After recording two solo albums, former Deep Purple vocalist David Coverdale formed Whitesnake around 1977. In the glut of hard rock and heavy metal bands of the late '70s, their first albums got somewhat lost in the shuffle, although they were fairly popular in Europe and Japan. During 1982,Coverdale took some time off so he could take care of his sick daughter. When he re-emerged with a new version of Whitesnake in 1984, the band sounded revitalized and energetic. Slide It In may have relied on Led Zeppelin's and Deep Purple's old tricks, but the band had a knack for writing hooks; the record became their first platinum album. Three years later,Whitesnake released an eponymous album (titled 1987 in Europe) that was even better. Portions of the album were blatantly derivative -- "Still of the Night" was a dead ringer for early Zeppelin -- but the group could write powerful, heavy rockers like "Here I Go Again" that were driven as much by melody as riffs, as well as hit power ballads like "Is This Love." Whitesnake was an enormous international success, selling over six million copies in the U.S. alone.

Before they recorded their follow-up, 1989's Slip of the Tongue, Coverdaleagain assembled a completely new version of the band, featuring guitar virtuoso Steve Vai. Although the record went platinum, it was a considerable disappointment after the across-the-board success of Whitesnake.Coverdale put Whitesnake on hiatus after that album. In 1993, he released a collaboration with former Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page that was surprisingly lackluster. The following year, Whitesnake issued a greatest-hits album in the U.S. and Canada focusing solely on material from their final three albums (as well as containing a few unreleased tracks).

In 1997, Coverdale resurrectedWhitesnake (guitarist Adrian Vandenberg was the only remaining member of the group's latter-day lineup), issuing Restless Heart the same year. Surprisingly, the album wasn't even issued in the United States. On the ensuing tour, Coverdale andVandenberg performed an "unplugged" show in Japan that was recorded and issued the following year under the title Starkers in Tokyo. By the late '90s, however, Coverdale once again put Whitesnake on hold, as he concentrated on recording his first solo album in nearly 22 years.Coverdale's Into the Light was issued in September 2000, featuring journeyman guitarist Earl Slick. After a lengthy hiatus that saw the release of countless "greatest-hits" and "live" collections, the band returned in 2008 with the impressive Good to Be Bad.Coverdale and Whitesnake toured the album throughout Europe and Japan. The band returned to the recording studio in 2010 with new members bassist Michael Devin (formerly of Lynch Mob) and drummer Brian Tichy, who appeared alongside guitarists Doug Aldrich and Reb Beach, and guest keyboardist Timothy Drury (as well as Coverdale's son Jasper on backing vocals on various tracks). The band's 11th album, Forevermore, was preceded by the issue of the single, "Love Will Set You Free," and released in the spring of 2011.

Whitesnake released Forevermore, on 25 March 2011 in Europe, and on 29 June in North America.

They have released a number of scheduled 2011 tour dates on their website, with six scheduled UK tour dates and other European dates. In February 2011, Whitesnake was announced as one of the headliners to play the annual Rocklahoma festival in Pryor, Oklahoma, on Memorial Day weekend. A digital single for the song "Love Will Set You Free" was released, along with a video for the song, on 21 February.

The album Forevermore was released as a special edition 'Snakepack' through Classic Rock magazine on 25 March 2011, a full 3 weeks before its commercial release. The fan pack includes the full, official new album Forevermore, a 132-page magazine, poster and pin badge. On 20 March 2011, Whitesnake announced that Brian Ruedy would play keyboards on the Forevermore World Tour.

In July 2012, David Coverdale said that a live album and DVD from the Forevermore tour were in production, as well as expanded editions of 'Into the Light' and 'Restless Heart'.

The album did not chart highly upon its official release in the UK (number 33, possibly due to the copies released as part of the aforementioned Classic Rock Snakepack, which are not eligible for the charts). It did, however, show signs of Whitesnake's slow rebuild of support in the US with the album charting at number 49 – the band's highest charting album since the 80s.

A live album, Live at Donington 1990, was released on 20 May 2011 in Japan, on 3 June in Europe and 7 June in the US.

In November 2012, Whitesnake and Journey (along with special guests Thunder) announced an eight date UK Tour in 2013, where the two bands will appear onstage together for the first time ever.

Drummer Brian Tichy announced on 4 January 2013 that he had left Whitesnake in order to focus on his other band, S.U.N. According to Whitesnake, the band planned to continue its 2013 touring as scheduled and had already begun to look for a new drummer. On 25 January 2013, it was announced that former drummer Tommy Aldridge would be rejoining the band.

On 13 February 2013, Whitesnake announced a new live DVD/album, Made in Japan, which had been recorded at the band's performance at the Loud Park Festival in Saitama, Japan on 15 October 2011, with release scheduled for 23 April on Frontiers Records.

On 14 October 2013 David Coverdale revealed on Twitter that Whitesnake are planning to go back into the studio after they finish playing in Brazil.

Main article: Whitesnake discography

·         Trouble (1978)

·         Lovehunter (1979)

·         Ready an' Willing (1980)

·         Come an' Get It (1981)

·         Saints & Sinners (1982)

·         Slide It In (1984)

·         Whitesnake (1987)

·         Slip of the Tongue (1989)

·         Restless Heart (1997)

·         Good to Be Bad (2008)

·         Forevermore (2011)