British rock band formed in February 1968 in Hertford, England, and considered one of the most notable and influential hard rock bands of the 1970s. Music critics consider Deep Purple to be among the founders of hard rock and praise their contributions to its development. In 2020, the British magazine Classic Rock included the band in the list of “50 greatest rock bands of all time”. The musicians of Deep Purple's “classic” lineup are considered by critics to be virtuoso instrumentalists