Deep Purple

Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London, England, in 1968. Over a career marked by multiple line-up changes, they have been associated with hard rock and heavy metal, with long-standing members including drummer Ian Paice. They became widely known for influential 1970s recordings and for the song “Smoke on the Water”.

The band emerged from the late-1960s British rock scene and released their first albums in quick succession, initially blending psychedelic rock with classical-influenced arrangements. Early releases included Shades of Deep Purple (1968) and Deep Purple (1969), followed by Concerto for Group and Orchestra (1969), which brought wider attention for combining rock band and orchestra in a concert format. A major shift came with the 1969–70 line-up that recorded Deep Purple in Rock (1970), marking their breakthrough as a heavier, riff-driven band and introducing key songs such as “Speed King” and “Child in Time”.

Deep Purple’s commercial and cultural peak arrived in the early 1970s with albums including Fireball (1971) and Machine Head (1972). Machine Head contained “Smoke on the Water”, whose riff became a widely recognised part of rock music culture, alongside tracks such as “Highway Star”. The band also developed a reputation as a live act, documented on the album Made in Japan (1972). Line-up changes and internal tensions followed through the mid-to-late 1970s, but the group’s early-1970s catalogue remained a central reference point for hard rock and heavy metal musicians.

After an initial split in 1976, Deep Purple reunited in the 1980s and returned to high-profile touring and recording with Perfect Strangers (1984). Further changes followed in later decades, including the departure and death of keyboardist Jon Lord in 2012, while the band continued to release studio material. In the 2010s and 2020s they issued albums such as Now What?! (2013), Whoosh! (2020), Turning to Crime (2021) and =1 (2024).

Deep Purple have sold more than 100 million records worldwide and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016. Their sustained influence is evident in the development of heavy metal, progressive rock and hard rock performance, particularly through their guitar, organ and rhythm-section approach. The band’s best-known songs continue to be performed, reissued and used as reference points for rock musicians and listeners across generations.