Jim Cornette on His Favorite Wrestling Entrance Music
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- Опубликовано: 13 апр 2025
- From Episode 290 of the Jim Cornette's Drive Thru
Artwork by Travis Heckel!
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Will say it again, Jim Johnston deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. That man produced countless classics.
Facts!
I’ll second that
I was going to write this comment but you did it for me..dude had banger after banger. Thats what's missing in wrestling these days it's someone's music hits and u immediately know who it is. Now it's a bunch of lame generic weird music and I'm going "who tf theme is that?"
100%
Jim Johnston created the Undertaker, the Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Ultimate Warrior, DX, Vince McMahon, Kane, Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar, Shawn Michaels, the Shield, Brood and Bret Hart theme songs, and more..
I cannot believe Jim didn't immedietely go "LIKE MUSSOLINI" after being asked this question.
Text I can hear
Because Jim knows this fire burns is better
@@drewconley6444 I was so excited when I saw the title because I thought he was going to do it. Everyone would've popped so hard.
SAME
@@SomeoneElse- want until the review of the new June 17th show. Corneys gonna pop big with "LIKE MUSSOLINI"
Jim Johnston is the GOAT. He actually put effort in creating theme songs. Even got certain bands involved that wrestlers probably wanted
Yes, he put effort, unlike people who say GOAT.
There was a wrestling doco from the 90s that had a short Jim Johnston interview, he described his process when he wrote entrance music using Vader’s as an example. Simple but brilliant
@@goodday2760it was typed he didnt say it
Andre the Giant's old NJPW theme might be my favorite pro-wrestling music of all time.
Bret Hart's theme is one of my all-time faves with the opening guitar squeal and then the driving, methodical rock beat with just enough flavor of a Canadian honky tonk. Brilliant.
Another favorite of mine is Trips' I Am The Game cut from Mötorhead. I'd have a hard time picking a favorite between that and Stone Colds Glass Shatters theme from the same era.
From the modern era, my fave is hands down Shinsuke's Rising Sun theme.
Cult of Personality is great as well, but mainly because it is a kickass song by a great band regardless of it being a wrestlers entrance theme.
I don't know who did his 2000 theme, My Time. But that was great as well.
living colour suck eggs
Stone Cold's is as classic as it gets. It has all the parts needed, the opening sound to get the pop from the crowd, the sound that matches the gimmick, and the beat that can be the backdrop to any great moment.
It captures Steve Austin: simple, hard hitting, attention getting and in your face.
Someone once said on youtube that "you could give that entrance them to Funaki, and people would believe he would be a world champion." THAT is the power of a great entrance theme
@@JepMasta that's why there aren't really any stars now..all the entrance music is garbage.
@@Sky_Blaze Asuka's theme is legendary
@@CadChamberlain that's like the only one I kinda fucked with even tho I dislike women's wrestling and Bray Wyatt themes were always on point.
Whenever I heard those bells chime on the radio as a kid, it was always a toss up. I always hoped it would be For Whom the Bell Tolls, but it was usually Hell’s Bells
Road Warriors (Iron Man - Black Sabbath) should be on the list. Midnight Express using the Giorgio Moroder theme song from the movie fit them perfectly.
Yeah but the updated version the Express started using in early '87 was even better.
that was the first thing that popped in my head. by the third drum beat the noise of the crowd would blow the roof off of the arena. you knew the Road Warriors were about to destroy somebody.
Nothing like the Road Warriors coming out to Sabbath and running and sliding under the ropes to start kicking ass.
Jim Johnsson created some of the most iconic theme songs in WWF/WWE history. My favourite entrance themes: Stone Cold, The Brood, The Rock, Bret Hart, My Time (Triple H), Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle and The Undertaker.
Actually Jimmy Hart and JJ Maguire did Shawn Michaels Sexyboy theme and Bret Hart
The WCW horsemen themes (especially the one with the horses galloping) is among the best pieces of music composed for a wrestler
I've used their 1996 theme as my cell phones ringtone for 15 years now.
you mean this one? ruclips.net/video/rFG_HUIuLNo/видео.html
Horseman theme is so 80s I can see it in multiple movies at that Time period it’s epic
@Jaideep Pannu 90s WCW had a lot of good music including the Four Horsemen. It's very dramatic. Crow Sting was also good. Brad Armstrong's and Raven's was awesome too. Hector Garza in WCW was good, reminded me of spaghetti Western music.
I like how the 4 Horsemen theme was used during the NWO parody with Kevin Nash, Syxx, Buff Bagwell, and Konnan.
A wrestler using a real song - Jimi Hendrix and Hollywood Hogan. That riff combined with Hogan's showmanship was the ultimate intro for any wrestler.
A wrestler using an original theme - Nation of Domination Rock (1998 "Do You Smell?" version, just before he joined the Corporation). A killer song that fit Rock's badass personality and cool demeanor.
Hollywood hogan made me a fan of hogan
That is good yes
Road Warriors and Iron Man was a match made in heaven too
Booker T's entrance music with the accompanying pyro is highly underrated...
Van Vader's original WCW music was God-tier. Perfect mix of grandiose and spectacular
It was pretty bad-ass. It was ominous, like Godzilla was on his way.
It reminded me of When Doves Cry by Prince.
Jim Johnston, James Horner, and Danny Elfman along with the dudes who did the classic Nintendo music and Yuzo Koshiro (Streets of Rage) are all up there for most influential. Modern I’d say MJF it’s such a douchey yet fun theme.
Rick Rude's "Simply Ravishing" is the best wrestling workout song.
Kane's original entrance music was AWESOME.
New Jack's "Natural Born Killas" by Dr. Dre and Ice Cube is classic. Sandman using "Enter Sandman," CM Punk's "Cult Of Personality." And, yeah, the Fabulous Ones using "Everybody Wants You" does stand out.
JYD "ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST!"
But it was JYD's Grab Them Cakes was better for him.
Modern: Cody’s, hands down. Kingdom is legitimately a good song independent of wrestling. The lyrics subtly reference Cody, but can also stand alone. For instance “My father said when I was younger ‘Hard times breed better men’”. That’s a line you could hear any dad saying, but the words “Hard times” mean something much different to a wrestling fan.
Adrenaline in my soul, some thing some thing Cody Rhodes. 👍
Mark Henry getting Three 6 Mafia on his track was pretty crazy.
Randy Orton's Legend Killer theme Burn In My Light might be my personal favorite. Ironically enough, Orton himself hated it.
Chris Benoit, his entrance is so distinct and captures the attention.
There's something between him and that song that always reminded me of Gladiator and Russell Crowe... don't know why, but it does lol
Matches him perfectly
@Swaggajackson Russell as Maximus always put on a show, kinda like Chris.
WcW music?
@@likemussolini4848 No, the theme he used in wwe. It conveys an emergent threat is coming. Whatever is the theme.
Warriors music was so good it was half his act
Jim Johnston created the Undertaker, the Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Ultimate Warrior, DX, Vince McMahon, Kane, Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar, Shawn Michaels, the Shield, Brood, and Bret Hart theme songs, and more..
Oh you didn't know?
You're ass better call somebody!
Jimmy hart had a big hand in the making of sexy boy
I swear Sexy Boy was all Jimmy Hart, but the rest, yeah.
If it wasn't him, someone else would have. We will never know if they would have been better or worse than Jim's, but he did a top notch job.
Want the Undertaker's theme basically a remixed version of the March Funèbre from Chopin? They always sounded similar, specially the earlier versions
Spike Dudley coming out to Highway to Hell in the original ECW is very underrated.
OG Road Warriors "IRON MAN"
The Franchise's Deep Purple Perfect Strangers entrance. 👍😃👍
Candido coming out to Back in Black, too
Hulk Hogan- Real American
Demolition-Demolition
The Ultimate Warrior-Unstable
Legion of Doom-Whata Rush
Bobby Roode-Glorious
Shinsuke Nakamura-The Rising Sun
The Brood-The Brood
Couldn't limit it to five.
Young boy
Man hearing Hogans theme back in the day and when he came out that to me is the beginning of the significance of themes going with the character.
Tom Sawyer for Kerry Von Erich was always one of my faves, and I liked Kamala’s entrance music…
Jimmy Valiant Boy From New York City and Leroy Brown coming into Jim Croce have stuck with me 40 some odd years later. Still smile when I hear them at work on Sirius 70s
The thing is that Jim Johnston used to compose real music to be used as entrance themes, he did collaborations with actual somewhat famous artists and everything.
Nowadays wrestling theme songs created in house are just crowd popping 30 second loops. AJ and Finn Balor's themes are catchy for sure to give an example, but they're just small loops instead of actual traditional music.
Baron Cobrin's "End of Days" was one of the last songs that was good and felt like an actual song not a loop.
All the music today in wwe and aew are awful theres not one damn theme that gets my attention ..they all just suck
Just a quick reminder....
Chris Jericho invented "Ao Ao Ooooo Ao Ao Ooooo" in every entrance theme! 🤘🤘🤘🤘
Dusty Rhodes Common Man Boogie is one the best entrance themes ever along with Gold Dust entrance theme and The Undertaker....
Road Warriors using Iron Man by Black Sabbath made me a wrestling and heavy metal fan even more so than I already was simultaneously
Everyone knows The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers had the best theme ever.
Not gonna lie, when Jim introduced me to the Adrian Street theme in this discussion, I immediately found it on RUclips and ended up listening to it 3 straight times 😅
both of his wrestling music albums are hilarious. "I'm in love with me"
@@takerdust”Something Very Strange About A Cowboy” was always a hilarious one
One of my favorites was the Undertakers "ministry" version of his entrance. To me that's his best theme. Harlem Heat was another.
Road Warriors blitzing the ring to Iron Man was legendary!
Edge, personally. The second "You think you know me" hits it gets so hard to hear in an arena.
When I was a kid in the 80s The Fabulous Ones(Stan Lane & Steve Kern) intro was so cool my brother & I used to record it on our VCR & reenact it ourselves
My top 5
1. Evolution - Line in the Sand
2. Edge - Metalingus
3. Kane - Slow Chemical
4. Chris Benoit - Whatever
5. DX - Beeak it down
Kane's Slow Chemical, Batista's I Walk Alone, Chris Benoit's Whatever, Edge's Metalingus, and Triple H's The Game are my go-to theme songs
Slow chemical was one of Kane's worst themes along with Man on fire.
Didn't fit his character at all and was awful.
And Christian’s Just Close Your Eyes
Can't top Mötorhead.
@@ValiantWrestling It was perfect, and fit him perfectly when he was at his peak.
@@polaris6644 it definitely fit him, especially after the unmasking in 2003 that dude you are responding to is just trying to be contrarian for attention.
When the first notes of "Iron Man" come on, you know the pain of the Road Warriors are coming!
Girls in Cars - Strike Force 👍
So many iconic entrances but for me Shawn Michaels was legendary. Dude sang his own theme, had unique pyro and it fit the gimmick so well - CLASSIC
jim johnston defined an entire era of professional wrestling. endless classics and hooks. these melodies were the soundtrack to how many iconic moments? HOF-worthy.
1) Adrenaline in My Soul
2) It's a shameful thing. Lobster head.
3) You think yk me
4) I've become I've become I've become a
5) LIKE MUSSOLINI WITH EXTRA CHEESE
Little boy, and it's a Shane, what's the Shane? You loose your life
My personal favorites that ive watched and thought it fit the character perfectly and love listening to while driving.
1. Brood
2. Warrior
3. Demolition
4. D'Lo Brown
5. Attitude Undertaker theme
Batista's "I Walk Alone", Eddie's "Lie, Cheat, & Steal", Imperium's borrowed Dvorak Symphony #9, Orton's "Burn in my Light", Wyatt's "Broken Out In Love", Christian's "Just Close Your Eyes" (Waterproof Blonde version), and literally any Triple H affiliated song by Motörhead, are my all time favorites.
The Acclaimed easily has one of the best and most original entrance currently. That's what got them over even before Billy Gunn.
There's literally so many lol from Jim
Johnston to Jimmy Hart etc. 👏👏👏
Loved The Varsity Club theme and Robert Fuller and Jimmy Golden using All Hell’s Breaking Loose in Continental Championship Wrestling. The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers theme is one of the most brilliant wrestling themes ever made. Kenta Kobashi’s Grand Sword theme is up there with Austin, Hogan, Rock and Bret as themes that hype me up.
Kobashi's theme is awesome. Misawa's theme personally pumps me up even more.
@@SomeoneElse- Midway through Kobashis song, that dramatic build up into that soaring guitar solo. It's like seeing Superman land and opening a can of whoop ass on the bad guy.
Eddie Guerrero “Lie, Cheat, Steal” entrance with the low rider was amazing IMO. Such a simple concept that he pulled off so well. RIP
The Curtis Axel entrance song that's a remix of his father's music is one of the best imo. I love that tune.
WWE entrences are now taking 15 min to get to the ring now not to mention the commercials and the talents are in the ring standing with the music playing 😁
Ric Flair and Vader's WCW theme songs are awesome. On Jim Johnston's side, I would say any of Undertaker's theme songs, Stone Cold, Goldust, Chris Master's theme, Kurt Angle, The Brood, Ken Shamrock, Mr Perfect might be on top of my list. Jim Johnston composed a ton of awesome music that I still listen to today
"Here comes the Ax, here comes the smasher..." That guitar riff
Hogan using Voodoo Child in his 2nd WWE run is my favorite
Hogan used VooDoo Child in WWE? Don’t you mean WCW?
@@Voysh2Voysh69 Vince licensed it right when Hogan returned. It’s what he actually came out to at WM18. The copy on the ‘Cock has been dubbed over.
@@Voysh2Voysh69 in 2002 after he separated from the nWo
One of my favorite themes back in the day. That used mainstream music was Ricky Steamboat when he used Sirius by The Alan Parsons Project.
This is hard.
1) Real American
2) Sexy Boy
3) The Gong - Undertaker
4) Glass Shatter
5) Pomp & Circumstance
6) The Ultimate Warrior
7) Basic Thuganomics
8) The Rock
I rushed this & was catching myself making corrections. Im SURE I'm missing someone. Ohhh! Flair!
Edit: HHH, Kurt Angle
"Whatever" by Our Lady Peace is pretty good 👍
Hulk Hogan(Voodoo Child Slight Return)/ Macho Man(Pomp and Circumstance)/Slick (Jive Soul Bro)/Ric Flair(2001:A Space Odyssey)/Ultimate Warrior (Unstable).
Rick Derringer. Hogan and Demolition. Timeless.
Mike Awesome's ECW theme is my amazing!
Undertaker's theme is probably my all time favorite. Listening to his theme without getting goosebumps is literally impossible for me.
1. Darkside (Ministry) - Undertaker
2. Break the Walls Down - Chris Jericho
3. Just close your eyes (V1) - Christian
4. Broken Dreams - Drew McIntyre
5. The Game - Triple H
“I loved the Eminem.”
Jim Cornette, 2023
Yes, I am aware he didn’t mean that Eminem.
Mankind's piano outro was awesome. Bret, Austin, and Taker's are iconic. The Brood's entrance was visually impressive. I never thought I would say it, but Cena's entrance and music is excellent. And Taz WWF music was tight until they buried him. Hogans Hendrix/Nwo was cool.
My most hated, the standard NWO music and voice that says NWO over and over, All of JJ's entrances, especially the kid rock. The Godwins. And the worst, Right to Censor and Isaac Yankum.
The old Warzone intro with the ring in the warehouse, Bret, Austin, Taker, Farooq, then it opens to massive explosions and pyro in the Raw arena. Classic. Electric crowds. Those were the days, Monday nights were like church.
The fact Jim Johnston not in the,hof is crazy I know they had a fallen out.but,if anyone not a wrestler that needs to be in
Shows how low brow Vince is
Iron Man, Freebird, Bad to the Bone, the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey & Pomp and Circumstance are my top 5.
Absolutely loved Jive Soul Bro ; )
One of my favorites is Demolition’s theme music. It was one of those songs where you knew someone going to be beaten which was fitting for wrestling.
I loved it when Samoan Swat Team (Managed by Paul E Dangerously Heyman) would come out to the Halloween theme song.
I've always loved Hogan's WCW theme - American Made, IDK why I've just always preferred it to Real American.
Stone Cold's theme is just about as perfect as you can get, because as soon as it hits you knew all hell was about to break loose.
Bret Hart's in a similar way to Stone Cold, it just jumps right into it with the guitar, so it doesn't require any build up.
Undertakers is probably the most perfect theme ever, but of course its also the entrance, look, gimmick it all just fits together perfectly.
NWO theme is probably the best faction music theme, just so iconic and memorable, especially with the little sound clips over it.
Quick honorable mention for one that I think is very underrated - Alberto Del Rio, if he had actually been good in the ring, it would probably be viewed as a bit better, but the general concept of him was a good idea, he could easily have fit in the more cartoony 80s, with the big car and his own announcer.
Hogan / nwo using the voo doo child son is probably the best combo every used
The best modem theme so far is FTR's. That song goes HARD.
1 - Iron Man for the Road Warriors.
2 - I Love It Loud for Steve Williams
3 - Sunrise for Stan Hansen
4 - Evolution theme for Evolution
5 - Real Man's Man for William Regal (because that was hilarious).
Rob Van Dam's Pantera entrance got the people going
It sure did. That's why I hate Jericho's claim that he started this thing with fans singing. People were going hard with the chorus to 'Walk' and even sang the entirety of Enter Sandman.
@@JuggyBohab think jericho has taken way too many blows too the head..he's delusional as hulk hogan..its embarrassing
Hells bells.... Such a great shout that I'd never considered that way before!
Sting's entrance to confront Hollywood Hogan at Starrcade 1997 with the Crow theme playing with the thunder clashes after never wrestling or speaking for a year (just appearing in the rafters) was the utter peak of WCW
This got me also thinking about how you can't really do gimmicks based on songs like that.
You would have to be officially licensed to do it.
Then I imagined a tag team: The Bee Gees.
And imagined them cutting a promo.
Have them all do the Bee Gees voice but each could act like a different iconic wrestler.
Randy Savage, Ric Flair, Billy Graham, etc.
I for sure thought Jim was gonna say " like mussolini" 😂
“If you get in the ring with Undertaker and don’t get Goosebumps when his theme hits, you’re in the wrong business”
Wow. I use to play hockey as a goalie and my warmup song was "Hells Bells". To hear Jim describe it here has left me with so many questions about myself....
I do think it’s kinda cool that Judgement day has like 5 different versions of their song depending on who’s the main person in this segment/match , or if it’s just all of them together. And they’re all good. That’s different and pretty cool.
Something Jim Johnston understood with entrance music was making it memorable to that wrestler. That beginning moment when the song started, you knew who it was. And even if he didn't make the whole thing personally and an outside band was used, it still had it. Think of RVD's theme with the guitar rift at the start, Triple H's theme, etc. Even the Shield's theme had that with the police callouts at the start.
It's hard to narrow it down to 5 cause there's so much awesome entrance music it's hard to choose.
But here's my 5
1. nWo
2. HBK
3.DX
4. Steve Austin
5. The Undertaker
We used Hells Bells in the UWA back in 1990. Perfect slow walking heel music
I always loved Eugene's theme he had a killer guitar riff in his song. And Dude loves 😅
Simply Ravishing - Rick Rude (WCW)
Badstreet USA - Fabulous Freebirds (WCW)
The Natural - Dustin Rhodes
Mr. Bang Bang - Cactus Jack (WCW)
It's All About The Money - Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase
Cool, Cocky, Bad - Honky Tonky Man
Demolition - Demolition (Who knew? 😉)
These will always be my favourites!
It terms of using real song, I think Hogan using Voodoo Child and CM Punk using Cult Of Personality were perfect!!
Bryan Danielson needs The Final Countdown song he used in ROH again . The crowd loved it !!!! I think it fit him really well too . Its a cheesy song but he made it epic !! Kinda like Liger's music as well lol !
Fabulous Corny is something I needed!
Rob van dam walk in ecw around 1999..the Kilgore cover version..that was electric..the whole arena singing along doing the double thumbs..just awesome. Ted dibiase, gangrel, hulk hogan, warrior ,the rock, legion of doom..just so many ..shawn Michael's sexy boy is great..ridiculous but great..mr perfect ric flair..so iconic
1. "Iron Man" (Black Sabbath) (The Road Warriors)
2. "Living After Midnight" (Judas Priest) (The Midnight Rockers)
3. "Freebird" (The Fabulous Freebirds)
4. "Tom Sawyer" (RUSH) (Kerry Von Erich)
5. "Also Sprach Zarathusa" ("Nature Boy" Ric Flair)
And those are just the TOP FIVE. There's PLENTY more that my 61-year-old brain can't recall.
Hogan - Eye of the Tiger
Freebirds - Freebird & Badstreet were great
R&R Express - Rock & Roll is King
JYD - Another One Bites the Dust
Midnight Express - The Chase
I used to love when Sid was Lord Humungous and he came out to War Machine by KISS. And when Hogan started using Jimi Hendrix Voodoo Chile as his entrance theme.
Brey wyatt had a cool entrance theme when he would come out with the lantern
Bret Hart's entrance song was just awesome to me.
Marcus Cor Von's theme. Anytime he would come down the ring in SVR07' you knew you were "going down, down, down"
Mean Street Posse entrance tune was super smooth and slick and suave and sweet.... all very me. Baby!
Kane's Slow Chemical theme has been my favorite since it's debut
Can't believe nobody mentioned the ultimate warrior's entrance theme music! That music pumped up every fan in the seat!
My new favorite corny video because of the AC/DC talk. Bonus points for the fact I'm wearing an AC/DC shirt while setting it for the first time
Demolition is the Absolute best. You felt the A$$ kicking as soon as the first note hit
The Skyscrapers theme China White by The Scorpions was awesome! And it fit them and of course Iroman from Ozzy for the Road Warriors