What a stunning concept the MTV Unplugged sessions have been. There have been many great TV episodes and lots of brilliant live albums released from the music network. Those albums have sold well over 80 million copies over the years, an amazing number from such a cool idea.
It was producers Robert Small and Jim Burns who set all this in motion. Their creation led to the very first MTV Unplugged late in 1989. The concept was very simple, although we did see a few variations to it over the years.
A stripped-back version of songs, without electric instruments. Often an acoustic set, but with some keyboards and orchestral additions at times. All played in a small studio with a limited audience.
Top selling MTV Unplugged albums
Fans and artists loved the shows and the live albums. Right from the start we saw those top-selling albums catching the eye of record labels and artists. The demand for an unplugged session was soaring. And why not? MTV was setting up the recording, the studio, and the set. There was a TV show to promote the gig and make a superb advert for an album, a no-brainer really.
Let’s look at the ten top-selling albums ever that came from MTV Unplugged. This is based on worldwide sales as recorded online at Best Selling Albums. The top ten list accounts for around 70m sales and have all sold over 2m copies. If you are wondering why your favorite artist or unplugged album isn’t here, then they just didn't sell more than the 2m copies needed to hit the top ten.
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