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Rasslin W/ Ryan Hernandez: Top 20 Theme Music in WWE History Part 1
Let's lace them up. [MUSIC] All right, what is going on, everybody? Welcome to another edition of wrestling with Ryan Hernandez. My name is Mike Andrade and my guest host. >> This is Ryan Hernandez, live from my college dorm building. So if you guys hear a little bit of background noise, I apologize. >> College background, Ryan, tell the folks what you're doing over there in college and where you're at. >> I am at San Diego State and I am in my senior year of journalism. And if all goes well, I should be getting my bachelor's degree at this upcoming sprint. >> That's all great, Ryan. I'm super proud of you for being over there at San Diego State. You're gonna kick butt this year. Watch out and say ass like John Cena and that meme. >> Aah, boobies. [LAUGH] Today we are talking about our top 20 WWE theme songs of all time. Honestly, Ryan, this one, I started putting it together. It was so much more difficult than what I expected it to be. How was it for you? >> Honestly a little bit. Because I have a good sense of my top 10 and even my top 5. But then once it gets to the top 15 and 20, it's a little difficult. Because there's been so many amazing theme songs in WWE. >> Mm-hm, right. I mean, there's so many bangers out there. And I feel like it was so hard to choose, like I was taking songs out, taking songs out. >> Banger, banger, what's that? >> Banger, after banger, after banger. >> And in recent years, burger after burger. But, and that's all due to the genius of the composer, the past composer of WWE, Jim Johnston. This guy- >> Oh, yeah. >> I mean, the genius when it came to the music that was being produced. Not only theme songs, but just like, intro's into the television, you know? Like, there's different things that like, if you look up on Spotify, it's called Uncaged. And they give you different snippets of what they were used to use on television. And like, if you're an old school fan, like I am, do you remember like, the still cage being lowered down, and they would have this ominous music being played? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> It's called- >> Yeah, everything. I think even, I think even a hell in itself had a little like riff going in the background. Jim Johnston, that dude was a, was a legend. Honestly, that dude never had any bad, bad theme. >> No, he didn't. You know, they weren't that great into his later years, but I mean, in the 90s, in the 2000s, you know? This guy was putting out classics. I mean, not just the classics, but they would fit the mold of the other character, the wrestler to its he. I mean, this guy had such a, a, you know, just his finger on the pulse of what the wrestler needed for their entrance music. And so there's so many songs that I feel like I could have put in that I got left out. Maybe next week we'll do our, you know, we're gonna do our top 10, 10 through number one next week. And then we'll do a, you know, a list where, you know, we could have put that on the list as well. But a, like a honorable mention type of list. But let's get into it, Ryan. What is your 20th top theme song of all time? >> My 20th top theme song of all time is I have to go with the nature boy, Rick Flair. And the only reason that that number is 20 is just because like, I know, I know for me personally, I like what them songs have lyrics. But with Rick Flair, it's so iconic, you know, here in the iconic woo in the front of it, like, and just like the aura it wouldn't give off. So I have that at number 20, you could argue it can maybe be a little higher or maybe even a little lower. But I know for me that that's my number 20. >> No, I totally forgot about Rick Flair's theme song. And that's, that's really cool. I would have put that, definitely would have put that in my top 20 had I had thought about that. You know, I was kind of just more thinking like WWE specific things, even though there's one or two that's really not. But you know, because Rick Flair had that theme song in WCW and in AWA and all that. So definitely, well, Jim Johnston did compose a little bit different when he came to WWE back in 2002. But that's a good one. So my top 20 is, I feel like it's, it's a classic, you know. But maybe something that people have forgotten about and people may not have heard it. I definitely think it's one of those theme songs that it's just like you feel like when I said Jim Johnston has this pulse. This finger on the pulse of what a superstar needed. So this song is called Blood, and it was for the entrance of Gangrel. If you haven't heard this theme song, go back and listen to it. It's on the volume music three that came out in 1999, the intro to that theme, you know. Whatever they're saying in that theme, you know, just the intro to it. Dun, dun, dun, dun, dun. You know, it just fits Gangrel's character and the brood character to a tee. It's so omnibus. It's so just so, you know, dark and evil. And you know, it fits everything that you would think the brood characters were. So if you haven't listened to that, go back, go back and listen to it because I feel like I've proposed this list off of like stuff I can like go to the gym with. And this is one of them. Oh yeah, yes, definitely. Have you heard that one? Yes, I have, I have, yeah. Yeah, it's really, and just like the like the little minute details in that song, you know, just so good. So good. Anyways, all right, let's go. Number 19, what do you have? Number 19, I have Triple H's theme of my time. OK, OK, that's a good one. Yeah, and I figured, you know, like, it's not iconic as, you know, like, is a current theme song, which I will get to later on in my list, but it is a, it is a pretty good. The theme song, in my opinion, and I felt like if it fit his character at the time and honestly Triple H is one of those superstars who has never had a bad theme song. Right, exactly. Maybe except for the Blue Blood Hunter, or his Helmsy character. But that's a really good one, you know, I remember when Triple H transformed his character from the DX Triple H to the more serious singles competitive Triple H and he used that theme song and people loved it. You know, it really fit his character to the tee with the Green Grail theme song. My number 19 is something that people may not have heard of as well. It's going back to the mid 1990s and on the subject of Jim Johnston, this guy, like I said, was just such a genius of what the superstar needed. And this song is for Psycho Sid, it's called Psycho Dance. If you haven't heard this one before, it's based off of the movie The Shining with Jack Nicholson. It has that very screechy sound to it, you know, like shit's going to happen right now, like you better get out of the way. You remember in the scene where Jack Nicholson, you know, pops his head into the door, you know, it's shocking, yeah. So basically it's based off of that, so it has that type of tempo to it. It's such a creepy song. It really just is a creepy song, but it's so good. You have to like, you have to listen to it if you haven't listened to before. And that's my number 19. All right, what is your number 18, Ryan? My number 18 is, this was, you know, this is a little bit of a maybe one that people would think like, really, it's a certain version of a, of a previous theme song. Number 18, I have Christian's OG theme. I/O people are going to argue with that, but I have Christian's OG theme, the one with the girl singing it. And the only reason it's there is because when I started watching WWE and I got into it, Christian had his more like frequent thing with the guy singing it. So his original thing with the girl singing is my number 18. You know, Ryan, you know how I feel about that theme song. I think that theme is way better with the female lead on it. One from like 2004, 2005. That one is way better than the one he came out with, came back with in 2009. Like, hands down, the female lead on that voice's, that song is, it's just incredible. I love it. I don't know. I would have that. I didn't put that in my top 20, but maybe I should have, but I really do love that song. My number 18 is break the walls down with Chris Jericho. That song is just an iconic song for me for, you know, basically when I started watching wrestling and, you know, really falling into it in the mid 1990s into the 2000s, you know, break the walls down. It was on the music volume four. My brother bought that CD. He had all the CDs, basically, music volume two, music volume three, volume four, and this one was on volume four music play it all the time. And it's such a good kind of hip hop slash like all rock type of type of vibe, you know, that's what they're really going for in this theme song for Chris Jericho. And it really hits like I can still listen to that theme song today. All right, what's your number 17? My number 17 is actually Brock Lesnar's theme song, the next big thing. Really? I know a lot of people are like, really, it's in your top 20? But like, you got to think about it. When people hear the opening of a theme song, the crowd goes crazy. That's why I have it in my top 20 simply because of the crowd reaction alone when they hear that the theme song hit. Yeah, I mean, you're, there's definitely a point where like, you know, I think Jim Johnson's, that's another one of his creations where the theme hits and you automatically know that this is Brock Lesnar and Brock, it just sits the tone for the ask for that Brock Lesnar is, you know, it's a really good one. I don't have that in my top 20, but it's, yeah, that's a, that's another good one. All right. Number 17, I have Voices for Randy Orton. I love Burning My Light, and that's going to be on my list somewhere down the line. But Voices to me is also another banger, you know, like you can put that on at the gym, you know, and you can play it, maybe hear the car and if people don't know that's a wrestling song, they'd be like, damn, that's pretty good. You know, I just love like the tempo of like the guitars, like the lyrics, all of it together, and it really fit the character for what Randy Orton was going for in the later 2000s when he was punking people in the head, doing just a bunch of dastardly stuff with legacy and I think that theme song is a really good one. Yeah, I agree with you that that is a pretty iconic, iconic song still has it today. All right, number 16, what do you have? My number 16 is I have this fire burn, seeing punks original. Okay. I know some people might be like, well, you'd be hired, and it could be hired, but some of these other songs I have, I feel like I just, you know, have the edge a little bit. I'll get into that later, but I think this fire is, is, you know, very synonymous with see him plunking his early, early days, you know, in his eyes to be the superstar that he is today. Right, definitely. And the last time it was used was in probably John Cena and CM Punk's The Greatest Match at Money in the Bank, 2011, and probably iconic entrance that CM Punk has ever had. You're sure. You know, people love pulse personality I love pulse personality that's going to be on my list later on. Um, but yeah, no, that's, that's definitely a good one. All right, number nine, number 16 may come to a little surprise, but it's, Viva la rasa with Eddie Guerrero. Um, I don't know, like, it's, it's like, I love with us in that song, he just brings me back to good memories like watching Eddie Guerrero, you know, perform, you know, like, that was like, peak wrestling fandom for me too, and like the, you know, ruthless aggression era. You know, I couldn't stop watching wrestling during that time, like, it was just on repeatedly in my room. And so watching Eddie Guerrero being a big Smackdown fan, having that theme song playing, it just brings back good feelings. It's such a good, like, a good feeling song to listen to, you know, like cheap and steel, like, that just brings back a lot of good memory memories for me so that's my number, number 16. All right, what's your 15. My number 15 is break the walls down, Chris Jericho. Um, again, I think it just, it's synonymous with who Chris Jericho is, the crowd always goes crazy when they hear it and that song just was like, it really got the crowd all pumped up and it really just fit. Who Chris Jericho was regardless of the character he was playing whether he was the, the baby face or the heel that song fit him like perfectly. Exactly. Yeah, definitely. It really did. And I think it's better than Judas, but that's just my, that's just my humble opinion. Um, my number 15 might take people by surprise, but it's kingdom. With Cody Rhodes. Whoa, I think it's such a. Now I think 10 years from now, I think people will look back on it. And people will think that's such an iconic song because of who Cody is right now. But I like listening to that song. It's a, it's a, it's a banger. It really is. Um, you know, I can't put it in my top 10, you know, but it's one of those theme songs that he carried over from a w. Um, and the fans know exactly what to do, you know, in that song. So I think like theme songs where the wrestler can control the audience with what they're going to do. And do you know exactly what they're going to do? Like, yeah, it works. And, um, everyone does the whoa. Everyone does it. Um, so that's why it's, it's up there on my list and it's a really good listen. All right. What's your number? Did you talk? Did you do your 15? Yeah, it was a break the wall of them. What's your 14? My 14 is actually AJ Styles theme song phenomenal. I know it's not it. I know it's not a Jim Johnson's on it. The CFO song. But it is, but it is a, you know, iconic songs synonymous with AJ Styles since his thing is, you know, that he is a phenomenal one. Like, I remember there are times where the crowd would sing it. And so it's just like the fact that if it's a song that you get the crowd singing to it and have a reaction to it, you know, you have a good theme song. Right. And I hate the fact that they changed it recently. Yeah. I will see why why are they changing the music when it's they're not replacing it with anything better than what it was because the music has been crap over the last few years, but they're not giving us anything that's better. They're just replacing like shame is his theme song. And his like everyone loved the lobster head song. And then they changed it a few weeks later. That's rebel for you. Yeah. I don't get it. All right. So my number 14 is real American with Hulk Hogan. I think when you listen to that song, you know exactly who that theme song belongs to and such an iconic song, not just for Hulk Hogan, but for America. And everyone knows the lyrics to that song. I'm a real American. You know, everyone knows it. It's such an iconic song. And everyone associates the red and yellow Hulk Hogan with it. I'm trying not to repeat wrestlers on this list. But there's a couple of wrestlers, Hogan included that I repeated because you just have to. Yeah. All right. What is your number 13? My number 13. Is. That's on you just as a real American. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, wow. And I think that just because like I guess, like you said, it's anonymous with Hulk Hogan once that's on play, everybody knows I call it. It's like, you know, everything he didn't represent it because he was the guy for WWE and WWE left for a long time. Like he was, he was. Yeah. Like if you heard that song, you know, like, if that's Hulk Hogan, exactly. He's, you know, he was the original, the original guy that that made WWE into what it is today. You know, I may not be too fond of him today. But he does have a, he does have an iconic feature. So I have to give him props for that. Right. Exactly. All right. So my number. My number 13 is evolution made by Motorhead for the group evolution. I actually, I think the song is called mine in the sand. Yeah. That's all. Yeah. That's my 13. That's in my top 10. We'll get to that when we get to that next. Okay. That's the beauty about doing our list because you may have a song that's in your top 10. And in my, you know, my songs may be out of it, but, you know, that's the beauty about doing your list right now. And that song is just such a cool listen to. The Motorhead does did such a great song job composing that song for the group, you know, they composed the game for Triple H. They composed King of Kings for Triple H. And they did such a really great job of just fitting the mold of what the group evolution was all about, you know, just having the power, the money, the limousine writing, you know, the, all the women, you know. It kind of capsulated that into actually to what the word evolution in the dictionary means to so listening to that song is just a good capsule what everything was doing that time. All right, what is your problem. Mine number 13 you mean. Yes, what did you know the 13. My number 13 is the excess theme song are you ready. Okay, and I have that because, again, it's another Jim Johnson classic and various anonymous with degeneration actually really fit. You know, the character of Triple H and Shawn Michaels, the crowd always was a new way to always got the crowd hyped up, you know, throwing the glow sticks and then the. That's pyro to just add that song is iconic you could probably argue that it can maybe be a top 10 song or maybe even lower but I know for me I feel like 13, 13 is a good topic if there's just a few theme songs that I think are a little bit better. All right, that song that sounds in my top 10. Yeah, but my my top 10 version of that is 1999, not the 2007 version, but that's still an iconic song is basically the same thing. Yeah, such a great, it just, you know, like I said, it, it reminds you of the time, you know, the attitude era, you know, 99, 98, 2000 around there. You know, brings back the floods memories of what that time represented, and, yeah, it's such a good listen to. All right, so the mind number 12 is metalingus for edge. How is that not in your top 10 dude. How. That's the, the hard part about doing this list. I mean, there's so many songs that you can put in your top 10 and there's so many songs I wanted to put in my top 20 that I just couldn't because, you know, you had a pick and choose. You know, I think you know edge went through a couple theme songs before hitting on this one. And I mean, whether edge was a dastardly hill, or a baby face. And in my, you know, when he came back in 2020 at the word rumble having the song playing it kind of just fit like the all the emotion that was going on through the arena and through edge. And especially with the lyrics, it's like, I get another chance to live the dream. It's, it's like his dream was taken away from them. And you got another chance. Exactly. Yep. So I love this song. I love playing you at the gym. It's such a manger. So, yeah, you could argue it's a new top 10. But to me, it's in my top 10. It's in my top 10 for sure. All right, for sure. Number, well, we are number 12. Yeah. My number 12 is voices. You know, by Randy. And the reason I have voices, very similar reason to yours. I do for bird burn in my light, which I'll get into that. Actually, it just isn't just a second here. But I think voices is again synonymous with who Randy Orton is, especially now, was like the international crowds and even now the American crowd, they sing along to it. And that theme song is just like as soon as you hear that the I hear voices, the crowd just goes crazy. They go crazy. Mm hmm. Exactly. And then you, it's at a point down where the crowds are, you know, singing the words word for word in the arena. You know, and it just gets people pumped. You know, with the lighting and all, all of it, it's, it's a really good one. I agree. So my number 11 is metal. M-e-d-a-l, like a gold medal for the Olympic hero Kurt Angle. You shot. And that's exactly why. You know, having that theme song play through Kurt Angle's journey in WWE. And it's a classic man, you know, he'll or babyface that song fit him to a tee, you know. And people may not realize this as well. Some people know this. But that theme song was not reasonably used for Kurt Angle. Do you know who it was used for? No, I don't think I know this actually. So go look in your Google, go look in your YouTube, and it was actually made for a wrestler name. Dell the Patriot, the Patriot Wilkes. The Patriot only lasted maybe a year in WWF 1997. Most notably feeding with Bret Hart. So you can go back and YouTube the Patriot versus Bret Hart. I think they, they, they faced off at it in your house in 97, maybe on a Monday Night Raw. But the Patriot was a, was a guy that didn't really last long, but he had a good career wrestling for other companies. And then when he came to WWF, he kind of just faded out with his injuries. Just kind of took over him and didn't really last long, but he used that theme song. And that's, you know, when he went away, the theme song, you know, wasn't used and then they brought it back for Kurt Angle. I feel like that theme song was tailor made for Kurt Angle. You know, just everything about creating was character, the intensity, the, you know, the Olympian, you know, like the ass kicker, everything about Kurt Angle. You know, that theme song fit him to its end. Of course, the use sucks. You know, in the, like, like we talked about, if you can get a crowd involved with your theme song, then you're doing something right. Yeah. All right, what's your number 11? I'm going into my number 11, just, just missing the cup of my top 10, just like with a slight edge. Like he said, this is a really hard, tough life because there's so many great theme songs. This one is big book arguably said in other people's top 10s, they would be in mind, but it's just slightly missed out. But number 11, I do have burn in my light, Randy Orton's. Hey, nothing you can say. It's just because that song, again, voices, you know, it's also a great song. But that song was like really where we started to see like the rise of Randy Orton, you know, he had that theme song when he became the youngest world heavyweight champion and, you know, like that that song was just like really introduced us to like the star that Randy Orton would become later on in his career. Oh, yeah. So the legend character, legend killer character from, you know, Randy Orton, that that song was just, you know, perfect for him. You know, I think like, you know, my, like, like I talked about Eddie Guerrero and, you know, all those theme songs from like the attitude era and the ruthless aggression, you know, Randy Orton was one of my guys watching. I love Randy Orton, what, you know, as a kid. So listening to that theme song, it's such an iconic theme song for him. Yeah, and I love alternative rock. And so like the 10th part of that song, you know, like the way he just plays out, let's say they're made for a young upstart like Randy Orton. So, no, so good. So good. All right. Going into my top 10 here. Well, not my top 10 my. Are we going to do a 10? Yeah, we're going to do a 10. Do our 10 and then we'll do the rest is next episode. Yeah, we'll do the rest next week. All right. So my number 10 to finish out today is slow chemical. And it's for Kane, the 2003 version of King without the mask. You know, that song. You can play it at the gym, dude, and just fucking gets you going. You know, yeah. Yeah, I am actually surprised I did not have that in my top 20. But that just because that's the theme song, I honestly forgot about. But again, it's like I said, there's so many great theme songs. Some of them just like, you know, slip, slip your mind. It does. And that theme song was so chemical, dude, like the lyrics, everything about it, dude. It's just, it's so great. You know, a fit Kane to a tee, you know, and it's just like the genius. I know wasn't really composed by him, Johnston, but he brought in other people to perform it. But. It's just like the genius of having the, like these bands play the theme song for a character and it was just amazing. I think it was on the. Was on the album for the movie, the Punisher. Back in like the mid 2000s. So maybe it wasn't made specifically for Kane, but they used it for him anyways and such a badass theme. Yeah. All right. So my number 10 is no more words. Yeah, party. I think that that song is just, you know, so. So iconic and it gets the fans pumped. It gets me pumped. That's a song I can listen to in the gym. And just like, you know, that, that song really person personified who Jeff Hardy was. And like. I remember like even, even though it was, it was brief. When he returned with that theme song for the first time against the carrying cross. I don't know if you remember, but carrying cross and like a big smile on his face. When he, when he heard that theme song. Yeah, I remember that during 2008, 2009, Jeff, he was, he was over like Rover, man, like. Yeah, there was a legitimate threat to, you know, he was a legitimate like threat to like, seen in terms of being like the top. Yeah, I think he was selling like merchandise. And that's an equity net that point. Yeah, he was competing with Cina in like every aspect in terms of like popularity, merch sales, just like everything like, like, he, he was something he was a whole different breed in like 2008, 2009. I know when he won the WWE Championship, the crowd just went ballistic. They were just went nuts. Yeah, they weren't crazy when he won that title, and he really carried back down him and see him punk carried back down there that year. Yeah, they're, they're feuding 2009 was definitely, that was definitely the future of the year for first back down that that during that time. Exactly. But yeah, all right, that does it for our twenty through ten list next week will give you nine through number one. Ryan, anything you want to tell the good people that are listening to this. Again, thank you for tuning in, you know, this, this wouldn't be possible without you guys, you know, tell your friends, spread spread the word because you know, we want to make this go big, you know, and so without you guys, this wouldn't be possible. So just thank you guys for tuning in. Yeah, we love you guys. We love you guys tuning in. So, yeah, look at me being being like big old baby face right here. Yeah, exactly. Yes, I mean this a bit huge. Thank you. If you are listening to this and spending your time listening to this podcast, this is a huge thank you. You know, he's thinking to anybody that's watching our content on YouTube and listening on Spotify and all any, any way you can listen to the podcast. Thank you. There's a lot coming up that I'm doing for this podcast and for the channel. A lot of sports related content so if you love LA sports, if you love the Lakers if you love Dodgers if you love the Clippers, if you love the Rams, there's a lot coming your way I just posted. And my homage to my hero Kobe Bryant called Kobe Bryant's family and community you can watch that on YouTube you can view it on our Instagram page. And that's all going to be linked here. But there's a lot coming your way I'm working really hard on on putting things together for for us and as every week we're going to do this wrestling podcast. So just thank you guys thank you guys for listening. Thank you to Ryan, you know, you're a busy man in college but just thank you for committing yourself to this podcast and, you know, and doing what you can. You know, yeah. Yeah. All right, guys. Until next time my name is my country. You know I am Brian Hernandez we will see you all on next Sunday with the wrestling with yours truly it from a very discreet location. Oh, it sounds, it sounds kind of eerie. Are you in the woods somewhere. I think so we might be in you know nice little little little cabin up by a lake is it fell off my shirt. We will be in a look in a discreet location somewhere we're going to be recording live for the first time together, not just the zoom but in person together so look out for it guys. We'll see you later. Later. Ross and with Ryan Hernandez.