Canadian-American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1967. Long-running lineup historically centered on John Kay (vocals/guitar, b. 1944). Distinguished by their hard-rock blueprint and Kay's gravelly vocals.
Released over a dozen studio albums between Steppenwolf (1968) and Rise & Shine (1990). Best-known recordings: "Born to Be Wild" (1968, used in Easy Rider) and "Magic Carpet Ride" (1968). "Born to Be Wild" introduced the phrase "heavy metal thunder" to popular music vocabulary; the term "heavy metal" as a music-genre descriptor traces partly to this lyric.
