MTV Unplugged is the third album and first live album by American singer Mariah Carey, released in the United States on 2 June 1992 by Columbia Records. Like Carey’s previous album Emotions (1991), it only produced one U.S. number-one single, which was the only new song on the album.

History

Finally having conquered her stage fright and tired of critics suggesting she could not actually sing and that her high notes were synthesizer creations in the studio, Carey booked an appearance on the television show MTV Unplugged. The arrangements of the songs were different from the versions created in the studio, because MTV Unplugged involved the use of acoustic instruments only. Carey’s whistle register workout on the opening number, “Emotions“, brought cheers from the audience and convinced any skeptics that her vocal abilities were real. After the program aired, Carey’s cover version of The Jackson 5’s “I’ll Be There” (1970), performed as a duet with backing singer Trey Lorenz, was released as a single due to high demand and topped the U.S. charts. It is her only #1 out of the 17 she has that isn’t written by herself, because it is a remake.

The entire set list, brief as it was, was subsequently released as an album, which incorporated Carey talking before each song to introduce it. The MTV Unplugged EP peaked at number three on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and remained in the top twenty for fourteen weeks, and on the chart for fifty-seven (making one re-entry). As of 2005 it had sold 2.73 million copies in the U.S. according to Nielsen SoundScan,^[1] and the RIAA certified it three times platinum in December 1994. Carey’s appearance on the show gained her respect from many critics, who had previously dismissed her as a studio artist incapable or unwilling to play live. The popularity of her performance also led to promotional activities for the album Emotions being cut down. The EP yielded a second single, “If It’s Over“, which was not released in the U.S. and failed in most markets. By 2005 MTV Unplugged had sold approximately nine million copies worldwide.

The video release MTV Unplugged Plus 3 also captures this performance.

Track listing

1. “Emotions” – 4:00
2. “If It’s Over” – 3:47
3. “Someday” – 3:56
4. “Vision of Love” – 3:36
5. “Make It Happen” – 4:09
6. “I’ll Be There” featuring Trey Lorenz – 4:42
7. “Can’t Let Go” – 4:35

Charts