Three landmark live performances are credited with turning around artists' careers, showing how a single unforgettable show can transform a struggling act's fortunes. In each case, an artist facing commercial disappointment or declining fortunes delivered a set so acclaimed that it reignited public and critical interest, leading directly to renewed success.

Bruce Springsteen's 9 May 1974 show at Harvard Square Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts, prompted critic Jon Landau to declare he had "seen rock and roll future," helping set up the following year's breakthrough album Born To Run. Johnny Cash's 1968 concert at Folsom State Prison, recorded during a period of addiction struggles and falling sales, became the classic live album At Folsom Prison and revived his career. KISS's stripped-back, make-up-free 1995 appearance on MTV Unplugged reunited the original line-up after years apart and paved the way for a hugely successful reunion tour the following year.