Monster Magnet is an American rock band formed in Red Bank, New Jersey, in 1989 by Dave Wyndorf (vocals and guitar), John McBain (guitar), and Tim Cronin (vocals and drums). The band has since undergone several lineup changes, with Wyndorf remaining the only constant member. Monster Magnet has released 11 studio albums to date and is best known for their 1990s hits "Negasonic Teenage Warhead" and "Space Lord". The band is also credited with developing and popularizing the stoner rock genre, along with Masters of Reality, Kyuss, Fu Manchu, and Sleep.

Original names considered for the band included Dog of Mystery, Airport 75, Triple Bad Acid, and King Fuzz before they ultimately settled on Monster Magnet, a name taken from a 1960s toy made by Wham-O, which Wyndorf liked as a child.

In 1989, Monster Magnet released two demo cassettes: Forget About Life, I'm High on Dope and I'm Stoned, What Ya Gonna Do About It? The band's first "official" release was the single "Lizard Johnny/Freakshop USA" on Long Island-based Circuit Records. The first demo and single were recorded as a three-piece (McBain on bass, Wyndorf on guitar and vocals, and Cronin on drums and vocals). Before the second demo, Tom Diello joined on drums, and McBain and Cronin switched to guitar and bass, respectively. This new lineup featured McBain on guitar, Wyndorf on guitar and vocals, Cronin on bass and vocals, and Diello on drums. The EP Monster Magnet followed on Glitterhouse Records of Germany, containing the songs "Snake Dance" and "Nod Scene" (both of which would appear again on Spine of God), and "Tractor" (which would be re-recorded later for Powertrip).

In 1990, the band signed with Caroline Records and released the single "Murder/Tractor." Cronin left shortly after, although he would remain involved in the background, particularly at live shows, contributing to auditory effects, lights, and visuals for many years. After Cronin's departure, Joe Calandra joined on bass. In 1991, Monster Magnet released their first full-length album, Spine of God, on the labels Go Get Organized/Atypeek Music, Primo Scree, Glitterhouse Records, and Caroline Records. Shortly afterward, drummer Tom Diello left the band and was replaced by Jon Kleiman. Although not a commercial success, Spine of God was praised by critics and is hailed as one of the classics of the stoner rock genre. It is also considered a major influence on the genre. The album included the single "Medicine" (which would be re-recorded 10 years later on God Says No), which was also the band's first music video. The band followed with a tour alongside rising grunge band Soundgarden. The tour helped the band secure a recording contract with major record label A&M Records.

Their final release with Caroline Records was an EP titled Tab, which included, among two other marathon-length songs, a 32-minute track called "Tab...." The Tab EP was recorded before Spine of God, yet released afterward. McBain left the band soon after and was replaced by Atomic Bitchwax guitarist Ed Mundell.

In 1992, Monster Magnet signed with A&M Records, and their first album on the label, Superjudge, was released the following year. Despite being released on a major label, it fared poorly commercially. Like its predecessor, Superjudge became an influential release in the stoner rock genre. The songs "Twin Earth" and "Face Down" were released as singles (with accompanying videos), but they did little to promote the album. In 1995, Monster Magnet released their third studio album, Dopes to Infinity. The album included the band's first hit single, "Negasonic Teenage Warhead," which benefited from a music video that received regular rotation on MTV. Still, the album was not as successful as the band had hoped.

After touring in support of Dopes to Infinity, Wyndorf moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, to begin working on Powertrip (1998), a breakthrough hit that finally earned the band a gold record. Guitarist Phil Caivano joined the band in 1998. "Space Lord," the album's first single, was a major radio hit, and the band toured with successful acts such as Aerosmith, Metallica and Rob Zombie. The band also toured as one of the opening acts for Hole and Marilyn Manson on their joint Beautiful Monsters Tour. Following the well-publicized falling out between the outspoken vocalists of Hole and Marilyn Manson, Monster Magnet continued touring with Marilyn Manson and opened the first three shows of their Rock is Dead Tour. The songs "Powertrip," "Temple of Your Dreams" and "See You in Hell" also received airplay on rock radio stations. The album charted at number 97 on the Billboard 200 and later went multi-platinum.

After a two-year tour supporting Powertrip, the band released God Says No (2001), which charted at number 153 on Billboard. However, it failed to match the commercial success of the band's previous release. Following the album's release, Joe Calandra and Jon Kleiman left the band. They were replaced by Jim Baglino and Michael Wildwood, who recorded Monolithic Baby!. After a short stint, Wildwood was replaced by former Love Among Freaks drummer Bob Pantella. During this period, the band also parted ways with A&M Records.