WWE: 25 Greatest Entrance Theme Songs of All Time

Hulk Hogan

The earliest of the great themes in WWE belongs to Hulk Hogan, though he wasn’t the original act to use it. But just about every wrestling fan would agree: “Real American” is Hulk Hogan’s music.

Rock musician Rick Derringer composed the tune for The U.S. Express in 1984. The tag team of Barry Windham and Mike Rotunda would become two-time Tag Team Champions before disbanding in 1985, at which point the music was passed on to Hogan. That was when the theme became iconic.

With the Hulkster playing the All-American hero who dethroned The Iron Sheik, the music fit. Later battles against evil foreign foes like Yokozuna and a turncoat Sgt. Slaughter mirrored this. As Hulkamania ran more and wilder, “Real American” got more and more ears on it. Any other themes used by Hogan fall well short of the bar set by this one (yes, even “Voodoo Chile,” although the Hendrix tune does come the closest).

Let’s be honest: even with all the terrible things Hogan has either done or been accused of doing in recent years, if fans heard the opening to “Real American” the roof would blow off the building. It’s catchy, and it’s not a bad song even outside the world of wrestling.