Deep Purple: Albums Ranked |Worst to Best

Deep Purple albums ranked, rated and reviewed. This is a ranking of the Deep Purple albums best to worst including In Rock, Machine Head up to their last album Whoosh. Includes discussion of the songs like Smoke on the water and Black Knight.
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Time Codes
00:00 - Intro
00:32 - Battle Rages On
01:49 - Slaves & Masters
02:48 - Bananas
04:15 - Rapture of the Deep
06:04 - House of Blue Light
07:03 - Infinite
09:23 - Abandon
10:52 - Book of Talyisan
12:17 - Shades of Deep Purple
14:24 - Who Do We Think We Are?
16:27 - Whoosh
18:05 - Come Taste the Band
19:47 - Now What!?
21:34 - Stormbringer
22:52 - Deep Purple
24:54 - Perpendicular
26:39 - Perfect Strangers
29:11 - Fireball
30:54 - Burn
33:02 - Machine Head
34:53 - In Rock
37:28 - Dedication

[@micolsen9824]

Love "The Battle Rages On" album. Must be the best band ever to have a great album resting at the bottom 😊

[@kg0173]

Agree, deserves more appreciation. I like Come Hell Or High Water. I just don't understand why song like Anya is nowhere.

[@alessandroveneziani6271]

​@@kg0173well I was at Purple gig in Italy in 2023 and they played Anya...

[@seabud6408]

Great album but to high a key for Gillan to sing comfortably on some tracks (which Joe Lynn Turner was going to sing at one stage) . The production is too excoriating in the treble but generally the good songs are very good.

[@hartmutpeter215]

I think Deep Purple In Rock is the best album i have ever heard. IT's a blueprint for Hard/Heavy Rock, a masterpiece and groundbreaking for other musicians. Such an album is probably only released every hundred years. If any.

[@jordanfonque8617]

🧡

[@deanpesaturo6401]

Actually? Yes I’m a fan as well; but it’d be kinda ridiculously ignorant for any other artists who were worth their salt 🧂 Dont’cha think? Of course it is. Black Sabbath put 3 Lp’s out in less than 15 months after that one ☝️ So how’bout that one!? 😳 Yeah. I know right? Titled; Paranoid and Master Of Reality’s that next wave of the heaviest sounds coming outta 🇬🇧 And in Amerikkka in just short shrift afterwards destroying all of this hippy dippy shite 💩 beginning soon after Iggy and The Stooges; MC5 and Alice Cooper S tore his 🐤 in half lol . Hey 👋 he did think it could fly Or at least that’ll be what he’d tell you if you ever met him. Honestly though..? He has no idea how he will follow Iggy Pop so he took some pillows outta the van, ripped’em open and the fans did the rest. End of story. So... please never believe just as Ozzy with the bat ; doves 🕊 etc ( obviously planned after being turned down by 6 major labels it was actually Sharon whom came up with that one and now he’s got publicity doesn’t he.? Yup hun, this is pretty much how things go in this lousy, filthy business I’d be a part of for the next 30+ years on and off the road living like a Rockstar ✨ It’s not as glamorous as folks think it’d be. No, not at all my friend; well worth it though if you’re interested in getting head whilst doing an 8-ball and getting paid obscene amounts of money from one gig after another as the van rolls on with much more girls than were there previously! I cannot tell ya how many gals or guys who will have sex with you just because you play in a musical act they’re into and do virtually every thing you can dream of 😴 Pathetic, disgusted, empathy isn’t that far away from the woods that I feel for them. I’m officially retired and not by my own choices either; but this is how it goes. here today, dead tomorrow. Well, hopefully I’ve let you into a world you’re never going to feel. Don’t sweat 😓 💦 it hunny. Ok.? Truly, you’re better off than I am ever going to be again. Sincerely yours, DJP ex PostMortem and Kilslug Boston Massachusetts USA Amerikkka of course. Right.? 🇨🇳🏳️Whomever has the most toys wins. Asians 🇹🇷

[@tannerhuskins330]

@@deanpesaturo6401 meth is a helluva drug

[@symbiosisai]

I feel the same way about Rainbow Rising

[@kg0173]

I can say the same about 3 to 4 more Deep Purple albums. In Rock is not that exceptional.

[@xtstevie]

Brilliant video again Barry & one of the true greats of British Heavy Metal & still for me Ian Gillan had the greatest Rock voice of them all Robert Plant & Paul Rogers included! The Coverdale years were awesome as well & my Deep Purple top 5 albums are... 1 - Machine Head 2 - In Rock 3 - Fireball 4 - Burn 5 - Who Do We Think We Are.....

[@hognaut]

Metal !, In a German interview somebody foolishly described Purple as metal Ian Gillan called them an idiot

[@brandonbarker961]

Brilliant list! I agree that Ian Paice has been an overlooked/underrated drummer.

[@hellojimmypage]

Absolutely, feel the same way about Carl Palmer. To me those 2 are the best of all time, and both rarely mentioned.

[@Spock105]

back in the 70's , Ian rancked often top in de drummer lists. He is brilliant and certainly on Burn . Fact that Maca used his and Gilmour's services for a gig , says enough.

[@kasperkjrsgaard1447]

@@Spock105 Not only a gig, but on the “Run Devil Run” album too.

[@Spock105]

@@kasperkjrsgaard1447 didn't know that . And I had it on cd . But as usual I never read the small letters or lyrics . Back into vinyl and I can happily read those as back in the 70's.

[@tommyseibel7902]

He is not, it is a thing of Zeitgeist, a Word from my language, in the 70ies and 80ies paice was a force in every poll

[@AlexAlexon3897]

So much I agree with here, except that Battle Rages On's high on my list. Time to Kill, Solitaire, Nasty Piece of Work, and Talk About Love are great, and Jon Lord's solos recaptured a vibe. Glad the Mk.1 albums get a good look-in. 🌏🔥

[@ToddLong-rk3mw]

For me 10 or 12 near tie for 2nd above machine head. My two way tie for top dog in rock and purplendicular. Only albums below machine head slaves and masters by a tad come and taste the band mark 1 recordings stormbeinger grew on me so perhaps it should be second and multi tie land for third. Brain damage to differentiate more. Big part depends on my mood. There are many shades of deep purple... Rapture of the deep definitely below machine head for me. Not a bad album just not as enjoyable for some reason. Progressive rock hits home runs but some albums can strike out.

[@adamsavedra8299]

I must say I am such a big fan of what you do and applaude the credence, respect, and critque you show for these amazing bands. You are an artist and scholar in your own right kind sir. Thank you! Rock on and long live the purple..

[@BTT72genX]

Perfect Strangers is my favorite Deep Purple album because it is one of my favorite albums from any band overall.

[@brianjacob8728]

Yup. PS belongs in the top 3.

[@Baz63]

Rat Bat Blue is surely an underrated funky monster which is so often overlooked and ,for me, the the stand out track from the WDWTWA album. Come Taste The Band is my favourite (yes controversial) closely followed by Purpendicular which is surely their most 'musical' album? Superb video as always Barry.

[@classicalbum]

Thanks

[@johnbarrett4846]

Apart from the mention of WDWTWA you aren't really a Deep Purple fan .

[@Baz63]

@@johnbarrett4846 dumb ass remark. Have all their studio albums and attended my 1st concert by them in 1973.

[@dilltdog1158]

Come Taste The Band is a fantastic little album released 47 years ago on 7th November 2022.

[@Punttipate62]

@@johnbarrett4846 wow you say he isn't a fan because he just has a differing opinion?

[@SH-ud8wd]

The band's lasting triumph is Made In Japan

[@texasboy5527]

I think hard rock cannot get any better than Deep Purple In Rock. It's the hard rock perfection. It was a groundbreaking album.

[@milosdunjic8718]

💯 %

[@exceptformeandmymonkey6964]

Flight of the rat is one of my all time favorite songs.

[@13458073]

Amo o Deep Purple, pra mim é a melhor banda de hard rock da história.

[@paulwolf2789]

you can have heavy metal great but heavy rock is closer to the description of this unique band from the shield in mk 1 to come taste the band

[@MrGreathorse]

Excellent, Deep Purple is my favorite band and that was a very nice look at their work

[@markcampbell7554]

I have been listening to Deep Purple most of my life and am still a fan. I think doing a best to worst list would be almost impossible for me. I don't think The battle rages on was a bad album, i actually like it a lot better than Slave's and master's. Now THAT was a lousy album. Definitely my least favorite. I can find great moment's on almost every Deep Purple record and I enjoyed this video. Thanks!

[@fuwaihksyu]

The art rock era of deep purple is actually of high quality, which is represented by book of talyisan. This is a very profound album, great fusion between classical music and rock. Jon lord is on fire here and progressive rock fans will definitely love this, I would just say that this is a highly underrated album, which is overshadowed by their hard rock era.

[@dilltdog1158]

Agreed, well said.

[@ninoorjon]

Agree. These albums are so different that it's hard for me to compare with other albums. In other cases, only the details changed, but the essence remained the same - hard rock, but in the case of the first replacement, the changes were radical.

[@geoffpoole483]

@@ninoorjon One could argue the first three albums were by another band.

[@lucasjankowski7117]

Agree. Pre Gillan era is full of wonderful music.

[@OMW66]

You have a great channel man. I think i’ve watched most of it. This one’s real good. I love Purple. Discovered them when i was 13 back in ‘79. My top 5 today is: 1. In Rock 2. Machine Head 3. Burn 4. Stormbringer 5. Fireball

[@classicalbum]

Glad you like them!

[@terryowen9622]

Would be interested to see a feature on Deep Purple's live albums, especially the outstanding 'Overseas' sets.

[@stevenjohnston2263]

I sometimes put Fireball ahead of Machine Head - mainly because of side 2. Oh. And Fools doesn't close the album. That was No One Came.

[@pieterwestera903]

And Strange kind of Woman is not on.

[@andywhittaker8229]

I really enjoyed your commentary; well organized. I've been a fan since I was a tween in the mid 70's (gosh I feel old now) & continue to listen to their catalog. It's really unfortunate that Tom Bolin struggled w/ drug addiction. I like the lineup w/ "Come Taste The Band" and I'm a fan off Glenn Hughes career. Thank you for sharing. Cheers!

[@anachronistofer]

In my opinion, Perfect Strangers (the song) is one of the greatest tunes of all time.

[@lilajagears8317]

I completely agree.

[@earlgrey691]

'Fools' from (Fireball) is my enduring favourite from DP. Never heard any live outings with the number but I reckon they could have worked some magic into the stage act with this hidden gem.

[@chrislee1907]

They've played it numerous times with Morse. Interestingly, he and Jon Lord would swap the guitar and keyboard roles in the instrumental break from how they were on the original.

[@MrXenon1994]

Nice one! Fools is one of my top 5 songs of all time. Absolutely love it

[@s.9070]

m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/eIvSdaR3rJKEqbs Listen to the absolute masterpiece the modern Purple make out of it. It's just perfect and with Blackmore they would have never have played it.

[@dilltdog1158]

They played it quite a bit, certainly in the early 70's.

[@abdielmartinez6964]

Definitely that's one of my top 5 tracks

[@shaunsmith3538]

Great show, really interesting. In Rock has always been my favourite Deep Purple album. Nice to see the excellent Now What ranked so high. 👍

[@stevemossholder]

Hi Barry - wonderful review of these albums! So well thought out with great detail about what to look for on albums that may not rank so high. I'll definitely look for more of your reviews. I just want to say that your top albums were out when I was a teen, seeing MkII in 1972 and 1973 (San Bernardino), and closing the circle by seeing them again in 2019. They certainly rocked this last time as well. Much appreciated. The 73 concert was made extra special by having a Bob Welch/Danny Kirwan Fleetwood Mac as #2, and a little known guitarist named Rory Gallagher to open the evening. Nice night!

[@classicalbum]

Sounds like a great night.

[@matthewfeduzi4751]

Outstanding review. This is so well thought out and presented.

[@classicalbum]

Glad you liked it!

[@micolsen8895]

#21 Is The Battle Rages On? Ouch. LOVE that album. Rough start for me, with the DP countdown. LOL My TBRO top 5: The title track...Anya...Time To Kill...A Nasty Piece of Work...and Solitaire. Overall a good ranking of ALL DP LP's...I guess. WDWTWA is another excellent but underrated DP album. Being a fan as far back as the early 70's and still passionate about dP today, I find the ranking exercise, way too difficult. (Thumb up #154)

[@rafaelgarcia9501]

The Batlle Rages on is fantastic!!!! Anya!!!!! Uffff Masterpiece!!!!!

[@richard127gm]

Fireball will always be No. 1 for me.

[@pauldavies8638]

Same for me, no one came and fools are masterpieces...

[@gregmullins6927]

That was a superb review of close to the best Rock Band ever,well done my friend,these guys are top shelf.

[@classicalbum]

Thank you.. Do share and check out my other videos

[@SuperStrik9]

I rate Come Taste The Band as a better album than Stormbringer. Tommy Bolin was great in Purple. It's a shame it didn't last longer.

[@TractorCountdown]

Superb, and more than just a list; you've put together a well researched and considered overview of each album and where it sits, not just in the timeline, but the ever changing band lineup. Good idea to include the time codes in the description as well for future reference. Thank you!

[@johna8973]

Yes , definitely good and well-spoken Observations . 👍 To you , m8 !

[@jonathanseddon3816]

Great list - agree with your top albums...just bought Perpendicular and looking forward to hearing this...and yes, DP are on my desert island where I have a magical turntable!

[@rodneyhrvatin4692]

I remember being scared shitless as a very young kid by those organ howls in "Living Wreck" and "Hard Lovin' Man" that I never warmed to the second side of In Rock. Still struggle through the back end of that album. Machine Head is my favourite DP album closely followed by Burn and Fireball. Great to see the love for the recent DP albums too. This lineup is still brilliant and firing. Stunning list.

[@darinmccollum4089]

What a well thought out, well presented video. Thanks for this.

[@toneman8478]

Come taste the band is a phenomenal album!!

[@seabud6408]

Ian Paice sounds amazing . The band really gelled.

[@catsofsherman1316]

Very interesting ranking. You are a bigger fan of the MK 3 and 4 than I am. I couldn't rank In Rock over Machine Head. The sound of In Rock has always bugged me. It's too thin and not enough bass. I like that big bottom (cue up Spinal Tap.) Deep Purple isn't a band so much as an extended series of bands each having their own personalities. Coverdale and Hughes are both really talented guys, but give me Gillan and Glover. I listened to Come Taste the Band recently. There are some cool grooves and tasty guitar from Bolin, but the songs are uniformly forgettable to me. I have enjoyed much of the Steve Morse era. The 3 recent albums produced by Bob Ezrin have been very welcome additions to the Purple canon.

[@WelshIron]

Great ranking vid, loved it. Have to say I agree with the majority of it, though I admit theres a couple of albums there I have never heard but will be checking out asap.

[@luisvaldes1568]

Thank you. When i started to follow music it was Rainbow which was my connection to D.P. in late 70's. Heard D.P. songs on FM radio. Got into Perfect Strangers when the Mark II regrouped and bought some of 70's Purple releases on cassette in mid to late 80s, but did not follow any of new stuff after Strangers. So thank you for reviews of albums since then.

[@christanner3761]

Great show Barry. Worth the wait.

[@glennpowell3444]

Honest answer that I didn't realise I had stopped listening to a lot of new music.The last Purple album I bought was Perfect Strangers,The last Maiden album was Somewhere in time ! Etc etc.I guess marriages and work tore the music away and my perspective now is old.I had not a clue Purple went on in one form or another to make so many albums! I stroke my hand through my grey hair and type this with reading bloody glasses!

[@TTTT-oc4eb]

Same her, PS was the last one I bought. I thought they were the greatest heavy rock band ever from "In Rock" up to and including "Burn". "Stormbringer" was a disappontment, "Come taste the band" I barely see as a DP record.

[@glennpowell3444]

@@TTTT-oc4eb Agree on Come taste the band.We must be getting old non the less. I lived and breathed music in the 80,s but kind of got distracted in the 90,s. Mind you I think guys like us got the very best of a lot of bands that went on to keep reforming and churning vinyl out?The 70,s and 80,s were a breeding ground in the UK for solid heavy rock outfits for sure.

[@mahogany174]

I was in the very same place about 18 months ago. I latched on to the Sea of Tranquility channel and have really enjoyed being brought up to date whilst also celebrating my musical past.

[@glennpowell3444]

@@mahogany174 Yes I watch that channel now as well and like you am playing catch up slowly!Thanks.

[@seabud6408]

Their new album will be great .. from the 2 singles I’ve heard .

[@Digibeatle09]

For me, the brilliant vocal abilities of Ian Gillan in the 1970s/early 80s just aren't present in the DP incarnations from the 1990s onwards - many DP fans have found the band to be worth listening to even up to the very recent past, but every time I hear DP's later work (with Gillan) I can't help making unfavourable comparisons with the MK 2 days - when Gillan was arguably the best hard rock vocalist of them all !

[@classicalbum]

I agree

[@johnw706]

I followed Deep Purple from the beginning , so I am a big fan of the early albums . My favourites would probably look like this : Fireball Machine Head Shades of Deep Purple In Rock Who Do We Think We Are Deep Purple Burn Now What

[@pauldavies8638]

I love fireball

[@markedwards3927]

Also saw Deep Purple at Knebworth in 1985 - what a gig! Purple were great, as were Scorpions (you should do a Scorpions ranked series), and I will always remember Mountain. Great times, even if you did have to queue for two hours to get a beer and go to the toilet...

[@hellojimmypage]

Killer peformance! The Toccata and Fugue in D-minor intro is awesome, followed by that accelerated, blazing version of Highway Star. They sounded so relentlessly heavy and fast at the time.

[@dilltdog1158]

Mamas Boys & UFO with Atomic Tommy M were my faves. Meatloaf was all I expected he would be and for all the reasons I can't stand his music. Our local pop sensation John Parr co-composed Rock 'n' Roll Mercenaries about Purple & their treatment of Meat at Knebbo.

[@volpeverde6441]

the rain and the mud.... all fuckin' day....

[@pauldavies8638]

I was there too, meatloaf was crap.

[@jeffreybuckridge722]

Great analysis- I can only weigh in through the end of Blackmore era... I have heard bits and pieces of the Morse era, but just couldn't invest the time... I'll just give my top 10: Machine Head, In Rock, Burn, Fireball, Who Do We Think We are (I think is really underrated, always gets dissed on lists like this), Perfect Strangers, Stormbringer, Come Taste the Band, Deep Purple, House of Blue Light, but really Deep Purple's live albums, particularly Made in Japan is more important than most band's live output, which often just feels like them mailing it in. Made in Japan is, along with Allman Brothers Live in the Fillmore East one of the few live albums that bests the band's best studio output.

[@catsofsherman1316]

I also really like Who Do We Think We Are. It's not quite as consistent as Machine Head, but still great album.

[@terrywhite3985]

Couldn’t agree more about Made in Japan. Easily my most fav. Live recording of any band!

[@jasonmcintosh6469]

Loved it. High quality material like this is why I keep coming back. How about one on THE WHO?

[@classicalbum]

Must be done

[@henryhay9543]

@@classicalbum Please do - The Who!

[@peteallen935]

Excellent listing, however I would have Who Do We Think We Are inside the top 5. I know I am swimming against the tide on this one but it is a very solid album, no filler.

[@mahogany174]

I agree. I have always liked this album. Apparently far more than other people.

[@rogersongster3967]

Your ranking videos are a cut above the run-of-the-mill KZbin offerings in the same vein. While I always find it interesting to see in which order people place the individual albums found in an artist's or band's catalogue, many of your contemporaries are doing not much more than placing the albums in their order of preference and proving that they own some of the more obscure releases on vinyl. You, on the other hand, take the time to provide a compelling mini-review of each album complete with some relevant history, quotes and, most importantly, some exceptional original commentary. Being an obviously brilliant writer yourself, I would love to see a video specifically about some of your favorite song lyrics. If you have done that already, I will eventually come across it as I work through your back catalogue of videos.

[@classicalbum]

Thank you for your kind words. I do try to stand out from all the other reviews and listing videos on KZbin.

[@glede9377]

Sea of Tranquility and Classic album review are by far the best music channels

[@dralfredcarroll9567]

Was Concerto For Group & Orchestra excluded for being a live album? I feel it should have been included as it's made of all new material.

[@docvader82]

I'm halfway through, but I have to say, I'm absolutely loving the depth and detail you're going through with each record. I haven't seen one of your videos in a while, and I'm not sure why. But I definitely want to go back and listen to more. This is fantastic, probably my favorite DP discography ranking(and I've seen plenty of them).

[@classicalbum]

Thanks do subscribe and share

[@godofps5399]

I recently discovered the later albums. They are really surprising. I didn't expect them to be so good. Also The Battle Rages On doesn't deserve last place imo. Good descriptions and coments about the albums, I enjoyed the video.

[@classicalbum]

Thanks for sharing! Hope you subscribe and enjoy my other videos

[@jesuschambers]

Excellent video, Barry and it's hard to disagree with your ranking. Your top 4 are exactly my choices too but for number 5 I would have: Come Taste The Band(Great underrated album in my opinion) ahead of Perfect Strangers.

[@TheBerndude]

Excellent video...here are my top 10, as of this moment: 1-Machine Head 2-In Rock 3-Fireball 4-Burn 5-Perfect Strangers 6-Stormbringer 7-Come Taste The Band 8-Who Do We Think We Are 9-Shades of Deep Purple 10-Deep Purple (s/t)

[@johnbell877]

17:30: "It's almost like a hard rock rendering of Edmund Burke's Treatise on the Sublime and the Beautiful." !! great stuff, and makes me want to go listen to it.

[@jasonbrown9731]

Pretty good assessment. Glad 'Burn' is in the top three. 👍

[@guillaumechabason3165]

Stormbringer is my favorite because of Ian Paice's snare drum sound

[@paulatB2B]

THE greatest Purple album.

[@beejayca]

I loved House of Blue Light. I actually thought it was an improvement on Perfect Strangers. Too bad things went so sour after it. I sometimes put Fireball 1st and In Rock 2nd, but I love both of them. They are the best of all the DP albums with Machine Head. Cheers, great show.

[@iconicon5642]

I know Made in Japan is a live album but it is the album you'd keep if you said ""if you could keep just one of these records". Although Speed King on In Rock is beyond.

[@angloart8410]

Completely agree

[@tedstone5934]

The deluxe CD set of Made In Japan has Speed King on it. Also has Black Night and a song called Lucille.

[@LoveTractor]

love these worst to best, would you consider doing one on Camel? Thanks.

[@MrCherryJuice]

Deep Purple repeatedly indicated that their initial mission was to be the 'European Vanilla Fudge', which was, as you suggest, highly evident on the earliest albums, with their version of 'Help' and take on the Fudge's style: take a mid- or uptempo tune and slow it down. With noting that Purple drummer Ian Paice and Fudge drummer Carmine Appice have been friends since the late 60s/early 70s. At one point they were planning to open a chain of drumming schools. When I interviewed Paice a few years back he indicated that he and Appice still get together when he's in LA or wherever Carmine happens to be at the time. My fave Purple was with Hughes and Coverdale, though I regret Glenn leaving Trapeze to join the lads.

[@Northernlightshow]

Pretty much agree except the Mk1 stuff which I'm not keen on. Pleased Perpendicular came so high on your list as it's so underrated. Another great video, thanks....."This is called Perfect Stranglers, I thank you"

[@anachronistofer]

I believe bands can effectively reinvent themselves with new members in some cases, but without Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore, there's no Deep Purple. And as Bill Ward added a certain idiosyncratic drum style and approach to Sabbath, so did Ian Paice for Purple. Paice is a criminally overlooked and underrated drummer. He's one of the best IMHO.

[@skeller61]

Thanks for this comprehensive look at Deep Purple. I’ve been looking for this type of ranking so I would be able to hone in on their finer efforts. They always seemed hit or miss to me, who was blissfully unaware of the band’s continuing lineup changes. From my perspective, DP were either the best or worst with any given album. My favorite is Machine Head, though I haven’t given In Rock a serious listening to, which I will do posthaste. My next favorite is Perfect Strangers, which revived them in the same way the Grateful Dead did a couple of years later with In the Dark. Thanks for your wonderful and well thought out reviews.

[@drakontas1]

Excellent presentation!

[@classicalbum]

Thank you kindly!

[@peterbredbacka1356]

Thumbs up! My ranking would be very similar. The top three an obvious choice, but I was surprised you put the self titled Mark I lineup record so high. Not that I disapprove, but I think it has always been underrated. On that they actually take a step towards things to come, but realizing that Rod Evans (whose low/medium voice actually resembels Ian Gillan's) was not the one to get them there. On a side note: as for Stormbringer, yes Ritchie hated the direction DP was taking. The track he probably disliked the most was "Hold On". The only guitar he provides to it is the solo, which is brilliant. Overall I think he played just as well on Stormbringer (if not better) as on Burn. Obviously he wanted to quit on a high note.

[@murdockreviews]

There are certainly worse Deep Purple albums than "The Battle Rages On'. But this is made up for by my favourite Purple album also making your #1. Very nice and interesting walk through their discography!

[@iancunningham5576]

Nice job mate. Your review of Now What?! Is totally on point. As with the others. I've been listening to Purple for 5 years. My first favorite band. Again nice work. Cheers.

[@classicalbum]

Rock on!

[@denphillips3402]

Love this post. Excellent knowledge of this brilliant band, well put together. I agree with pretty much everything you said about the albums and tracks that I know, but can't agree with your positioning. Music is purely subjective, though. Based on my collection and those that I know my list is.... 12. Come Taste the Band 11. Shades of Deep Purple 10. Infinite 09. Book of Taliesyn 08. Stormbringer 07. Whoosh ! 06. Deep Purple 05. Fireball 04. Who do We think We Are? 03. In Rock 02. Burn 01. Machine Head You referenced Made in Japan during this sequence, probably the greatest live album. There are 7 tracks and 4 are taken from Machine Head. DP knew which album was their best one!

[@JohannesYtterstrom]

Hats off to Classic Album Review! I am a fan of ALL Deep Purple marks (to different degrees) and find it a nice move to rank all marks against each other and not just be to obvious on which marks you prefer or not. I could guess some of the next albums rather well too. I'd say our lists would be similar to about 85 - 90 %. To those who never appreciated Steve Morse in Deep Purple. Check out his mostly instrumental band "The Dixie Dregs". To those who can't see Don Airey stepping in for Jon Lord? Listen to his old "Colosseum II"-records with Gary Moore and others. Another video? Deep Purple songs top 10, 15 or 20? Love to see that!

[@classicalbum]

I should do that

[@terryjohnson5275]

I would generally agree with your ranking, Battle Rages on is my least favorite and Ive never been that fond of the 1984 reunion albums as I think I expected more than what I got. I find it hard to rank different eras against each other though my top two favourite albums of theirs are In Rock and Burn - both heralded their respective eras and both are excellent. My favourite Steve Morse era albums are Purpendicular, Whoosh and Now What in that order . I also quite like their mk 1 period - particularly Jon lord's contribution - Shades of is probably my favourite at the moment. And for the Tommy Bolin era Come Taste the Band is a great great album.

[@andreasghb8074]

Totally agree on #1 & #2. Good reviews!

[@jamesarduini2688]

Excellent list and a video well done, you have me wanting to re-investigate some of the post Ritchie stuff. Oh, and a fine choice for number one, In Rock is a juggernaut!!

[@classicalbum]

Go for it!

[@lukefitton7329]

I personally absolutely love the ‘Rapture Of The Deep’ Album. The second half of the album didn’t blow my mind or anything but the first five tracks on that Album are all so damn good. Also in my opinion their Self Titled Album is their best, can’t get enough of it.

[@eddhardy1054]

Great review of Purple's catalogue mate although personally I wouldn't have rated Perfect Strangers quite so highly. Regarding Flight of the Rat, I could be wrong, but I thought they played it during the UK leg of the Purpendicular tour.

[@prockrog5219]

Thank you very much for this superb ranking video. Hat's off to you! It's a massive discography to tackle, and some of the albums are so familiar to classic rock fans that it's hard to make sense of it in hindsight when the music has become very much part of our DNA. The only quote (I think it was from Sputnic Music?) I had trouble with was the classification of Steve Morse as a fusion player. He is first and foremost an americana/country music player IMHO. While he certainly can shred like Frank Gambale he's always got that Southern Rock feel to his licks. And speaking of Blackmore, his mastery of both the blues and neo-classical style playing is pretty unique. Tommy Bolin were great too. I think he started out with Billy Cobham before getting the gig with Purple.

[@KowankoMusic]

I'd say Morse's eclectic instrumental forays with the Dixie Dregs are firmly in the fusion world, clearly influenced by Mahavishnu Orchestra, Return To Forever and the like (check out "What If" or "Night Meets Light"). That he was a gifted bluegrass shredder and classical guitarist, equally capable of composing Irish folk pieces and light-speed metallic boogie only made his particular brand of 'fusion' more adventurous than most.

[@prockrog5219]

@@KowankoMusic I don't disagree that he can play fusion, but I stand by my previous observation that it's with a strong country flavor. He uses very little of the complex chord and scales typical of modern jazz. I've got all his solo work and every Dregs album, and as a guitar player I've studied his work extensively. Morse is one of a kind, but he's not a jazz guitarist.

[@dilltdog1158]

Kudos for the Frank Gambale name check.

[@thetruth156real3]

I miss heard him at the beginning and realised I had got the wrong video altogether.🥴🙈

[@cobar5342]

Thank you for a superb video. I adore Blackmore's guitar ability. To the point that he is above all others. With Paice, Glover, Lord and Gillan each being extremely talented, that line up was an amazing one

[@martynhanson]

Enjoyed it. Lost track how many times The Nice were mentioned in a positive way - about time too.

[@dancalmpeaceful3903]

Glad to see you gave "Shades" a good review....for what it is, it's a really good album I think whether you like Purple or not...

[@planetbarrett6055]

Worst to Best, My Opinion. 21. Bananas 20. Infinite 19. Now What?! 18. Rapture of the Deep 17. Abandon 16. Perpendicular 15. House Of the Blue Light 14. Woosh! 13. The Battle Rages On 12. Perfect Strangers 11. Deep Purple 10. Stormbringer 9. Slaves and Masters 8. Shades Of Deep Purple 7. Machine Head 6. The Book of Taliesyn 5. Burn 4. Come Taste the Band 3. Who Do We Think We Are 2. In Rock 1. Fireball Strange Kind of Woman is My Favorite Purple Song.

[@mikev4621]

Taliesyn was good

[@blaster1093]

Machine Head is No.1 by far.

[@ytisdead5211]

Barry - what was it like being at Knebworth? I've heard so many stories from that gig and even listened to the bootleg for Purple's set! There are also some clips as a part of the Perfect Strangers tour documentary on my 'Perfect Strangers Live' DVD.

[@pauldavies8638]

It was great apart from the weather it was like the somme, we had to wait for hours to get towed out of the car park someone threw a bottle of piss at meatloaf, scorpions and mountain were good...

[@ytisdead5211]

@@pauldavies8638 that honestly sounds amazing, I can only imagine the tensions that was building up towards Purple's set!

[@bertbecker7532]

Thank you for ranking PS so high. My one concert experience with this amazing group. Such an interesting catalog and listen.

[@classicalbum]

I was at at Knebworth in 85

[@philanderson5138]

can i recommend a subject for your videos- I don't understand the rainbow/deep purple/ritchie blackmore/dio/gillan etc 70's/80's time - just remember my mates arguing about the bands at the time. can you do a video on the best of this fusion of bands/singers/guitarists of this era of rainbow/purple/blackmore. a top ten of this mixed era would be a good start for me.

[@charlesserre6928]

You would have to throw Black Sabbath into the mix as well, seeing as how Gillan went on to sing on the Born Again album, just like Dio before him had moved on from Rainbow to join Sabbath on Heaven and Hell and Mob Rules. Quite the interwoven brotherhood of Godly British Rock Acts, to be sure.

[@seabud6408]

Great to hear someone who knows what they are talking about re Deep Purple. The best U.K. rock band ever .. but .. no one thinks that .. because Ritchie Blackmore went out of his way on every interview to say how little of their output he rated and that he could do something “much more exciting than Deep Purple”.. He nearly pulled that off with Rainbow but did indeed forge a band which influenced areas of metal to come. One day this band will be appreciated. Their last 3 albums (and a lock down covers album ) would put many bands half their age to shame. Still doin’ it. Agree with your No1 pick. I wore out my vinyl copy. The album I’ve played most in my life.

[@Spock105]

Thanks for this review . I used to have all their albums till '75. . Even Jon Lords ' Windows' . Fact that after Come taste the band , I wondered off to other musical styles , makes me totally unknown to these later albums . Surely I will have to dig into everything that came out since then . A big task so it seems.

[@TheTigermask1]

What would your best purple songs of the 90s be please mate

[@ninoorjon]

Deep Purple is such a band that in album ratings it's often who performs that matters, not how they perform. One thing I can say with certainty is that Deep Purple has no bad albums. I would say this: Best Album - Deep Purple In Rock Most Played Album - Machine Head Best Live Album - Made In Japan Worst Album - Slaves and Masters

[@kg0173]

No way Slaves and Masters is the worst. Its very similar to Perfect Strangers and has a lot good songs (I would say every song on that album is good). I never liked House Of Blue Light and then some of the later albums.

[@ninoorjon]

@@kg0173 Not really. Although the entire reunion was under the dictation of Ritchie, who tried to make Rainbow from Deep Purple and reworked the same riffs all the time, during the recording of Slaves and Masters, having no longer any resistance, he forced the group to record the most kitschy, borrowed and lackluster album.

[@kg0173]

@@ninoorjon I like it, I have listened to it a lot. I like it as whole. There are albums that I have listened no more than couple times like Rapture of the deep, Infinite, No what.... So in my book it is a good album, basically no worse than Perfect Strangers, The Battle Rages On, Purpendicular. Purpendicular I think has the most quality songs. I like this period of Deep Purple.

[@paulallison6418]

I really enjoyed this video, thank you for putting it out there. Deep Purple are my favourite band although I was in the musical wilderness for most of the 80's 90's 2000's and have missed some of the albums from this period. You do have 1 and 2 in the correct order in my opinion but many top 10 Deep Purple lists have Machine Head as no.1. It's not that important, both are superb albums but I firmly believe is the greater achievement. I will need to complete my collection, I think I have 3 of these missing from it. I only buy vinyl these days so its not so easy to pick things up. I look forward to other classic rock album rankings from you.

[@classicalbum]

Check out my playlist - I've got a few now. Thank you for watching

[@deansusec8745]

How about a worst to best of the two Rainbow incarnations? Great Rock bands in their own right!

[@classicalbum]

If I was to do this it would include all the Rainbow albums in one video.

[@deansusec8745]

@@classicalbum sounds good! Very nuanced between seventies metal and eighties melodic hard rock. growing up, I went backwards, from street of dreams to man on the silver mountain.

[@rushbravado1972]

I am not the biggest Purple fan but the band has been very influential. I enjoy the worst to best and discussion of significant songs

[@frubtok7]

There is no word mentioned about Deep Purple masterpiece, Strange Ways from 1987 album. I'm really really really disapointed.

[@stevesnailfish]

The Up Pompeii reference....I did smirk at that.... One of the first bands I ever really got into aged 14 in 1977.....I do have everything up to Come Taste The Band and that's it....I seem to have missed out on many, many good albums....post 1976 anyway ?

[@clemensgruber7278]

I've always considered In Rock to be there best. No idea why so many fans are ranking Machine Head higher.

[@FuturePast2019]

On their latest tour Deep Purple play 5 songs from Machine Head and 0 songs from Deep Purple in Rock. No idea why.

[@kasperkjrsgaard1447]

Machine head has better songs? And Gillan really can’t sing much of the material from “In Rock”.

[@barryrammer7906]

Agreed in rock was not only their best lp. It's a top 3 of all-time hard rock lp. No weak tracks it's full of hook vibes and groundbreaking. Have Zeppelin and Sabbath a run for their money. I'm torn between BS 1ST LP and in rock.

[@kg0173]

I definitely put Machine Head above and I think Smoke on the Water is the worst song on that album, but its great. In Rock has few exceptional great songs, some great songs, but doesn't achieve the perfection that Machine Head has. It has rougher riffs and its heavier, but it doesn't mean that it makes it better. I also like Fireball and Stormbringer, probably more than In Rock, but In Rock has a couple of my all time favorite Deep Purple songs.

[@ddmurley]

Awesome thanks for this!

[@classicalbum]

No problem!

[@ricardo-fotografia]

Almost 100% agree. Great work. I know In Rock is the biggest of them all, just pity how it sounds, i hear it muddy. Can anyone name a release on vinyl with best sound quality ? Apart from japanese, s and mobile fidelty.

[@ejc636]

Thanks Baz for your effort. Top quality as usual.

[@classicalbum]

Much appreciated

[@StonefieldJim4]

🤣@"a Rolf Harris sketch for a particularly bad Magnum bootleg." On the other hand, I really like the Bananas cover art - and the photography throughout the packaging. I thought it was refreshing to see 'human scale' imagery, instead of the grade-E, schoolboy dross of so many rock albums.

[@stevechristie2660]

Black night wasn't on In Rock and Strange Kind of Woman was only on the U.S.version of Fireball.Concerto was an official studio album so why no placing ? Apart from my hair splitting of which I have none left ha,ha,another great review thank you !

[@Daniel-415-Ponce]

I am pretty certain that Concerto was a live performance recording. In fact, if you can find an unabridged version of the album, it includes renditions of some of their earlier songs such as "Hush."

[@Romulus980]

The track 'Solitaire' is so underrated from the album Battle Rages On. If it was better recorded/produced maybe than it would be recognised for it's quality in melody and lyrics.

[@iconicon5642]

One thing Book of Taliesyn, Deep Purple and In Rock have classic early Harvest LP cover art with maximum heaviness baked in.

[@FuturePast2019]

Deep Purple in Rock is their most groundbreaking album, and the hardest rocking album of the 1970's. Machine Head isn't, but it is their best album. Songs from Machine Head have always dominated their concerts since 1972.

[@deanpesaturo6401]

Yup. Kinda like the way that Paranoid; War Pigs and Iron Man have for the past 50 years, right.? Thinking of what ya just wrote down here Luv.

[@evilvolts]

I loved Slaves and Masters loved Fortuneteller The cut runs deep Breakfast in bed and Wicked ways

[@Snakehead1964]

I really enjoyed this 37 minutes and I enjoyed that you still found something good in every album. Your number 1 is my number 1 and two of your Top Three albums are in my Top Three too. I only rate Come Taste The Band higher than Machine Head ;-)

[@catsofsherman1316]

Come Taste the Band over Machine Head? You gotta be kidding me.

[@Snakehead1964]

@@catsofsherman1316 Machine Head is boring if you listened to Made In Japan once

[@catsofsherman1316]

@@Snakehead1964 I have Made in Japan on vinyl and cd, so I have heard it plenty. I still like Machine Head.

[@classicalbum]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@classicalbum]

Machine Head is much higher than Come Taste the Band

[@paulfuller8985]

I pretty much agree with your listing . I never saw Deep Purple with Blackmore but I saw them with with Tommy Bolin and several times with Steve Morse .

[@kristofftaylovoski60]

Agree with number #1...Been rocking "In Rock" during lockdown..