On This Day in 1972, Deep Purple Went to No. 1 with an Album that Helped Create Heavy Metal

On this day (April 22) in 1972, Deep Purple scored a No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart with their sixth studio album Machine Head. The album contained “Smoke on the Water” and “Highway Star,” which would go on to be iconic singles. More importantly, the album would become highly influential in the formation of heavy metal.

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Deep Purple found their heavier sound with their 1970 album Deep Purple in Rock. It was the first to feature Ian Gillian on vocals and Roger Glover on bass. Then, they released Machine Head in March 1972, and it showcased a refined version of that heavy sound. It quickly became their most successful album, reaching No. 1 in the UK, Australia, Germany, Finland, and the Netherlands.

[RELATED: Watch Deep Purple Play “Smoke on the Water” at the Site of the Fire That Inspired the Song]

Countless musicians and bands heard what Deep Purple did on their albums in the early 1970s and fell in line behind them. Decades later, young guitarists are still cutting their teeth on the main riff from “Smoke on the Water.” At the same time, countless bands have covered “Highway Star” since its release. As a result, Machine Head will likely continue to influence the sound of rock and heavy metal for decades to come.

Deep Purple’s Ian Paice and Roger Glover on Machine Head

In 2024, Deep Purple released a retrospective box set celebrating the success of Machine Head. Ahead of its release, Ian Paice (drums) and Roger Glover (bass) spoke to Ultimate Classic Rock about the album. During the conversation, they looked back at what made the album successful.

“I spent many years of my life before Purple, being in a band that wanted a number one hit. That’s all we wanted was success, a number one–the golden goal. We didn’t get it,” Glover recalled. “I joined Purple, and I met people who weren’t interested in success, they were just interested in making good music. That’s when success came. So there was a big lesson for me,” he added.

“We broke down all the rules,” Paice said of Deep Purple. “We took all of the barricades down and said, ‘Well, we can do it. We don’t have to explain why. If we feel like it’s a good idea, we’ll do it,” he added. “You play something and it sounds good, well, don’t try to analyze why it sounds good or why it should or shouldn’t be that, it just sounds good.”

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