World Wrestling Entertainment has always been known for its dramatic chair shots and body slams, but the theatrical “sports entertainment” program has also delivered some of the most recognizable original theme music in modern television. Since Monday Night RAW began broadcasting in January, 1993, the WWE has used hundreds of songs to accompany their wrestlers’ entrances—some rehashed hard rock songs from known bands, but the show mostly opted for originally crafted anthems specifically created for their characters. Composer Jim Johnston was the company’s main songwriter for more than three decades, and has consistently landed his theme songs on the Billboard charts. In November, 2002, WWE Anthology soundtrack even topped the charts during a 17-week run.
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Entrance songs play a vital role in helping build a wrestler’s character, whether it’s The Undertaker’s music, which sets the ominous mood the show wants portrayed, or Hulk Hogan’s music, where the song literally explains what the wrestler is fighting for (America).
Monday Night RAW will celebrate its 25th anniversary on this week’s episode and Noisey is looking back on the best 25 wrestler themes to ever come from television’s most popular pro wrestling company.
25. Mankind
24. Mark Henry
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23. Kevin Owens
22. Edge
21. Sami Zayn
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20. The Brood
19. Bobby Roode
18. Hulk Hogan
17. Fandango
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16. Dusty Rhodes
15. Bray Wyatt/The Wyatt Family
14. Asuka
During the 90s and 2000s, the WWE embarrassingly treated women’s wrestling as a sideshow. Glitzy and oversexualized Britney Spears rip-offs would often be the go-to for WWE when it assigned theme songs to its female fighters. But since 2015 and the WWE’s “Women’s Revolution” that gradually took place over the last three years, the overhauled division has been competitively booked and more fitting entrance music has come along with it. The unbeatable Japanese striker Asuka has one of best songs on the WWE’s current roster, aptly titled “The Future.”
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13. Finn Balor
Finn Balor is one of the most complex characters in professional wrestling today. But his theme music is simplistic in the way it checks off nearly all the boxes on being the perfect WWE theme song. Balor’s song can go on as long as it needs with its continuously looping riff, it has an orchestral, James Bond vibe that the WWE’s new primary songwriters CFO$ have been leaning towards in recent years (see: Shinsuke Nakamura, who later appears on this list). But most importantly, its cold drum open allows it flexibility, which the WWE production team has already expertly played around with to match Balor’s changing character during specific entrances.
12. Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho’s “Break Down the Wall” is one of the most recognizable pro wrestling entrances there is. Jericho’s long-running tenure in the WWF/WWE has made the track a generation-crossing wrestling hit that—like The Rock’s theme music—has gone through handfuls of versions and edits throughout the past two decades. Jim Johnston, the WWE’s longtime residential composer, had an excellent run with rap-rock during the Attitude Era in the late 90s, solidifying hits with Jericho, Degeneration X, and Vince McMahon.
11. Vince McMahon
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10. DX
9. Aleister Black
8. CM Punk
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7. Sasha Banks
6. Triple H
5. Shinsuke Nakamura
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