Best Cover Versions of Deep Purple's Smoke on the Water

Metal_Treasure Deep Purple's iconic song Smoke on the Water came out in 1972. It has been covered many times.
I hesitated whether to include the live covers but eventually decided to do so because for example the live cover of Dream Theater is better than some studio covers by other bands. Smoke on the Water is a great song to play live after all.

The Top Ten

1 Smoke on the Water - Deep Purple, Queen, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Pink Floyd, Yes, Rush

The best thing I can say is: find it on youtube and enjoy. You don't see very often rock and metal legends of this caliber playing together. This version was a 1989 charity re-record to raise funds after the Armenian earthquake.
Guitars - David Gilmour, Tony Iommi, Brian May, Ritchie Blackmore, Alex Lifeson
Vox - Ian Gillan, Bruce Dickinson, Paul Rogers, Bryan Adams
Keyboards - Keith Emerson, Geoff Downes
Bass - Chris Squire
Drums - Roger Taylor - Metal_Treasure

2 Smoke on the Water - Metalium

Metalium are a metal band and this cover is, of course, metal-ized. I like their new drum arrangement (modern metal drumming). Clean vocals are remarkable.
Overall, they did a great job - they made some changes but without butchering the original. - Metal_Treasure

3 Smoke On the Water - Throne of Chaos

This has to be one of the fastest renditions of that song, if not the fastest. It's with thrashy / power metal-ish drum beats and some harsh vox. Sounds quite funny but not bad.
Throne of Chaos (aka TOC) are a metal band from Finland - they play Melodic Death Metal, Power/Progressive Metal.
Smoke On the Water cover was on their 2003 album. - Metal_Treasure

4 Smoke On The Water (Live) - Deep Purple, Dio, London Symphony Orchestra

I included this version mainly for Dio's participation. It's rare to see and hear vocal legends like Dio and Ian Gillan singing together, moreover with the London Symphony Orchestra. They nailed it.
It was recorded live in 1999 - Metal_Treasure

5 Smoke On the Water (Live 2006) - Dream Theater

In 2006 Dream Theater played live the entire Deep Purple live album "Made In Japan". Dream Theater played it in Japan, of course. And recorded it. - Metal_Treasure

6 Smoke On the Water (Live) - Mr. Big

A very good live cover (Back to Budokan version).
Mr. Big is a band with Billy Sheehan and Paul Gilbert. - Metal_Treasure

7 Smoke on the Water - Sepultura

Some people don't like it but I kinda enjoy it - I don't mind harsh vox and more brutality to the sound - Metal_Treasure

8 Smoke On The Water - Dr. Stones

This is a standard cover - no changes and experiments but it's very good - Metal_Treasure

9 Smoke On the Water - Carlos Santana, Jacoby Shaddix & Dennis Chambers

Despite Carlos Santana's participation, I have mixed opinions about this version but I can't say it's bad. - Metal_Treasure

10 Smoke on the Water - Six Feet Under

An extreme and perhaps controversial cover - Metal_Treasure

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268 days old

Top Remixes

1. Smoke on the Water - Deep Purple, Queen, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Pink Floyd, Yes, Rush
2. Smoke on the Water - Metalium
3. Smoke On the Water - Throne of Chaos
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