Which heavy metal band is known for the song 'Smoke on the Water'?

Deep Purple is the heavy metal band known for the song “Smoke on the Water.” The English rock group released the track on its 1972 album Machine Head, and it became one of the most recognizable songs in hard rock and heavy metal.

The lyrics tell the story of a real fire at the Montreux Casino in Switzerland in December 1971. During a Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention concert, an audience member fired a flare gun into the building’s rattan-covered ceiling. The resulting blaze sent smoke across Lake Geneva while Deep Purple watched from a nearby hotel.

The band later recorded much of Machine Head at the Grand Hôtel de Territet after the casino was destroyed. The song’s famous riff was written by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, while the lyrics were primarily developed by vocalist Ian Gillan. Although Deep Purple is often placed among heavy metal pioneers, the band has also described its style as hard rock. That genre overlap is why the song appears in both conversations.