Watch: Alice in Chains’ Nutshell lands at #6 in the Rock 2000

Alice in Chains’ ‘Nutshell (Unplugged)’ has landed at #6 in the 2026 Rock 2000, proving that sometimes all you need is an acoustic guitar and raw vocals to make a lasting impression in Rock History.

Originally released on the band’s 1994 EP Jar of Flies, ‘Nutshell’ became even more iconic through Alice in Chains’ legendary MTV Unplugged performance, recorded in New York in April 1996.

Drummer Barrett Martin describes a raw moment where Layne [Staley] vocal power was so significant you could hear his voice coming off his body. 

“His voice came out of his chest, louder than what was coming out of the monitor.”

Thirty years on, that performance still sounds painfully raw. No big production, nowhere to hide, just four musicians and a song doing all the heavy lifting.

Relive the countdown from wherever you are.