AEW needs to receive more praise for its awesome theme songs, and every single one of them fits the characters of the wrestlers they have been selected for. But which themes are the best?
Whether it’s The Undertaker‘s “Dark Side” theme or the iconic giggles in the Lil’ Kim song used as Trish Stratus’ theme, a wrestler’s entrance music can mean everything. Listening to fans sing Shinsuke Nakamura‘s or Becky Lynch‘s song has been one of life’s joys as a pro wrestling fan, and there are already AEW theme songs that have become popular to sing in arenas.
All Elite Wrestling has done a fantastic job of selecting songs that are different, fit the wrestlers they are designed for, and addicting to listen to.
Here are the top 10 themes in AEW right now, with an honorable mention to Jon Moxley, Britt Baker, the Young Bucks, and Hikaru Shida as having theme songs that just barely missed the cut.
10. Sammy Guevara, “Take Flight” by Monteasy
AEW’s themes are pretty rock heavy, but Sammy Guevara is a mid-card wrestler with a great rap theme. I love theme songs that describe wrestlers, and the arrogance in Guevara’s theme is exceptional. This man is a future superstar who has so much flair. He’s sexy and he knows it, but he’s also arrogant enough to be incredibly dangerous to those who cross his path.
As for the song itself, the bass is tremendous, the lyrics suit him perfectly, and it’s easy to get stuck in your head. And when this song hits in the arena, you can’t help but bop to it.
9. Hangman Page, “Ghost Town Triumph”
Admittedly, I don’t like Hangman Page’s theme nearly as much as others do, but it’s hard to deny how epic it sounds. Page’s theme is like something out of a movie, and, yes, I would go with “Western” as the genre of the movie this theme would likely be found in. But, you know, that’s how it fits his character!
This song will suit Page more when his transition to the dark side is complete. For now, it’s still easy to see why so many wrestling fans enjoy Page’s theme, which is one of those songs that sounds truly epic in the arena.
8. Joey Janela, “The Bad Boy”
Talk about a song that suits the performer perfectly. Joey Janela’s theme is straight out of the 80’s and is simply – and appropriately – named “The Bad Boy”. The guitar work in this theme is simple but exceptional, and the song transports us all back to the 80’s, even if some of us have no actual concept of that period in history.
Janela’s theme isn’t like Guevara’s in that it gets you pumped up. It isn’t epic like Page’s or Kenny Omega’s either. But it’s something you can listen to in the car, air-guitar, air-drum, or smile at for the nostalgia. It’s a bad-ass theme, no doubt.
7. Riho, “Eternal Beauty” by YMZnoMASAKI
Riho’s theme may not be as objectively good as Janela’s or Guevara’s as a stand-alone song, but there are only a handful of themes in pro wrestling right now that can get you as fired up. Her song is an insta-pop, and it’s the kind of light, fun song that you’d listen to in an arcade game while shooting down comically small fighter jets or oddly-shaped walking blocks.
She is one of the most popular babyfaces in AEW, and while she is no longer champion, fans have come to cheer for Riho and respect her in-ring chops. The year 2020 should be exciting for her, and her theme is definitely a major part of that excitement.
6. The Lucha Bros., “Lucha Bros” by Gangsta L
Pentagon Jr. and Rey Fenix have been one of the world’s best tag teams over the past couple of years, as they are right up there with Santana and Ortiz, The Usos, The New Day, and The Young Bucks as a tag team you simply cannot take your eyes off of.
And I can’t stop listening to their theme either. It’s so simple, “Cero miedo, meet us in the ring!” but that’s what makes it so contagious. The beat is catchy, the lyrics are easy to remember, and you can’t help but rap with the song and go wild when their theme hits. Because you know you’re about to see another crazy match when they enter the screen.
5. Darby Allin, “I Fell” by Wicca Phase Springs Eternal
An eery theme song that suits Darby Allin’s character perfectly, the lyrics are the most chilling part of the song. Even the band’s name, “Wicca Phase Springs Eternal”, suits Allin perfectly.
The repeating “I fell’s” in the chorus are appropriate for a wrestler who makes use of a dangerous, awe-inspiring coffin drop. Other highlights of this chilling theme, which features an impressively brooding vocal performance and bass line, include “I split my head open again last night” and “I don’t sleep ’cause my head’s on fire.”
Absolutely brilliant. Having a theme like this is part of the star-making equation, and, as many have said, Allin has all the tools to be a big star in wrestling.
4. Kenny Omega, “Battle Cry” by Little V
Kenny Omega’s theme has grown on me more than any other track in AEW. It starts slowly and crescendoes into an epic rock song that clearly deserves the name “Battle Cry”. Whereas Hangman Page’s and Darby Allin’s theme songs obviously fit their subjects, Omega’s fit is just as perfect, yet in a more subtle way.
It’s difficult to top Omega’s “Devil’s Sky” theme from NJPW, but the vocal performance, drum work, and cutting of the song make it an equal match. Omega’s theme is becoming a fan favorite, and, in some ways, it reminds me of a mashup between something Starset and Nothing More would produce.
3. Chris Jericho, “Judas” by Fozzy
There can’t possibly be anything more awesome than a pro wrestler singing their own entrance, and in Chris Jericho’s case, he’s actually an accomplished front man of a successful hard rock band that tours worldwide. Fozzy’s hits include “Sandpaper” with Avenged Sevenfold’s M. Shadows, “Watch Me Shine”, “Enemy”, “Lights Go Out”, and former TakeOver theme “Painless”.
But “Judas” has become his biggest hit. It’s the only Fozzy song to hit the top five on the United States’ mainstream rock chart, and it’s becoming a classic for pro wrestling fans, dating back to when Jericho used it as his NJPW theme.
It’s an even bigger deal in AEW, as it’s become a song fans like to sing along to and a representation of his star power as one of the centerpieces of the brand.
2. Shawn Spears, “Perfection” by Josiah Williams
Before being hired by WWE to work with the NXT brand, Josiah Williams was known for writing incredible rap songs about WWE superstars, with his song about The Velveteen Dream being a particular highlight.
In WWE, Williams has been hard at work and shining, memorably rapping an intro for current NXT Champion Adam Cole.
But this theme song for AEW’s Shawn Spears, who wrestled as Tye Dillinger in WWE, is among Williams’ finest work. Words don’t even do this song justice…you HAVE to listen to it! Williams is an incredible artist. He is a brilliant lyricist whose wrestling knowledge adds so much to his songs, including this one about Spears.
1. Cody Rhodes, “Kingdom” by Downstait
Downstait are no strangers to the theme song business in pro wrestling, having made killer themes for the likes of The Miz and Dolph Ziggler in WWE. But the song they made for Cody Rhodes a couple of years ago after he left WWE to build his brand on the independent scene is probably their best wrestling theme song. (“Can You Hear Me Now?” is their best overall song, by the way…)
There are few wrestling themes better than Cody’s. It is an all-timer. He is the ultimate babyface in AEW, as he receives massive pops, sympathy in his feuds, and plenty of love for his theme in the arena. The lyrics, which include an homage to Dusty Rhodes’ “Hard Times” promo and references to leaving WWE, are incredibly powerful and only add to the greatness behind this song.