WWE's 10 Biggest Mistakes in Changing Wrestlers' Entrance Music
How many times has your heart dropped when one of your favourite superstars has come through the curtain sporting a new entrance theme that does not fit them in the slightest?
A wrestler’s theme music is a huge part of his identity and if it isn’t catchy, and it doesn’t match the character, then it usually means the audience will turn off, and investment in the superstar will dwindle.
One could argue that the entrance music of a superstar is what makes him or her.
This list compiles 10 of the worst changes to theme music in history.
Most of the superstars in this list retained their popularity despite the horrendous changes to their music, and some people welcomed the changes.
Each slide will contain links to both songs I am referring to—the theme that changed, and the new theme it changed to.
Enjoy!
The Undertaker
1 of 10I am not a big fan of The Undertaker's biker gimmick as many of you know, but when they changed the rocky, hip Kid Rock and Limp Bizkit themes to "You're Gonna Pay," I really lost interest.
It sounds like a country star trying to sing a rock song, and I don't believe it fit The Undertaker in the slightest.
It wasn't hard enough.
Jim Johnston has composed some fantastic themes, but this wasn't one of them.
Kane
2 of 10A classic theme in Kane's "Burned" was destroyed when lyrics were added to it.
Kane does not need a song with lyrics as the man lets his talking happen in the ring.
I could understand if he was unmasked at this point because it proved he was human, but when he was a scarred, disfigured, supernatural force, the lyrics destroyed this belief for me.
D-Generation X
3 of 10Run-DMC are probably liked by the majority of young people, or should I say the majority of young people at the time they sung the DX song.
As you can tell by my profile picture, I'm not a fan of modern music and I didn't like this rendition of the classic stable's theme music.
It was repetitive, annoying and I was happy when they returned to the original theme.
Are you ready?
The Hardy Boyz
4 of 10How can you change such a classic theme, WWE?!
The funky bass that introduced the Hardy Boyz was so recognisable that a pop was instant every time it started.
Though they still had a great reaction when they came to the ring with a revamped theme, it just didn't pack the same punch as the classic.
The Dudley Boyz
5 of 10Another great theme destroyed in the Ruthless Aggression Era by lyrics.
Their old theme suggested a certain amount of strangeness with the Dudley Boyz, and the fireworks fit the music perfectly.
As I said in the introduction, theme music is a huge part of identity and after they changed their theme to the lyric-based one, I didn't feel like I was watching the same Dudley Boyz.
Stacy Keibler was nice, though...
Chris Benoit
6 of 10Yet another song wrecked by lyrics.
Chris Benoit climbed to the top of the mountain with his new theme but I still think it was a big mistake to change it from the theme he debuted with.
Though it was similar, I don't think the lyrics were needed as his theme was Benoit personified.
Wade Barrett
7 of 10If you thought Wade Barrett's old theme was bad, wait until you hear the new one he debuted at this year's Royal Rumble.
It's boring, it does nothing for the character and Barrett needs a good theme, as he is looking to main-event the WWE.
I didn't like his old theme either, but this is one of the worst changes on this list.
Hopefully when he returns, it will be with a better theme song.
Too Cool
8 of 10Ahh, the fun times had by dancing along to "U look fly today" as Rikishi wiggles his behind in the rhythm of the music.
When they changed it, it crushed my world. It also crushed the career of Scotty Too Hotty and Grandmaster Sexay. I'll tell you why Grandmaster got no reaction when he returned; it was because of this song.
You couldn't dance to it, have fun with it or stand to watch the superstars come out to it.
If it ain't broke, don't try and fix it.
The Rock
9 of 10The Rock's theme tune changed in 2001 to include more of a drum beat in the introduction. To me, this change ended up spoiling a theme that had become iconic in a very short space of time.
It disjoints the introduction to the theme and is a little too "in your face" for my liking. I seems to lose a bit of music and sounds too boring to be included.
Get rid of it and everyone's happy.
To this day, The Rock uses a variation on the theme he changed to in 2001, and I just don't think it has the same edge as the one he sported towards the end of the attitude era in 2000.
I did find an excellent video showing you how much better Rock's return would have been in 2011 had he have had his old theme rather than the one he currently uses.
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin
10 of 10This is the top choice, and the one I'll probably get the most flack for.
What I don't understand is why you'd want to change arguably one of the most iconic themes in wrestling history, for a bloke screaming down a mic.
The worst part is most couldn't even understand what the lyrics are; I know I couldn't!
Austin is famous for that big drum beat and music that takes no prisoners, just like his wrestling personality.
When it changed, it just became annoying and I couldn't get as excited for Austin's appearance as I should have been doing.
I am aware that most of these choices come from the 2000-2002 era, but it is purely coincidental.
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