From Rock Hall in Cleveland, Ohio:

If there were a “Mount Rushmore Of Hard Rock” it would only have three heads: Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple.

Deep Purple combined outstanding musicianship with dozens of FM radio smashes. Three separate incarnations of the band have made spectacular albums culminating with Deep Purple In Rock, which along with Led Zeppelin II and Black Sabbath’s Paranoid created the genre of hard rock music. Deep Purple have sold over 100 million albums and their flagship track “Smoke On The Water” eclipses “Satisfaction,” “Born To Run” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit” as the Number One Greatest Guitar Riff Of All Time. It is the riff that inspired tens of millions of guitarists to pick up the instrument and only Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony gives it a run for the money as far as recognizability and badassed-ness.

The wait is over! Meet the #RockHall2016 Inductees: @cheaptrick, @chicagotheband, @_DeepPurple, @SMBofficial + #NWA! pic.twitter.com/50Lg8xnpKt

— Rock Hall (@rock_hall) December 17, 2015

Genius guitarist Ritchie Blackmore fused countless powerhouse riffs with a deep knowledge and appreciation of classical music. Keyboardist Jon Lord kept pace on the classical and rock fronts and cemented the guitar/keyboard axis that defined the band’s sound, and along with Zeppelin and Sabbath gave birth to an entire genre. Ian Gillian’s vocal range was unparalleled and the boiler room rhythm section of Roger Glover and Ian Paice cemented the classic lineup. Original vocalist Rod Evans and the David Coverdale/Glen Hughes lineups also created masterpieces of their own. Deep Purple are and were a band of supremely talented musicians and songwriters. Their groundbreaking albums and ear drum breaking live shows are the stuff of legend.

See more at: https://rockhall.com/inductees/nominees/2016-deep-purple/#sthash.h2T84QQO.dpuf

Congratulations to all fans and band members! I would like to think that Deep Purple being featured by University of Chicago helped at least a little bit with the Rock Hall of Fame induction... :)

Rock Star Doctors: What Physicians Can Learn from Musicians « Science Life Blog « University of Chicago Medicine

Thank you, Matt Wood @woodtang



Related reading:

Deep Purple's Ian Paice on Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction: 'At Last!'. Rolling Stone, 2015.
Read Lars Ulrich's Passionate Deep Purple Rock Hall Induction, 2016 http://buff.ly/1YzuBkc