WWE Superstars Reveal What Makes For Iconic Entrance Music

Sports entertainment has come a long way from wrestlers entering dark arenas accompanied only by a spotlight. In modern-day WWE, the lights, sounds, and overall presentation of a Superstar's entrance are as crucial as any other aspect of the industry!

Recently, Billboard caught up with LA Knight, Damian Priest, Karrion Kross, and Shayna Baszler and picked their brains about all things entrance music. It served as a refreshing change of pace for these Superstars, as their personalized music is something every wrestler takes pride in. Just hours before the historic 2023 edition of Money in the Bank, let's look at some of these Superstars' musical insights.

What is the Most Important Part of Great WWE Entrance Music?

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What makes entrance music great? Billboard posed this question to Karrion Kross and Shayna Baszler, and it's not surprising that Kross, a true student of the game, treats entrance music with a high amount of respect and reverence. 

"There's a certain magic between a performer and his music that can't be given and can't be necessarily created," Kross revealed. "I don't necessarily think every entrance and every music will fit just anyone. There's something that happens I think beyond my comprehension between the performer and his music where the music can sort of bring that performer to life and that performer brings that music to life. I feel like it's kind of a simpatico relationship."

One-half of the WWE Women's tag team champions, Shayna Baszler, has a more practical thought process behind what makes great entrance music. In her mind, it must be instantly recognizable so that the WWE Universe doesn't have to waste precious moments wondering which Superstar is about to enter.

"I think, first and foremost, it has to be recognizable," explained Baszler. "Obviously, your first time out there, nobody is going to recognize the song, but that means it gotta be catchy. And I don't mean catchy in, like, a pop-punk sort of way, but something that when the first note hits, people start knowing what's coming next. It doesn't take a second to go, 'Wait, who is this?" Like right from the get, it gotta be recognizable. And then, I think it's important that it sets the mood of that wrestler."

Long-time fans know that some of the most memorable themes in WWE history start with an instantly recognizable cue. Brock Lesnar's unworldly growl, Triple H's crunching power chord, and even Ric Flair's signature "Wooooooo!" sets the tone for some of the best Superstar themes ever.

What Are the Most Iconic WWE Entrance Themes Ever?

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You can't interview current WWE Superstars without asking them what their G.O.A.T. entrance songs are. Luckily LA Knight and Damian Priest had some thoughts.

"NWO's is just top-top. That is just filthy and good," admitted Knight. "Steve Austin, but particularly the first one. We hear the one now, and it's almost exactly the same, but there's little instrumental differences, like when the glass breaks and it takes off, it just has more of a raw feel to it, whereas the other one is more produced. I'm sure it has a more vibrant sound or whatever, but the first one is so raw, and it just feels dirty in the right way. You got the siren going, and it's the right drums. It just feels chaotic, especially towards the end where those drums are just going."

(We were today years old when we realized WWE Superstars could geek out over slight differences in Superstars' entrance music versions just like us! Please give us more of your insights, LA Knight!)

While Stone Cold's theme will stand the test of time (we're sure no future Superstar will ever be allowed to feature the sound of glass breaking at the beginning of their entrance out of respect for Steve Austin), Judgment Day's Damian Priest has a favorite of his own. Unsurprisingly, it's entrance music with Latino roots.

"I've had a lot of favorites," confessed Priest. "Razor Ramon's theme song worked for him where that beat and that cool Latino swag was perfect. For me personally, that wouldn't fit. That wouldn't fit me. I was always more drawn towards the stuff that had more rock in it, was a little heavier and a little bit more evil-sounding, for a lack of a better term."

The WWE Universe can unanimously agree: LA Knight and Damian Priest have great taste in entrance themes!

The WWE Universe Still Has Love For D-Generation X's Entrance Music 

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For members of the WWE Universe who love discovering as much as they can about the inner workings of entrance music, we recommend continuing to dive deeply into this fascinating part of WWE. For example, WWE famously produced a can't-miss mini-documentary in the mid-2010s focusing on the iconic music of D-Generation X that you have to check out:

We must be honest; it blew our minds the first time we learned that the catchy baseline for the D-X music is rooted in funk music – not hard rock or punk! It shows that any musical style can influence some of the most unforgettable Superstar entrance themes. 

Now that Money in the Bank 2023 is just mere hours away, we can't think of a better way to kick off the weekend than by going down the rabbit hole of WWE Superstar entrance music – if that won't get you pumped up for the weekend, we don't know what will.

You can tune in to Peacock to watch WWE's Money in the Bank on July 1. In the meantime, catch up on all things WWE Universe on Peacock as well.