Editing Steppenwolf (band) (section)

===Breakthrough, success, and decline (1967–1972)===
[[File:Steppenwolf original lineup.jpg|thumb|The original lineup of Steppenwolf. Clockwise from top left: McJohn, Edmonton, Moreve, Monarch, Kay]]
In late 1967, [[Gabriel Mekler]] urged Kay to re-form the Sparrows and suggested the name change to Steppenwolf, inspired by [[Hermann Hesse]]'s [[Steppenwolf (novel)|novel of the same name]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://steppenwolf.com/ |title=John Kay & Steppenwolf &#124; Welcome to The Official Website |publisher=Steppenwolf.com |access-date=July 17, 2014}}</ref><ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/><ref name="stone"/> Steppenwolf's first two singles were "A Girl I Knew" and "Sookie Sookie". The band finally rocketed to worldwide fame after their third single, "Born to Be Wild", was released in 1968, as well as their version of [[Hoyt Axton]]'s "[[The Pusher]]". Both of these tunes were used prominently in the 1969 [[counterculture of the 1960s|counterculture]] [[cult film]] ''[[Easy Rider]]''<ref name="Grdn">{{cite news |last1=Dave Simpson |title=How we made Steppenwolf's Born to Be Wild: Interview |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/jul/31/how-we-made-steppenwolf-born-to-be-wild |access-date=20 September 2023 |work=The Guardian |date=31 July 2018}}</ref> (both titles originally had been released on the band's [[Steppenwolf (Steppenwolf album)|debut album]]).<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> In the movie, "Easy Rider" the song "The Pusher" accompanies a drug deal, and [[Peter Fonda]] stuffing dollar bills into his Stars and Stripes-clad fuel tank, after which "Born to Be Wild" is heard in the opening credits, with Fonda and [[Dennis Hopper]] riding their Harley choppers through the America of the late 1960s. The song, which has been closely associated with motorcycles ever since, introduced to rock lyrics the signature term "[[heavy metal music|heavy metal]]"<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> (though not about a kind of music, but about a motorcycle: "I like smoke and lightning, heavy metal thunder, racin' with the wind...").<ref name="Grdn"/> Written by Sparrow guitarist Dennis Edmonton, who had begun using the pen name [[Mars Bonfire]] and inspired by a billboard roadside advertisement Bonfire liked which depicted a motorcycle tearing through the billboard artwork, the song had already reached number two on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in August 1968.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a [[music recording sales certification|gold disc]].<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs">{{cite book|first=Joseph|last=Murrells|year=1978|title=The Book of Golden Discs|edition=2nd|publisher=Barrie and Jenkins Ltd|location=London|page=[https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/249 249]|isbn=0-214-20512-6|url=https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/249}}</ref>

In 1968 Steppenwolf played one of their biggest shows up to that time at the [[Fillmore East]] to rave reviews, sharing the bill with [[Buddy Rich]] and Children of God.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vQoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA14 |title=Billboard|date= November 23, 1968|access-date=August 24, 2015}}</ref>  On November 27, 1968, they played a concert with [[Iron Butterfly]] at the [[Baltimore Civic Center]].

The group's following albums had several more hit singles, including "[[Magic Carpet Ride (Steppenwolf song)|Magic Carpet Ride]]" (which reached number three) from ''[[The Second]]'' and "Rock Me" (with its bridge lasting 1:06, which reached number 10) from ''[[At Your Birthday Party]]''.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> It also sold in excess of a million units.<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs"/> ''[[Monster (Steppenwolf album)|Monster]]'', which questioned US [[Vietnam War]] policy, was the band's most political album. Following the ''Monster'' album from 1969, the following year, the band released ''[[Steppenwolf 7]]'', which included the song "Snowblind Friend", another Hoyt Axton-penned song about the era and attitudes of drugs and associated problems.<ref name="Larkin">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=1997|edition=Concise|isbn=1-85227-745-9|page=1135}}</ref>

Several changes in the group's personnel were made after the first few years.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> Bassist Rushton Moreve was fired from the group in 1968 for missing gigs after he became afraid to return to Los Angeles, convinced by his girlfriend that it was going to be leveled by an earthquake and fall into the sea. Rob Black briefly filled in for Moreve until former Sparrow bandmate [[Nick St. Nicholas]] came aboard in the latter months of 1968. Michael Monarch quit the group in August 1969 as his relationship with Kay deteriorated. [[Larry Byrom]], who had been in TIME with Nick St. Nicholas, ably replaced Monarch on guitar.<ref name="Larkin"/>But Nick St. Nicholas was let go in mid-1970. He had supposedly appeared in nothing but rabbit ears and a jock strap at the Fillmore East in April 1970<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lamusicawards.com/act/nick-st-nicholas/|title=Nick St. Nicholas|publisher=LA Music Awards}}</ref> – and his habit of wearing muumuus and kaftans on stage began to wear on Kay, whose penchant for leather vests and pants was more in line with the image he wanted for the band. [[George Biondo]] was then recruited, and the band lineup for their live performances in the middle of 1970 was John Kay, Jerry Edmonton, Goldy McJohn, Larry Byrom and George Biondo. However this lineup was also unable to remain together, as Byrom became upset with McJohn over personal issues and quit the band in the early part of 1971. Guitarist [[Kent Henry]] then replaced Byrom.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> 

[[File:Steppenwolf (1970).png|thumb|In 1970]]

In November 1971 the band released ''For Ladies Only'', with the lineup consisting of Kay, Henry, Biondo, McJohn and Edmonton.  The album was notable for several reasons, most notably the controversial LP inside cover art, the romantic, political, social lyrical content and the fact that it featured several of the group members on lead vocals.