Rainbow: The Hard Rock and Heavy Metal Supergroup

Rainbow was a British-American hard rock and heavy metal band formed by former Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. The group is celebrated for its influential blend of classical music themes with powerful rock, producing several iconic albums and anthems throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Early career

Ritchie Blackmore founded Rainbow in 1975 after departing Deep Purple, initially recruiting most of the members of the American band Elf, including vocalist Ronnie James Dio. Their debut album, Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, was released that same year, establishing a dramatic, fantasy-laden sound that set them apart from their contemporaries.

Breakthrough

The band's commercial breakthrough came with the 1976 album Rising, often cited as a landmark in heavy metal. Featuring the epic tracks Stargazer and A Light in the Black, the album showcased the potent creative partnership between Blackmore's neoclassical guitar work and Dio's soaring, thematic vocals.

Key tracks

Stargazer - This ambitious, multi-part song from the Rising album is considered a masterpiece of progressive heavy metal.

Long Live Rock 'n' Roll - The title track from their 1978 album became a definitive hard rock anthem and a concert staple.

Since You Been Gone - This 1979 pop-rock hit, featuring new vocalist Graham Bonnet, marked a shift towards a more mainstream sound and charted in the UK Top 10.

I Surrender - Another major hit from 1981, this song with vocalist Joe Lynn Turner gave Rainbow their highest UK chart position, reaching number 3.

Stone Cold - A powerful blues-rock ballad from 1982's Straight Between the Eyes that demonstrated the band's versatility and melodic strength.

Following Dio's departure in 1979, Rainbow underwent significant lineup changes, with Graham Bonnet and later Joe Lynn Turner taking over vocal duties. This era saw the band pursue a more radio-friendly AOR direction, resulting in successful albums like Down to Earth (1979) and Difficult to Cure (1981). Blackmore eventually dissolved the band in 1984 to reform Deep Purple, though Rainbow was briefly revived in the mid-1990s for one final album.

Fans of Rainbow's early, Dio-fronted era may also enjoy the epic storytelling and powerful riffs of Dio. The guitar-driven hard rock of Deep Purple is an obvious touchstone, given Blackmore's history. For the melodic, Turner-era sound, listeners might appreciate the work of Whitesnake. The band's foundational influence can also be heard in the music of later acts like Yngwie Malmsteen, who further explored neoclassical metal.