Artist · chart history · #722 in indie & aaa artist polls
Steppenwolf
Band Toronto United States Formed 1961
Steppenwolf formed in 1961 in Toronto, United States. Steppenwolf has 181 chart appearances on 104 radio countdowns from 35 stations on RockLists, spanning 1982–2026. The most successful song on radio countdowns is “Born to be Wild”, which appears on 95 lists and was voted number one once. In total the artist has topped 1 countdown. The station that charted Steppenwolf most often is 97 Rock (Buffalo, NY), with 18 appearances.
Steppenwolf grew out of a Canadian band called the Sparrows. Singer and rhythm guitarist John Kay, organist Goldy McJohn and drummer Jerry Edmonton rebuilt themselves under a new name, found guitarist Michael Monarch and bassist Rushton Moreve through notices pinned up in record and instrument shops, and turned the whole operation up to a snarl.
"Born to Be Wild" hit like an engine turning over, all revved-up riffing and Kay's gravel-throated bark, and it's the one the countdowns still can't do without. "Magic Carpet Ride" followed it into the top 10 with a trippier swirl, and "Rock Me" made it 3. The 1968 debut album also carried "The Pusher", a heavy, bluesy slab that showed there was more in the tank than one great riff. From 1968 to 1972 they were a worldwide proposition, with 13 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and more than 25 million records sold over the years, until clashing personalities pulled the core lineup apart.
Kay kept the flag flying as the last founder standing, billing the band as John Kay & Steppenwolf between 1980 and 2018. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominated them in 2016 but the votes didn't come through, and in 2018 it made amends of a sort by choosing "Born to Be Wild" among the first singles it honored.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
Songs by Steppenwolf on radio countdowns
| # | Song | Strength | Lists | Best | #1s | Peak year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Born to be Wild#181 of all time | 95 | #1 | 1 | – | |
| 2 | Magic Carpet Ride#344 of all time | 78 | #14 | – | – | |
| 3 | Monster | 1 | #158 | – | – | |
| 4 | The Pusher | 3 | #486 | – | – | |
| 5 | Rock Me | 2 | #693 | – | – | |
| 6 | Bron to Be Wild | 1 | #270 | – | – |
Albums with charting songs
Where each song was first released, from MusicBrainz.
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