Unplugged Week: Page and Plant "Kashmir" (1994)

To end Unplugged week, here is a good example of what the Unplugged sessions could achieve: masterful performances by legendary musicians, stripped down to bare elements or rearranged to form something new and wonderful (see: Eric Clapton's unplugged version of Layla). This was freaking Page and Plant from Led Zeppelin reuniting! To do a unique, intimate performance with an international orchestra. That is amazing. It may not be all that 90s, but Unplugged was one of the rare genuine musical phenomena of its decade.

Unplugged Week: Erykah Badu "On and On" (1997)

I remember seeing this on TV and being completely transfixed by it. It's amazing that after all the mindless pop mess, MTV would actually support an artist like Erykah Badu.

Unplugged Week: Poison "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" (1990)

With a few changes and a different set of circumstances, this could have been a Gram Parsons song, or at least a George Strait song. But no, somehow Bret Michaels wrote it. I realize this is more of an 80s song, but they did it on Unplugged, so it's kind of a nice segue into the Better Decade.

Unplugged Week: Stone Temple Pilots "Interstate Love Song" (1993)

Here's the opposite of Kiss Unplugged. A thoughtful, spacious performance, making good use of the unplugged format. Of course, Kiss had already been playing for 20-something years, so maybe STP had no idea what they were doing.

Unplugged Week: Kiss "Rock and Roll All Nite" (1995)

Kiss. Unplugged. Unmasked. Whose Idea was this? This is the equivalent of giving Nick Drake facepaint, devil boots, and a Flying V. And as you can see, they didn't play a different arrangement, tone it down, or even make any attempt at a moving performance. I mean maybe they shouldn't have. They're Kiss, fer Chrissakes. They just phoned it in and played exactly how they normally do, except with acoustic guitars instead of electric guitars. And in some cases, acoustic guitars that look like electric guitars. I don't like Kiss.

Unplugged Week: Paul McCartney "And I Love Her" (1991)

Apparently Paul McCartney's early Unplugged session was part of the reason the series was continued. Yet again, music is saved by a Beatle. I love the slow arrangement of this song. In fact, I think I prefer it.

Unplugged Week: Alice In Chains "No Excuses" (1996)

I never paid any attention to Alice In Chains, but I understand they were very influential. Anyway, Here they are doing a very ethereal version of No Excuses.

Unplugged Week: Nirvana "All Apologies" (1994)

I prefer Nirvana this way. I'd like to think they would have explored a lot more folky styles if Kurt Cobain had lived. Their song choice on this album (covers of David Bowie, Leadbelly, the Meat Puppets!) was superb, the stage dressing was amazing, and it seemed like every miniscule detail (down to Cobain's dowdy cardigan) was intricately laid out to form a perfect exploration of this band's potential alternate personality. And it worked like the dickens.

Unplugged Week: Eric Clapton "Tears In Heaven" (1992)

MTV did a lot of Unplugged shows in the 90s and even the 00s, but this is the one that stands out the most to me. Not only is Eric Clapton's Unplugged album a masterpiece of acoustic blues, folk, and traditional American music, "Tears In Heaven" is one of the best songs of the 90s. God, is it sad, but MAN is it good. And Clapton performed it with the typical Englishman's reserve, which earned him a lot of personal respect.

Unplugged Week: LL Cool J "Mama Said Knock You Out" (1991)

Nothing says 90s music progression better than an unplugged performance of an aggressive rap song. Frankly, I just echo the sentiment of the original uploader: "I like the shirtless fellows!!!"