WNS Writer's Council - Theme Music

With the release of Signature Sounds: The Music of the WWE, the other writers and I thought it would be a good time to discuss our favorite entrance themes. A wrestler’s entrance is very important. It leaves a lasting impression, so we wanted to say a few things about the ones that really stuck with us.  

Vinny Fucci – Randy Savage “Pomp and Circumstance”

When a wrestling fan is upon graduation, the thought of getting a diploma in hand is the last thing on the mind. You want to receive your cap and gown so that you can put it on and pose in a mirror to see how you look in it or maybe your going to spin around with your arms out then point to the sky as you reach deep down in your best impersonation of an iconic line of wrestling lure, “Ohhhh Yeeeahhh!”

My favorite theme music goes all the way back to the 80’s. An oldie but a goodie, “Macho Man” Randy Savage’s theme, Pomp And Circumstance, is completely timeless because it’s an instrumental that everyone can relate too. The song evokes a presence of prestige and is an automatic “champion’s song”; it is the song for the cream that rises to the top! It is the song for those that are funky like a monkey! The music makes me want to climb the highest dresser in my house and drop a Flying Elbow. I sometimes play it to do homework as a means of motivation that one day I will walk to the stage of academia whilst pointing to the heaven’s above. Dig it!

Stephen Wilds – Edge “Metalingus”

I have always been an edgehead. The Rated-R Superstar was a mysterious and intense individual since his debut, so it takes a powerful song to signal his descent to the ring. The title itself is rock and vulgarity beautifully mixed, Metalingus, by the band Alter Bridge. WWE’s version of the song begins with the heavy riffs, smoke, and the roar of the crowd, leading to a fierce superstar’s emergence. The song is powerful all the way through, with strong lyrics and forceful percussion work. There is an inspirational fervor to it, an energy that lets fans know a fight is coming. It remains on my playlist for the gym to this day.

The character of Edge evolved throughout his time in WWE, and his music needed to change to show that progression. The near-iconic “you think you know me” line remained at the beginning, not forgetting his past but embracing how much better he had become on the mic and as an entertainer—an extreme presence. I always perked up at hearing this entrance, knowing I was in for a good match or interesting segment, and though he may be gone, it still feels so good to hear this tune that excited me so much as a fan.

Craig Liggeons - Chris Jericho “Break the Walls Down”

On the iconic date of 8-9-99 Chris Jericho made the greatest debut in the history of Sports entertainment. Interrupting the almighty Rock in the middle of one of his classic promos. The RAW stage literally explodes and there's Jericho standing with his arms outstretched with his back to the audience. In his book "UNDISPUTED", Jericho wrote that he stole it from a Michael Jackson concert he saw in Mexico City in 1993. Michael rose from underneath the stage in a crucifix position and didn't move for what seemed like hours while the crowd got louder with each second. Watching the countdown to "The Millenium Man" at home I was standing up in anticipation just like the live crowd. What really sold the entrance, the debut, and Jericho himself was the music. I mean, you blow up the entire RAW stage there had better be some kick ass music to back up the moment! Jericho's song does.  To be honest, the reason I instantly loved it was it sounded like a Beastie Boys song. The perfect blend of rock and rap. It still pumps me up every time I hear it. Even without the countdown, the screaming sound of  "Break the walls DOOOOOWWWWWWWWNNNNNNN!!!!!!!" instinctively makes me raise my arms in a Christ-like pose. It's a great song to cocky strut to, It's a song that makes me feel like, even though I may not be the biggest I can still be the best. It also helps that Chris Jericho, since that August night in 1999 has been the Best in my opinion. 10 time IC champion. First ever Undisputed Champion, and the engine that drives that success, the music. The words however make no sense ("Baby you're my Judas and I'm your Priest"?)but one should never let bad lyrics get in the way of a good song.

Bryan Garvin – Mankind “End Theme”

I think most of us tend to get used to, and at times, love the theme songs of our favorite wrestlers. Even songs that were repurposed as "wrestler themes" like Piper's Bag Pipes or Macho Man and Ric Flair's use of classical pieces aren't great "theme songs", yet still bring wonderful memories to mind every time we hear them.

I could easily go down that route, and I so want to, but I think there's one piece that needs not be forgotten. Granted, it was and still is a bit more abstract than anything we had seen before or will most likely see again. The one theme I have some the fondest memories of, because of how it added to the character, and how different that character was, wasn't even an entrance theme. It was the exit theme of Mankind.

You have this sadistic, and mostly self destructive, character appear at a time when wrestling was still cheesy. WWF was still "larger than life" and this character brought a darker side that we hadn't really experienced before. This was before the Attitude Era, yet the attitude and the unorthodox nature that Mankind brought allowed us a chance to escape to a new plane of entertainment. And, despite the craziness and the wrecklessness he brought to every single match, a soothing piano would welcome us back down to "reality".

Richard Hughes - Triple H "My Time"

Before "The Game" "King Of Kings" and other Motorhead songs, there was this lesser known Triple H theme song called "My Time". It had the backing track of "Higher Brain Pattern" by the legendary Jim Johnston and Chris Warren/DX Band over the top providing the lyrics. Triple H debuted this theme just at the begining of his first WWE Championship reign, moving on from using the famous D-Generation X music and the Beethoven piece of years ago.

This was right around the time where I was getting into wrestling, and at Fully Loaded 1999, Triple H came out to the lyric'd version of "My Time" with a new look (Switching from Tights to Trunks). With a staple of the 90's Rap-Metal theme, the intoxicating guitar rift in the background and the techno-style pulsing effects made this theme truely memorable.

Triple H would go on to use the theme until the debut of "The Game" on RAW in January 2001, when he would return from his brief month out after the Hell In A Cell ar Armageddon the previous month to fight nemesis Stone Cold, and we would get the epic Two Out Of Three Falls match at No Way Out 2001.

While Motorhead would provide Triple H with the much better suited "The Game" theme song from here on out, "My Time" was the theme that most sticks in my head when I think of Hunter despite it only being used for around 2/3 years. The WWF was just about coming back in the race with WCW after the period of Shawn Michaels & Bret leaving, and Austin's neck was a mess and The Undertaker was taking a brief break too. So it truely was Triple H's time to step up. A simliar story was told a few years later, with John Cena's "My Time is now".

Those are the picks from the WNS Writer's Council, but what is yours? Let us know in the comments.