Steppenwolf's first two singles were 'A Girl I Knew' and 'Sookie Sookie'. In late 1967, Gabriel Mekler urged Kay to re-form the Sparrows and suggested the name change to Steppenwolf, inspired by Hermann Hesse's novel of the same name. Breakthrough, success, and decline (1967–1972) In 1965 John Kay joined the Sparrows, a popular Canadian band, and was followed by Goldy McJohn. Although they fell short of enough votes to qualify for induction that year, in 2018 the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame selected one of their biggest singles – 1968's 'Born to Be Wild' – as one of the first five singles that shaped rock and roll to be inducted into the hall in its history. In 2016, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominated them for induction in 2017. In Canada, they had four top 10 songs, 12 top 40, and 14 in the top 100.

The band was called John Kay & Steppenwolf from 1980 to 2018. Today, John Kay is the only original member, having been the lead singer since 1967.

Steppenwolf enjoyed worldwide success from 1968 to 1972, but clashing personalities led to the end of the core lineup. Steppenwolf sold over 25 million records worldwide, released seven gold albums and one platinum album, and had 13 Billboard Hot 100 singles, of which seven were Top 40 hits, including three top 10 successes: ' Born to Be Wild', ' Magic Carpet Ride', and ' Rock Me'. Guitarist Michael Monarch and bass guitarist Rushton Moreve were recruited via notices placed in Los Angeles-area record and musical instrument stores. The group was formed in late 1967 in Los Angeles by lead singer John Kay, keyboardist Goldy McJohn, and drummer Jerry Edmonton, all formerly of the Canadian band the Sparrows. Steppenwolf was an American-Canadian rock band that was prominent from 1968 to 1972.

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