Source: WWE.com
First impressions for WWE Superstars can be helped or hurt by their entrance music. Here are the 25 greatest themes that accompanied wrestlers to the ring.
As far back as the 1950s, professional wrestlers have been using music to accompany their entrance into the arena. Gorgeous George famously walked out to “Pomp and Circumstance” as his valet laid out a red carpet and rose petals. By the Rock n Wrestling era, just about every competitor had their very own theme song.
Today, a great entrance theme can be a huge asset in the sports entertainment world. A solid but unspectacular performer can get a tremendous boost with a catchy theme. And the true greats can reach legendary status if their music is good enough.
On the flip side of this, a bad theme song can be an insurmountable hurdle for a wrestler to overcome. If the fans hate the sounds that bring you to the ring, it’s going to be hard to make a good connection with them. The first impressions from the music can make or break a character – or a career.
In WWE, there have been a number of truly great themes. From Jimmy Hart’s compositions in the 1980s and early 90s, to Jim Johnston through the Attitude Era and beyond, to today with CFO$, entrance music in WWE has evolved with the times.
Must Read: 25 Greatest WrestleMania Moments in WWE History
As Daily DDT’s resident music historian and teacher, allow me to present the 25 greatest entrance themes in WWE history. (These are in no particular order other than vaguely chronologically.)
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.
Honky Tonk Man
Before diving too far into this one, I want to point out that corny and cheesy does not automatically disqualify something from being “great.”
That said, everything about the Honky Tonk Man is corny and cheesy. Despite a lengthy record-setting reign as Intercontinental Champion, he was never really seen as a serious threat to anyone. The Elvis impersonator gimmick was one that, even for the cartoony 1980s, seemed rather silly.
But when it comes to a theme song perfectly matching up with a performer’s character, gimmick, personality, and what have you, “Cool, Cocky, Bad” does so better than possibly any other.
The rockabilly piano intro sounds like it could have come straight from the mind of Carl Perkins. The lyrics just ooze with smarminess, much like the Honky Tonk Man himself. And what better way to connect yourself with Elvis Presley than by referencing all the things people associate with the King? Pink Cadillac, blue suede shoes, long sideburns with hair slicked back – it’s all there.
When Greg Valentine joined up with Honky Tonk Man to form Rhythm and Blues, the music stayed mostly the same. Even the few changes to the act did little to alter the perception of the character, but the music was always great.
Demolition
Heavy metal guitar sounds. Two (or three) guys in masks and bondage gear, basically. That would usually be enough to make a theme fall into the “good” column.
But then you get to the lyrics: “Here comes the Ax/Here comes the Smasher/The Demolition/Walking Disaster.” That’s pure gold.
Demolition was WWE’s answer to the Road Warriors. (Classic Vince: If he can’t have something, rip it off and make it his own.) The initial team of Ax and Smash was managed by Johnny Valiant, and later Mr. Fuji. Underneath the masks they wore to the ring were painted faces. Everything about Demolition’s appearance screamed, well, “demolition.”
Adding the hard rock entrance theme only served to make the team seem even more devastating. Rick Derringer composed this tune as well – possibly the most heavy song he’s ever written.
Demolition would enter the building to the sounds of devastation as they became Tag Team Champions. Their first reign was a record-setting length, and they would go on to become three-time champs. Towards the end of their run in WWE, Crush was added as a third man due to Ax’s health.
The end of Demolition came when the Road Warriors joined WWE as the Legion of Doom. With room for only one face painted, spiked attire wearing tag team in the eyes of fans, Demolition soon went quietly into the night.
But none of that could stop a great theme.
Ultimate Warrior
When you think of the Ultimate Warrior, what are some words that come to mind? For me, it’s power, energy, and insanity.
When you listen to Warrior’s theme, those three words – power, energy, and insanity – are perfect descriptors for what you’re hearing, as well.
The first glimpse fans would get of Warrior when he had a match was his intense sprint down the ramp all the way into the ring. For mere mortals, it should have been enough to leave him winded for a long time – longer than any of his matches, at least. But for Warrior, he seemed to get stronger the more energy he tried to expel.
His entrance theme was the perfect soundtrack for something like that. It wasn’t performed at a breakneck tempo, but it was high energy and insistent. There was no letting up of the pulsing guitars, much like there was no letting up for Warrior on his way to the ring – or once he was inside it.
The synchrony between man and music is definitely one of the hallmarks of a great theme. With Warrior, Jim Johnston created one of his most iconic themes, as well as one of the best matches in wrestling.
Bret Hart
Bret Hart’s theme is an interesting one to look at. It’s clearly a great theme. As soon as it started, everyone in the building knew what was coming. (Nowadays, lots of people think he’s coming out whenever Natalya enters the building, because of the similarities at the beginning.)
But there’s really nothing about the theme that suggests it’s anything special. It’s more or less the same riff over and over with little variety. The bridge section (if you can even call it that) is similarly simple. How could something so simplistic turn into such a great theme?
However, if you’re the kind of person who looks for symbolism that probably isn’t there (hey, that’s me!), it fits perfectly. Bret Hart is regarded as one of the best wrestlers who ever lived. He’s “The Excellence of Execution” due to his technical prowess. Despite being relatively small compared to the main event stars before him, he carried WWE through the 1990s.
His look isn’t anything special. He was a classically trained mat technician who did things incredibly well. But even though he looked like a regular Joe off the street, he did things in the ring that many superstars could only dream of.
That “simple” yet great theme is the perfect representation of Bret Hart – he seemed like such a simple and unimpressive performer until you got to see him do what he did.
Undertaker
There have already been several themes on this list that perfectly encapsulate a character or performer. There will be more of those later on as well. But really, the absolute best match would have to be the Undertaker’s theme. To find out why, you have to look back at what Taker’s character was upon his debut.
Over the years, who and what the Undertaker was changed slightly (sometimes more than slightly). And the theme went through slight changes to match (again, sometimes not so slight). But the gist of things was almost always the same – Taker was “The Dead Man,” and he had possibly supernatural powers based on being, uh, dead.
So the basis for his theme was one of the most iconic pieces of classical music – Chopin’s “Funeral March.” It doesn’t get more “dead” than a funeral march, you know? When Jim Johnston wrote Taker’s first theme, he wove in an original theme with Chopin’s work, and that represented the Undertaker for the better part of three decades.
But the part of Undertaker’s theme that takes it from great to legendary and iconic is a Johnston addition: the gong. WWE fans are conditioned to expect the signature sound anytime the lights go out in the arena, and the accompanying pop is usually one of the loudest of the night.
D-Generation X
As WWE marched towards edgier programming in the mid to late 1990s, the Attitude Era was born. One of the leading acts during these early stages was D-Generation X. Real life friends Shawn Michaels and Hunter Hearst Helmsley – along with Rick Rude and Helmsley’s manager/bodyguard Chyna – teamed up in front of the cameras and goofed off like a bunch of teenagers.
As far as D-X’s theme, it was a collaboration between Jim Johnston and Chris Warren. Vocalist Warren possessed a voice that could best be described as screaming. The unique quality Warren brought to the lyrics helped to differentiate D-X from other acts of the time period.
Speaking of the lyrics, they epitomize what D-X stood for during their heyday. “We just got tired of doin’ what you told us to do”? “Think you’re a big man?/Treat you like you’re a little man”? If that doesn’t scream “troublemakers,” I don’t know what does.
Occasionally the members of D-X would use their own, individual theme music. I think that helped to preserve how good the stable’s entrance music truly was, because it didn’t get overused. During the D-Generation X reunions some ten years after the group’s initial run, hearing “Are you ready?” over the PA still got a great response.
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin
There’s no place on Earth that responds to broken glass quite the same way as a WWE crowd. In most places, when a group of people here glass break they gasp. Maybe someone sarcastically yells out, “OPA!”
But a WWE arena is a different breed. So when the sound of glass breaking fills the air, it can only mean the appearance of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.
After the infamous glass breaking, Austin’s theme is no frills, no nonsense – just like the Texas Rattlesnake himself. For a guy who wore black boots and black trunks in the ring, one wouldn’t expect a bunch of flourishes in the music.
But the intensity and unrelenting feeling that comes from Austin’s music are a great mirror for his personality and attitude. Austin’s trip to the ring was basically a march – no hesitation, no fear, no worries. The major force behind the guitar riff in Austin’s theme is the same thing – just a continuous drive of intensity.
As one of the faces of the Attitude Era, Austin got plenty of screen time throughout his career. His theme became one of the staples of programming for years in WWE. And speaking of superstars who were faces of WWE during this time period…
The Rock
The most electrifying man in sports entertainment. The People’s Champion. The Rock is a man of many nicknames.
And over the course of even just his wrestling career, he’s had just as many themes. But every time Rock’s theme music changed, two things happened. First, it was the same basic structure with little difference. Second, it was still a great symbolic representation of Dwayne Johnson.
The Rock’s theme is always just a variation on a funk bass line. That’s it. For The Rock, whose father was “Soul Man” Rocky Johnson, a funk bass line is a great foundation for a theme song.
There’s really not much added to that basic structure, in any of the numerous variations on Rock’s themes. But not much more is really needed in all honesty. The Rock is such a simple character that a simple theme is a perfect match. Simple or not, the music always electrified the crowd, and that’s the most important thing.
Much like Austin, The Rock was one of the focus points of the Attitude Era. As different as the two characters were, it’s somewhat ironic that their themes were so similar in structure. Their careers were so intertwined that you can’t really think about one without the other.
Chris Jericho
In 1999, WWE programming aired a “countdown to the millennium.” After fans determined the clock would run down to zero sometime in August, speculation about who the clock was for ran rampant. Eventually, the clock struck zero and Chris Jericho – dubbing himself “Y2J” – made his WWE debut.
Leaving aside the impressive verbal sparring between Jericho and The Rock upon Y2J’s arrival, the theme song that played him onto the stage was one that he would use for the vast majority of his WWE career. Considering Jericho fronts his own hard rock band, it’s a little surprising that he’d use a Jim Johnston track for so long as opposed to a Fozzy recording. (He did briefly use Fozzy’s “Don’t You Wish You Were Me” in 2004.)
But “Break The Walls Down” was a clever play on a Biblical legend of the Battle of Jericho, and the walls surrounding the city. Lyrically, the theme sounds like a challenge to face Y2J – “Step in the arena and break the walls down.”
Musically, the theme is catchy. The guitar driven riff isn’t the heaviest thing in the world, but it provides a subtle feeling of power – appropriate, since Jericho was never seen as the biggest or strongest guy, but he could hang with the heavyweights like anyone else.
Vince McMahon
In possibly the least surprising news of all time, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon has one of the greatest themes in WWE history. I mean, he’s a former WWE Champion, ECW Champion, he won a Royal Rumble, he’s been in the main event of multiple pay per views – why wouldn’t he have a great theme, too?
McMahon officially debuted “No Chance In Hell” at Royal Rumble 1999, as the theme song of the pay per view. Leading up to the event, McMahon was in the midst of his long-time feud with Steve Austin. Adamant that Austin would not win a third consecutive Rumble match, the chairman issued a bounty for whoever eliminated Stone Cold from the Rumble. McMahon would thus proudly proclaim that Austin had “no chance in hell” of being WWE Champion again.
Austin “randomly” drew No. 1 in the Rumble, and McMahon was assigned No. 2 by Commissioner Shawn Michaels. When Vince made his entrance for his debut match, he had no entrance theme. Upon winning the match, though, McMahon used the theme song for the show itself to celebrate his victory.
Since that point, any time Vince makes an appearance on WWE programming, he’s accompanied by the theme. It’s not the only time a pay per view theme song was then repurposed for a “wrestler” (Linda McMahon used the classic WrestleMania theme song for years), but it fits the Mr. McMahon persona perfectly.
Kurt Angle
Speaking of repurposed music, “Medal” may be most associated with Kurt Angle, but it was initially used by another American hero – “The Patriot” Del Wilkes.
It wasn’t too long after The Patriot left WWE that Angle made his debut; roughly two years had passed. But Wilkes had only spent around a year in WWE, and Angle would go on to a Hall of Fame career, so it’s little wonder that “Medal” is more associated with the Olympic hero.
Everything about the theme just screams “U-S-A! U-S-A!” The big, brassy introduction is like a modern take on a Sousa march – lots of trumpet melody with a trombone/tuba bed for it to lay on. And, because the theme made its debut as the Attitude Era was kicking into gear, there’s just enough of a rock groove behind it to give it that “cool” vibe. (Look, I’m a trumpet player and think brass music is cool, but I totally understand why Jim Johnston would want to add some guitars and stuff to the background.)
The theme on its own is tremendous, but the audience participation that has accompanied it for the better part of Angle’s career takes it a step beyond. Kurt can’t walk into a building to his theme song without being (lovingly) serenaded with chants of “YOU SUCK!” in tune with the theme.
Edge (“Metalingus”)
This is the entry on the list that, in my mind, shows that I’m trying to be objective rather than just picking my favorites. I like Edge’s theme music, but for my tastes, I’ve always preferred his original theme from his debut.
But popular opinion holds some weight, too, and I can see why consensus would say that “Metalingus” would be the better theme. As much of a Jim Johnston fanboy as I am, Alter Bridge is just the better version of Creed, so they’re okay, I guess.
Upon turning heel in 2004, Edge adopted a whole new persona – it was basically the “Rated-R Superstar” deal before it actually had a name. As part of this character overhaul, Edge debuted a new theme by the band Alter Bridge. It began with the classic “You think you know me…” line from his original theme, but then kicked it up a notch.
If you listen to the lyrics, “Metalingus” actually paints a pretty accurate picture of the new Edge gimmick. “On this day, I see clearly/Everything has come to life” as the true opening lyrics show that he’s a new man – for better or worse. “Another chance to chase a dream/Another chance to feel/Chance to feel alive” represent his still present goals – becoming world champion – and the new life he has to do so.
Rob Van Dam
In ECW, Rob Van Dam came to the ring to a cover of Pantera’s “Walk,” though most everyone usually thinks it’s the original recording. Upon arriving in WWE after ECW folded, it was time to give RVD a new theme that represented his individuality.
Enter “One of a Kind.” Van Dam appeared in the music video for the track, written and performed by Breaking Point. (Fun fact: Breaking Point also composed “27,” an entrance theme for Kota Ibushi, so this is one of the few times Rob Van Dam and Kota Ibushi will be mentioned in the same context.)
Van Dam was well known as a superstar with an unorthodox offense. Whether WWE or ECW, there were things he did that no one did before or since. So the phrase “one of a kind” suits him well. And as a very rock and roll looking guy – long hair, airbrushed gear emblazoned with dragons, and so on – an alternative band like Breaking Point was a perfect fit to record his music.
Lyrically, the tune does a good job of capturing what must be going through the mind of a Van Dam opponent. “The fear I see when I look in your eyes/Makes you believe I’m one of a kind” exemplifies how hard it is to prepare for a match against someone so unique. Not knowing how to prepare for someone who seems to make it up as he goes along would definitely inspire fear.
Evolution
One of the great things that came out of Triple H’s friendship with the late great Lemmy Kilmister was the abundance of Motorhead recordings that found their way into WWE. Two theme songs just for Triple H, plus another track that was the theme for Unforgiven 2008.
But possibly the best of the bunch is Evolution’s theme, “Line In The Sand.” When Triple H joined forces with Ric Flair, Batista, and Randy Orton, the quartet represented pro wrestling “evolution.” Flair was the past, Triple H the present, and Batista and Orton the future. The Four Horsemen-esque group dominated WWE for two years, winning championships with regularity.
The soundtrack to their successes came from Motorhead. With Lemmy’s rasping voice calling out their arrival, Evolution was a force like no other during their heyday.
Ironically, the theme’s lyrics could be viewed as coming from Triple H’s point of view. If we do that, it foreshadows his role in the dissolution of the group. “I see the line in the sand/Time to find out who I am/Looking back to see where I stand” seems to say that Triple H was trying to find his place between the past and the future without losing it. Right as Batista and Orton started to come into their own, the group was no more. Interesting, if you ask me.
CM Punk (“This Fire Burns”)
Okay, everyone put your pitchforks away. Yes, “Cult of Personality” was a great theme for CM Punk. Sure, it lined up with his character wonderfully. And yes, he used that during his modern-day record reign as WWE Champion.
But come on, folks, “This Fire Burns” is objectively both a better song and a better theme for Punk and where he was at that point in his career.
Killswitch Engage supplied the music for Punk’s WWE/ECW debut in 2006. With the greater WWE Universe not knowing exactly who this tattooed guy was, the theme greatly helped him in his early attempts to connect with the audience. As ECW was largely viewed as poorly executed, Punk was one of the bright spots in the brand.
His straight-edge persona – that would later expand into the Straight Edge Society – may have been Punk’s defining trait, but the music definitely helped. Lyrically, things like “Nevermore to be cast aside/This day is mine” represent his drive to become the very best, despite not being a traditional WWE main eventer or champion.
Going further into the lyrics, “Even through the darkest days/This fire burns, always” was almost like a total symbol of ECW in general. There weren’t a whole lot of bright spots in ECW during Punk’s time there, but you’d never know from his performances.
Randy Orton (“Burn In My Light”)
It always amazes me that Randy Orton gets these theme songs that always get a huge pop from the crowd, whether he’s a face or a heel. Today with “Voices,” it’s readily apparent – the guy burned down someone’s house but was still treated like the good guy because he got cheered when his music started, I guess.
But a few years back, Orton entered the building to “Burn In My Light,” and from the first “HEY!” the crowd was rabid – even if Orton himself was in one of his boring phases. The theme made its debut after Orton was dumped from Evolution – as World Heavyweight Champion, no less. The newly minted babyface Orton was going up against the likes of Triple H and Batista, and his new theme got him a great reaction week in and week out.
Like many other themes on the list, the lyrics are a perfect match for Orton during this time of his career. “Hey/Nothing you can say/Nothing’s gonna change what you’ve done to me”? That’s pretty self-explanatory, right? How about “Now it’s time to shine/And you’ll never take what’s mine”?
As Orton embarked on a solo run to both defend his title and stave off Evolution, his music was doing a great job of telling stories. That’s the hallmark of a truly great entrance theme.
Mark Henry
To the best of my knowledge, this is the only theme song in wrestling written and performed by Oscar winners. Now that’s not only pretty cool, but it almost guarantees greatness.
In 2006, Three 6 Mafia appeared on SmackDown to perform “Some Bodies Gonna Get It” for Henry, who faced Chris Benoit. Three 6 Mafia was fresh off their Oscar win for Hustle & Flow a few months earlier. The song contained the lyric, “Somebody gon’ get their wig split,” which is the strangest but most appropriate lyric in all of pro wrestling.
Henry was kicking off one of his runs as a human wrecking machine. As a record holding powerlifter, there are few WWE Superstars from any era who can match Henry’s strength. While Henry was demolishing everyone in front of him, Three 6 Mafia would encourage him to the ring, with a chorus of “Beat him up, beat him up/Break his neck, break his neck.”
Several years later, the theme would take on even more of a meaning as Henry inducted his first victim into the Hall of Pain. For someone who spent so much of his career injured, but continued to persevere and become a terrifying monster, it’s no doubt he eventually became world champ. But the theme song struck fear into the hearts of many opponents.
John Cena (“Basic Thuganomics”)
Much like CM Punk or Randy Orton earlier on the list, this may not be the theme most associated with John Cena. But, also like Punk and Orton, this one is the better of the two themes.
When John Cena first established himself as a superstar to be taken seriously, he was basically Vanilla Ice the wrestler. Yes, I know that sounds like the last thing that should be taken seriously, but it worked for him. Anyway, as part of his rapper gimmick, Cena – actually an accomplished rapper – performed his own themes for most of his career. The first one he performed – “Basic Thuganomics” – really established his skills as a lyricist. “I’m untouchable but I’m forcing you to feel me” is actually pretty good.
Since the earlier Cena character was the “Doctor of Thuganomics,” much of the theme is centered on his toughness, while being just a little irreverent and inappropriate – compared to today’s WWE, at least. “I’ll kill you and bury you twice despite the cover of night”? Not really fitting with the PG era.
While “The Time Is Now” may be catchier, Cena’s earlier work is a better overall theme. It really fit his edgy character at the time and helped propel him to the main event.
Daniel Bryan
Full disclosure: This is one of two entrance themes on the list that spent considerable time as my ringtone. So obviously it was going to make the countdown.
Daniel Bryan was no stranger to having great themes thanks to his time on the independent circuit. For years in Ring of Honor, he entered the arena to “The Final Countdown” by Europe. About a month after arriving in WWE, Bryan initially used “Ride of the Valkyries,” an operatic work by Wagner made popular by Bugs Bunny.
However, WWE wanted to try and pep things up a bit, because let’s face it, late 1800s opera isn’t exactly a selling point to a modern audience. After a brief trial with “Big Epic Thing,” Bryan first came out to “Flight of the Valkyries,” basically a heavy metal version of his earlier Wagner theme.
Not that Bryan really needed the boost, since he had the support of the most hardcore WWE fans, but the new theme really clicked with the crowds. After a little while, Bryan adopted the Yes! chants that would be his signature, and his WWE career would reach new heights.
The modernization of a piece of classical music – similar to what Jim Johnston did for The Undertaker’s theme – is a great way to give a superstar a unique sound to differentiate from the masses.
New Day
“New Day, New Way” is a perfect example of making lemonade from lemons, and making a fairly simple theme seem much greater than it should have any right to.
The initial union of Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston, and Big E was a far cry from what they’ve become. At the onset, the trio seemed primed to become a modern Nation of Domination type of stable. But they were “repackaged” as a group of happy go lucky, gospel singing guys who preached positivity. The theme music fits that gospel type of style, right on down to the “ooohs” in the background.
But New Day has taken what could have been a career killer and turned it into gold, mainly by being themselves. What these three superstars would do when faced with a sort of gospel song is dance ridiculously. Those dance moves have helped get the trio over – in addition, of course, to their in-ring work, plus everything else they do.
When you hear Big E’s call to attention, it’s almost a Pavlovian response to get happy. The rest of the theme kicking in makes it impossible to be sad – it’s almost infectious. Having that kind of power over a crowd simply from theme music is a rare thing in wrestling, and New Day works it to perfection.
Naomi
When I was researching themes (AKA listening to old themes on YouTube and laughing at how bad some really were), I realized that most of the female superstars had good, but not great, themes. Most of the better ones come from the last few years – which makes sense, since WWE treated the “Divas” like a joke for the longest time.
Naomi’s new entrance as a whole is quite a spectacle. Everything about it is over the top, and it’s wonderful for it. The whole blacklight for the glow sticks, the dance moves, the powerslide down the ramp – it’s like being in a kicking nightclub (clearly, I’ve never been to a nightclub if I call it “kicking”).
The theme really ties everything together, in my opinion. The slightly remixed version of the old Team B.A.D. entrance theme is perfect for Naomi. Right at the top, the proclamation is made: “I’m amazing.” Yes, you are. (Of course, it helps that she’s the vocalist, too.)
The whole dance club vibe is a perfect match for a dancer – remember, prior to being on season 3 of NXT, Naomi was a backup dancer for Flo Rida, as well as a cheerleader and dancer for the Orlando Magic. (Not to mention her initial role in WWE, as one of the Funkadactyls.) And even I, not a big fan of dance music (THERE’S LITERALLY ONE BEAT FOR EVERY SONG), can’t argue that this is a great song.
AJ Styles
On January 24, 2016, AJ Styles shocked the wrestling world by coming out as the third entrant in the Royal Rumble. Shoddy camera work aside, the ovation he got was one of the loudest of night. Personally, I think at least part of that is due to the fact that the crowd was caught off guard by a great theme with no idea who it belonged to.
It’s really quite amazing, how many good to great themes CFO$ have cranked out over the past few years. Most are in the solidly acceptable range, but there are a bunch that are truly a cut above. Naomi, Styles, and the final two in the countdown are the cream of the crop of CFO$’s output.
What I really like about “Phenomenal” for Styles is the departure from the majority of his pre-WWE themes, yet it still seems to be the perfect musical accompaniment for him. In New Japan, Styles – as a part of the Bullet Club – came out to hard rock. When he was in TNA, Styles used a mix of country and rock (among numerous others).
But his WWE theme is southern rap. At first glance, you wouldn’t think that would be something that would work. I know they say you can’t judge a book by its cover, but Styles and rap seem to be about as much a match as lamb and tuna fish.
It works, though. Knowing that Styles is one of the best wrestlers on the planet, the refrain of, “They don’t want none” is one of the most apt lyrics in wrestling.
Bobby Roode
Full disclosure, part 2: This is the second of two themes on the list that have been my ringtone (this is the current one). It’s also the only entry that has not yet appeared on the WWE main roster, as it’s associated with the current NXT Champion.
But with this being perhaps the most over theme song in WWE right now – even more so than the performer attached to it, depending on who you talk to – there was no way I could ignore it. It’s just the kind of song that is almost perfect, and the way it has enhanced Bobby Roode’s NXT career is almost unprecedented.
I mean, let’s be real – Roode is a great competitor, but in NXT, he’s basically boring as hell if his entrance theme is done playing. He’s got some flashes of brilliance here and there, but overall his matches have been dull and his promos average at best.
But that theme music, wow. It truly is glorious. From the opening piano tremolo that gets the crowd pumped up, to the arena rock sounds reminiscent of Queen, it’s a terrific composition. Even outside of the world of wrestling, it’s a great song in general. When you get an arena full of people singing along, it seems larger than life.
Considering “Glorious Domination” was actually written for the superstar whose theme is the last one in our countdown, it’s amazing that it fits Roode as well as it does.
Shinsuke Nakamura
“The Rising Sun” is possibly the greatest entrance theme of at least the past five years, if not longer. To paraphrase Justin Hammer in Iron Man 2, this is CFO$’s Eiffel Tower. Their Rachmaninoff’s Third. Their Pieta. It truly is a masterpiece.
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When Shinsuke Nakamura was about to debut in NXT, the question of what his theme would be was a hot topic. Most of the time, music is a nonthought for fans when a superstar is debuting. But Nakamura had a great theme song in New Japan prior to coming to WWE. With “Subconscious” being so iconic, the fear was his WWE theme would be a letdown.
But CFO$ absolutely knocked it out of the park. The two themes are wildly different, but both capture the essence of Nakamura – which, with him being such a unique individual, isn’t easy. The driving guitars from “Subconscious” are replaced with violins, and it works.
If you’ve been in the crowd for either NXT or SmackDown with Nakamura on the card, you’ve definitely heard how well received “The Rising Sun” is. The entire arena sings along – or sings it on their own after it ends. When it’s a special occasion and a live violinist joins in (or a whole group of them), it takes things to a somehow even higher level.
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What are some of your picks for great WWE entrance themes?