The group looked at Mark Lanegan's 1990 album The Winding Sheet, which Cobain had performed on, for inspiration. Nirvana wanted to do something different from a typical MTV Unplugged performance according to drummer Dave Grohl, 'We'd seen the other Unpluggeds and didn't like many of them, because most bands would treat them like rock shows-play their hits like it was Madison Square Garden, except with acoustic guitars.' Nirvana had been in negotiations to appear for some time Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain finally accepted while touring with the Meat Puppets. MTV Unplugged began airing on MTV in 1989, with artists performing their hits on acoustic instruments in intimate settings. The performance was released as a DVD in 2007. It won the Best Alternative Music Performance at the 1996 Grammy Awards, making it Nirvana's only Grammy Award win, and has since been ranked one of the greatest live albums of all time. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and was certified 8x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2020. It was the first Nirvana release after the death of singer Kurt Cobain seven months prior. MTV Unplugged was released after plans to release the performance as part of a live double-album compilation titled Verse Chorus Verse were abandoned. They were joined by rhythm guitarist Pat Smear and cellist Lori Goldston, alongside Meat Puppets members Cris and Curt Kirkwood for some songs. Unlike prior MTV Unplugged performances, which were entirely acoustic, Nirvana used electric amplification and guitar effects during the set.

In a break with MTV Unplugged tradition, Nirvana played mainly lesser-known material and covers of songs by the Vaselines, David Bowie, Lead Belly and Meat Puppets. The show was directed by Beth McCarthy and aired on the cable television network MTV on December 16, 1993. It features an acoustic performance recorded at Sony Music Studios in New York City on November 18, 1993, for the television series MTV Unplugged. MTV Unplugged in New York is a live album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on November 1, 1994, by DGC Records.

Mtv unplugged in new york