Best Songs of Deep Purple: The Tracks That Defined Heavy Metal

There was a time before Metallica, before Iron Maiden, and before thrash originated, when another metal band emerged from beneath the stage to rock out like never before. Deep Purple, alongside Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, became a part of the "unholy trinity" of British hard rock and a key component of heavy metal's origin story.

The band, which laid down a sonic blueprint for the genre, rocketed to fame with their blistering riffs, classically infused solos, and wailing vocals. They weren't there to simply play hard rock — they were there to redefine it. Here, we explore Deep Purple's heavy metal songs, the band's most iconic moments, and how they redefined the hard rock genre.

Hailing from London in 1968, Deep Purple didn't start out with the single mission of creating an entirely new genre. As a band that began as psychedelic rockers, though, Deep Purple became heavy metal pioneers in the 1970s, bringing creativity and volume to the stage. Between 1969 and 1973, the Mark II version of the band, consisting of Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), Ian Gillan (vocals), Roger Glover (bass), Jon Lord (keyboards), and Ian Paice (drums), recorded genre-shaping albums such as In Rock, Fireball, and Machine Head.

The band was ranked 22nd on VH1's list of the greatest hard rock artists and went on to sell over 100 million records throughout the world. As was their disruptive nature, they were also awarded the Guinness World Record for being the loudest band on Earth in 1972.

If heavy metal had an origin myth, Deep Purple would be right there at the center, guitars blazing.

In June 1970, Deep Purple released In Rock, which quickly became known as a declaration of war. Gone were the orchestras and psychedelic vibes. What you got instead was pure, unfiltered aggression. The album was recorded at multiple studios, including Abbey Road. Capturing the raw energy of the band's rehearsals, it was self-produced and driven by live performance dynamics. In Rock showed what heavy metal could be: loud, fast, and uncompromising.

The album stormed the U.K. charts, peaking at No. 4 and staying there for over a year. It topped charts across Europe and laid the groundwork for what would become the metal genre. Tracks such as "Child in Time" and "Speed King" weren't just songs — they were seismic events.

From the opening distortion-laced freakout to the Elvis-quoting lyrics, "Speed King" was a genre in itself. Developed during rehearsals in 1969 and initially titled "Ricochet" and later "Kneel & Pray," this track fused rock and roll nostalgia with a level of aggression that hadn't been heard before.

Gillan's vocals rip through Chuck Berry and Little Richard lines while Blackmore's guitar screams with feedback-drenched fury. Live versions of "Speed King" would often balloon past 15 minutes, complete with bass solos, drum chaos, and dueling organ-guitar improv. This wasn't just proto-metal. It was proto-everything that metal would become.

Following on from In Rock in 1972, Machine Head was released. It was arguably Deep Purple's most famous album, and for good reason. Recorded under chaotic circumstances after a fire at Montreux Casino, the band used the Rolling Stones' mobile studio and finished the album in just over three weeks.

It hit No. 1 in the U.K. and eventually made it to No. 7 on the U.S. charts, staying on the American charts for more than two years. The songs on this record, especially the next two, became the DNA of metal for decades to come.

You know the riff. Everyone knows the riff. What started as a filler jam based on a real-life casino fire turned into the most iconic guitar line in rock history — "Smoke on the Water." Glover's bass pulse, Lord's organ doubling the riff, and Blackmore's signature tone locked in like metal gears grinding.

It was the first song countless future shredders learned, even if their parents begged them to stop. Surprisingly, it wasn't intended to be a big single. But when it was released in the U.S. in 1973, it shot to No. 4 and turned Machine Head into a global hit. The song told a real story, but more than that, it carved out what metal could sound like.

Before there was speed metal, there was "Highway Star." Born on a tour bus when a journalist asked how the band wrote songs, it became the show opener and a relentless gallop of a track. Thirty seconds in, you can practically hear the future of thrash forming.

Blackmore's solo is a neoclassical masterclass, inspiring guitarists such as Yngwie Malmsteen. By age ten, Malmsteen could play Made in Japan note for note, and he later covered several Purple tracks. The song's tight rhythm, relentless tempo, and intricate solos gave metal one of its earliest blueprints for going fast and going hard.

Deep Purple weren't just loud — they were the loudest. At a 1972 gig at London's Rainbow Theatre, the band reportedly hit 117 decibels, landing them in the Guinness Book of World Records. Three fans were knocked out cold by the sheer volume. This obsession with volume and power became a core tenet of metal, and Deep Purple proved that louder could, in fact, be better.

"Child in Time," a song that runs for over ten minutes, starts with a slow burn and Lord's haunting organ. It then builds to Gillan's piercing banshee screams, while Blackmore rips out a screaming solo. Recorded in December 1969, it became one of In Rock's crown jewels.

It's a relatively unique song in that it channeled the Cold War anxiety of the time. It captures the tension of an era that was staring down nuclear annihilation — it was quite bleak to say the least. The song has dramatic shifts, unresolved tension, and a symphonic approach to composition, which later set the tone for epic metal storytelling.

In 2016, Deep Purple finally landed in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Their real legacy lies in the waves they inspired: from Iron Maiden to Metallica, and beyond.

They helped inspire the new wave of British heavy metal in the late '70s, blending the aggression of punk with the power of metal. Bands such as Judas Priest, Saxon, and Motörhead owe a debt to the groundwork Purple laid. So do thrash titans such as Megadeth and Pantera.

Even now, their riffs echo across practice rooms. Deep Purple didn't just define heavy metal. They detonated it into existence.