Born to Be Wild

"Born to Be Wild" is a song written by Mars Bonfire and first released as a single by Steppenwolf. Although the lyrics do not specifically mention motorcycles, the song is often invoked in both popular and counterculture to denote a biker appearance or attitude since being featured in the 1969 film Easy Rider. Sometimes, "Born to Be Wild" is described as the first heavy metal song, and the second-verse lyric "heavy metal thunder" marks the first use of this term in rock music.

Music and lyrics

Mars Bonfire wrote "Born to Be Wild" as a ballad. Bonfire was previously a member of the Sparrows, the predecessor band to Steppenwolf, and his brother was Steppenwolf's drummer. Although he initially offered the song to other bands — The Human Expression, for one — "Born to Be Wild" was first recorded by Steppenwolf in a sped-up and rearranged version that AllMusic's Hal Horowitz described as "a roaring anthem of turbo-charged riff rock" and "a timeless radio classic as well as a slice of '60s revolt that at once defines Steppenwolf's sound and provided them with their shot at AM immortality".
According to Classic Rock Magazine, the track was the first in history to incorporate the word "heavy metal" into its lyrics.

Release and commercial performance

"Born to Be Wild" was Steppenwolf's third single off their self-titled debut album, and became their signature song, reaching number two on the Billboard Hot100 singles charts. It was kept from the number-one spot by "People [Got to Be Free]" by the Rascals.

Reception and legacy

In 2004, Rolling Stone placed "Born to Be Wild" at number129 on its Rolling Stone's [500 Greatest Songs of All Time|500 Greatest Songs of All Time list]. Also in 2004, it finished at number29 on AFI's [100 Years...100 Songs] survey of top tunes in American cinema. In 2009, it was named the 53rd-best hard rock song of all time by VH1. In 2018, the song was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in a new category for singles.
In 2021, staff writers at Classic Rock Magazine expressed the belief that "Born to Be Wild" is "probably the first real metal track."

Personnel

Personnel taken from Mixonline.

John Kay – vocals
Michael Monarch – guitar
Goldy McJohn – Lowrey organ
Rushton Moreve – bass
Jerry Edmonton – drums
Charts

Weekly charts

Chart	Peak position
New Zealand	13
US Billboard Hot 100	2

Chart	Peak position
Europe	79

Chart

Peak
position

Year-end charts

Chart	Position
Netherlands	47
Netherlands	57

Certifications

Cover versions

In 1985, the song was covered by Australian band Rose Tattoo. Their version peaked at number 25 in Australia. In 2002, it was covered by Kim Wilde and released as a nonalbum single. Her cover reached number 84 in Germany and number 71 in Switzerland. Belgian singer Tanja Dexters also covered the song in 2002. Her version peaked at number 21 in Belgium.
Other artists who covered this song include Hinder, Etta James, Link Wray, Slade, The Cult, INXS, Ozzy Osbourne with Miss Piggy, Bruce Springsteen, Slayer, Blue Öyster Cult, Status Quo, Fanfare Ciocărlia, Krokus, Wilson Pickett, and La Renga.