Jim Burns, co-creator of MTV Unplugged, passed away this week at the age of 65 from injuries resulting from being accidentally hit by a taxi cab in Manhattan.
Burns, along with Robert Small, created the iconic performance show that ran on –and-off from 1989-1999 and 2000-2009, with various specials cropping up since 2009. During this time, MTV Unplugged provided fans with some of the most memorable performances by our favorite acts. In honor of Burns’ life, here are six of the most memorable MTV Unplugged performances from classic rock artists.
Nirvana
You can’t talk about MTV Unplugged without talking about Nirvana’s performance. Recorded just five months before Kurt Cobain’s untimely passing, 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 suicide, and it would go on to win the GRAMMY for Best Alternative Music Album.
R.E.M.
R.E.M is the reason this list goes to seven and not six, because they’re responsible for two marvelous performances from 1991 and 2001 which were both released in 2014 as Unplugged: The Complete 1991 and 2001 Sessions.
