10 Outrageous Omissions From The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame

9. Steppenwolf

Among the longest overdue for induction is Steppenwolf, not only for their musical acumen, but for their contribution to the culture at large. The opening bars of "Born To Be Wild" are familiar to anyone who hasn't been living under a rock for the past fifty years, never mind it's been used to score movies, sell cars and make yuppies look hip at karaoke parties. Singer/songwriter John Kay, taking a cue from William Burroughs, made history by making it the first mention of the words "heavy metal" in a musical composition. Its use in "Easy Rider" is so iconic, it's easy to forget how great the song actually is. Like every overplayed classic, it was so good it had to become lame. Steppenwolf touched the culture in other ways, too, with songs like "Magic Carpet Ride" and "The Pusher," which showed both sides of the emergent drug culture of the sixties. "Magic Carpet Ride" is light as a feather, a catchy number just as suitable for driving around with the top down as it is in your uncle's smoking room. "The Pusher," written by Hoyt Axton feels like a funeral dirge, but is actually a cautionary tale about harder drugs. Steppenwolf were more than a rock band. They were storytellers.