10 Most Underrated Guitarists In Hard Rock

Any self-respecting rock fan really comes to Deep Purple to see Ritchie Blackmore. His work with the band in the '70s became some of the greatest riffs of the modern age, with songs like "Smoke On the Water" becoming the first thing any prospective guitarist wants to learn. Most fans thought the band was dead in the water after Blackmore's departure, but Tommy Bolin did end up giving it a fair shot.

Across the album Come Taste the Band, Tommy's leads were a breath of fresh air compared to the monolithic sound of Blackmore. While it was clearly a different beast than what came before, Bolin's fusion of rock and funk made for a welcome change of pace when the band entered the studio. Even when paired up with the blues and R&B vocals of David Coverdale, Bolin could hold his own and even paid tribute to Blackmore every time he got the chance.

Though the band could have built off of Bolin's sound, infighting had boiled over too much, leading to the band folding into other projects like Whitesnake. Bolin tried to strike out on his own, but his drug addictions ended up getting the better of him, leading to his eventual death of an overdose at 25. Tommy's life on this Earth may have been short, but his shining moments with Purple are just a few glimpses of a great talent gone way too soon.