A wrestler's entrance music is one of the most significant stuff in sports entertainment. It not only publicizes the entrance of a particularly favorite face or hated heel, it also can notify a gathering just exactly what kind of person is about to come down the ramp.
Some themes become so fundamentally linked with their characters that they are almost inconceivable without their tune: Imagine Hulk Hogan in the 80s without Real American or Triple H without Motorhead's The Game.
There is a lot of noble tune in the WWE today and the makers CFOs have succeeded to hold a variability of different classes, concentrating on highlighting specific features of a superstar without dropping the performer to just his or her music.
With that in the brain, let's take a look at what we think are the 10 best entry theme tunes in the WWE today. We're not just judging the quality of the music itself, but also in the effect it has on both a crowd and its ability to convey the various aspects of the wrestler it accompanies.
#5 Rich Swann
Rich Swann is one of the undoubted highlights of 205 Live. Charismatic and athletic, he proved his worth on NXT before joining the cruiserweight roster and being a major part of showcasing the overall talent on display. Swann's music is foot-tapping, head-bobbing joy, and one of the few on this list that could stand on its own as a piece of music separate from its wrestler. It's further enhanced by the way in which it accompanies Swann as he dances to the ring. He clearly loves the song as much as we do.
#4 Shinsuke Nakamura
Shinsuke Nakamura is an enigmatic, charismatic performer who seems like a cross between Michael Jackson and the disreputable uncle your family doesn't want you to spend time with.
Even before he joined the WWE, his entrances have been an important part of his character, just look at his gloriously over the top appearances at Wrestle Kingdom 8 in 2014 and Wrestle Kingdom 9 the following year. His theme was always going to be special. However, few were prepared for his debut and its effectiveness in conveying Nakamura's strengths as a character. The driving, lilting cello, followed by the drums and the drop of the violins form an incredible 30-second encapsulation of Nakamura's character and coupled with his very obvious charisma, it makes for a very special entrance indeed.
#3 Bobby Roode
When Shinsuke Nakamura turned down the Glorious theme tune when it was offered to him, it not only forced WWE to give him a different, more appropriate theme, it also provided an opportunity for it to be utilized for someone entirely more suited. Bobby Roode is excellent at playing a self-important heel, one who regards themselves as better than anyone in the arena and the audience, so what better music for someone than a self-aggrandizing song that declares that they will overcome and be glorious?
Coupled with the spotlight and the revolving pedestal, it forms a truly entertaining, yet pompous and overblown entrance that's perfect for the character it accompanies.
#2 Bray Wyatt
There is no music, no entrance, like Bray Wyatt's. It's an entrance that relies on a crowd to be a part of and despite the poor way he's been booked, one in which they happily contribute. The theme, Live in Fear by Mark Crozer, is odd and bizarre, with surreal and yet oddly threatening lyrics shot through it set to a lackadaisical bass string that bursts into a raunchy electric guitar at the end. It's seductive and dangerous and informs Bray Wyatt's character as someone who is not to be trusted.
#1 Bayley
A pop dance track that urges people to rise to their feet and that insists that there's no stopping us now, Bayley's theme is a song that holds immense appeal and charm, fully brought to bear by the skill of the wrestler who walks out to it (and with the help of a half a dozen wavy tube men). While other songs may emphasize strength or dominance, Bayley's theme is about the determination to never give up, while also having fun and speaks to the innate appeal of the character herself. It is the perfect encapsulation of a WWE theme, one that would not work without the character, nor would the character work quite as well without.
And that's our list. Please feel free to offer better ones in the comments below!
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