Rainbow was Ritchie Blackmore's vehicle for the neoclassical metal he'd been pushing toward in Deep Purple's later years. With Ronnie James Dio on vocals, the band's first three albums fused medieval imagery, classical guitar technique, and heavy rock into something that essentially invented power metal. Dio's voice soared over Blackmore's baroque riffs with a grandeur that made everything sound like an ancient battle.\n\nDio's departure led to a more commercial direction with singers Joe Lynn Turner and Graham Bonnet, producing radio hits like "Since You Been Gone" and "Stone Cold." Purists preferred the Dio era's epic ambition, but both phases produced strong music. Blackmore's perfectionism and difficult personality ensured that the lineup never stayed stable for long.
Key Albums
"Stargazer" is the centerpiece. Eight minutes of neoclassical metal with a full orchestra. One of the genre's foundational moments.
More direct and varied. The title track is an anthem; "Kill the King" is pure speed.
Graham Bonnet on vocals. "Since You Been Gone" was their biggest commercial hit.
Why They Matter
Rainbow bridged the gap between Deep Purple's hard rock and the power metal that would follow, and the Dio era albums are foundational texts for every European metal band that incorporated classical elements into heavy music.