Michael Monarch (born on July 5, 1950 in Los Angeles, California) is an American guitarist best known for his work with Steppenwolf.
As the original lead guitarist with Steppenwolf he played on all their hits, including "Born to Be Wild", "Magic Carpet Ride", and "Rock Me". He also played on Janis Joplin's album "I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!". He later went on to record for the SwanSong/Atlantic recording group Detective.
For the last decade Monarch has been busy writing and producing music, as well as performing with other '60s and '70s rock stars in the supergroup World Classic Rockers.
When Iron Butterfly reformed in 1968 after a brief break-up, Monarch was reportedly interested in playing lead guitar. Others interested in the position were Jeff Beck and Neil Young.