Professional wrestling is, at its core, a performance art. There are bright costumes, pyrotechnics, feats of incredible athletic ability and, of course, theme music.
Every great pro wrestler needs to have entrance music that captures the essence of their character and is memorable enough for fans to instantly associate with them.
Almost every wrestling fan will have a different opinion on the best entrance song of all time. Some may pick a Jim Johnston composition and others might select a famous song a wrestler adopted as their own.
Some tunes are iconic on their own, and some were made iconic by the wrestlers who used them for years. Hundreds of men and women have worked for WWE over the decades, which means there are just as many options to choose from when picking the best music.
No feature about entrance music can begin without a tip of the bright, red cowboy hat to Michael “P.S.” Hayes. Back before the leader of The Fabulous Freebirds convinced promoters to pop a tape of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Freebird” into the P.A. Hayes’ coolest contemporaries followed suit - The Junkyard Dog with Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust,” Kerry Von Erich with Rush’s “Tom Sawyer” - and a new level of theatrics was introduced to sports-entertainment. In the early ’80s, when Mr. WWE fans have rocked out to hundreds of awesome entrance themes since then, but which ones were the very best?
Read also: Discover the story of Casey Swiderski
Here's a list of some of the most iconic pro wrestling theme songs:
Iconic Theme Songs
1. The Undertaker - “Rest In Peace“
No theme captured atmosphere like this one. Jim Johnston’s haunting funeral march is still the gold standard for entrance music. Whether in smoke-filled arenas or WrestleMania domes, that gong still sends chills.
2. Cody Rhodes - “Kingdom”
What do you do when you leave the company that made you, with a chip on your shoulder and something to prove? You commission the band Downstait to craft a battle anthem, then bet on yourself, and win. “Kingdom” became Cody Rhodes’ soundtrack to reinvention, from the indies to AEW and back to WWE, where he’s now one of its biggest stars.
Read also: Sectional Wrestling Tournament Details
3. “Glass Shatters” - Stone Cold Steve Austin
The second that glass breaks, it’s chaos. It’s not just a theme, it’s an adrenaline spike. From bar brawls to beer baths, Stone Cold’s theme was the Attitude Era.
4. “Real American” - Hulk Hogan
Yes, it’s over-the-top. Yes, Hogan is polarizing. But that riff defined an era. It still brings the house down, brother. Whether you’re drinking his beer or rolling your eyes, the song is iconic.
5. The Rock - “Know Your Role”
Read also: The story of Angelo Posada
“If ya smell…” Need we say more? The Rock’s multiple themes built off this one, but “Know Your Role” was the one that truly captured his peak era. Whether he’s the Final Boss or People’s Champ-it starts here.
6. Roman Reigns - “Head of the Table”
Roman’s theme is cinematic, tribal, and imposing. Dig deeper and you’ll hear echoes of The Shield’s theme-an intentional nod to his origins. It’s everything a main-event theme should be: ominous, dominant, unforgettable.
7. Mercedes Moné - “CEO”
Sasha 2.0. After leaving WWE, Mercedes redefined herself with this confident, trap-infused banger-rapped by herself. CEO-level entrance, CEO-level bars.
8. Bayley - “Turn It Up”
Cue the inflatable tube men! Bayley’s original theme was pure joy, perfectly matched to her “hugger” gimmick. It became the soundtrack to one of the most beloved women’s rivalries ever, especially her feud with Sasha Banks.
9. Sasha Banks - “Sky’s the Limit”
From NXT, WWE’s developmental Brand, to WrestleMania, this theme captured Sasha’s rise from underdog to icon. The production, the hook, and the “Boss Time” energy? Legendary. Now known as Mercedes Moné, her legacy started with this track.
10. Shinsuke Nakamura - “The Rising Sun”
Violin. Swagger. Crowd sing-along. Shinsuke’s entrance, especially when joined by Lee England Jr. live on violin, is a masterclass in presentation. A perfect fusion of music and mystique.
11. Finn Bálor
The edgy guitar riff and Bálor's ability to mold his entrance to it made "Catch Your Breath" one of the most captivating themes in WWE, especially when the former leader of Bullet Club broke out his fan-favorite Demon persona.
12. Jake Roberts
Like the man himself, Jake Roberts' theme is slow, calculating and quiet. The synth-driven song slithers in and out of beats and melodies like a python waiting to entrap its prey."Snake Bit" was the perfect theme for one of the most cerebral and thought-provoking Superstars in WWE history. It ushered in the arrival of one of the most dangerous Superstars on the roster and his trusty pet, Damian.
13. Drew McIntyre
Fans rejoiced when Drew McIntyre brought back his "Broken Dreams" entrance music at Clash at the Castle in 2022, and for good reason. The song has an epic sound that feels appropriate for a man as big and dominant as The Scottish Warrior.
14. The Shield
Sierra. India. Echo. Lima. Delta. Shield! The mix of Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose's voices in the opening seconds of The Shield's theme, "Special Op," left no question about who was about to arrive on the scene and cause chaos.
15. Christian
Story of the Year gave Christian a memorable entrance song that is instantly identifiable by its first two notes. If you were a Peep and you heard those drum beats hit, you would immediately be on your feet for Captain Charisma."Close Your Eyes" was a perfect song for him, and it would be great to see him use it one more time.
16. Booker T
While it was updated over the years and given a verbal intro by Booker T, his most famous entrance song in WWE was essentially the same song he and Stevie Ray used in WCW as Harlem Heat. Even if it didn't have Booker saying "Can you dig it, sucka?" at the beginning, any fan will know it as his song instantly.
17. Vince McMahon
On the surface, the edgy and attitudinal rock of "No Chance in Hell" by Johnston may not seem like a song perfectly suited for a billionaire businessman. Still, it oddly fit the owner and operator of WWE at the height of the Attitude Era.
18. Becky Lynch
Some themes had little to do with the Superstar they were attached to but ultimately became synonymous with their presentation. Case in point, Becky Lynch's "Celtic Invasion."There is little to nothing Celtic or Irish about it, but the energy that explodes over the speaker from the moment it hits through the entirety of her entrance perfectly encapsulates all that The Man has evolved into since she first entered the NXT Arena to it.
19. Brock Lesnar
The growling of the guitar and the relentless beat of the chorus of "Next Big Thing" announced to the world that the baddest man on the planet was on his way to the ring to battle anyone stupid enough to stand in his way.
20. New World Order
There may be no entrance theme on this list cooler than that of the NWO. It was anti-establishment and inspired a vibe that perfectly matched that of what those in management foresaw the group being.
21. Seth Rollins
Anthems are tough to come by. They are the theme songs that bring the audience into the show, giving fans something to sing along to in support of their favorite wrestlers. The song has come to define him to the point that his character now commands audiences to sing his song when he enters any of the arenas WWE plays to.
22. Mark Henry
"Some Bodies Gonna Get It" was the song made famous by Mark Henry. If you don't know the first couple of lines of his entrance music, you weren't paying attention. The lyrics of this song are not only memorable to millions of fans, but they fit The World's Strongest Man's powerhouse mystique like a glove.
23. Roddy Piper