Professional wrestling has always had its fingers in many pots, so to speak. While there is a massive athletic component to wrestling there can be no denying that the entertainment side is just as important. Production value and presentation have been a cornerstone of professional wrestling since its inception. It gives pro wrestling a larger-than-life feel and has been a perfect way to bring in a new audience. The WWE Music over the past 40ish years have been some of the very best.
When looking at the individual wrestler we can see just how important the entertainment side of pro wrestling is. If a wrestler does not have the proper packaging behind them they can be a flop right out of the gate.
The most important part of this packaging is wrestlers’ entrance music. Entrance music is our introduction to the wrestler. It establishes the character of the wrestler to the audience and if it falls flat it can ruin the wrestler before they hit the ring.
On the other side, fantastic entrance music can jump-start the crowd and help to put a wrestler over the top. Below, we will take a look at the ten best of these entrance themes.
Vince McMahon – No Chance in Hell
Mr.McMahon, in the late 90s, became one of the greatest heels of a generation. As the boss, he would push his favourites to the top while using any means necessary to screw over the fan favourites of the time.
To go along with his abuse of power Mr.McMahon adopted one of the best heel entrance themes. No Chance In Hell, originally used for Royal Rumble 1999, was the perfect vehicle to introduce Mr.McMahon. The lyrics captured his mantra perfectly as anyone who went up against him had no chance in hell of prevailing.
It had the perfect opening for wrestling as the whispers of No Chance built into a perfect crescendo to introduce the Boss. The guitar chords played the perfect strutting music as McMahon would make his way to the ring. It signaled the end for whichever wrestler was unfortunate enough to be in the squared circle.
The New World Order – New World Order Theme
Following Hulk Hogan’s shocking heel turn, in 1996, a new faction was created. Along with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, the Immortal One created the New World Order. A faction that would change the landscape of professional wrestling.
Differing from heel factions of the past, the NWO was cool to cheer for. They brought in a more mature audience and helped to turn the tide in the Monday Night Wars.
Adding to the coolness of the group was their amazing entrance music. The NWO theme was the exact entrance that the group needed. The guitar riffs that echoed throughout the arena were incredibly catchy and easy to dance along to.
In a time where WCW was still using some generic/ run-of-the-mill themes, the NWO theme was a deviation. It was a cool theme that became just as popular as the group itself.
Bray Wyatt – Live In Fear
Windham Rotunda had bounced around as several characters before he hit a home run with Bray Wyatt. As the cult leader, he was a mesmerizing and unique character. Outside of Waylon Mercy, in the mid-90s, we had not seen a character such as Bray Wyatt in WWE.
The whole packaging of the Bray Wyatt character was brilliant and that includes the outstanding entrance music that he was given. Performed by Mark Crozer, Live In Fear was the exact piece of music that needed to accompany Wyatt to the ring.
The soothing tones and southern style were exactly what his entrance needed. It was a charming piece of music that a cult leader would use. It brought the fans in and had us chanting along with the tune as Wyatt made his way to the ring. It was an eerie reminder that Wyatt had the whole world in his hands.
Ric Flair – Dawn
From the 80s to 90s there may be no better wrestler in the world than Ric Flair. The Nature Boy was at the top of the mountain in WCW and was the measuring stick for all other wrestlers.
Flair’s character lived a high lifestyle. He rode the private jets, the limo’s, had all the girls, and was the rich man that we all loathed. To go along with his lifestyle Flair was given the perfect accompanying entrance theme.
Coming from a larger piece by Richard Strauss, Dawn provided the grandiose entrance that Flair needed. The slow start that leads to a beautiful orchestra crescendo was the perfect vehicle for Flair to strut out to. It announced to the world that the man was coming to the ring.
Chris Jericho – Break Down The Walls
Coming over from WCW the Millenium Man needed to announce himself to the world. Outside of the brilliant countdown clock that he was given Chris Jericho debuted a fantastic entrance theme.
Jericho’s rock-inspired theme was the perfect song to accompany Y2J to the ring. It was an incredibly catchy tune and one that fit in perfectly with Attitude Era WWE Music.
It was also unique for the time. In WWE Music, most entrances were composed by Jim Johnston. To have something go outside of his formula gave the fans something new to listen to. It was a great idea and one that has built Break Down The Walls into one of the greatest entrances of all time.
Ultimate Warrior – Unstable
The wrestling world was introduced to a wild man in 1987. Running to the ring with a painted face and tassels WWE music fans witnessed something they haven’t seen before. He would shake the ropes and spout gibberish during his promos to the point that no one truly understood what he was saying.
This larger-than-life character, the Ultimate Warrior, became one of the most popular characters on the roster. The fans adored him and would raise to their feet anytime he would come running to the ring.
One of the best selling points for Warrior was his amazing entrance music. It was a simple yet incredibly effective piece of music. The erratic guitar chords match the character perfectly and it was an easy tune to get a pop from the crowd.
The Ultimate Warriors entrance theme proved that the simplest ideas can also be the most effective
Hulk Hogan – Real American
It is always shocking to know that the perfect Hulk Hogan song was originally used for a thrown-together tag team. Thankfully, it was short-lived and the Immortal one soon took over one of the greatest entrance themes of all time.
Hogan was the biggest babyface WWE had in the 80s and 90s. He was the embodiment of the American spirit and he was someone that WWE music could use as a role model. That is why the entrance music given to him was so perfect. The lyrics to Real American were about a role model who upheld the American values that were considered so important.
Outside of the perfect matching with Hogan, it was an incredibly catchy song. The lyrics were easy to learn and it was upbeat enough to keep the fans buzzing throughout its duration. It was the exact song needed for the face of a company.
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin – Glass Shatters
The driving force behind the success of the Attitude Era was the anti-hero Steve Austin. Subverting the babyface ideal, Austin acted like more of a heel than a good guy. Regardless, he connected with the audience on a level that many had never gotten to.
To go along with his anti-hero persona, Austin had a great entrance theme. Glass Shatters was the anti-hero theme for the anti-hero. The song was dripping with attitude from the opening shatter. Once the glass broke we knew that there was gonna be hell to pay for whoever was in the ring.
The opening glass shatter is another great part of the entrance. Every great entrance needs to achieve that initial pop from the crowd and the glass shattering was a perfect way to achieve this. Steve Austin’s entrance theme for perfect for his character and ended up becoming the anthem of the Attitude Era.
Macho Man – Pomp and Circumstance
In the 80s, wrestling was a larger-than-life attraction. Unlike today the separation from reality was much wider and the wrestlers themselves were more characters than themselves.
One of the largest personalities of that era was the Macho Man Randy Savage. Savage was an incredibly gifted wrestler. He would march himself to the ring dressed in incredibly ornate robes that would set him apart from all else on the roster.
Matching his appearance was a piece of over-the-top entrance music called Pomp and Circumstance. Normally associated with graduation ceremonies, Savage’s entrance theme was the type of music his character needed. It gave him a grand entrance into the arena and put his opponents on notice that a master was on the way.
The Undertaker – Rest In Peace
When talking about the greatest talents in WWE music history, the Undertaker has to be at the top of the list. Since 1991, he has been a fixture on WWE programming and has amassed career accolades that would make other greats jealous.
What put The Undertaker over was the incredible presentation of his character. The amount of time and work that went into making every last aspect of The Undertaker perfect was the reason why he became the legend he is. This effort can be seen as soon as The Undertaker comes to the ring with his fantastic entrance theme.
The eerie sounds of an organ blasting through the arena was a great way to introduce the Undertaker. It sent chills up and down the audience members as well as the wrestlers in the ring. It has been reported by many a worker that the sound of the gong got their blood pumping just as much as the fans in attendance.
There have been many who have made their way through the curtain throughout the years, but none have had a better entrance theme than the man from Death Valley.
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