The Cranberries: MTV Unplugged
You know I’m such a fool for The Cranberries. After years in the making, Island Records and UMe, is finally releasing The Cranberries’ MTV Unplugged on CD, vinyl, and digital. The recording was released on Friday (November 7, 2025).
The Cranberries: MTV Unplugged (Nov 7, 2025)
In the End (2019)
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Something Else
(2017) |
Roses (2012)
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Wake Up and Smell the Coffee (2001)
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Bury the Hatchet (1999)
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To the Faithful Departed (1996)
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No Need to Argue (1994)
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Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? (1993)
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You know I’m such a fool for The Cranberries. After years in the making, Island Records and UMe, is finally releasing The Cranberries’ MTV Unplugged on CD, vinyl, and digital. The recording was released on Friday (November 7, 2025).
You may recall that when I reviewed No Need to Argue (30th Anniversary), I criticized Island for having different exclusive tracks on various formats (forcing the Cranberries’ biggest fans to buy them all to get all those extra songs). I pointed out that if I wanted to listen to the MTV Unplugged track, I would have to buy the vinyl release… but now, there’s no need to be sour over that. I can finally get to hear the entire recording (not just one or two songs) of the MTV show!
If you’re new to MTV Unplugged, this was a show (the first version) that aired on MTV from 1989 to 1999. The idea was to get typically rock/loud bands to play their music on an acoustic quiet live setting. Just imagine rock anthems such as “Zombie” without all the noise, distortion, distraction, and energy… but reduced to just the main ingredients of Dolores O’Riordan’s vocals and some acoustic notes to emphasize the lyrics. Then for something completely different, the music is also backed by a small string section of the Electra Strings, giving it a soaring emotion! Truly a unique experience for the small group that witness the concert in person on that Valentine’s Day in 1995.
I never saw The Cranberries on MTV Unplugged when it originally aired, so these recordings are all new to me. And what’s interesting to note is that they played a very early version of “Free to Decide” and “I’m Still Remembering”. In fact, their first performance of the first song: “We’re going to do a new song, a song we’ve never played yet. A song called ‘Free to Decide’.” The studio recording of those songs would eventually make it on their To the Faithful Departed, a full year later.
All the popular songs from that time period are represented in this acoustic show, including everybody’s favorite, “Ode To My Family”, “Linger”, and “Zombie.”
So, there you have it, for the first time, these recordings are finally available for purchase. It is a great way for fans of The Cranberries to hear something new.
