Photo: ABC / Dunhill Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Steppenwolf
Few songs are as tied to the open road as "Born to Be Wild," the 1968 hit that gave the phrase "heavy metal thunder" to rock. Steppenwolf grew out of Toronto — singer John Kay cut his teeth there before the group set up in Los Angeles — and they rode a raw, driving sound through the late sixties, landing "Born to Be Wild" and "The Pusher" on the Easy Rider soundtrack and following up with "Magic Carpet Ride." That run of records made them one of the defining hard rock acts of their era, even as the line-up shifted around Kay in the years that followed.
Start here
Steppenwolf (1968). Their 1968 debut is the natural way in. It opens with "Sookie Sookie," holds "Born to Be Wild," and includes the slow-burning "The Pusher," so you get both their biggest hit and their bluesier side in one listen.
Biography
Steppenwolf (later known as John Kay & Steppenwolf) was an American/Canadian rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1967. The group was founded by singer/rhythm guitarist John Kay, keyboardist Goldy McJohn and drummer Jerry Edmonton, all formerly of the Canadian band the Sparrows. Guitarist Michael Monarch and bassist Rushton Moreve were recruited via notices placed in Los Angeles–area record and musical instrument stores.
Steppenwolf sold over 25 million records worldwide, released seven gold albums and one platinum album, and had 13 Billboard Hot 100 singles, of which seven were Top 40 hits, including three top 10 successes: "Born to Be Wild", "Magic Carpet Ride", and "Rock Me". Steppenwolf enjoyed worldwide success from 1968 to 1972, but clashing personalities led to the end of the core lineup. From 1980 to 2018, John Kay was the only original member involved, having been the lead singer since 1967. The band was called John Kay & Steppenwolf from 1980 to 2018. In Canada, they had four top 10 songs, 12 top 40 and 14 in the top 100.
In 2016, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominated the band for induction in 2017.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA. Read the full article.
Studio albums
Discography
Official studio albums and EPs.
- 1990Rise & ShineAlbum
- 1987Rock & Roll RebelsAlbum
- 1984ParadoxAlbum
- 1982WolftracksAlbum
- 1976SkullduggeryAlbum
- 1975Hour of the WolfAlbum
- 1974Slow FluxAlbum
- 1971For Ladies OnlyAlbum
- 1970Steppenwolf 7Album
- 1969At Your Birthday PartyAlbum
- 1969MonsterAlbum
- 1968The SecondAlbum
- 1968SteppenwolfAlbum
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