The band formed in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre. They were once listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as "the loudest pop group", and have sold over 100 million albums worldwide. Deep Purple were ranked #22 on VH1's Greatest Artists of Hard Rock programme.
The set kicks off with the 1969 live album Concerto For Group and Orchestra and also includes In Rock (1970), Fireball (1971), Machine Head (1972), Made In Japan (1972), Who Do We Think We Are (1973), Burn (1974), Stormbringer (1974), Come Taste The Band (1975) and Made In Europe (1976)