Ranking the Studio Albums: Deep Purple

Join host Pete Pardo as he ranks his least favorite to favorite albums by seminal British heavy rock act Deep Purple. #deeppurple

[@astrogallotron]

Maybe it is my love for psychedelic rock, but I think The Book of Taliesyn is a criminally underrated album.

[@williambaxter4628]

astrogallotron it's MY go to Deep Purple album.

[@TheDirtyredbandana]

Exactly. In fact, it's my favourite album.

[@patriotpizzaman]

I'm a big fan of the first three albums but, for my money, they're not Deep Purple albums. They're a snapshot of a group of musicians coming of age in an era that had it's signature sound and once they began playing their own signature style of music, they became the Deep Purple that the world came to know. While the first albums are all quite interesting and had some flashes of what was to come, I didn't feel like they were substantive musically nor timeless masterpieces like the MKII era's were. Even Hush, for all it's greatness , sounds dated in comparison. Unable to shake off the nostalgia of the 60's psychedelia that gave birth to it.

[@lucalone]

that's my second favorite purple album after machine head !

[@ArthurofBritain]

Preach it, brother !

[@luisgarcia6007]

Top 3 best Purple albums: 1. Machine Head 2. In Rock 3. Burn

[@gregboardman915]

in rock no 1 Machine Head 2, burn 3 yes, 4 mmmm im thinking fireball

[@jeffaudrain5306]

Who do we think we are is massively underrated in my book. Love that album

[@williambaxter4628]

Jeff Audrain my 2nd favorite Deep Purple album.

[@peterfinnigan6313]

@@williambaxter4628 Mine too at a push.

[@peter71ify]

I think it is reallygood, and heavy

[@MSPARKS]

worth it for Mary Long .

[@peter71ify]

@@MSPARKS I enjoy it more than Fireball

[@dougmcauliffe2253]

Burn, In Rock and Machine Head, the holy trifecta

[@NazbolCaliphDonaldaddeenTrump]

Yup, Burn and Machine Head are what introduced me to the rest of DP's discography

[@davekaeding1514]

@@NazbolCaliphDonaldaddeenTrump Machine Head and Made In Japan were my introductions to the band.

[@laurenzgraffilpenstein8117]

In Rock and Made in Japan

[@bluedream9668]

That IS the Trifecta. I would then add as a side dish two live albums Japan and Europe.

[@laurenzgraffilpenstein8117]

@@bluedream9668 live in Paris 75 is very raw and full of musically greatness.. This stands also for live in Graz 75

[@ceeko5484]

I love Slaves and Masters. "Fire In The Basement" is one of my favorite songs. Great basslines. Rhe guitar and organ solos are excellent. Its actually my favorite keyboard solo of any genre. Lord and Blackmore play off each other beautifully.

[@kg0173]

Agree. I like Cut Runs Deep. Good songs there. It gets lower rating because of the singer, but I think he did a good job. Overall its a good sounding album.

[@dt6949]

In Rock was the first Purple album I ever heard and never bettered in my opinion. Love it to death!!!

[@seabud6408]

Had to wait until Xmas to get it as a present as I could afford it from pocket money. Went in to the local store every week to look at the cover and read the lyrics. To this day I don’t know how Ian Gillan managed to sing over such busy loud music ... Perhaps his unique style is born of having to deal with these finished backing tracks .... having to find a way to sing around them. No one screams like Gillan ... that tone and control is just perfect. His fast staccato delivery is just amazing ...even now.

[@ParadoxapocalypSatan]

It's the only heavy DP album. Extra distortion from the mixing table gave Ritchie's Fender a heavy sound.

[@gagd233]

My favorite. Pity they never made another album in that style. Thoses songs are 50 years old - amazing!

[@ArthaxtaDaVince777]

@@ParadoxapocalypSatan Firball is heavy, machine head, perfect strangers, who do we think we are.

[@Daniel-415-Ponce]

The first three DP albums, while not as heavy as the sound that the band would pioneer in the early 70's, embody what was great about 60's psychedelic rock, and Rod Evans had one of the iconic voices of the era. I have never understood why so many DP fans completely reject them.

[@militarybooks]

The first time I ever heard deep purple was when I heard the song Burn. I remember stopping in my tracks with chills up my back. I had never heard anything like that. It changed the course of my life. These guys wrote wrote the soundtrack of my life. One of the absolute greatest bands of all time.

[@jennystryker2967]

Come taste the band is a great album. Tommy really kicks it. Perfect strangers to me is another great album. Gillan is at his best. First concert was 1975 and have seen them every chance I had. We got to meet the guys in Stowe Vermont when they were recording Perfect Strangers. Great group of guys. Ian was very funny and both he and Ritchie were very good playing soccer. In Rock is their absolute Best album.

[@sdwill66]

I'm kicking myself. I saw Deep Purple when Tommy Bolin was with them. He threw his bottleneck slide into the crowd and I caught it. Somehow I managed to lose it a few years later. Tragic.

[@pcallas66]

In Rock has the best cover photo of almost every album ever released. Fireball was an awesome album, too.

[@salvatoreperez5113]

Fireball's album cover is better for me

[@westerling8436]

nobody asked stfu

[@westerling8436]

@@jamespell1138 pie, hole, close

[@westerling8436]

@@jamespell1138 go away you're boring

[@austinheinbuch8642]

@@salvatoreperez5113 its literally a giant sperm

[@710carioca]

I have a soft spot for Stormbringer!

[@Gabez82]

TBC Marc Ford Years Stormbringer is outstanding, no doubt!

[@5tar5z]

It’s an excellent record

[@davekaeding1514]

Didn't like it when it came out. Love it to death now. Have for years. Same thing with Come Taste The Band.

[@robsco1249]

Probably my favourite D.P. record with Purpendicular.

[@Carlos-xz3vi]

Beautiful record. Melodic, tuneful, great execution, top notch production, etc. Stormbringer, Holy Man, Hold On, etc. one if their best!

[@PittsburghRocks]

"Come Taste the Band" is my favorite... though it took many years of listening to transform from underwhelming to very good to my favorite. Love the heavy funk sound.

[@larrynolletti4594]

It's absolutely awesome....every single note from start to finish...

[@errolgray185]

For me it is the worst Deep Purple album.

[@larrynolletti4594]

@@errolgray185 It sure as hell blows away those first 3 hippie albums...as well as the incredibly lame Stormbringer....only the title track was good...the rest of it is easy listening....Blackmore said screw this....after Perfect Strangers I wasn't exactly overjoyed with what they did....apparently neither was Blackmore....he said see ya again and starts playing minstel music dancing around cauldrons......I'm a die hard Tommy Bolin fan so that's why I love that album...I can see your point....it could have been called the first Whitesnake album.....I love Coverdale as well....up thru Saints and Sinners...

[@nicholasthornley9708]

Tommy Bolin was a flawed genius. 'Come Taste the Band' is fantastic and 'Teaser' is even better. Sadly missed.

[@nicholasthornley9708]

@@errolgray185 After that comment I'm surprised you can tie your own shoelaces.

[@dferris7767]

My favorite Deep Purple album is the one with Ian Paice on drums AKA ALL OF THEM!

[@errolgray185]

What a fantastic drummer he really is.

[@lespauldisciple3349]

Ian is, IMHO, one of rock's most criminally underrated drummers of all time.

[@andrescarrasco1248]

I love that albums too....my favorite

[@lespauldisciple3349]

I guess this is a good place to tell the truly wild story of how Ian got the gig as Purple's drummer. He was friends with Rod Evans and tagged along when Rod went to audition as the singer. Somehow Rod mentioned his friend (Ian) was a good drummer. The guy tabbed to be the group's drummer was sent out to get cigarettes and Ian was given a quick audition. Well, the "Pete Best" of this story returned to learn he was longer the drummer. Hilarious but true.

[@iangillard9820]

LesPaulDisciple Nick Simper tells a very similar story of how he was replaced by Roger Glover.

[@anthonygerardcondon7870]

Fireball for me is my fav Purple album, very heavy, very proggy..love it

[@stevekosak8624]

Love to hear your order of these classic gems very passionate and very fun to hear! Every one has different ones and it was fun to hear yours! In rock ALWAYS#1 for me hard to beat!👽 Thanks again!

[@williamgeorgefraser]

I used to play "Fireball" nonstop in my car in the early 70s. I always put the volume up to max for "Fools". It ended up blowing my speakers to bits. It cracked the speaker magnets. Just love that song. "In Rock", "Fireball" and "Machine Head" are just amongst the greatest albums ever. Edit: On the subject of "Fools", I suspect it was one of the first songs that used an E-bow on the guitar solo. I got one last week and am presently using it on my new double neck guitar.

[@xavierpaquin]

I'm kinda new to Deep Purple but the heavy riff in Fools is my favorite so far

[@JohnSmith-mx8wp]

@william Blackmore is not using a bow. I thought so too once. He is employing volume swells, which make his strat sound like a cello. Turn the guitar volume to zero, pluck the string, then turn the volume back up. 4:12 Note how he manipulates the volume knob with his right pinky: m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/n6WQioege8RogZY

[@bgalex776]

I really enjoy the Mark I albums. Honestly think they're kind of underrated.

[@robertwilliams4682]

Criminally underrated. I'd take DPIII over In Rock or even Machine Head.

[@lincbond442]

The self-titled third album is my favorite of the first three.

[@thespiciestboi1989]

Book of Taliesyn is crazy underrated, even by Purple fans. Personally there's not a single song on the album I don't love.

[@markwebb1040]

I, personally, would place Perfect Strangers a little higher. That's often my go-to Deep Purple album.

[@ShinDSER]

Might not be the best Purple album, but definitely the most consistent one. Not a bad track on it, and if some stand out from the general level of the album, they exceed it.

[@bluedream9668]

Agree. Very listenable. A good listen in the car for longer rides.

[@spaceace4387]

It's good, but definitely not the best.

[@husq48]

It is the best!

[@aviationlba747]

@@ShinDSER It’s a great album, but if we’re talking most consistent, that has to go to Machine Head.

[@diannecarpenter7718]

Thank you soooo much for the Worst to Best of Deep Purple!! I love Deep Purple and your shirt rocks!! 🎤🎸🎵🥁

[@dougmcauliffe2253]

Come taste the band is an awesome, dare I say, underrated album.

[@drumdad54sdl47]

I have to agree. I finally got around to checking it out around 5 yrs ago and was very impressed.. a darned solid release...not a bad cut on it, I say. Pete is right..if Tommy & Glen hadn't gotten stupid with drugs, who knows what could've happened.

[@larrynolletti4594]

There were some well done shows on that tour...the King Biscuit Flower Hour from Long Beach was an official release...it's Coverdale's voice that is shot...especially on Lady Luck....the Miami show is excellent...Bolin was pushing his solo album and career and his handlers thought it would be a good idea to join Purple for an album and tour to become more recognized....both albums were released almost simultaneously...very weird....it's like he had one foot in and one foot out....Teaser was awesome....the outtakes of Teaser are incredible as well....I love Come Taste the Band....2 great albums out at the same time in the record stores....unbelievable.....with the same guitarist.....

[@seabud6408]

Catch glen Hughes doing burn album live .... fantastic

[@williamgainford9332]

Absolutely doesnt get the love it deserves - its in my top 5 of purple albums - and one of my fave 70s records of all time

[@riccardorubispassoni8043]

Come Taste the Band is my fav album by DP! So underrated

[@rolovi30]

Excellent job, Pete. Deep Purple is my personal second band of all time after The Beatles. I'm enjoying all your wonderful videos and comments. Rock On!

[@evilvolts]

I can tell we have totally different taste in music "Anyone's Daughter" is my favorite song of Deep Purple I love the sense of humor displayed in this one plus I am a keyboardist and love the piano in this song it's so smooth.

[@JohnSmith-mx8wp]

It is a fun and very playful track. Shame that Lord didn't play a bit more piano in his DP days. But OK Ritchie, we get it - this is serious HARD ROCK...no time for fun or playing around! /s

[@lespauldisciple3349]

That's a great unheralded Purple tune. It also displays Ian's fabulous sense of humor. Oh, what a voice he had back then. Some guys can shout but aren't the best singers. Ian... My favorite rock singer.

[@brucelee9528]

Anyone's daughter is a phenomenal song from my all time favorite purple lp....fireball

[@adamsmashups4839]

@@brucelee9528 I like it too,but I prefer the live version from the Battle Rages On tour

[@clintbronson5]

Love your show and insight Pete! I want WANT a Pete’s top 25 live concerts that you’ve seen! 🙏

[@clintbronson5]

Purple/Sabbath/Kiss better be there ;p

[@markbunton9919]

Great ranking show. Deep Purple is one of those classic bands that I haven’t spent much time on but will definitely be picking up several of these albums now based on this. Looking forward to a deep dive.

[@aidanhatton7163]

A deep Deep Purple dive :D

[@neilarch6277]

Good to see love for Fireball.

[@lincbond442]

"April" on the third album is a personal favorite of mine. "Chasing Shadows" and "Blind" are top notch too.

[@xtstevie]

I love Gillan as the greatest Rock singer of his generation but my favorite Deep Purple album is & always has been 'Burn with Coverdale...... Strange!!

[@FrostedSeagull]

Ditto, There's a group of guitar playing critics who also rate Deep Purple's albums BURN - album won it by a country mile ! They considered Machine Head too meat and potatoes. In Rock is amazing, BUT, theres something missing. BURN is Purple at their musical best. Great riffs with magnificent blues playing by Blackmore.

[@jimmycampbell78]

Glenn Hughes on that as well- he had bad drug issues but the guy could play bass and he was/is also a great singer along with Coverdale. Really great singer.

[@awickedtribe]

Gotta throw out a 'Me Too'

[@mattyboywalker9094]

SAME

[@rickleblanc8900]

@@FrostedSeagull Something missing on In Rock ?! Are you insane, that album is perfection from beginning to end. Case closed

[@ograpsluap]

love all your reviews Pete, Deep Purple are amongst my favourites too, love your rants

[@laurenzgraffilpenstein8117]

In Rock Made in Japan Machine Head ... These are their glorious LPs Come taste the band, Abandon, Fireball, the first three ones, Concerto for group and orchestra, Burn, Stormbringer, House of blue light, just to name some good stuff too

[@user-qx1gq6zv5f]

Im a big Purple fan. Still have to dig the 2 recent albums.apart of the obvious, Machine Head, In Rock and burn I tend lo love the first 3 albums, especially the self titled Deep purple. Such agreat album. I think they found their way straight from their debut. They had great classics in all of their first 3 albums, songs such as hush, one more rainy day, anthem, Blind, lalena, and the fantastic April.

[@Danimal77]

17k subs! You're growing so fast Pete! I was there from the beginning when you only had a couple of comments per video.

[@seaoftranquilityprog]

Remember those days?

[@cheezruff]

Fireball was the first Deep Purple album I owned, got it on vinyl when it came out. So it ranks on the top for me. Have to say, listening back in more recent years I've become more enamored with the production, a natural clarity and warmth but still powerful and heavy.

[@jgsrhythm100]

Love Tommy Bolin! "Teaser my fav album. Love Blackmore era as well of course. Just personally relate to the greasy funky tone of Bolin in "Come Taste the Band" Tasty!!!

[@andreichivu7653]

Ditto !

[@SatWiseJanx]

My most essential is the remastered Live in Japan, sourced from original tapes from all three nights which became Made in Japan, much like how Made in Europe was compiled. Live at the Olympia (LATO 96) was also great as others mentioned. Bombay Calling 96 is also great and I don't think anyone else noted it.

[@zeeeman8744]

Just subscribed, good info, it appears that there are many more Purple songs that I need to listen to.

[@chrisbuschendorf3155]

I never really gave a chance to deep purple without Gillan but in the last year gave a listen to storm bringer and burn albums. I was familiar with both title tracks but not the whole albums. I was suprised at just how much I liked both of those albums. Love the purp!

[@gautigoth3249]

Give "Come taste the band" a chance. It's really worth it.

[@chrisbuschendorf3155]

@@gautigoth3249 I gave it a listen last night actually. It isn't bad.

[@martingates6501]

@@chrisbuschendorf3155 Stormbringer and Machine Head are the best from purple, specially Stormbringer!!

[@drumz9]

Made In Japan has to be one of the best all time live albums ever! The sound and energy is so ahead of it's time!

[@larsnilsson8949]

Made in Japan with Deep Purple can not or will not be ranked as other than Number One Live Album of all time, you can´t get much better than this. It´s funny, because no member in Deep Purple wanted to record any of the shows on the Japanese tour, today we can, more or less thank the Japanese record company for this amazing, remarkable live album, because they never gave up, wanting Purple to record their three shows, Tokyo and two nights in Osaka, August of ´72. This album also became a milestone among all fans of real hard rock. This live album is Timeless, have never, ever heard a better live album or a better band, for that matter, Purple Rules!

[@tedstone5934]

It's a must have in any collection. Awesome to listen to on road trips. Fires you up.

[@danielmacdonald8349]

In my opinion Made In Japan is the GREATEST live album of ALL TIME. The success of this album led almost every band to release live albums back in the 70’s. I was lucky enough to catch basically the American leg of that tour - the set list was just about the same. TO THIS DAY - the BEST concert I have EVER been too - and at my age that’s a LOT! My buddy and I basically had our jaws hanging all the while walking back to our houses - and it was about an hour walk. We STILL talk about it to this very day.

[@jurgenv.6030]

Indeed! For me, Highway Star and Lazy are two of the best live recordings ever. Made in Japan, let's say ist THE live album of all times. Well, together with No sleep til Hammersmith 😊

[@CB-xr1eg]

@@larsnilsson8949 Try Alchemy Live - Dire Straits and Live In the Heart Of The City - Whitesnake. Not quite as good as MIJ but not too far off.

[@mattlortz6026]

I love Perfect Strangers, absolutely. Gotta be higher on the list.

[@chevy4x466]

Matt Lortz one of the greatest albums of all time. I have been listening to it lately. I love it. If u here me talkin on the wing....

[@fallspeed]

One of the best reunion albums of all time.

[@gjermundification]

As a song: Yes! It's way better than Smoke on the Water. As an album? There are better ones; Machine Head? In Rock? The Book of Taliesyn?

[@lanceworthey4746]

"Shades" was fantastic! Man, Ive been a DP fan for decades and decades, and we agreed on SO little lol love it, and love your opinions on them. Thank you for giving some light to, what remains to this day, a criminally underrated band!

[@luton_gmanrock]

Been seeing DP stuff on vinyl in many used record stalls/stores, so was wondering where to start - great video and kinda cemented my view anyway....respect. 🤘

[@oolongoolong789]

Burn gets my vote for No.1, followed by Stormbringer. Coverdale and Hughes were amazing. Together they brought a new excitement to Purple's sound.

[@kg0173]

In context of this I kinda feel that Machine Head gets underrated. I also like Coverdale DP. Stormbringer is probably the most listened Deep Purple album by me, but no.1 is Machine Head: Highway Star, Lazy and the overall feel of the album and every song.

[@sbziel]

I also get into Mac3 ? Mack3 moods but my top two In Rock and Perpendicular. They both blew me away. Strombringer grew on me didn't like it at first. Loved Burn out of the gate. And I have joked about Slaves and Masters being the best Rainbow but that was a joke Rainbow Rising of course;) I also loved Bananas thinking it is actually better then Machine Head. Dug Machine Head and Who Do we Think We are. Then one day I bought In Rock... I also remember buying Perpendicular in the cut out bin. Didn't even know Deep Purple had a new album out. And for the second time I was blown away by a deep purple album. My top 4 recordings In Rock Perpendicular Lights out UFO I Know not deep purple and rainbow Rising. Those are the albums that blew me away first listen. And I still love them today... Where would Ready and Willing Rank if it were labeled deep purple. Perhaps right under Tool Box-- Tool Box also rocked. Ian G solo or band ? Long live DP my bottom ranked ones are Mack1 era except the untitled one. Dug that one quite a bit...

[@CourteousKitsch]

My top 5: 1) Perfect Strangers--Hands down, this my favorite Purple, and one of my top 5 rock albums period. This not only made me a Purple fan, but got me into metal in the first place. Prior to this record, I was listening to lots of other genres like industrial and new wave, but never got into metal or hard rock. This was my epiphany. Lord's distorted organ on this album was what made me want to experiment with and play keyboards. The title track is probably my favorite Purple song of all time, a cinematic opus that builds to orgasmic heights. "A Gypsy Kiss" is a frantic gem where Glover, Lord, and Blackmore are nothing less than stunning. "Knocking at Your Back Door" is a radio staple. "Nobody's Home" is an infectious and catchy bit of fun. And then the boys bring it home with the epic-length instrumental "Son of Alerik" that cools the listener down but really showcases what they can all do as musicians. Roger Glover has been quoted as saying he didn't the album hangs together, but I respectfully disagree. Perhaps I am biased because of what this album means to me in my own personal nostalgia, but I see it as a brilliant comeback for a dissolved band that hadn't made a record in nine years while completely changing their sound as opposed to leaning heavily on their 70's heyday. For me, it is one of the most unforgettable albums in all of rock music. 2) Fireball--While Deep Purple in Rock may have hooked a lot of fans, this is the one that really melds their heavy sound with their genius as musicians. I am nuts about songs like "The Mule" and "Fools." The title track is an underplayed rock staple that practically invented speed metal. There's not a bad song on this album. Even the Dylanesque "Anyone's Daughter" is a lot of fun and another example of how the varied tunes break up the album tonally so as to keep it always fresh and interesting. The best of 70s era Purple, in my opinion, and one that I always pop in to get my fix. 3) Deep Purple in Rock--One of their heaviest albums and the one that cemented Purple as rock gods. Fast, brutal, full of adrenaline and testosterone. Some of Gillan's best screeching. "Child in Time" is perhaps one of the most perfect and essential Purple songs ever. The production is a little muddy, but that adds to the raw punk DIY feel of this album. An iconic and perfect album that introduced the world to Mark II. No more needs to be said. 4) Now What?!--I think Mark VIII gels so much better than the other versions of the band, and here it really shows. Perhaps I rank this so high because it was such a joy to listen to new Purple after such a long hiatus. I wore the CD out when it was released, and I still find something new to enjoy everytime I pop it on. There's something kind of sad about it, though, as though the band was coming to terms with their age and didn't know how much longer they could keep doing this, as reflected in the title. Perhaps this mood is also a result of the death of Jon Lord, and I consider this a tribute to his legacy. The opening tune also mirrors this sentiment with its mellow and delicately melancholy intro before letting us know brutally that the boys are back, which then gets the endorphins and the fists pumping. Ian Gillan doesn't screech anymore, but there's an almost ethereal quality to his voice in this album that is hypnotic and gives me all new respect for the man. The tunes are varied, melodic, and musically brilliant. "Hell to Pay" brings me back to my youth, chanting along to rock anthems center stage at arenas. "Out of Hand" is classic prog Purple. "Blood from a Stone" is a great bluesy melody that tickles my New Orleans Jazz Fest vibes, and is one of my new Purple favorites. "Above and Beyond" is just beautiful. "Weirdistan" harkens back to the Perfect Strangers vibe. "Vincent Price" should be a Halloween party staple. Hell, all the songs are wonderful. 5) Stormbringer--Most fans might wonder why this is so high on my list. Well, I'm just as surprised, but that's because I somehow find myself playing this album a lot. It's got so many moods and so many different vibes that it suits any occasion. It always manages to lift my spirits and gets my wife and kids jamming. Not only do I think this is the strongest of the three from the Coverdale-Hughes era, but one of the best Purple albums ever. Everyone seems to be in top form, and sonically it is crisp. Not as hard as some would like it, but I really love this funky gem of rock and blues soul.

[@jeffbaker7236]

I love all of your videos. Very intelligent discussions. Like you, I like everything by Deep Purple. Was introduced to them when I was 4 years old through a cousin who gave me "Made In Japan" on 8 track. The sound scared me to death. I didn't know what it was. With the bright lights shining down on the members on the stage with them moving fast it made them look like blobs to me and I thought it was the 'monsters' I heard on the album. Still my most cherished Purple album..The first Deep Purple album I picked as my own was on my 6th birthday I had mom get me "Come Taste The Band". Of course, I was too young to be brainwashed by the fact Richie wasn't on it so I fell in love with this album unbiased...But my top 2 Deep Purple studio albums will always be "The Battle Rages On" and "Abandon". They just grip me so hard no matter what mood I'm in. I love the mood of "The Battle Rages On" and I love the direct hard rock of "Abandon". Think I'll go and crank those 2 CD's right now!.....Looking forward to more of your videos.

[@blamhof]

In Rock first album I ever bought at 10 years of age and so started a journey of listening to brilliant music, that album will always have a very special place in my musical heart.

[@ChrisPropfeMusicallyObsessed]

I love Deep Purple. Saw them open up for Judas Priest a couple of years ago. My favorite album is In Rock!

[@iancunningham5576]

Man, I am so glad that like me, as a huge DP fan you appreciate, rightly so, their Steve Morse albums. They have all been really satisfying and downright solid albums. I also really agree with you on the Bob Ezrin productions. Killer!!

[@lonegroover]

Good stuff Pete, must admit I'm not familiar with anything post Perfect Strangers so nice to have this insight.

[@crucify40]

This is helpful Pete. I came late to the party with the Morse era. Really just a couple of years ago. I have Purpendicular, Abandon and Infinite. The first two are awesome. So I still need Now What, Bananas, and Rapture Of The Deep.

[@calebrands4912]

April and Child in Time are my favorite Deep Purple songs and two of my favorite songs of all time.

[@johnjames3286]

My fav Deep Purple album is Come Taste The Band, I can remember walking into the record shop as a kid and buying it. I've always been a massive fan of Coverdale and love Burn and Storm ringer, but Come Taste The Band was the first Coverdale/Purple album I bought as a kid

[@jenton70]

Another great video. My rankings were slightly closer to yours on the Sabbath one but still pretty close here. Top 3 for me - In Rock, Perfect Strangers, Machine Head. Perfect Strangers was my first real Purple experience. I was 14 when it came out and I'm sure that's a big part of why I rank it so highly to this day.

[@markc4305]

I really enjoy these programmes Mr Pardoe presents, very informative especially when he rates the albums of bands I don't know too well.

[@markc4305]

...though I know Deep Purple well!

[@yankeefan1208]

Would love to hear a full discography of all Ian Gillan’s solo bands as well worst to best

[@brucefranklin6295]

My top 5 are so close in rankings,the order could change at any time: 1.Machine Head 2.Burn 3.In Rock 4.Who Do We Think We Are 5.Fireball Other favorites:Come Taste the Band,Perfect Strangers,Stormbringer.Like various tracks off the first 3 albums and a few tracks from House of Blue Light and Purpendicular.

[@petej3800]

One i really enjoyed was the Album with the Royal Phillamonic Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

[@lespauldisciple3349]

I was able to catch Purple at the New Orleans House of Blues in 1998 after loving those guys for decades. They opened with 'Hush' and totally floored me and all others in attendance. Morse was ON FIRE that night.

[@Baz63]

so glad you placed Come Taste The Band high up on your list. Derided upon release but always my favourite Purple album closely followed by Purpendicular.

[@SaulG88]

Can't believe you gave a "meh" to the song "Gypsy's Kiss" off the Perfect Strangers album. It's one of the great DP songs ever in my opinion, & criminally underrated.

[@5tar5z]

Saul G that’s such a great tune. The guitar solo is mind blowing. Blackmore at his best

[@morganknox6642]

My sentiments exactly A meh to Gypsys kiss sorry dude just lost all respect for this guy his reviews from now on will be rated as meh!

[@l30S3UX]

Yeah great track for sure

[@thebetbetunderground9548]

@@morganknox6642 you seriously gonna get that much put off just cos of someone's opinion? opinions fucking differ. this guy makes great content. where's yours?

[@Mokum1961]

'Dead Or Alive' from 'House Of Blue Light' and 'Fire in The Basement' from 'Slaves And Masters' are criminally underrated.

[@gerstrootker6248]

DP for me has everything to do with getting to know heavy music. I started listening to hardrock in the 2nd half of the 70s and I can remember the impact that it had on me. I can still feel the excitement. My list: 1 in rock 2. machine head 3 who do we think we are 4. fireball 5. come taste the band 6. burn 7. purpendicular 8. stormbringer. These albums sound really hardcore purple (including purpendicular, that is a real fresh and exiciting album), the rest (including perfect strangers) to me sounds like "sort of like the classic stuff, but just not as good". But my lord, the first time I heard Speed King .... jesus, those poor neighbours ....

[@seabud6408]

ger strootker Yes ... the intro to Speed King. Wow 😮 In the U.K. it was the b side of the single black night. I wasn’t prepared for it. Basically...“God ....music can sound like this?”. Much as I loved Zeppelin it was Purple that I played to death. For that reason, to me, they are the best band I’ve ever heard, live and in the studio.

[@kurtsherrick2066]

I was 9 and the only Deep Purple song I knew was Hush. I bought In Rock after my paper route and put it on my GE Wildcat Stereo and Speed King came on. I was hooked right then on Deep Purple. And yes my parents weren't happy but they were pretty cool about it.

[@ericmiller5603]

“Perfect Strangers” was the perfect introduction for us Gen Xers who only had heard “Smoke on the Water.”. Saw them the first time on that tour.

[@joelombrdo]

Your favorite band of all time, Deep Purple. Good guy. Already gave you a thumbs up.

[@brianleonard9872]

I love that Pete picked In Rock as his favorite, as it is truly a groundbreaking album. The European version has the awesome distorted guitar solo to start Speed King. Warner Brothers cut that off the American version...I guess they thought we weren't ready for that yet in 1970. Just a great album from start to finish.

[@xavierpaquin]

I love Anyone's Daughter

[@galtsghost4454]

Xavier Paquin Agreed. It’s classic Gillan humor!

[@teodobrzycki1984]

best version is on come hell or high water :)

[@benedictdonald4338]

Xavier Paquin absolute classic, killer track!

[@galtsghost4454]

@@teodobrzycki1984 Agreed, it's outstanding!

[@zingpulse4138]

It's Fantastic. A perfect track that Johnny Cash never covered but should have.

[@mattyboywalker9094]

Pete been waiting for this one like you purple is my all time fav band . I also have that exact same burn t-shirt. In bed now got the headphones on and ready to listen to your opinions

[@Roggiedodgie]

I am a HUGE fan of Purple!!!! Can't wait to see this!

[@stevenbardsley2489]

Of the newer albums after Perfect Strangers I love Battle Rages On.

[@aviationlba747]

My top four could go in pretty much any order and I would be happy, all of which are among some of my favourite albums of all time. Here’s my ranking of the first ten: 1. In Rock 2. Machine Head 3. Fireball 4. Burn 5. Stormbringer 6. The Book Of Taliesyn 7. Shades Of Deep Purple 8. Come Taste The Band 9. Deep Purple / self-titled 10. Who Do We Think We Are (I still really dig this album)

[@marcbeil8342]

Love t! Thanks! My 5: 1. Perfect Strangers 2. In Rock 3. Burn 4. Slaves And Masters 5. The House Of Blue Light

[@Tireshredderjoe]

Great video, thanks!

[@lukethebody]

1 - In Rock 2 - Fireball 3 - Machine Head 4 - Perfect Strangers 5 - Who Do We Think We Are 6 - Now What 7 - Abandon 8 - Perpendicular 9 - The Battle Rages On 10 - Bananas # - Made In Japan is also incredible

[@JRChiossi]

As time goes by, my appreciation of "Purpendicular" has increased steadily. As of now, I can almost put it against Burn, and easily above most of their discography. Masterpiece.

[@stuinafghanistan]

"Don't Hold Your Breath" is one of their best tunes. I think "Purpindicular" is the first album that Steve Morse played on. "Ted the Mechanic" is also a fantastic tune.

[@kg0173]

Agree. And The Battle Rages On is underrated as well. Come Hell Or High Water.

[@EternalChampion435]

Great video as always

[@jasonjuneau3554]

Thank you for your reviews. I appreciate your views, though I am a Mark I fan above all. The Hard Road box set is a great way to appreciate the early group.

[@daveswallow8351]

1, In Rock 2, Burn 3, Come taste the Band 4, Purpendicular 5, Fireball

[@bigbat9420]

these are so fun to watch. you know your music

[@drummusicinc4027]

Awesome list.... One of my favorite bands of all time. Paice is so freaking good. And yes.... rank the DP live albums 🤘🎶👍

[@seabud6408]

Agree. Saw him at Ronnie Scott’s last year. How many rock drummers could sit in for the late Buddy Rich with his big band. He was awesome. He looked at cue sheet s before every song and at one point laughed and said ... “this stuff is complicated”.... to the audience. With great comic timing a guy in the audience sang out the riff to smoke on the water. Ian cracked up laughing 😀

[@patlampo9288]

😃Thanks for this overview✨👍

[@chevken1831]

I love the "Burn" shirt!

[@bumpdunlop]

I first listened to the mk 1 stuff on Purple Passages LP after having listened to In Rock, Fireball, Machine Head. I've since gone back and listened to the first three in their original form. The Purple Passages record skipped over some of the early filler, and that was a real good way to become familiar with the mk 1 band.

[@yuvalhelfman6506]

I enjoyed watching this and your fav studio albums are very similar to mine, or I should probably say mine are very similar to yours :-) It'll be awesome to see your Deep Purple Live Albums Ranked too I'm lacking in that department and would like to extend my CD collection. Thanks!

[@coverdale51]

Great presentation from a real Purple Pro....thumbs up bro!

[@matthewturnage4998]

My favorite band too! 20. Slaves and Masters - Cut Runs Deep is a great tune, but on the whole too much Rainbow in my Purple for my taste. 19. House of Blue Light - tensions in the band pull this one down, but there's a few good ones on here, like Bad Attitude. 18. Come Taste the Band - again a few really good tunes (Dealer is amazing) but I don't think they had a strong sense of themselves at this point. 17. Abandon - solid all the way through, but not a lot of really outstanding stuff. I like the second half better than the first. 16. The Book of Taliesyn - Wring That Neck is a classic, of course, but they didn't know what to do other than follow the template of the first album. Still finding their way. 15. Bananas - I really liked this one when it came out, but I don't get the urge to revisit it as much as some of the other stuff. 14. The Battle Rages On - I agree, Time to Kill is a great track. Solid album, but they've done better. 13. Deep Purple - I really like how they show growth on this one, and I love the soloing in The Painter. Strong album. 12. Infinite - a strong album, especially at this stage in their career. I love Johnny's Band. 11. Stormbringer - A different album by them, but I really like some of the funky stuff like Love Don't Mean a Thing. Would rate higher if they hadn't done so many great albums! 10. Rapture of the Deep - Some really great tunes on this one, like Wrong Man. Love the trading solos in Junkyard Blues. 9. Shades of Deep Purple - Hush is such a killer tune, plus Mandrake Root. Great debut. 8. Perfect Strangers - The title track is amazing, lots of great stuff on this one. 7. Now What?! - A Simple Song is such an amazing album opener. Great all the way through. 6. Who Do We Think We Are - very underrated album. Super Trouper is so killer. 5. In Rock - Incredibly brutal album. Every track is a standout. 4. Burn - Might Just Take Your Life, Sail Away, Mistreated, You Fool No One, the title track; you've got to love this one. 3. Purpendicular - Such an amazing album, perfect in every way. Morse blazes his own path. 2. Fireball - Such a great variety of styles on this one, with only 7 tracks (or 8 if you count both Demon's Eye and Strange Kind of Woman). 1. Machine Head - Maybe a cliche to rank it #1, but these are the tunes that made me a Purple fan.

[@iangillard9820]

1 Burn 2 Machine Head 3 In Rock 4 Come Taste The Band 5 Perfect Strangers 6 Fireball 7 Stormbringer 8 Who Do We Think We Are 9 Infinite 10 Perpendicular

[@thebetbetunderground9548]

*Purpendicular

[@cheezyridr]

man, i LOVE deep purple, and i think the way you ordered your list was super close to how i would have ranked it too. i'm a guitar player in large part because of ritchie. that said, most of what i really love about purple, is because of jon lord. holy crap that guy is such a monster on the keys! i think his strongest albums were machine head and burn, and that's why i would rank them 1 & 2. thanks for doing this, i am really diggin your channel.

[@nicholaspappalettera1644]

Great episode again Pete. In Rock number one for me

[@jamesscarselletta3446]

I feel Come Taste The Band is Deep Purple's best. The bottom of the list would be House Of Blue Light. I have always loved this band because they know how to experiment with songs that work. They have and continue to give the best performances.

[@ogrebattle22763]

I've always thought "In Rock" was their best... even more so than "Machine Head" which is a classic in itself also...

[@drewrose374]

Another great list! Loving your shows! Can’t wait to watch more... Being a huge JLT fan I love Slaves and Masters I feel it’s very underrated because of the Rainbow-isms. My number 1 is Burn. Looking forward to watching Kansas and Uriah sheep... did you do a Rainbow show?

[@seaoftranquilityprog]

Yep!

[@canaan_perry]

Good run through. 'Come Taste the Band' is top of the list for me though I like 'Burn' and 'Stormbringer' as well. Kind of bored with a lot of the Mk II stuff though I still revisit it on a occasion. I'm a massive Blackmore fan, especially with MK III and Rainbow but Tommy Bolin opened up a lot of new musical doorways for me such as Fusion and Jazz genres that I'm still mining today.

[@randolacle]

I think Come Taste the Band, is a very underrated Album. Of course it's right after some legendary albums by Deep Purple (that were groundbreaking for that moment), but through time it is proving to be like a good wine (wink...cover). And it will always be a "what could have been" album.

[@mmk7340]

Perfect Strangers is arguably the best reunion album ever.

[@chadgray5872]

That album was straight doodoo. I don't get the love for that album.

[@grooping]

One of them for sure. I was at their Perfect Strangers your in NYC at Meadowlands and the Garden. The Garden they were inspired

[@grooping]

@David Topchiev respectfully disagree. That reunion gave all DP fans what they really wanted. Blaming Blackmore is a bit extreme.

[@Xxrocknrollgod]

I got into Deep Purple because of Pete and it’s exciting getting into them I really like it so far

[@TheBerndude]

Excellent video, Pete! 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)

[@Carlos-xz3vi]

Deep Purple is band that took me long to really get into because of their continous line-up changes. But once I got it down, I’ve come to realize that the Coverdale-Hughes era is my favorite; from Burn to Taste the band. I think their direction to more soul/funk rock was a good one, and I particularly love Hughes voice. From the Ian Gillan era, Fireball is the only album I really dig. The title track, No No No, and Fools are killer tracks.

[@axelibrotherus3526]

I absolutely love the who do we think we are album and apreciate how high it was placed in this list. I just think that its a little bit underrated and is like top5 of their albums.

[@bobsimpson9068]

I’ll go along with Pete’s list. Well done! 👍🏻

[@Tempusmaxwell]

Great job, think I agree with you on most counts except Perfect Strangers which will always be one of my faves. Best band ever, my fave since I first heard Highway Star.

[@micolsen8895]

I dig 'em all. Tough comparing/ranKing albums, with a 50 year history. lol Here we go... 01. Who Do We Think We Are 02. Machine Head 03. In Rock 04. Fireball 05. Burn 06. House Of Blue Light 07. The Battle Rages On 08. Perfect Strangers 09. Purpendicular 10. Now What?! 11. Infinite 12. Stormbringer 13. Rapture Of The Deep 14. Bananas 15. aBANDon 16. Come Taste The Band 17. Shades of Deep Purple 18. Deep Purple (s/t) 19. The Book Of Taliesyn 20. Slaves & Masters

[@peterfinnigan6313]

Nice to see a Who Do We Think We Are fan,it's a fantastic album,so underrated by many.Possibly their second best for me.

[@axelibrotherus3526]

Dude i totally agree with ur list. Who do we think we are is a such good album.

[@user-bq2xc2fl6l]

I bought Perfect Strangers way back in 1984 when I was 11 years old. It's still my favorite Deep Purple album, and one of my favorite albums of all time to this day. I picked up Fireball and Machine Head as soon as I was able to get them, and while I liked a few songs I wasn't crazy about either. A few years on down the road when Mikael Akerfeldt from Opeth started name dropping them as a favorite and influence in interviews, I decided to go back and give the older albums a listen. To say that my opinion of them had changed is an understatement. "I went apeshit" would be a more accurate description. Slaves and Masters is definitely their low point in my opinion. It's not terrible by any means, but it was a huge step down and who in the hell really wants a Rainbow Record if they think they are buying a Deep Purple record? I know there are people out there who pretty much hate anything after Perfect Strangers, but if it's been a while since you've heard the albums that followed, you should probably give them another spin. Time has been very kind to them. I wouldn't go as far as to say that they are as great as as the 70's albums, but if you listen to most of the albums that a lot of their 70's contemporaries have put out since the mid eighties there is no comparison. Ian can't hit that mandrake scream like he once could, but he's learned different ways to use his voice. Steve Morse ain't Ritchie Blackmore, but Ritchie ain't Steve Morse either. Steve brought an enthusiasm to the band that Ritchie Seemed to lose decades ago. He's added new texture to the band's sound that has allowed the band to evolve but not so much that you ever forget that you are listening to Deep Purple. Thanks for for the list Pete. I actually learned a few things about the band that I didn't know and I'm one of the biggest Deep Purple nut swingers of all time. Peace!!!

[@gabriel74]

I'd like to watch a video of your favourite live Deep Purple records. I enjoy this kind of video in your channel because it makes me want to listen to the band's discography.

[@seaoftranquilityprog]

I've already done that...check the playlist

[@beready992]

I’ve had a lot of trouble getting Deep Purple figures out. So many versions of the band, so many line up changes. And so many albums but the one that has impressed me was the original line up of Blackmore, Paice, Lord, Glover, and Gillan. I just can’t any other line up. Machine Head, In Rock, and anything with that line up is gold to me. Even the 80s revival is amazing.