Id vote for Led Zeppelin because their music is better but on the other hand Deep Purple has better musicians than LZ like Ian Gillain is way better than Robert Plant when it comes to singing and Ritchie Blackmore is way better than Jimmy Page on guitar. But I find Deep Purple's music really really boring except for Highway star and Smoke on the water, I also saw them live back in 2004 and everyone in the audience was constantly asking them to play smoke on the water.

I choose Deep Purple because Deep Purple to me are one of the greatest bands of all time, they featured three excellent guitarist (Richie Blackmore, Tommy Bolin, Steve Morse, and if you want to count Joe Satrini who played with Deep Purple for the rest of 1993-94 tour), four expectional vocalist ( Ian Gillan, David Coverdale, Glen Hughes, and Joe Lynn Turner), one of rock's greatest ivory players (Jon Lord) and one hell of drummer in Ian Paice.

Love 'em both, and both of them, along with Black Sabbath created the template for what would the music that would become known as heavy metal, but I am a huge Deep Purple fan, moreso then I am a Led Zeppelin fan.

Deep Purple music boring? That statement is 100% bullsh!t but you have a right to your opinion even if you are wrong.

Led Zeppelin for the opposite side of Manny's coin in my own view and perspective: Only 1 vocalist who had more charisma than all DP vocalists combined. Only 1 guitar player who took heavy higher than all DP guitarists combined. Only 1 genius of a bass player who had more musical ability than all DP bassists combined. And only 1 drummer who revolutionized the instrument like no drummer before had and laid that heavy beat down to show why the cannons he was exploding is the key to real heaviness.

Also, the fact that the first three DP albums were pop oriented rock and the fact that they followed Zeppelin to be heavier makes LZ head above shoulders than DP.

i like Zeppelin better

Very simple: Led Zeppelin

Why? Zeppelin had Bonham.
Why part II? Zeppelin never released one weak album, and Deep Purple released some terrible stuff.

I voted LZ because I find their music to be more diverse and therefore more interesting.

Led Zeppelin.

Been a fan since high school and they broke up pretty much at their peak of both popularity and creativity. We never got to see them in their "suck" phase.

If I put aside the fact that LZ is in another stratosphere as far as being way overplayed, I'll still give the nod to Zeppelin for having a wider catalog of music that is more memorable. Their songs are more complete and seem to have more direction, alot of DP's songs seem to eventually turn into jam sessions (live they both turn 8 munite tracks into 23 minute tracks) but Zeppelin seemed to have a greater vision as far as studio albums go.

I love Deep Purple, they had a small chunk of time where they were simply phenominal and even 20-30 years later they still brought the goods on album and in concert. Zeppelin can't say that (from no fault of their own that Bonham died).

Led Zeppelin's first 4 albums > Deep Puple's first 4 albums

Deep Purple's next 4 albums > Zepppelin's next 4 albums ( album's five to eight)

Live: slight edge to LZ

Overall: Led Zeppelin better than Deep Purple, but not by a whole lot.

I went with Deep Purple but I'll admit for the most part LZ has flown under my radar. I've liked everything I've ever heard but just haven't ever checked out enough of their stuff. Someday I should really do that.

Zeppelin, no question. I was raised on them, they're responsible for most my tastes. To this day, I can never get over how great Plant's voice was in their heyday.

I voted for Deep Purple.

Purple by a mile, Zep ended when Bonham died rather than go on. Sure DP had some crappy music but at least they went forward with new music. I love Zep but you can only stand so much of the same s hit.

Wargod51

Led Zeppelin, my favourite band.

Jimmy Page is my god.

Deep Purple to me. There are legends of rock, and one of the best rock bands in history, I wouldn't say the best, since there is thin lizzy

Deep purple

Deep Purple

Yet more bands that really shouldn't be compared with each other. Both inarguable classic bands, each with VERY different sounds.

Love 'em both. Voted for Deep Purple. "Machine Head" is one of the greatest heavy metal albums to come out of the 70's IMO.

Went with Deep Purple - NEVER been a Led Zep fan!!!!! Sure, they helped the hard music scene in the 70's, but never really liked them. They did help move hard and heavy music forward, which is a good thing!

Personally, I feel they are one of the most over-rated bands in history. Give me Sabbath, 70's Purple, 70's Scorps, 70's Priest, 70's KISS or 70's UFO over Zep any day of the week!!!!!! Bonham could play the hell out of the drums, John Paul Jones - good, solid bass player. Jimmy Page - overrated, Robert Plant - Overrated. Better guitarist? Richie Blackmore - easy one. Same with vocalist - Ian over Plant.

Just for fun - in the history of Atlantic Record's best selling albums of all time, I would take AC/DC's Back In Black over Led Zep 4 any day of the week!!! NO MORE STAIRWAY!!!!!!

Remember, that is my opinion and I don't you are an idiot if you disagree with me.

Short version - Deep Purple over Zep.

Zeppelin for me


I grew up diggin on both bands alot

Purple went way too many places in too short of time with quite a varied, yet talented bunch of musicians. Zeppelin went places as well, but IMHO they still kept that identity and Zeppelin mystique.

Page is easily one of the best rhythm guitarists of all-time, especially his acoustic playing. Plus he brought in lots of alternate tunings, eastern scales and other jazz-based elements and mixed that into the rock vocabulary. His solos could be erratic, but when he was on, he was otherworldly.

Blackmore is also an amazing guitarist who was working similar experimental angles (though he leaned more towards classical). Exciting, vibrant player with an incredible tone. But he was also erratic as hell in performance, like Jeff Beck, he has legendary nights and nights where he just coasts on patterns.

Love both guys for different reasons, but I don't think Page is overrated, he painted with one of the broadest palettes in the history of rock guitar.