General Gregory N. Pigott: Late Night Music NBA/NHL Playoffs/Graduation Edition Part 186......"I'm Still Acoustically Speaking"

You guys know how much I love seeing songs stripped down to the bare skeleton. Sometimes that's the main way to be able to get the true emotion of a song.

In order to receive votes in this category, the song had to be stripped down to a bare acoustic performance. No electronic allowed, just like "MTV Unplugged". The original videos are included with all videos.

"Thinking Out Loud"- Ed Sheeran. What an amazing stripped down performance of Sheeran's 2014 hit off of his smash album X. I have to admit that I like this version better than seeing him struggling through a ballroom dance routine with a professional. Sheeran himself said that he wrote this song to be a "walking down the aisle" song and that he wanted to write a wedding song. The response was an otherwordly shot to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 where this song peaked at #2 towards the end of last year. I see this performance and it makes me super jealous that a ginger like Ed Sheeran can pull off the messed up hair look that I struggle mightily with. I really wish I could just get out of bed and have my hair look presentable with no work. Oh, the small victories in life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6Cswdm601A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lp-EO5I60KA

"Lights"- Ellie Goulding. Super cool acoustic piano version of this super hot Brit's ode to being scared of the dark that was featured on Ryan Seacrest's radio show in 2011. The minor melody change on the chorus seems to suit this version better to me. Either that, or it's just an amazing adlib by an amazing artists. I always like hearing deeply personal songs like this one stripped down to a single instrument because it shows the raw emotion of the artist with no distraction of other instruments or tracks. I agree with Ryan Seacrest in his post song comments that this song requires a lot of "control" just due to the music and lyrics of the track. I find myself more and more drawn to Ellie Goulding not only because she's hot but because she's so amazingly deep in her lyrics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTyL7p0E0Fk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NKUpo_xKyQ

"3 AM"- Matchbox 20. I have never made it a secret that I was never a huge fan of Matchbox 20. However, this deeply personal song written by Rob Thomas (which he explains at the beginning), is a hidden gem on their debut album Yourself or Someone Like You. This single went to #1 in Canadian RPM Chart and #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart just due to its heavy radio and music video rotation in 1997. Listening to this piano version and hearing the story of the song given by Thomas makes me look at this song completely different now. Even when I'm not a huge fan of an artist, I can always appreciate when new insight is given to me about a song that may have had a meaning that most people wouldn't have guessed in the first place. I have no idea what performance this amazing rendition is from, but I'd love to find some more of Rob Thomas at this same performance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUVWzvFYk0k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-Naa1HXeDQ

"We Are Young"- fun featuring Janelle Monae. This acoustic version of fun's breakthrough 2012 single from their album Some Nights does a great job of featuring guest artist Janelle Monae even more so than the original version that went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and took home the Grammy for Song of the Year and added a Record of the Year nomination at the same year's ceremony. Nate Ruess and Janelle Monae show a great blend in this different setting from the original and would be a great combo for future collaborations. In my opinion, this duo is much better than the recently formed duo of Ruess and Pink. Just saying.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQLGhPHzxjc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv6dMFF_yts

"Look What You've Done"- Jet. An interesting pick here with Australian rockers Jet doing an acoustic version of their 2004 hit from their debut album Get Born. This single went to #37 on the Billboard Hot 100 and featured a quite interesting video (link below) that gave the band a bigger following not only in Australia, but in the USA. This song as featured in many commercials around its release and was included on the soundtrack of the romantic comedy A Lot Like Love which no one of you probably saw just because it features Ashton Kutcher.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oawN0BV7maQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XD1cxSE25ck

"Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)"- Maxwell. What a great performance here from Maxwell's famous 1997 Unplugged album. This single was the coming out party for Maxwell, as it was his second single from his now groundbreaking debut album Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite where it peaked at #36 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains a fan favorite to this day. I had the unbelievable pleasure of seeing Maxwell perform this song live this past summer in Jackson, and the only thing Maxwell has lost since this performance is his hair. I'd really like to see more neo soul artists do unplugged acoustic sets like this, because honestly, I think the genre was designed for it. It just has a laid back relaxed feel that makes you think that the song was written for this arrangement all along.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceBxiAbTAjM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7rm9t5S4uE

"Burning Bright"- Shinedown. Man this one of my favorite rock songs of all time! What an unreal performance by Shinedown here! This emotionally charged acoustic live performance was taken from the band's live DVD from Kansas City "Somewhere in the Stratosphere". This single was included on this Jacksonville band's debut album Leave a Whisper where it saw modest chart success topping out on the Billboard Bubbling Under 100 at #7. What a great intro by Brent Smith with a goosebump inducing performance that really stands out among 2000's rock bands. This song has always been a perfect example to me of a song that shows not only raw emotion but an inspirational message that seems to be lost with the perceived genre of hard rock by Shinedown. Listen to these words and tell me if I'm lying.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxOXpSsq3aY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SO2QId331PE

"Alive"- Krewella. This different type of group and song was done beautifully by this hot trio from Northbrook, Illinois. This catchy dance tune was the group's breakthrough hit when hit #32 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2013 when it was included on their debut album Get Wet. Krewella just has a European feel with American attitude that just screams Wild Orchid meets Moby.....or maybe not. Anyway, both versions of this song are super cool and catchy. Just a side note, then group DJ Kris "Rain Man" Trindl had to feel pretty good about himself. What dude would not want to be next to those super hot women?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7dcA_N6EmQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-gYJBsln-w

"I Am Not My Hair"- India Arie. What a great stripped down version of the India Arie woman anthem about self acceptance here! This single was included on her 2006 album Testimony: Vol. 1, Life and Relationship and peaked at #97 on the Billboard Hot 100. Despite its lack of chart prominence, it gained decent airplay and became a fan favorite included in nearly all sets including this acoustic one done here for VH1.com. I also love how India shows her confidence in herself when we all know she's a beautiful woman. I absolutely love her natural look she has here. I've looked everywhere to try to find this guitar player's name but he's pretty solid and has a good background voice. India Arie is one artist I'd love to meet and see live in concert just because of her true stage presence and charisma that seems to be unmatched. More on that in a second.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZH6lKxA_q0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_5jIt0f5Z4

"Alone"- Heart. With already a strong following, Heart struck gold in 1987 with their biggest hit ever when this power ballad hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 off of their album Bad Animals. Unknown to most people, this version is actually the third incarnation of the song, as it had been featured on several TV shows and movies sung by other artists including John Stamos and Lisa Copley for the 1984 CBS Sitcom "Dreams". I have no idea where this performance is from, but this stripped down slightly slower version shows Ann Wilson stealing the show like she did so many times with her sister. This version also features a pretty impressive solo towards the end before the last chorus that isn't really noticed in the original version.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXznl5S7ZbI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Cw1ng75KP0

"Karma Police"- Radiohead. What a great stripped down version of the classic 90's rock ballad that turned Radiohead into even bigger superstars riding the success of their 1997 critically acclaimed album OK Computer. Despite not charting on the US Billboard Chart, this song remains a fan favorite and saw unbelievable success due to the creative video peaked at #14 on the Billboard Alternative Chart. This deeply personal song remains one of the most talked about songs in 90's rock history as the true meaning of the unconventional lyrics and structure is often questioned by critics and fans alike.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUI-aCqFslI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBH97ma9YiI

"Hey, Soul Sister"- Train. Pat Monahan really out does himself on this one. I can't for the life of me understand how he sings so high! I've tried to do this one karaoke and it seriously destroys my voice. Despite it being a voice suicide song, it's absolutely one of my favorite songs of the last few years by one of the most underrated bands of all time. This track from the band's 2009 album Save Me, San Francisco peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and did like most Train songs and sneak up and seemingly come out of nowhere after we think we've heard the last of Train. I still remember seeing them live in 2004 at USM and it is still one of the best concerts I've ever seen. By the way, I want hair like Pat Monahan, it's just not fair.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-7XPCNrD5Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVpv8-5XWOI

"Dream"- Kevin Ross. Kevin Ross is seriously the best singer you've never heard of. I had the great fortune to meet him and shake his hand after he opened for Maxwell in Jackson in August. While Maxwell was spectacular as expected, Kevin Ross seriously left a huge impression on me that night! You may have recognized him from the Glad commercials with his song "This Is My Wish" being performed, but this song from his latest album Dialogue In The Grey. Check both of these videos and tell me you can find someone right now with a better voice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm42goqrLIA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RdPtkevj9c

"Use Somebody"- Paramore. I had to close this one out with Paramore doing a spectacular stripped down version of "Use Somebody" by Kings of Leon. Had to mix it up a little bit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Re_gJkRkHLQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnhXHvRoUd0

BONUS VIDEOS-

"Heart of The Matter/Umbrella"- India Arie (Live from the North Sea Jazz Festival in Hamburg, Germany).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJb_Sq7_jjo

"Notion"- Kings of Leon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NT6mB8N24_g

"Stolen"- Dashboard Confessional.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68dLRzG3Sh4

"Come To Me"- Mary J. Blige.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7bPB7WltuY