Deep Purple

English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. The Mark I lineup paired Ritchie Blackmore (guitar) and Jon Lord (organ) with Rod Evans (vocals), Nick Simper (bass), and Ian Paice (drums). Often cited alongside Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin as a foundational hard-rock and proto-heavy-metal act, and once recognized by Guinness as the loudest band in the world (1972).

The Mark II lineup (1969-1973), with Ian Gillan and Roger Glover replacing Evans and Simper, produced the band's commercial peak — In Rock (1970), Fireball (1971), Machine Head (1972), and the live double LP Made in Japan (1972). "Smoke on the Water" remains their most-recognized track. Subsequent Mark III (Coverdale/Hughes) and Mark IV (Tommy Bolin) lineups led to a 1976 breakup; the Mark II reunion in 1984 produced Perfect Strangers. The band has remained active in some form continuously since.