1973 Hit Ranked Among ‘Greatest Guitar Riffs of All Time' Turns 53
53 years ago today, on May 1, 1973, Deep Purple released their blues rock anthem "Smoke on the Water" as a single in the US. The official debut followed their releases of "Never Before" and "Highway Star," all of which appeared on the same successful album, 1972's Machine Head.
Written by Deep Purple's Mark II lineup, which consisted of Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Richie Blackmore, Jon Lord, and Ian Paice, "Smoke on the Water" features one of the most instantly recognizable guitar riffs, making it a timeless anthem beloved by new generations.
Success of the Song
Despite its distinctive quality, the headbanger, which includes just four notes in G minor and is originally played on a Fender Stratocaster, didn't reach the top of any chart. The tune's highest charting position stood at No. 3 on the Cash Box Top 100, a chart that competed with Billboard's at the time. The song also reached No. 4 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart.
While the song didn't make it to No. 1, the band didn't expect it to take off the way that it had, according to Men's Journal.
Inspired by a Fire
In fact, the inspiration for "Smoke on the Water" came to band member Glover following a fire that broke out inside the venue where the band was supposed to record their Machine Head album, with the use of The Rolling Stone's mobile studio they had rented for three weeks.
The source states that in 1971, while working on the album, the night before they were to record at the Montreux Casino in Switzerland, a person attending Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention's concert at the establishment fired a flare gun at the ceiling, sparking a fire that engulfed the building.
"It was probably the biggest fire I'd ever seen up to that point and probably ever seen in my life," Glover told the publication about watching billows of smoke take over the building adjacent to Lake Geneva. "It was a huge building. I remember there was very little panic getting out because it didn't seem like much of a fire at first. But, when it caught, it went up like a fireworks display."
Since its release, "Smoke on the Water" didn't need to prove itself on a chart, as it has gone on to earn recognition on several lists. The track was voted as the leading song featuring the "Greatest Guitar Riff of All Time" in 2022 by LouderSound.com. Other notable rankings include being listed as one of ‘500 Greatest Songs of All Time' in 2004 by Rolling Stone and earning a placement on the ‘25 Best Classic Rock Songs of All Time' by Collider.
Related: 1982 Classic Named No. 1 Hit Became a Timeless Southern Rock Anthem
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This story was originally published May 1, 2026 at 2:34 PM.