MTV Unplugged
Alice in Chains recorded MTV Unplugged on 10 April 1996 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music's Majestic Theatre, and Columbia released it on 30 July 1996. It was the band's first concert since early 1994, after Layne Staley's heroin addiction had left them unable to play live and they had temporarily disbanded. Their self-titled third album had appeared in late 1995 without any shows to support it.
The set is mostly acoustic reworkings of familiar songs, with brief nods to Metallica and one new number, "The Killer Is Me". Critics at the time praised the stripped-back versions of the heavier material but were cooler on songs that were already acoustic, such as those from Sap and Jar of Flies. It has since been warmly reappraised and went double platinum in the US. It also marked Staley's last headlining performance, which gives it a quiet weight.
MTV Unplugged: tracklist, credits and charts
13 tracks · 1:11:25Tracklist
- 1NutshellCantrell, Inez, Kinney, Staley4:57
- 2BrotherJerry Cantrell5:27
- 3No ExcusesJerry Cantrell4:57
- 4Sludge FactoryCantrell, Kinney, Staley4:36
- 5Down in a HoleJerry Cantrell5:46
- 6Angry ChairLayne Staley4:36
- 7RoosterJerry Cantrell and Danny Elfman6:41
- 8Got Me WrongJerry Cantrell4:59
- 9Heaven Beside YouJerry Cantrell and Mike Inez5:38
- 10Would?Jerry Cantrell3:43
- 11FrogsCantrell, Inez, Kinney, Staley7:30
- 12Over NowJerry Cantrell and Sean Kinney7:12
- 13Killer Is MeJerry Cantrell5:23
- Produced by
- Toby Wright, Alice in Chains
- Recorded at
- Majestic Theatre
- Recorded
- April 1996
- Label
- Columbia
- Length
- 1:11:25
Line-up
- Jerry Cantrell · acoustic guitar, vocals
- Mike Inez · acoustic bass guitar, acoustic guitar
- Sean Kinney · drums (drum set)
- Layne Staley · vocals, acoustic guitar
- Scott Olson · acoustic bass guitar · guest
Singles
- “Over Now” · 17 July 1996
- “Would?” · October 1996
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 · 1996 | 3 |
| UK Albums Chart · 1996 | 20 |
| Hungarian Vinyl Albums (MAHASZ) · 2026 | 4 |
| US Top Rock & Alternative Albums (Billboard) · 2026 | 4 |
| Hungarian Physical Albums (MAHASZ) · 2026 | 6 |
| Swedish Albums · 1996 | 7 |
| New Zealand Albums · 1996 | 8 |
| Norwegian Albums · 1996 | 9 |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) · 1996 | 12 |
| German Rock & Metal Albums (Offizielle Top 100) · 2026 | 12 |
All 18 charts
| Finnish Albums · 1996 | 13 |
| Belgian Albums (Flanders) · 1996 | 15 |
| Austrian Albums · 1996 | 23 |
| Scottish Albums · 1996 | 28 |
| Dutch Albums · 1996 | 33 |
| Swiss Albums · 1996 | 41 |
| German Albums · 1996 | 46 |
| Portuguese Albums (AFP) · 2026 | 129 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| Canada | Gold |
| United Kingdom · 2022 | Silver |
| United States · 2022 | 2× Platinum |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
Released the same week
Also released on 30 July
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Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia + wikidata; also seen: 1996-07-29 (musicbrainz)
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 29 July 1996 | ignored lone early release dated 1996-04-10 |
| Wikipedia infobox | 30 July 1996 | |
| Wikidata | 30 July 1996 | |
| US release | 30 July 1996 | earliest US date |
| UK / Europe release | 10 April 1996 | earliest UK or European date |
12 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | ZA | Columbia | 6007689151133 | other |
| 1996 | XE | Columbia | 5099748430021 | other |
| 10 April 1996 | GB | Columbia Music Video | 5099705014899 | original |
| 29 July 1996 | NL | Columbia | 5099748430014 | other |
| 30 July 1996 | US | Columbia | 074646770320 | other |
| 30 July 1996 | US | Columbia | 886919794724 | other |
| 30 July 1996 | CA | Columbia | 074646770320 | other |
| 5 August 1996 | AU | Columbia | 9399700019568 | other |
| 7 August 1996 | JP | Sony Records | 4988009806594 | other |
| 18 September 2007 | US | Columbia Music Video | 886971245325 | other |
| 26 August 2010 | XE | Music on Vinyl | 8713748980344 | other |
| — | — | Columbia | 884977724899 | other |
Cover art sources
coverartarchive · upscaled: minor: best source 1404x1405, upscaled to 1500 (x1.07)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| coverartarchive ✓ | 1404×1405 | upscaled: minor: best source 1404x1405, upscaled to 1500 (x1.07) |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |
| itunes | 600×600 | upscaled |