Deep Purple: their albums ranked from worst to best according to Ultimate Classic Rock

Ultimate Classic Rock magazine has published an in-depth feature on Deep Purple, compiling a ranking of their best albums. “Deep Purple— Michael Gallucci points out in the introduction —have embodied and transcended every rock'n'roll cliché since forming in 1968. From constant lineup changes to onstage brawls, through memorable records and lesser efforts, the band has spanned over five decades of glory and scars. Starting out as a London group with psychedelic leanings before becoming hard rock masters, Deep Purple have alternated excess with quieter moments… The famous Mark II lineup — featuring guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, singer Ian Gillan, bassist Roger Glover, keyboardist Jon Lord and drummer Ian Paice — debuted in 1969 with the live album “Concerto for Group And Orchestra”, recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra,” the magazine recalls. “They went on to release four landmark studio albums — “Deep Purple in Rock” (1970), “Fireball” (1971), “Machine Head” (1972) and “Who Do We Think We Are” (1973) — before Gillan and Glover departed. Deep Purple bounced back quickly thanks to the arrival of new singer David Coverdale and bassist-singer Glenn Hughes. That pairing, too, was short-lived, and the band split up for eight years, until the Mark II lineup reunited for 1984's “Perfect Strangers”, an album that went on to sell millions of copies. “The following decades,” Ultimate Classic Rock continues, “were marked by further departures, reunions and new arrivals. At the same time, the band kept releasing new music, always staying true to their core sound.”

Here, then, is the ranking of Deep Purple's best albums according to Ultimate Classic Rock (full feature here).

23. “The Battle Rages On…” (1993)
22. “Who Do We Think We Are” (1973)
21. “Stormbringer” (1974)
20. “Abandon” (1998)
19. “Perfect Strangers” (1984)
18. “Now What?!” (2013)
17. “Slaves and Masters” (1990)
16. “The House of Blue Light” (1987)
15. “Purpendicular” (1996)
14. “Rapture of the Deep” (2005)
13. “Infinite” (2017)
12. “Turning to Crime” (2021)
11. “Come Taste the Band” (1975)
10. “The Book of Taliesyn” (1968)
9. “Whoosh!” (2020)
8. “=1” (2024)
7. “Bananas” (2003)
6. “Shades of Deep Purple” (1968)
5. “Deep Purple” (1969)
4. “Fireball” (1971)
3. “Burn” (1974)
2. “Deep Purple in Rock” (1970)
1. “Machine Head” (1972)

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