15 Greatest Hard Rock Albums You Need To Hear Before You Die

11. Burn - Deep Purple

After becoming the unofficial spokesmen for hard rock in the 70's, Deep Purple were dealt a heavy blow once Ian Gillan and Roger Glover were sent packing from the group. Far from being just sidemen, Gillan and Glover were a songwriting partnership who helped write classics from "Speed King" to "Smoke on the Water." What were the chances of getting that stroke of luck twice?

Once the band regrouped, they found their new life once they recruited bassist/singer Glenn Hughes and vocalist David Coverdale. The new faces added an irresistible vocal team to the band's sound, with Coverdale's seasoned rocker voice offset by Hughes's all-conquering shriek.

With this new lineup firing on all cylinders, the band's new direction was a more ambitious mix of blues, soul, and rock. There was still classic hard rock songs to be found like on the title track, but songs like "Mistreated" were the best of both worlds, with Ritchie Blackmore's guitar being juxtaposed by Coverdale's vocal performance, which sounded like it could have come off of a Donnie Hathaway record. At a time when the band's future was more uncertain than ever, Deep Purple made a record that showed that their sound was much more important than any one member.

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