Deep Purple - "Highway Star" episode artwork

EPISODE · Feb 23, 2026 · 49 MIN

Deep Purple - "Highway Star"

from 100 Songs that Define Heavy Metal · host Brian Slagel

Deep Purple - "Highway Star" Released March 30, 1972 on the album "Machine Head" Metal Blade Records CEO Brian Slagel is joined by the former host of MTV's Headbanger's Ball Riki Rachtman to discuss the first really heavy song either of them ever heard as kids: Deep Purple's "Highway Star". They discuss the importance of that song, the greatness of the album and the band, plus some other musical firsts, including first album and first rock poster on their walls. Brian also discusses the production on this song with producer Jay Ruston As always, we get facts, figures and education from author Martin Popoff. Follow Riki Rachtman @RikiRachtman on Tik Tok, Instagram, X and Facebook Jay Ruston is on Tik Tok, Instagram, X and Facebook @JayRuston Martin Popoff is on X @Popoff Martin Follow 100 Songs That Define Heavy Metal on X, Instagram and TikTok @100Metal Songs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Feb 23, 2026

Embed this episode

Ready to play

Deep Purple - "Highway Star"

0:00 49:45

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of 100 Songs that Define Heavy Metal?

This episode is 49 minutes long.

When was this 100 Songs that Define Heavy Metal episode published?

This episode was published on February 23, 2026.

Can I download this 100 Songs that Define Heavy Metal episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!