The Top 40 Greatest Wrestling Themes Of All Time – Part Two

So Part One of my Top 40 Greatest Wrestling Themes of All Time has caused a bit of a stir.

I’ve had people lambasting the choices because they didn’t include Hulk Hogan’s ‘Real American’ theme, I’ve had people say that I’ve not chosen the right Big Bossman theme, for some reason there’s been a fair amount of support for the rather pedestrian ‘Armstrong Brothers’ theme from WCW and a regular reader of the blog is also upset that Big Daddy’s theme didn’t make the list. Not Big Daddy Cool, but Shirley Crabtree.

One person even said “You really ought to have called your list ‘My Top 40 Favourite Wrestling Themes Of All Time’ if that’s how you were going to go about it.”

Music is subjective, people; of course it’s my Top 40 Favourite themes. This is an opinion piece.

Anyway, the feedback I’ve got from it made me look at the second half of my list in greater detail. Were there any obvious ones that I’d missed compared to what I wanted to include?

Well, as it happens, yes there were.

Originally, the second half of this list included the music of Repo Man, The Ringmaster and The Texas Tornado, but I’ve axed them, and with it, it has meant that my alphabetical order has been slightly affected.

But that’s life I suppose. Once the dust has settled I’ll go back and rearrange them.

Anyway…

Hulk Hogan’s 2nd Theme

All this talk about Real American has made me remember Hulk Hogan’s other theme – the one that was actually written for him. How could I forget it? Well weirdly, after the Hulkster stopped using it, Bonnie Tyler took the instrumentals and turned it into a proper song – Ravishing – the opening number of her top-selling 1986 album ‘Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire’

So I associate it more with that now.

Paul Orndorff’s “Mr Wonderful” Theme

There aren’t too many WCW themes on this list because they are of a generally lower quality, but last year I stumbled across a Youtube video of a Paul Orndorff match shortly before he was forced to retire in the mid 1990s.

His Mr Wonderful theme is one of the cheesiest-yet-most-amazing themes you’ll ever hear. The instrumental version was later used by The Maestro and was featured in the Legends of Wrestling Xbox game. Even without the words it’s pretty good, but with Jimmy Hart tweeting that some WCW themes might be getting released on iTunes, we can but hope that this is among them

The Powers of Pain

When the Warlord and Barbarian turned heel at Survivor Series 1988, they stopped using this theme altogether, presumably because it was too awesome not to cheer.

Real American

You know what, I’m not the sort of person to cut off my nose to spite my face. People are right; Real American – used by a number of wrestlers from the US Express to Hulk Hogan to Patterson & Briscoe – should be on the list ahead of Repo Man.

Ric Flair’s WWF Theme

And no, this isn’t the theme most associate with The Nature Boy – Also Sprach Zarathustra – but rather his far superior WWF Theme from 1991-93.

To me it suited the Flair character of the time far more.

Ravishing Rick Rude

When it was announced that Rick Rude would be in one of the WWE Smackdown games a few years ago, I was looking forward to hearing a proper quality version of his theme. Sadly, quality control at either WWE or THQ just don’t have a clue, because they included his utterly inferior 1st theme; the one that sounded like it was performed on a child’s toy keyboard.

I mean, who wants to hear that when there’s this one instead…

Rowdy Roddy Piper

Why don’t WWE believe in the mantra of “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?”

Roddy Piper has had a few themes since he first reappeared at Wrestlemania 19, but none have come anywhere close to being as good as the one he used between 1989 and 1996.

My favourite piece of bagpipe music.

Sanshiro Takagi

There have been lots of ‘proper’ songs used by wrestlers that weren’t made specifically for them. Songs like Ain’t No Grave, Enter Sandman, Rollin and many more have been used to great effect in the wrestling arena in the past and would be worthy of inclusion on this list.

But I’ve tended to avoid them because of what they are.

I’m making an exception with Sanshiro Takagi’s theme because the very nature of the original song has been changed specifically for the wrestler. And if you’ve ever seen a video of this guy’s entrance, you’ll get a new-found appreciation for it.

Sid Justice

Much like the way Roddy Piper’s theme should never have changed, when Sid reappeared in 1995, WWE should have kept him with his awesome Sid Justice theme.

Steve Austin

A bit like Kane’s theme, you almost forget how good Steve Austin’s entrance music is because you’ve heard it so many times.

But it defined the Rattlesnake character and isn’t a bad piece of music in its own right.

Strike Force

Originally, I wasn’t going to include this on the list because what Santana & Martel came out to was an instrumental version of the song Girls in Cars, and all that’s available of that online is the occasional short clip of it.

But sod it, I’ve done the same thing with the Mr Wonderful theme above, so this makes the cut.

Tatsumi Fujinami

We’re back to Japan for the final time for a piece of music that I still use on my gym playlist. Want a strong tune to help you through high impact cardio? You can go for Rocky IV or Tatsumi Fujinami’s 3rd theme.

The Mountie’s 2nd Theme

I would absolutely love to hear this in anything resembling decent quality. It’s just taking the piss and suited his character – post Summerslam 91 – so much.

If Fandango can get over based on the music he has, The Mountie would be a bona fide megastar nowadays.

The Nation

What you hear as The Rock’s theme was originally based on this version of The Nation’s theme from a short period in 1998. Much like Dan Severn’s entrance music, the chances of this being available in such good quality would be practically nil were it not for its inclusion in the WWF Attitude Playstation game.

Triple H’s King of King’s Theme

I’m not a fan of Time To Play The Game, and would far rather Triple H entered the arena to this superior song from the same band.

The Ultimate Warrior

Well it had to be in here didn’t it. Whether people want to admit or not, everyone loves The Ultimate Warrior, and his music plays such an important part in that.

The Undertaker

The Undertaker has had a ridiculous amount of themes in his time. I believe he’s up to about 26 now.

And a lot of them have been good, including the aforementioned Rollin’ and Ain’t No Grave, but I only want to induct one of his, and I’ve chosen the music he entered the arena to at Wrestlemania XV when he was in full on Satanictaker mode.

Just look at the state of both him and Paul Bearer in the video below; you’ve got to love the Attitude Era.

Vader

When Vader made an appearance on Raw last year, it cleared one thing up; they just don’t make entrance themes as good as they used to.

William Regal

Some people will probably say that I should be including his ‘Real Man’s Man’ theme, but let’s be honest, it’s rubbish.

His current theme, which he’s used on and off for the last 12 years, stands the test of time as one of the best.

If it was available in good quality, I’d be tempted to also include his short-lived theme from when he was the King of the Ring but alas it’s not.

The York Foundation

Rounding off the list is probably the most obscure one of the lot. Chances are that unless you got the video of WCW Starrcade 1990 you’ve never heard this.

But it works for me.

What Just Missed Out?

Clearly there are other pieces of entrance music that could have been included in the list, but narrowly missed out.

From the current WWE roster, I like the themes of Daniel Bryan, Wade Barrett and Brock Lesnar, but that’s about it. Significant themes from the past like DX, Shawn Michaels, The Rockers, Ted Dibiase and Honky Tonk Man also miss the cut.

There are so many quality themes, or at least there used to be, so when you’re restricting yourself to 40 there will always be disappointment for some.

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The Top 40 Greatest Wrestling Themes Of All Time – Part One

With the news that WWE wrestler Fandango’s entrance theme has become a global phenomenon over the last week, charting in countries from Australia to the UK ever since the raucous WWE Raw crowd started humming along in unison with it, it got me thinking about how few of the classic wrestling themes are commercially available.

I mean, if Fandango’s theme can chart, why not release The Mountie’s theme? I’d buy that.

And then that got me thinking about the best wrestling entrance themes of all time. There have been so many, even though it’s fair to say that the quality ones are fewer and farther between these days.

A wrestler’s theme should have character; it should fit the wrestler associated with it. Back in the day there were loads.

So I set about compiling a top 10, then a top 20 and finally I settled upon – fittingly – a top 40, since that’s the chart that Fandango’s theme has entered.

These are in alphabetical order rather than in order of preference. They are of course all my opinion, and I’m fairly sure that some omissions will lead to plenty of disagreement on twitter.

Enjoy

The Big Bossman

His 1990-93 theme was a good one, but in terms of fitting his 98-2002 heel character, The Big Bossman’s Attitude Era theme was better.

Big John Studd

This theme would later go on to be edited into “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan’s one, but the slower, more deliberate pace of this makes it a better theme as far as I’m concerned

Chris Jericho

You’ve got to love a bit of Y2J.

Crush

The big man had a number of themes in WWE, most of which were rubbish, but people of my generation will remember his Kona Crush theme with some fondness. What a guitar riff (is that the right term?) to start.

Dan Severn

Dan Severn didn’t exactly set the world on fire in his limp 98/99 run in WWE, but his theme song had a certain bad-ass nature to it.

Fun fact; the odds of this theme being released as Dan Severn’s theme are infinitesimal, but it was actually used in the WWF Attitude video game as Steve Williams’ theme. That’s how it’s available in good quality.

 

Demolition

Here’s a theme with character. I actually like the 1991 Crush & Smash theme too, but this is a proper song performed by Rick Derringer, made especially for Ax & Smash. And it’s a corker.

Sadly if you watch the WWE Anthology releases of PPVs from back in the day, they’ve replaced this theme to avoid paying Derringer any royalties.

Evolution

Another ‘proper’ song, this time done by Motorhead.

The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers

The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers’ theme was designed to be annoying. The team were falsely pretending to be ‘All American Boys’. But it’s a corny classic.

Gangrel

Gangrel’s entire entrance, from his rising up through the floor through to spitting blood was genius. But it wouldn’t be half as good were it not for his theme. People will long memories will remember the crowd at the 1999 Royal Rumble swaying along to his music.

The Great Sasuke

My first venture away from WWE and it’s a good one. Although this theme was played two or three times in 1997 when Sasuke came over from Japan, it’s a Michinoku Pro effort, and the hands down winner of the award for Piece of Music I’d Most Like To Play On Guitar Hero

Hercules

Talk about themes custom made for the wrestler; Hercules’s theme is one of the very best. The sound of the drums and horns were made to match the main named after the great mythological strongman,

If only it existed in better quality

Jushin “Thunder” Liger

We’re going back to Japan again for the theme of one of the most recognisable wrestlers of all time, Jushin Liger.

A proper Japanese pop song just for him; you’ll be singing along with the girl.

Kane

Another masked man with a wig, it’s Kane.

It’s easy to disregard his theme considering you’ve heard it almost every week for 15 years, but it’s still a very atmospheric and suitable piece.

My favourite version is his 2nd version. I understand we’re up to number 15 now.

Ken Shamrock

I’ll admit it; when I was a teenager I’d listen to this to pump me up before my Higher exams at school.

You can’t not love The World’s Most Dangerous Man!

Kenzo Suzuki & Renee Dupree

On it’s own, the La Resistance theme is a catchy piece of stock music. The mashup with Kenzo Suzuki’s Oriential sounding theme makes it class.

You’ll never be able to hear your ‘New Email’ sound in Outlook the same ever again.

Kurt Angle

Would it be churlish of me to say that this is actually The Patriot’s theme? He used it first.

Quality tune though.

“Macho Man” Randy Savage

While not a piece of music made for the wrestler in question, Pomp & Circumstance just suited The Macho Man. Watch his entrance at Wrestlemania’s 6 or 7 as he comes to the ring on his throne and I challenge you not to be impressed.

The best bit of course is the end of the theme.

Such a pity he died before he could make up with Vince McMahon

Mitsuharu Misawa

The last trip to the Orient for Part One, Misawa’s theme was the sort that got the crowd going. Whenever it hit, they’d erupt in unison with chants “Mee-saaa-waa”.

Mr. Perfect

Another theme from the late 80s/early 90s.

It was certainly a thrill of mine – and everyone else in the Glasgow S.E.C.C. – to hear it played live one last time in 2002.

New World Order/Kevin Nash

It’s the first WCW theme to make the list, and it’s so good and so effective that it got used as late as 2011 in WWE for Kevin Nash.

And when his music hit for the first time when he made his return, the whole crowd instantly knew who it was. That’s the importance of a good wrestling theme.

I once read someone say they used it to come down the aisle at their own wedding. Fantastic.

Next Time…

So we’re half way there, and since this is in alphabetical order, you’ll probably notice a few big name themes are missing.

The likes of Hulk Hogan, Brock Lesnar, Degeneration X, Edge, Bret Hart and of course Hillbilly Jim all have great themes, but they just didn’t make the cut.

Get Involved In The Debate

Stuart Reviews Stuff is a free entertainment blog. If you enjoyed this or any other article on the site, please consider taking a moment to Like the official Facebook page. You can do that by clicking like on the side panel, or visiting the site here

You can also follow me on twitter @sgmilne

Feel free to get involved in the debate.