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Deep Purple

DEEP PURPLE

YEAR

2016

INDUCTED BY

Lars Ulrich (Metallica)

CATEGORY

Performers

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.

Roger Glover

Roger Glover

Rod Evans

Rod Evans

Ritchie Blackmore

Ritchie Blackmore

Jon Lord

Jon Lord

Ian Paice

Ian Paice

Ian Gillan

Ian Gillan

Glenn Hughes

Glenn Hughes

David Coverdale

David Coverdale

HALL OF FAME
ESSAY

By 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.

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Class of 2016
in the golden age of rock and roll debauchery, they were known primarily for their music.
Lars Ulrich
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