Born to Be Wild

"Born to Be Wild"
side-A label
One of side-A labels of the US single
Single by Steppenwolf
from the album Steppenwolf
B-side"Everybody's Next One"
Released1968
Genre
Length3:28 (Album version)
2:55 (7-inch version)
LabelDunhill, RCA
SongwriterMars Bonfire
ProducerGabriel Mekler
Steppenwolf singles chronology
"A Girl I Knew"
(1967)		 "Born to Be Wild"
(1968)		 "The Pusher"
(1968)
Official audio
"Born To Be Wild" on YouTube

"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 (although not as a description of a musical style, but rather a motorcycle).

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 Hot 100 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 number 129 on its 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list. Also in 2004, it finished at number 29 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 (It had ranked 40th in the 100 Greatest Songs of Rock and Roll by VH1 nine years earlier.). 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.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Chart (1968) Position
Canada (RPM Top Singles) 14
US Billboard Hot 100 31
Chart (1990) Position
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) 47
Netherlands (Single Top 100) 57

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) Gold 45,000‡
Germany (BVMI) Gold 300,000‡
Italy (FIMI) Gold 25,000‡
Spain (Promusicae) Platinum 60,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) Platinum 600,000‡
United States (RIAA) Gold 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Cover versions

"Born to Be Wild"
Single by Kim Wilde
B-side"All About Me"
Released2002
Length3:23 (Radio Mix)
LabelEdel
SongwriterMars Bonfire
ProducerRicki Wilde
Kim Wilde singles chronology
"Loved"
(2001)		 "Born to Be Wild"
(2002)		 "Anyplace, Anywhere, Anytime"
(2003)
Music video
"Born to Be Wild" on YouTube

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.

Charts

Rose Tattoo version

Chart (1985) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) 25

Kim Wilde version

Chart (2002) Peak
position
Germany (GfK)84
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)71

Tanja Dexters version

Chart (2002) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)21

See also

References

  1. ↑ Inglis, Ian (2003). Popular Music and Film. Wallflower Press. p. 13. ISBN 978-1-903364-71-0. Steppenwolf's 'Born To Be Wild', a gritty, hard-rock song that quickly became an anthem for defiant individualism.
  2. ↑ "Heavy Metal". Billboard. Vol. 99, no. 18. May 10, 1986. p. H-1. ISSN 0006-2510.
  3. ↑ Dimery, Robert, ed. (2011). "The Pusher – Steppenwolf (1968)". 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die. Octopus Publishing Group. ISBN 978-1-84403-717-9.
  4. ↑ Hoskyns, Barney (1996). Waiting for the Sun: The Story of the Los Angeles Music Scene. Viking. p. 172. The brilliant soundtrack, including the Byrds' 'Wasn't Born to Follow', Steppenwolf's proto-metal 'Born to be Wild', and Jimi Hendrix's 'If Six Was Nine', helped to set the film in a kind of outlaw-rock'n'roll context.
  5. ↑ Dave Simpson (July 31, 2018). "How we made Steppenwolf's Born to Be Wild: Interview". The Guardian. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  6. ↑ Walser, Robert (1993). Running with the Devil: Power, Gender, and Madness in Heavy Metal Music. Wesleyan University Press. ISBN 978-0-8195-6260-9.
  7. 1 2 Horowitz, Hal. "Born to Be Wild – Song Review". AllMusic.
  8. ↑ The Human Expression: Love at Psychedelic Velocity (Media notes). Collectables Records. 1994.
  9. ↑ Dome, Malcolm; Ling, Dave; Ewing, Jerry; Barton, Geoff (March 30, 2020). "The 30 albums that built heavy metal". Louder. Retrieved June 14, 2025.
  10. ↑ "The Hot 100". Billboard. August 24, 1968. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  11. ↑ "The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (1–500)". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 20, 2006.
  12. ↑ Winistorfer, Andrew (January 5, 2009). "VH1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs list only slightly less annoying than their hip-hop list". Prefix Magazine. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
  13. ↑ Graff, Gary (April 14, 2018). "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inducts Songs for the First Time, Including 'Born to Be Wild' & 'Louie Louie'". Billboard. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
  14. ↑ Dome, Malcolm; Ling, Dave; Ewing, Jerry; Barton, Geoff (March 30, 2020). "The 30 albums that built heavy metal". Louder. Retrieved June 14, 2025.
  15. ↑ "Classic Tracks: Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild"". Mixonline. 2024.
  16. ↑ "Steppenwolf – Born To Be Wild" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
  17. 1 2 "Steppenwolf – Born To Be Wild" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
  18. ↑ "Top Singles. Volume 10, Issue 1 (1968-09-02)". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
  19. ↑ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
  20. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 41, 1968" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
  21. ↑ "Search listener". Flavour of New Zealand. Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
  22. ↑ "Official Singles Chart on 5/7/1969 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
  23. ↑ "Steppenwolf – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
  24. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 32, 1973" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
  25. 1 2 "Steppenwolf – Born To Be Wild" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
  26. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7, no. 48. December 1, 1990. p. IV.
  27. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 47, 1990" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
  28. ↑ "Official Singles Chart on 27/2/1999 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
  29. ↑ "The RPM 100: Top Singles of 1968". RPM. Vol. 10, no. 19.
  30. ↑ "Top 100 Hits for 1968". Longbored Surfer. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  31. ↑ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1990" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  32. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1990" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  33. ↑ "Danish single certifications – Steppenwolf – Born to Be Wild". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  34. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Steppenwolf; 'Born to Be Wild')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  35. ↑ "Italian single certifications – Steppenwolf – Born to Be Wild" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  36. ↑ "Spanish single certifications – Steppenwolf – Born to Be Wild". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  37. ↑ "British single certifications – Steppenwolf – Born to Be Wild". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 21, 2024. Select singles in the Formats field. Type Born to Be Wild Steppenwolf in the "Search:" field.
  38. ↑ "American single certifications – Steppenwolf – Born to Be Wild". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  39. 1 2 "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
  40. 1 2 "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name.
  41. 1 2 "Kim Wilde – Born To Be Wild". Swiss Singles Chart.
  42. 1 2 "Tania Dexter – Born To Be Wild" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  43. ↑ Johnston, Maura (December 11, 2009). "The 50 Worst Songs of the '00s, F2K No. 15: Hinder, "Born To Be Wild"". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on July 27, 2014.
  44. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Leszczak, Bob (2014). Who Did It First?: Great Rock and Roll Cover Songs and Their Original Artists. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 25. ISBN 978-1-4422-3321-8.
  45. ↑ Cook, Stephen. "Slade – Slade Alive!". AllMusic. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
  46. ↑ Raggett, Ned. "The Cult – Electric". AllMusic. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
  47. ↑ Monger, James Christopher. "Ozzy Osbourne – Prince of Darkness". AllMusic. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
  48. ↑ Unterberger, Richie. "Various Artists – NASCAR on Fox: Crank It Up". AllMusic. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
  49. ↑ Phares, Heather. "Original Soundtrack – Borat [Original Soundtrack]". AllMusic. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
  50. ↑ Eremenko, Alexey. "Krokus – Hoodoo". AllMusic. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
  51. ↑ "El día en que La Renga hizo estallar el Víctor Jara por primera vez". Irock.cl (in Spanish). July 9, 2013. Retrieved January 30, 2014.