During their first eight years, Deep Purple released ten studio albums. The first three sold 1.5 million units each. The next twelve albums accumulated sales of more than ten million units. In total, Deep Purple has sold more than a hundred million albums worldwide.
Deep Purple was one of the pioneers of Hard Rock in the early 1970s. The group helped pave the way for other rock bands such as Metallica, Van Halen, Queen, Def Leppard, and more.
After a rocky beginning, Deep Purple was able to break into the top ten of the U.S. album chart with “Smoke on the Water.” The song was a hit in many countries, including the U.S. and Canada.
The album’s title track, “Knocking at Your Backdoor,” was featured in two singles. Deep Purple also released a stage musical, Jesus Christ Superstar, which reached Number One in the U.S. The recording won the best song award at the World Music Awards.
Deep Purple’s fifth studio album, Fireball, was released with Strange Kind of Woman and Demon’s Eye. It is a solid follow-up to “Deep Purple in Rock” and has stood the test of time as one of the band’s best.
During Deep Purple’s first eight years, the band changed lineups several times. They were known as Mark I, IIa, III, and IV.
The best-selling Deep Purple album of all time is Machine Head. The album sold over four million copies and reached the Top Ten of the U.S. album chart. The album also sold over 12 million live sets. The band was listed as the “globe’s loudest” band in 1975. The album also included “Smoke on the Water” as a single.