back on the Nirvana and Alice In Chains episodes of MTV Unplugged as well as these four other outstanding performances.

 

Nirvana

Recorded just five months before the untimely passing of Kurt Cobain, the band’s performance would later be released as the live LP MTV Unplugged in New York.  It was Nirvana’s first release following Cobain’s death, and it would go on to win the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album.

 

Alice In Chains

Equal parts extraordinary and bitter-sweet, AIC’s 1996 performance on MTV Unplugged was the band’s first performance together in over two years due to Staley’s issues with drug abuse.  It would also be one of the band’s last high-profile gigs with the singer.  In spite of that and Jerry Cantrell famously battling food poisoning, AIC’s set served as a reminder of why they were the first band to really break out of the fruitful Seattle music scene.

Alice In Chains - Down in a Hole (From MTV Unplugged) (Official Video)

"Down In A Hole" by Alice In Chains, MTV Unplugged Listen to the new album, Rainier Fog: https://aliceinchains.lnk.to/RainierFog On tour this spring and summ...

 

Stone Temple Pilots

MTV Unplugged is just a goldmine of remarkable performances for anyone that loves rock from the ’90s.  Stone Temple Pilots recorded their set in 1993, which marked the first time they performed “Big Empty.”

Big Empty (acoustic) - Stone Temple Pilots

"...these conversations kill..."

 

R.E.M.

R.E.M is responsible for two marvelous MTV Unplugged performances from 1991 and 2001, which were both released in 2014 as Unplugged:  The Complete 1991 and 2001 Sessions. Below is their set from 1991.

REM - 45 Minutes Live Performance ( 12 Songs In Stereo From REM On 10th April 1991 )

Track Listing REM MTV Studio Performace 1991 : 1. Half A World Away 2. Disturbance at the Heron House 3. Radio Song 4. Low 5. Perfect Circle 6. Fall on Me 7....

Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam simply crushes it in this set from March 1992, about seven months after the release of Pearl Jam’s debut album Ten.

Jeremy (Live) - MTV Unplugged - Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam performing "Jeremy" from their 1992 MTV Unplugged concert in New York City. Get Pearl Jam's new album, Lightning Bolt, here: http://smarturl.it/PJL...

 

Thirty Seconds To Mars

Later episodes in MTV Unplugged’s history are tragically overlooked, but this incredible set from Thirty Seconds To Mars more than holds its own thanks to Jared Leto’s dynamic vocal performance.

30 Seconds To Mars MTV Unplugged- Hurricane

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

 

GALLERY: 10 Best Songs from the ’90s

Erica Banas is a rock/classic rock news blogger who's well-versed in etiquette and extraordinarily nice. #TransRightsAreHumanRights

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