Photo Credit: Scorpions Unplugged by Tobias Cohrs / CC by 3.0
Paramount+ adds over 100 episodes of MTV Unplugged, VH1 Storytellers, and CMT Crossroads, some of which haven’t been seen in two decades.
The return of the classic performances to Paramount’s streaming service includes some of the most famous Unplugged sets ever. These include Nirvana’s November 1993 performance, released seven months before the death of singer Kurt Cobain, and Eric Clapton’s iconic 1992 performance.
MTV Unplugged Season One features sets by Neil Young, Sinead O’Connor, Lenny Kravitz, Elton John, and Pearl Jam, while Season Two features Mariah Carey, and Eric Clapton. Other sets include Bob Dylan, Tony Bennett, The Cranberries, Annie Lennox, Jewel, John Mellencamp, Duran Duran, Kiss, Oasis, Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Rod Stewart, and many more. Later seasons feature sets from artists like Korn, Queen Latifah, Wyclef Jean, and the Sugar Hill Gang.
The CMT Crossroads collection includes sets by Dolly Parton, Melissa Etheridge, the Doobie Brothers, Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, Sting, Boyz II Men, Halsey, Kelsea Ballerini, John Legend, OneRepublic, Stevie Nicks, and Lady A, among others. Finally, the VH1 Storytellers collection includes Alicia Keys, Bruce Springsteen, Christina Aguilera, Coldplay, David Bowie, Ed Sheeran, Foo Fighters, Green Day, Mary J. Blige, P!nk, Ringo Starr, Snoop Dogg, Tom Waits, ZZ Top, and more.
Notably, all three series dumps are missing random seasons, but it’s still a significant collection of programs. Many of these performances haven’t aired in over two decades.
MTV Unplugged first aired in 1989 and ran for 12 seasons. From 1989 to 1999, the show aired regularly, but from 2000 to 2009, shows were less frequent. Many of the artists who appeared on the show in the ‘90s released their session as an album, like Eric Clapton’s critically acclaimed Unplugged (1992), Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged in New York (1994), and Alice in Chains’ Unplugged (1996).
VH1’s Storytellers premiered in 1996 with Ray Davies during his “Storyteller” tour, which gave the program its name. As of 2016, 98 episodes have aired, featuring artists like Elvis Costello, the Bee Gees, Billy Joel, Bonnie Raitt, Hanson, Meat Loaf, R.E.M, Tori Amos, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and many more.
CMT Crossroads premiered on January 13, 2002, and is still ongoing. There have been 76 episodes to date, featuring sets from Brooks & Dunn, Cheap Trick, Lee Ann Womack, LeAnn Rimes, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Nelly, Randy Travis, The Doobie Brothers, and Willie Nelson, among others.
Content shared from www.digitalmusicnews.com.