Nirvana MTV Unplugged — Sony Music Studios, New York

On November 18, 1993, Nirvana recorded their MTV Unplugged session at Sony Music Studios at 460 West 54th Street in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan. The performance — which would be released as MTV Unplugged in New York after Kurt Cobain's death — is now regarded as one of the greatest live albums ever made. Cobain insisted on decorating the set with black candles, stargazer lilies, and a crystal chandelier, creating an atmosphere that was closer to a funeral parlour than a rock concert. The setlist was defiantly uncommercial, featuring obscure covers of Meat Puppets, David Bowie, and Lead Belly songs alongside stripped-down versions of Nirvana originals.

The performance revealed a side of Cobain that the distortion-heavy studio albums had obscured: a singer of extraordinary tenderness and a songwriter whose melodies, freed from grunge's sonic assault, had a devastating emotional clarity. 'About a Girl,' 'All Apologies,' and 'Where Did You Sleep Last Night' — the Lead Belly cover that closed the set — are among the most powerful performances in rock history. Cobain's voice cracked and soared through the session, and his closing scream on 'Where Did You Sleep Last Night' is one of the most haunting moments captured on tape.

Sony Music Studios at 460 West 54th Street was one of Manhattan's premier recording and broadcast facilities. The building has since changed use. MTV Unplugged in New York was released on November 1, 1994 — seven months after Cobain's death — and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. It has sold over eight million copies in the United States and remains one of the defining documents of the 1990s.