Jimmy Page, the Led Zeppelin guitarist widely regarded as one of rock's greatest players, has said he believes Deep Purple's Ritchie Blackmore surpasses him, admitting Blackmore is "out of everybody's league" when it comes to live performance. The remark carries weight given Page's own towering reputation, built during London's 1960s session scene and later cemented through The Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin, making his praise of a peer notable within rock guitar folklore.

Page rose from session work on hits by The Who, The Kinks and Marianne Faithfull before joining The Yardbirds in 1966 and forming Led Zeppelin in 1968, with 1971's Led Zeppelin IV cementing his legendary status. Blackmore emerged from the same London scene, even playing alongside Page and Jeff Beck in session work, before founding Deep Purple in 1968 and later crediting Zeppelin's influence on albums such as Deep Purple In Rock. Page's admiration is mutual respect between the two guitarists, with Page specifically praising Blackmore's improvisational command and ability to dominate live arenas.