On this day in 1993, Nirvana recorded their renowned MTV Unplugged concert in New York

After a lengthy negotiation period, Kurt Cobain finally agreed to the performance while on tour with the Meat Puppets. Drummer Dave Grohl later said that the band wanted to do something different from the typical Unplugged sets where bands would play them like rock shows but with acoustic guitars. 

The band achieved this by planning a very different kind of show, replacing their usual raucous performances with an intimate sit-down performance with acoustic versions of some of their songs, as well as covers of David Bowie, Lead Belly and the Meat Puppets. The show also differentiated from other Unplugged sets by being recorded in a single take. Cobain also requested that the set be decorated with candles, stargazer lilies and a crystal chandelier to resemble a funeral.

These ideas helped make the set one of the most popular and memorable Unplugged shows. The album released alongside the performance received the highest first week sales of any Nirvana album, and a vast majority of critics praised the recording.