The Best Acoustic Album in the World...Ever!

Recording information: 1987 - 2005. This superlative set of unplugged alternative rock from some of the genre's top-selling artists provides an opportunity to compare the unvarnished interpretive skills of established acts like Coldplay, Radiohead, and R.E.M. with those of up-and-comers like the Thrills and Athlete. Teenage neo-soul phenomenon Joss Stone performs a scorching, stripped-down version of the White Stripes' "Fell in Love with a Boy," while the Verve scores heavily with Richard Ashcroft's chilling "The Drugs Don't Work." The enduring Bonnie Raitt delivers a slow-burning cover of David Gray's "Silver Lining," and Gray himself is featured on his own "Late Night Radio," but credit for the dreamiest performance here goes to Mazzy Star, whose "Bells Ring" is an after-hours delight.