"Perfect Strangers" is the eleventh studio album by English rock band Deep Purple, released on October 29, 1984. This album marked the most successful effort from the re-formed 'Mark II' line-up, which had not recorded together since Who Do We Think We Are in 1973. It was the first studio album in nine years, following Come Taste the Band in 1975, setting a record for the longest gap between two Deep Purple albums.
The lineup featured Ritchie Blackmore and Roger Glover from Rainbow, Ian Gillan from Black Sabbath, Jon Lord from Whitesnake, and Ian Paice from Gary Moore's band. The album included "Nobody’s Home," credited to all five members, but Blackmore maintained control over the songwriting credits, leading to ongoing disputes that were not resolved until his departure in 1993.
The CD and cassette versions included the bonus track "Not Responsible," notable for containing profanity. In 1999, the album was remastered and reissued with the instrumental track "Son of Alerik," which had been a B-side for the single "Perfect Strangers" in 1984.
Perfect Strangers achieved commercial success, reaching number 5 in the UK charts and number 17 on the Billboard 200 in the US. It became only the third Deep Purple album to be certified platinum in the US, following Machine Head and Burn. The accompanying tour was highly successful, leading to additional dates being added due to high demand, and their 1985 US tour out-grossed all artists except Bruce Springsteen.
