10 best Deep Purple songs

Deep Purple is an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered one of the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, but their musical preferences and styles have changed over the years.

Singer's Room writes, "Initially formed as a psychedelic and progressive rock band, they moved to a heavier sound with their 1970 album Deep Purple in Rock. Deep Purple (along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath) has been called the "unholy trinity of British hard rock and heavy metal in the early to mid-70s".

In 1975, they were listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the "loudest band in the world" for their 1972 concert at London's Rainbow Theater. In terms of commercial success, Deep Purple has sold over 100 million albums worldwide, and that's certainly not the limit.

Here are the 10 best songs by Deep Purple according to Singer's Room.

"Smoke on the Water"

"Smoke on the Water" was released as part of the 1972 studio album Machine Head. It tells the story of the 1971 Montreux casino fire.

In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song "Smoke on the Water" at 434th place on the list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time", and Total Guitar magazine ranked "Smoke on the Water" at 4th place on the list of the "Greatest Guitar Riffs".

The song "Smoke on the Water" is easily recognizable by its central theme developed by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. The riff, played by Blackmore on a Fender Stratocaster electric guitar, is later joined by a hi-hat and distorted organ, then other drums, then an electric bass line, and then Ian Gillan's vocals.

Blackmore later claimed that the main riff is an interpretation of the inversion of Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, and that "he owes him a lot of money".

"Highway Star"

"Highway Star" opens Machine Head's sixth studio album (1972) and is the fastest track on the album. It is characterized by long guitar and organ solos in a classical style.

This song was born on a tour bus heading to Portsmouth in 1971 when a reporter asked the band how they write songs. To demonstrate this, guitarist Richie Blackmore picked up an acoustic guitar and started playing a riff that repeated over and over again, and vocalist Ian Gillan immediately came up with the lyrics. The song was finalized and performed the same night.

"Highway Star" first appeared on Machine Head's 1972 LP and remained one of the band's main songs for a long time.

"Space Truckin"

"Space Truckin" is the seventh and final song on Machine Head's album, and its lyrics tell the story of space travel.

Richie Blackmore states in his book "Classic Albums: Deep Purple - The Making of Machine Head" that the song began with semi-step riffs in the chorus, which were inspired by the music for the Batman TV show written by Neal Hefti. Blackmore asked vocalist Ian Gillan if he could write lyrics for this riff, and the rest of the song was formed from that.

"Burn"

The song "Burn" was released on the album of the same name in 1974 and became the first single of the band's Mark III lineup.

Over the next two years, the song opened the band's concerts, replacing "Highway Star". It also opened Deep Purple's televised set at the California Jam festival two months after its release, on April 6, 1974.

After Deep Purple's breakup in 1976, David Coverdale formed the band Whitesnake, which for many years included Deep Purple members John Lord and Ian Paice. Whitesnake performed many of Deep Purple's songs, including "Burn".

"Perfect Strangers"

"Perfect Strangers" is the first song of the album of the same name, released in 1984.

This is one of the few Deep Purple songs that does not have a guitar solo. However, the band's founder and guitarist Ritchie Blackmore called it his favorite. The lyrics of "Perfect Strangers" are inspired by Michael Moorcock's Elric books.

"Woman from Tokyo"

"Woman from Tokyo" first appeared on the 1973 album Who Do We Think We Are, and then was released as a single.

The song is included in the 2011 DVD Deep Purple with Orchestra - Live in Montreux, which features Deep Purple Mark VIII (Gillan, Pace, Glover, Morse, Airy) with a full symphony orchestra conducted by Stephen Bentley-Klein.

Deep Purple was one of the first rock bands to perform in Japan in the early 1970s. In gratitude, the musicians wrote the song "Woman from Tokyo". It was also one of the last songs to feature Ian Gillan, who left the band in 1973 to pursue a solo career.

The composition uses national images of Japan, such as the "rising sun" and "oriental dream," and the lyrics are dedicated to a Japanese woman whose charms enchant the narrator. The song "Woman from Tokyo" has long been one of the band's most popular songs and was actively played on the radio.

Despite this, Deep Purple did not include it in their concert programs and began performing it only after 1984.

"Child in Time"

"Child in Time" is a song from Deep Purple's fourth studio album Deep Purple in Rock, released in 1970. The composition is inspired by the Cold War and lasts over ten minutes.

Ian Gillan said that the organ riff in "Child in Time" is based on the 1969 song "Bombay Calling" by It's a Beautiful Day.

The song came about when organist John Lord played "Bombay Calling," which the band then re-arranged and changed the structure. Gillan had never heard the original song and created lyrics about the Cold War to fit the music, later saying that it "reflects the mood of the moment."

"Black Night"

"Black Night" was released in 1970 as a single, and later included in the anniversary version of the Deep Purple in Rock studio album, dedicated to the band's 25th anniversary.

Upon its release, the song became a hit, peaking at #2 in the UK charts, and remains Deep Purple's most popular single in the UK.

"Hush"

"Hush" is a song written by American composer and musician Joe South for singer Billy Joe Royal. Later in 1967, it was covered by Somebody's Image (an Australian band led by Russell Morris). "Hush" was also covered by Deep Purple. Each artist entered the top five hits with their own version.

"Soldier of Fortune"

"Soldier of Fortune" is a blues-rock ballad written by Ritchie Blackmore and David Coverdale and originally published on Deep Purple's 1974 album Stormbringer.

Although Deep Purple never released this song as a single and it never hit the charts, the composition has become a cult favorite over the years and has been often performed by other musicians.