Dee Snider Blames ‘MTV Unplugged’ for Helping Metal’s ’90s Demise
The MTV series Unplugged put a spotlight on many a major act in the late '80s and early '90s, but Dee Snider was not a fan. In fact, he partially blames the series for contributing to the downfall of metal in the early '90s.
Snider shared his sentiments during some fan interaction on Twitter over the weekend that started with people asking him about acoustic music and in particular the Twisted Sister anthem, "We're Not Gonna Take It." At one point in the discussion amongst multiple Twitter followers, one fan asked Snider if he had ever been approached for an MTV Unplugged album and sharing their interest in such a release given what acts such as Nirvana and Alice in Chains had done with the platform.
Snider responded, "I have an incredible aversion to MTV's Unplugged. It always suggested to me that somehow we weren't 'legit' if we couldn't play our stuff acoustic. My answer to @mtv was, 'When Paul Simon or Tracy Chapman plug into a Marshall stack and ride the lightning, I'll unplug!'"
As the discussion continued, another fan circled back to the MTV Unplugged idea, noting that Snider's use of "incredible aversion" seemed to be strong wording. "I was going to say "hate" but figured I'd class it up," explained Snider, then further offering insight into why he was not a fan. "I not only hated Unplugged, but believe it was partially responsible for the demise of metal in the early 90's. I mean when you only put out power ballads & stop playing electric instruments...it's not metal anymore, is it?"
READ MORE: 'MTV Unplugged' Episodes Ranked
While another fan noted "some incredible performances" coming from MTV Unplugged, Snider responded, "Oh, no doubt people liked it. I personally found it insulting. Why? Scroll back on my feed to find the answer."
Later, another fan noted assigning some blame to Tesla for their Five Man Acoustical Jam album, with Snider responding, "They started it all...love those guys...but I told 'em it's their fault!
That said, amidst all the calls for an acoustic version of "We're Not Gonna Take It," Snider repeatedly sent fans to a previous piano ballad video of the song he did with Criss Angel that was used to raise funds for charity. You can see that below.