Deep Purple

Year:
2016
Inducted by:
Lars Ulrich (Metallica)
Category:
Performers

Roger Glover
Rod Evans
Ritchie Blackmore
Jon Lord
Ian Paice
Ian Gillan
Glenn Hughes
David Coverdale

Introduction

Deep Purple were the harbingers of hard rock, paving the way for metal groups with their breakneck style.

Despite their rotating lineup, Deep Purple could be counted on for consistency and innovation in equal measure. They drew inspiration from both orchestral music and harder rocking sounds to create riffs that left an indelible mark on music history.

Lars Ulrich of Metallica Inducts Deep Purple

Lars Ulrich of Metallica Inducts Deep Purple at the 2016 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

Lars Ulrich of Metallica Inducts Deep Purple

00:13:25
Deep Purple Acceptance Speeches

00:10:23
"Smoke on the Water"

00:05:58

Hall of Fame Essay

2016

Jim Farber

They created a riff everyone knows, a concert format no one had previously presented, and a sound to which countless bands owe a great debt. That gives Deep Purple at least three claims on history.

The chugging chord progression of “Smoke on the Water” became so deeply embedded in the culture, it now has the resonance of a Biblical quote. The 1969 Concerto for Group and Orchestra was the first live release ever to pair a rock band with a full symphony, while Deep Purple’s essential musculature forged the hard-rocking sound that later solidified into heavy metal.