Our Ten Best: Pro Wrestling Theme Songs

The music starts and everybody rises out of their seats. Wrestling fans know this moment for sure. Their favorite wrestler’s about to come out. Or maybe it’s that wrestler they can’t stand and they’re ready to boo them until they’re blue in the face. Whether they like it or not, it’s that wrestler’s time to shine. Throughout wrestling history, nothing defines a wrestler more than the reaction they receive when their music hits. The music they choose shapes that kind of reaction.

Here is a list of the Top 10 Wrestling theme Songs based on a combination of crowd reaction, song popularity, and how well the song helps to get that wrestler’s entrance over.

10) Edge (Alter Bridge- Metalingus)

Thunderous guitar riffs that are only fit for the “Rated-R Superstar” himself boost throughout the arena. Edge jumps around on the stage and leans on the ropes in a way that doesn’t make him look like some chump dancing in his bedroom. Off the band’s 2005 release, “One Day Remains,” it’s still Edge’s theme. The song’s quickly been recognized by Alter Bridge’s fans and from Edge using it as his theme, the band’s gained more fans. Alter Bridge even appeared on an episode of Raw with Edge and were described as Edge’s “good friends.”

9) Bryan Danielson (Europe- The Final Countdown)

Bryan Danielson (who now wrestles for WWE as Daniel Bryan) was one of the “founding fathers” of Ring Of Honor Wrestling. Before forcing his opponents to submit to his cattle Mutilation finisher, he sent the place into a frenzy, singing the words to “The Final Countdown” whilst atop the top turnbuckle pointing to the sky during his entrance. There was one time in ROH where if you attended a show and heard that synth-riff, something was about to go down. Danielson’s use of the song got him so over that before his departure for WWE, ROH named four of his sendoff shows “The Final Countdown Tour.”

8) Sandman (Metallica- Enter Sandman)

In sports, when “Enter Sandman” plays, Mariano Rivera comes out to save the game the game for the Yankees. In ECW, when “Enter Sandman” played, The Sandman came out to deliver a brutal ass-kicking. On his way to the ring, he would cut through the crowd, leading them through the words of the song while downing a few brews. Using this song helped Sandman get over and became a staple at ECW shows.

7) Triple H (Motorhead- The Game)

Guitar drenches sweep your ears like thunder and the words “time to play the game” flood the arena. He’s got your attention. Like the words from the song proclaim, “It’s all about the game and how you play it…” Hunter takes a swig of bottled water, climbs onto the apron, and spits the water directly into the air. Nobody else does that. The song makes that kind of entrance possible.

6) CM Punk (Living Colour- Cult Of Personality)

“Look in my eyes, what do you see? The cult of personality…” Such simple words, but it’s these words that WWE superstar CM Punk lives by. Shortly after his return to WWE, Punk came out to this song to announce himself as WWE champion. The song’s a throwback to his indie days when he used the song in ROH. After Punk came out with it in WWE, the song from 1989 suddenly appeared at #111 on the iTunes Top 200 for July 2011. That speaks volumes, but Punk’s used to his actions and choices “speaking volumes.” He wouldn’t be himself if that wasn’t so.

5) D-Generation X (Chris Warren Band)

It’s an entrance most fans are familiar with. When they hear the words, “break it down!” followed by that guitar riff, it’s crotch-chops galore. The video screen switched back between DX making their way to the ring and highlights of DX’s past antics. It was an entrance style never before seen.

4) Sting (A Man Called Sting)

WCW used to create their own theme music for wrestlers with actual lyrics about them. The best of this bunch was a song named “A Man Called Sting.” With lyrics like, “He’s done this, he’s done that. He’s big as a bull and quick as a cat. He looks fine, he looks cool. He’s his own man and he’s nobody’s fool, He’s a man called Sting…” This ode to the blonde-haired, face-painted hero remains to this day one of wrestling’s more recognizable themes.

3) nWo Theme

When the New World Order formed in 1996, they took WCW by storm. They had an image all their own: black-and-white with static. It was cooler than you. Their music fit their image perfectly. It rocked, rolled, had a little funk, you knew it when you heard it. It’s often been imitated, but nothing beats the original. Same goes for the Wolfpac, their theme song alone got them over with the fans.

2) Stone Cold Steve Austin (Glass Shattering)

One of the main staples of WWE’s “attitude era” was the beer-swilling, hell-raising S.O.B., Stone Cold Steve Austin. What better way to signify his presence than the sound of breaking glass? The crowd erupted when they heard glass break because it meant one thing: Stone Cold was here and hell was about to break loose.

1) Hulk Hogan (Rick Derringer- Real American)

Quite possibly one of wrestling’s first theme songs, this one that started it all. Originally created for the tag team of Barry Windham and Mike Rotundo, who would’ve been called “USA Express” until they departed to NWA, nobody thought this song would soon define “hulkamania.” How they were wrong. It was the perfect song for the biggest star. It even had its share of imitation. When Hogan later joined WCW, his theme sounded similar to “Real American” and was even named “American Made.” With lyrics that defined leg drops and saving the day, it was loud and proud, got the fans excited, made Hogan more popular and everybody still knows this song and could tie it to Hogan. It’s everything a wrestling theme song should be.