This article is about the song. For other uses, see Born to Be Wild (disambiguation).

"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).[5][6]

Composition

Mars Bonfire wrote "Born to Be Wild" as a ballad.[7] 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[8] — "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".[7]

Release and reception

"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.[9] In 2004, Rolling Stone placed "Born to Be Wild" at number 129 on its 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.[10] 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.).[11] In 2018, the song was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in a new category for singles.[12]

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Chart (1968) Position
Canada (RPM Top Singles)[26] 14
US Billboard Hot 100[27] 31
Chart (1990) Position
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[28] 47
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[29] 57

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[30] Gold 45,000‡
Germany (BVMI)[31] Gold 300,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[32] Gold 25,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[33] Platinum 60,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[34] Platinum 600,000‡
United States (RIAA)[35] Gold 1,000,000^

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

Cover versions

In 1985, the song was covered by Australian band Rose Tattoo. Their version peaked at number 25 in Australia.[36] In 2002, it was covered by Kim Wilde and released as a nonalbum single. Her cover reached number 84 in Germany[37] and number 71 in Switzerland.[38] Belgian singer Tanja Dexters also covered the song in 2002. Her version peaked at number 21 in Belgium.[39]

Other artists who covered this song include Hinder,[40] Etta James,[41] Link Wray,[41] Slade,[42] The Cult,[43] INXS,[41] Ozzy Osbourne with Miss Piggy,[44] Bruce Springsteen,[41] Slayer,[45] Blue Öyster Cult,[41] Status Quo,[41] Fanfare Ciocărlia,[46] Krokus,[47] Wilson Pickett,[41] and La Renga.[48]

Charts

Rose Tattoo version

Chart (1985) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[36] 25

Kim Wilde version

Chart (2002) Peak
position
Germany (GfK)[37] 84
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[38] 71

Tanja Dexters version

Chart (2002) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[39] 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. ^ a b Horowitz, Hal. "Born to Be Wild – Song Review". AllMusic.
  8. ^ The Human Expression: Love at Psychedelic Velocity (Media notes). Collectables Records. 1994.
  9. ^ "The Hot 100". Billboard. August 24, 1968. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  10. ^ "The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (1–500)". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 20, 2006.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ "Steppenwolf – Born To Be Wild" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
  14. ^ a b "Steppenwolf – Born To Be Wild" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
  15. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5856." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
  16. ^ "Steppenwolf – Born To Be Wild" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
  17. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 41, 1968" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
  18. ^ "Search listener". Flavour of New Zealand. Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
  19. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
  20. ^ "Steppenwolf – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
  21. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 32, 1973" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
  22. ^ a b "Steppenwolf – Born To Be Wild" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
  23. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7, no. 48. December 1, 1990. p. IV.
  24. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 47, 1990" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
  25. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
  26. ^ "The RPM 100: Top Singles of 1968". RPM. Vol. 10, no. 19.
  27. ^ "Top 100 Hits for 1968". Longbored Surfer. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  28. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1990" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  29. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1990" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  30. ^ "Danish single certifications – Steppenwolf – Born to Be Wild". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  31. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Steppenwolf; 'Born to Be Wild')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  32. ^ "Italian single certifications – Steppenwolf – Born to Be Wild" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  33. ^ "Spanish single certifications – Steppenwolf – Born to Be Wild". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  34. ^ "British single certifications – Steppenwolf – Born to Be Wild". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
  35. ^ "American single certifications – Steppenwolf – Born to Be Wild". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  36. ^ a b "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
  37. ^ a b "Kim Wilde – Born To Be Wild" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  38. ^ a b "Kim Wilde – Born To Be Wild". Swiss Singles Chart.
  39. ^ a b "Tania Dexter – Born To Be Wild" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  40. ^ 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.
  41. ^ a b c d e f g 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.
  42. ^ Cook, Stephen. "Slade – Slade Alive!". AllMusic. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
  43. ^ Raggett, Ned. "The Cult – Electric". AllMusic. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
  44. ^ Monger, James Christopher. "Ozzy Osbourne – Prince of Darkness". AllMusic. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
  45. ^ Unterberger, Richie. "Various Artists – NASCAR on Fox: Crank It Up". AllMusic. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
  46. ^ Phares, Heather. "Original Soundtrack – Borat [Original Soundtrack]". AllMusic. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
  47. ^ Eremenko, Alexey. "Krokus – Hoodoo". AllMusic. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
  48. ^ "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.
Allikas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Born_To_Be_Wild
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