Rainbow

Rainbow emerged in 1975 from the ashes of Deep Purple, formed by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore with a rotating cast that initially included Ronnie James Dio on vocals. The band became a vehicle for Blackmore's increasingly baroque vision of hard rock, fusing metal's aggression with classical structures and fantasy-laden lyrics. Their early albums, particularly Rising (1976) and Long Live Rock 'n' Roll (1978), showcased Dio's operatic range against Blackmore's neoclassical riffing, tracks like "Stargazer" employing orchestral bombast courtesy of arranger Tony Carey.

When Dio departed for Black Sabbath, former Deep Purple vocalist Graham Bonnet briefly fronted the band for Down to Earth (1979), yielding the radio hit "Since You Been Gone". Joe Lynn Turner's subsequent tenure saw Rainbow embrace a more commercial AOR sound, exemplified by 1981's "I Surrender". Blackmore dissolved the project in 1984 to rejoin Deep Purple, though brief reunions followed. Rainbow's influence permeates power metal and symphonic rock, establishing templates for theatrical heavy music that valued technical prowess over raw primitivism.