Deep Purple is a British rock band that formed in Hertford, England in 1968. The band is known for their hard rock sound and innovative musicianship, and they have been credited as pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock.

The original lineup of Deep Purple included lead vocalist Rod Evans, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, bassist Nick Simper, keyboardist Jon Lord, and drummer Ian Paice. This lineup released three studio albums in the late 1960s, including their debut album "Shades of Deep Purple" (1968), which featured their hit single "Hush."

In 1969, the band underwent a significant lineup change when Evans and Simper were replaced by singer Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover. This new lineup released their seminal album "Deep Purple in Rock" (1970), which marked a shift towards a heavier, more guitar-driven sound. The album featured classic tracks such as "Speed King" and "Child in Time," and established the band's reputation as one of the leading hard rock acts of the era.

Throughout the 1970s, Deep Purple continued to release a string of successful albums and tour extensively. Their most commercially successful album, "Machine Head" (1972), featured the hit singles "Smoke on the Water" and "Highway Star." The band's live shows were also renowned for their high-energy performances and epic improvisations.

However, internal tensions and creative differences led to a series of lineup changes in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Gillan and Glover both left the band in 1973, and Blackmore departed in 1975 to form Rainbow. Deep Purple continued to release albums with various lineups, but their popularity began to decline in the late 1970s.

In 1984, the "classic" lineup of Deep Purple (Gillan, Blackmore, Lord, Glover, and Paice) reunited for a successful world tour. However, Blackmore left the band again in 1993 and was replaced by guitarist Steve Morse. The band has continued to tour and record with various lineups in the years since, and they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.

Overall, Deep Purple is regarded as one of the most influential and enduring hard rock bands of all time, with a legacy that spans over five decades. Their music continues to inspire new generations of rock fans, and their classic lineup is considered one of the greatest in rock history.

• Ritchie Blackmore - guitar - b. Richard Hugh Blackmore, April 14, 1945, Weston-Super-Mare, England - formerly with The 21's Coffee Bar Junior Skiffle Group, The Dominators, The Satellites, The Outlaws, Screaming Lord Sutch and The Savages, Neil Christian and The Crusaders, and Mandrake Root.
• Jon Lord - keyboards - b. June 9, 1941, Leicester, England - formerly with The Bill Ashton Combo and The Art Wood Combo (aka, The Artwoods).
• Nick Simper - bass - b. 1946, London, England - formerly with Johnny Kidd & The New Pirates.
• Chris Curtis - vocals - formerly with The Searchers.
• Dave Curtis - vocals
• Bobby Woodman (aka, Bobby Clarke) - drums - formerly with Vince Taylor.

• Ritchie Blackmore - guitar
• Jon Lord - keyboards
• Nick Simper - bass
• Rod Evans - vocals - b. January 19, 1945, Slough, England - formerly with The Horizons and MI5/The Maze.
• Ian Paice - drums - b. June 29, 1948, Nottingham, England - formerly with Georgie & The Rave-Ons and MI5/ The Maze.

1. "Shades of Deep Purple" (1968) - Single: "Hush"
2. "The Book of Taliesyn" (1968) - Single: "Kentucky Woman"
3. "Deep Purple" (1969)

• Ritchie Blackmore - guitar
• Jon Lord - keyboards
• Ian Paice - drums
• Roger Glover - bass - b. November 30, 1945, Brecon, South Wales - formerly with The Madisons, The Lightnings, and Episode Six.
• Ian Gillan - vocals - b. August 19, 1945, London, England - formerly with Jess Thunder And The Moonshiners, The Javelins, Wainwright's Gentlemen, and Episode Six.

1. "Concerto for Group and Orchestra" (live) (1970)
2. "Deep Purple in Rock" (1970)
3. "Fireball" (1971) - Single: "Strange Kind of Woman"
4. "Machine Head" (1972) - Singles: "Smoke On the Water", "Highway Star"
5. "Machine Head (Deluxe Edition)" (2-CDs) - with remixes by Roger Glover.
6. "Made In Japan" (live) (1972)
7. "Made In Japan (Deluxe Edition)" (2-CDs) - remastered, with 3 new songs on bonus disc.
8. "Who Do We Think We Are?" (1973) - Single: "Woman From Tokyo"
9. "Powerhouse" (1978)
10. "Gemini Suite" (live) (1998) - recorded in 1970.

• Ritchie Blackmore - guitar
• Jon Lord - keyboards
• Ian Paice - drums
• Glenn Hughes - bass/vocals - b. August 21, 1951, Cannock, Staffordshire, England - formerly with The News, Finder's Keepers, and Trapeze.
• David Coverdale - vocals - b. September 22, 1951, Saltburn-on-Sea, Yorkshire, England - formerly with Denver Mule, The Skyliners, The Fabulosa Brothers, and The Government.

1. "Burn" (1974)
2. "Stormbringer" (1974)
3. "Made In Europe" (1976)
4. "Live at the California Jam" (1996) - recorded in 1974.
5. "Archive Alive!" (2-CDs) (1997) - recorded in 1975.

• Jon Lord - keyboards
• Ian Paice - drums
• Glenn Hughes - bass/vocals
• David Coverdale - vocals
• Tommy Bolin - guitar/vocals - b. 1951, Sioux City, Iowa; d. December 4, 1976, Miami, Florida - formerly with Lonnie Mack, Zephyr, Energy, The Legendary 4-Nikators, and The James Gang.

1. "Come Taste the Band" (1975)
2. "King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents...Deep Purple" (live) (2-CDs) (1995)

• Ritchie Blackmore - guitar
• Jon Lord - keyboards
• Ian Paice - drums
• Roger Glover - bass
• Ian Gillan - vocals

1. "Perfect Strangers" (1984)
2. "Nobody's Perfect" (live) (2-CDs) (1986) - Single: "Hush '88"
3. "The House of Blue Light" (1987)
4. "Knebworth 1985" (live) (1992)

• Ritchie Blackmore - guitar
• Jon Lord - keyboards
• Ian Paice - drums
• Roger Glover - bass
• Joe Lynn Turner - vocals - formerly with Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow.

1. "Slaves and Masters" (1990) - Singles: "King of Dreams", "Love Conquers All"

• Ritchie Blackmore - guitar
• Jon Lord - keyboards
• Ian Paice - drums
• Roger Glover - bass
• Ian Gillan - vocals

1. "Knocking At Your Back Door" (1992)
2. "The Battle Rages On..." (1993) - Single: "Anya"
3. "Come Hell or High Water" (live) (1994) - Single: "Anyone's Daughter"

• Jon Lord - keyboards
• Ian Paice - drums
• Roger Glover - bass
• Ian Gillan - vocals
• Joe Satriani - guitar - b. July 15, 1957, Carle Place, New York - formerly with The Squares and The Greg Kihn Band.

• Jon Lord - keyboards
• Ian Paice - drums
• Roger Glover - bass
• Ian Gillan - vocals
• Steve Morse - guitar - b. July 28, 1954, Hamilton, Ohio; formerly with The Dixie Dregs, The Steve Morse Band, and Kansas.

1. "Purpendicular" (1996) - Singles: "Aviator", "Hey Cisco"
2. "Live at the Olympia ' 96" (live) (2-CDs) (1997)
3. "Abandon" (1998) - Single: "Don't Make Me Happy"

1. "The Best of Deep Purple" (1970)
2. "Purple Passages" (1972)
3. "24 Carat Purple" (1975)
4. "When We Rock, We Rock and When We Roll, We Roll" (1978)
5. "Deepest Purple" (1980)
6. "Deep Purple Anthology" (1991)
7. "Knocking At Your Back Door: The Best of Deep Purple in the '80s" (1992)
8. "Shades (1968-1998)" (4-CD box set) (1999)

1. "Child In Time" (1976)
2. "Clean Air Turbulence" (1977) (The Ian Gillan Band)
3. "Scarabus" (1978) (The Ian Gillan Band)
4. "Live At Budokan, Vol. 2" (1978)
5. "Gillan" (1979)
6. "Mr. Universe" (1979)
7. "Glory Road" (1980)
8. "No Laughing In Heaven" (1981)
9. "Reading, Live and More" (1981)
10. "One For The Road" (1981)
11. "Double Trouble" (1981)
12. "Future Shock" (1981)
13. "Magic" (1982)
14. "Live At Budokan" (1983)
15. "Rocks On" (1984)
16. "What I Did On My Vacation" (1986)
17. "Toolbox" (1991)
18. "The Very Best of Ian Gillan" (1992)
19. "Best of Ian Gillan" (1995)
20. "Dreamcatcher" (1998)
21. "The Japanese Album" (1998)
22. "Naked Thunder" (1998)
23. "Live At The Rainbow" (1998) (The Ian Gillan Band)
24. "Accidentally On Purpose" (1999) (with Roger Glover)
25. "Cherkazoo & Other Stories" (1999)

1. "The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast" (1974)
2. "Elements" (1978)
3. "Mask" (1984)

1. "Gemini Suite" (1970)
2. "Windows" (1974)
3. "Sarabande" (1978)
4. "Before I Forget" (1982)
5. "Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady" (1984)
6. "Pictured Within" (1999)

• The Official Deep Purple Site
• Deep Purple's Unofficial Web Page - with guitar and bass tablature