Ranking the Best WWE Entrance Themes of the Ruthless Aggression Era
The Ruthless Aggression Era introduced new elements into the world of WWE in the form of stars, stories, brand extensions, and theme songs.
The latter became synonymous with the best and brightest in professional wrestling and, in some cases, are still sung in arenas today. They announced, and still do, the arrivals of the most recognizable competitors in WWE history and have become as much a part of their legacy as what they do in the ring.
In celebration of an Era that fans are becoming more nostalgic for as their favorites from that period wind down their in-ring careers, relive the songs that helped their entrances stand out from the pack in this countdown of the 15 greatest.
Criteria: Songs must have been introduced during the Ruthless Aggression Era, which unofficially ran from 2002 until 2008. Songs existing before then, even if utilized by stars from that era, were not taken into consideration.
Honorable Mentions
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Christian's "Just Close Your Eyes"
Performed by: Waterproof Blonde
After three years of a generic theme, Christian debuted a new entrance song in 2004, with vocals and lyrics that reflected what many hoped would be a strong singles push. While that never manifested, the theme set Captain Charisma apart from his peers, mostly because no other man on the roster had a theme song performed by a band with a female lead singer.
Not as memorable as Story of the Year's version used upon his return five years later, it is a hidden gem from this era and, arguably, the finest rendition of the song.
Lita's "LoveFuryPassionEnergy"
Performed by: Boy Hits Car
The thunderous percussion announcing Lita's arrival in arenas across the country, followed by the anti-patriarchy exclamation, "so f**k your rules, man!" was the perfect introduction for a performer known as a "rebel by design."
One of the most important and revolutionary women in WWE history, Lita debuted the song in 2002, straight off the WWE Forcible Entry album, and would use it for the rest of her full-time career. Even today, when the song hits, fans rise to their feet in celebration of the Hall of Famer and the cool, alternative, high-flying persona that connected with audiences during the Ruthless Aggression Era.
Nos. 15 - 11
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15. Eddie Guerrero's "I'm Your Papi"
Performed by: Kemo the Blaxican
While "Viva La Raza" is more iconic, there is a very real argument for his final theme, "I'm Your Papi," being every bit as good, if not better. Fusing big horns, an aggressive beat, and both English and Spanish hip-hop, it was the perfect reflection of Guerrero's new, edgier exterior and the fun-loving interior. Short-lived, appearing just before his unfortunate passing in 2005, it is still a favorite of longtime fans, and rightfully so.
14. John Cena's "Basic Thuganomics"
Performed by: John Cena
With his Doctor of Thuganomics gimmick in full swing, Cena introduced the world to his rap abilities in 2003 with his "Basic Thuganomics" theme song. The opening riff gave way to his assertive, attitudinal vocals. It announced to the world that the generic Cena, with his colorful tights, was gone, and in his place was a rap-embracing future star who was in WWE to take over the industry. It also represents the first, but far from last, appearance of the Unseen Seventeen on this countdown.
13. Rob Van Dam's "One of a Kind"
Performed by: Breaking Point
Off the Forcible Entry album, this 2002 banger was a hard rock anthem that perfectly suited Mr. Monday Night, declaring what the wrestling world already knew him to be: one of a kind. While it was not quite as singable as his previous, more famous theme, Pantera's "Walk," utilized during his ECW days, it was still a wildly effective song that instantly elevated RVD's entrances over the generic stock music he utilized in his first eight months with the promotion.
12. Rey Mysterio's "Booyaka 619"
Performed by: P.O.D. and Mad One
Yes, Jim Johnston's "619" was great, and it would be difficult to argue against anyone who prefers that entrance theme, but the arrival of the P.O.D.-led version of "Booyaka 619" coincided with the ascension of Mysterio as a main event star in WWE and was the theme he entered Allstate Arena to when he won the world title at WrestleMania 22. That it is still played in arenas today is a testament to its longevity and greatness.
11. Randy Orton's "Burn In My Light"
Orton's first solo theme upon breaking free from Evolution in 2004 is a fan-favorite and one most probably believe belongs higher up this list. The Viper, himself, hated it, though, telling GameDaily.com (h/t ProWrestling.net) in 2008:
"For the longest time, I had the Burning My Light or whatever the entrance music was that started with 'Hey, nothing you can say,' and I hated that s**t for all four years. I hated it from the first day I heard it. They even tried to tweak it a bit and I still hated it."
A song with lyrics that fit Orton, but not necessarily the sound, it was a trademark of his entrances before he debuted "Voices" upon the arrival of the PG Era.
10. Triple H's "King of Kings"
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Performed by: Motorhead
Triple H already had one of the better WWE themes of all time in "The Game" by his favorite band, Motorhead, by the time 2006 rolled around. Still, one can never have enough of anthemic theme songs by one of the greatest hard rock bands of all time, and with the arrival of the Wreckless Intent album in 2006 came the group's second production for the multi-time world champion, "King of Kings."
Lemmy Kilmister's booming voice declared, "Behold the King, the King of Kings," accompanied by a killer guitar riff, signifying Triple H's arrival.
Most famously used the first time at WrestleMania 22, when The Game rose from the stage in a giant throne and clad in gear best described as the Temu version of Conan the Barbarian, it was a hit with the fans.
While Triple H more frequently utilized "The Game" for in-ring action, "King of Kings" has represented him as an authority figure over the years and accompanies the COO of WWE whenever he makes a grand entrance on the company's television to this day.
9. Jeff Hardy's "No More Words"
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Performed by: Endeverafter
Jeff Hardy is one star whose stock music became iconic and synonymous with him and his brother, Matt, during the Attitude Era and beyond, but by 2008, he needed something to separate himself from his sibling and give him the individuality to take the next step as a main event star.
Enter Endeverafter's "No More Words," an alternative rock song that announced his arrival with driving percussion to pop the crowd, followed by vocals that summed up the Charismatic Enigma.
It was catchy, uniquely him, and the fans ate it up. So much so that when Hardy returned to the company a decade later, the demand for him to dust off the theme became too great to ignore, and he reintroduced it to great fan fervor.
Not quite as memorable as the iconic theme that has accompanied the Hardys across WWE, TNA, and even All Elite Wrestling, it is still a Ruthless Aggression Era gem that reminds fans of the fun, excitement, and rewarding moments of Hardy's main event run.
8. Mark Henry's "Some Bodies Gonna Get It"
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Performed by: Three 6 Mafia
There has never been a theme song more believable than this Jim Johnston-produced and Academy Award-winning Three 6 Mafia-performed classic for WWE Hall of Famer, Mark Henry.
The World's Strongest Man entered arenas to the promise of "somebody's gonna get their ass kicked" every night, and for the most part, they did. It was a big, bass-heavy song that delivered what was promised and fit the dominant, no-nonsense persona of the former Olympic powerlifter.
Whether he was battling Batista or The Undertaker, or squashing world champion Rey Mysterio in a non-title match, Henry stalked toward the ring each night, his aura enhanced exponentially by the theme from the 2006 Wreckless Intent album.
A great example of the impact of a theme that matches the Superstar it accompanies, this remains one of the better, more credible entrance themes from any era in WWE and was even performed by Three 6 Mafia during a 2006 episode of SmackDown.
7. Kane's "Slow Chemical"
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Performed by: Finger Eleven
Kane has had his fair share of entrance themes over the years, but none is as fondly remembered, or as listenable, as Finger Eleven's "Slow Chemical," which The Big Red Monster debuted in 2002.
Combining his traditional theme, produced by the longtime WWE music producer Jim Johnston (writer's note: get that man in the Hall of Fame already!), with the sound of mainstream rock band Finger Eleven, it evolved the song in the same way the Kane character was evolving at the time.
It was imposing, edgy, but injected personality and a unique sound, something Kane was beginning to do when he first started arriving in arenas to the theme.
It would stick around as his entrance music for six years, longer than any other theme song he would call his own during his Hall of Fame career. For that reason alone, it belongs on this list. That it is a total earworm and one of the more beloved songs of that era only solidifies its case for inclusion.
6. CM Punk's "This Fire Burns"
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Performed by: Killswitch Engage
Originally intended to be music for Randy Orton, as the future Hall of Famer revealed in a 2008 interview, Killswitch Engage's "This Fire Burns" instead debuted in 2006 alongside CM Punk, who was fresh out of developmental at Ohio Valley Wrestling and debuting on the ill-fated ECW reboot.
The opening guitar riff injected energy into arenas around the country and brought fans to their feet as the exciting, fresh new face of WWE's future made his entrance.
Even when he turned heel and introduced the Straight Edge Society to the WWE fans, it was the perfect dichotomy, a hard-rock anthem to go with his colder, more calculated villainous persona.
Not as iconic as "Cult of Personality" by Living Colour, it is still a major part of Punk's story and a song synonymous with the foundation of a character that would become of the biggest and most important in modern pro wrestling history.
5. Evolution's "Line in the Sand"
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Performed by: Motorhead
Motorhead makes its second appearance on this list, thanks to "Line in the Sand," the revamped theme song of Evolution.
Debuting in 2004, the song accompanied the mega group, including Triple H, Randy Orton, Batista, and "Nature Boy" Ric Flair, to the squared circle at the height of their relevance and importance.
"See my reflection change/nothing ever stays the same," Kilmister belted out, reflecting the ever-changing world of professional wrestling and the young stars in Orton and Batista who would carry it forward.
While likely an unpopular one, there is an argument to be made that it is the best of the three themes Motorhead created for WWE and one that, unjustly so, does not get nearly the love that the two Triple H-exclusive ones do.
With powerful guitar riffs and thunderous percussion, it is a perfect theme, and the fact that it is only fifth on this countdown is a testament to the four themes that rank ahead of it.
4. Edge's "Metalingus"
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Performed by: Alter Bridge
The Rated R Superstar always had his fair share of cool themes, including Rob Zombie's "Never Gonna Stop Me," which just missed out on this list as it debuted as Edge's theme music at the tail end of the Attitude Era.
In 2004, though, the 2012 WWE Hall of Famer debuted a new theme by upstart rock band, Alter Bridge, that would become his most famous and enduring theme music.
The thrashing guitar at the beginning, the seconds-long pause, and the injection of Myles Kennedy's booming vocals introduced Edge to the WWE Universe, a hard-rock entrance song for a star who emerged from the midcard and into the main event at the height of the Ruthless Aggression Era.
A song that still accompanies Edge (competing under his real name, Adam Copeland) to this day in AEW, it is impossible to imagine the multi-time world champion arriving in an arena anywhere in the world without it ushering him in.
An iconic theme more popular for its place in the world of pro wrestling than its inclusion on the band's debut album, One Day Remains, it has become forever associated with the perfomer.
3. Brock Lesnar's "Next Big Thing"
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Performed by: Jim Johnston
The wrestling world got a wakeup call in 2002 with the arrival of the unstoppable, seemingly indestructible Brock Lesnar. Dubbed "The Next Big Thing" by advocate Paul Heyman, Lesnar obliterated any competition in front of him throughout the summer of 2002.
It was then that he debuted "Next Big Thing," which kicks off with a guitar riff that warns of hell's impending arrival and a beat that, for those paying close attention, may very well have matched Lesanr's predatory march to the squared circle.
There were no lyrics, nor did there need to be. It was less of a song, more of a warning to the WWE Superstars awaiting Lesnar's arrival; an announcement to the fans that someone was about to get introduced to Suplex City before meeting their end, courtesy of an F-5.
A song that endured as Lesnar's theme song from that point through the rest of his career, it was especially impactful as he beat Hulk Hogan into submission, defeated The Rock for the WWE title, and vanquished The Undertaker inside Hell in a Cell, all within his first year as a main roster star.
2. Batista's "I Walk Alone"
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Performed by: Saliva
As Batista set out on his first reign as world heavyweight champion following his triumphant victory over Triple H at WrestleMania 21, it became clear he needed a more impactful entrance theme that set him apart from the rest of the roster.
Enter the rock band, Saliva.
The group had provided their music for use as pay-per-view theme songs before, but in 2005, it partnered with producer Jim Johnston to create a classic theme for The Animal that would become one of the most iconic of the era.
Keeping the same guitar riff and tune from his previous, vocal-less theme, the song featured the booming vocals of lead singer Josie Scott as he proclaimed, "I walk alone!"
Fresh off exiting Evolution and embarking on a solo journey to superstardom, it fit the story and the character to perfection and would accompany Batista on the biggest stages, and through the most significant moments, of his career.
It was also responsible for this gem from Xavier Woods, noted fan of the anthem.
A Ruthless Aggression Era hit, it was synonymous with one of the two biggest stars of that generation and deserving of the No. 2 slot on this countdown.
1. John Cena's "The Time Is Now"
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Performed by: John Cena
When John Cena debuted "The Time is Now" off his debut rap record in 2005, few could have imagined how iconic and important it would become to his run as the most decorated world champion in WWE history and the Greatest of All Time.
The horns. The bass. The lyrics from the man himself.
All combined to create a theme song that fans could sing along to or, through a large portion of the Ruthless Aggression Era, either cheer passionately or boo mercilessly as the franchise star entered arenas around the globe.
Though he would have been an enormous star with or without it, the song became synonymous with him, especially the horns. So much so that they became a social media trend at one point.
Today, the theme song is greeted by the cheers of a fan base that acknowledges everything that the biggest star of the last 25 years has done for the industry, regardless of their opinions of him in the first half of his main event run, when opinions may not have been as favorable.
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