"Born to Be Wild" is a song written by Mars Bonfire and first performed by the band Steppenwolf. The song is often invoked in both popular and counter culture to denote a biker appearance or attitude.
It is sometimes 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)
"Born to Be Wild" was the band's third single off their 1968 debut album Steppenwolf, and became their most successful single, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles charts. It was kept from the No.1 spot by "People Got to Be Free" by the Rascals.