WWE Top 5: Raw Entrance Themes

I’ve had Meatloaf’s Bat Outta Hell stuck in my head all week. And like a sinner before the gates of Heaven, I came crawling back to a topic we all think about often. If we were WWE superstars, what would our theme song be? I know what mine would be.

I miss the days when you could add custom music to your XBOX for wrestlers in 2K games. I always made myself, and Man Made Monster was always my entrance music. It got me jazzed and ready to kick some butt, and that’s the point of a good theme song. A perfect song tells us everything we need to know about the wrestler before they even hit the ring. The Brood’s theme fit them and the time period perfectly, while Shawn Michael’s timeless Sexy Boy is basically a musical biography for the ‘Heartbreak Kid’s persona.

This… this was a hard list to make. Originally, we wanted to do the Top 5 Wrestling Themes, but that became unwieldy. Then, just the Top 5 WWE Themes, but even that was too hard to whittle down. Do we pick from the classics of Jim Johnston or the epic tunes of CFO$? Talk about Sophie’s choice, yeah? We here at 5 Worldwide fought for hours over these lists. For example, I prefer the Corporate Ministry theme to No Chance in Hell and King of Kings to The Game. These opinions got me banned from the next corporate retreat at Oli’s villa.

Then, we argued over what should count as a great entrance theme. Is it the quality of the song or how iconic it is? Names were called, friendships were ruined, and it was ugly. So, in accordance with the Treaty of the Break Room Table we all signed, we’re only using current theme songs and we’re breaking the list up by shows. So with all that in mind, welcome to part one: the Top 5 Raw Entrance Themes.

5. Ember Moon – Free the Flame

Number five on the list goes to my hometown hero and future second wife, Ember Moon. CFO$’ track Free the Flame is a driving track with a hint of mystery and seduction that fits Ember so well. There may be some argument over who the better WWE composer is, but CFO$ sometimes has a knack for capturing the essence of a character through song. Free the Flame is a perfect example of this.

This song manages to be driving, tough, and still so very sexy. Lzzy Hale’s version kicks it up to 11. Now, if we can only get her to call her buddy Lindsey Stirling to cover The Rising Sun we’ll be set. This is the perfect anthem for the ‘War Goddess’. I’m like Peter Griffin; I get excited when they say the name of the movie in the movie. Same thing here.

4. Matt Hardy – The Deletion Anthem

When Matt started doing the Broken gimmick in TNA, he would come to the ring to a single piano in a bit of surreality that fit the character. Seeing Reby play him to the ring with Obsolete Suite was bizarrely entrancing. The tune was haunting and perfect for Broken Matt; so, how was the WWE going to follow this up?

They did so by paying homage to the piano intros of Broken Matt before transitioning into a driving operatic on par with Finn Bálor. The Deletion Anthem isn’t without its faults, though. Starting out with Matt’s laugh is further proof the WWE sometimes latches on to the wrong part of a gimmick they don’t fully understand and run it into the ground.

That being said, it’s still a damn good tune. There’s something frantic about it while still maintaining that epic feel; very Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The song blends the traditional strings with the electric guitar beautifully. Take out Matt’s vocals and you could put it in a Conan movie. Like while he’s slaughtering minions on his way to decapitating James Earl Jones.

3. Nia Jax – Force of Greatness

I don’t know if I love this song or if I just love Oli’s version of it. It’s my ringtone. Though, truer words were never spoken in a song. Nia Jax is not like most girls, she’s better. I can’t wait for a day when I don’t have to point out how remarkable this is, but here we go.

Nia has managed to fight her way to the top of the WWE despite not fitting the archetype of a typical female Superstar. Nia’s size makes her stand out in both positive and negative ways, but it has surely been an obstacle backstage. Traditionally for WWE, it’s much more appealing to make the faces of the company the standard Western expectations of health and beauty.

Nia has done what Daniel Bryan before her and won one for all of us. Those of us who don’t look like we were drawn by Rob Liefeld see ourselves in Nia and D-Bry. Force of Greatness is a fitting title as well. Nia has had so much potential since her debut to reach greatness and now she has.

Nia may have a way to go in the ring, but she’s still something special. She manages to balance a dominating presence with a sympathetic and likable character. And her likability isn’t solely built on beating people down i.e. Braun. Here’s hoping she doesn’t job out to Ronda Rousey at Money in the Bank and her reign continues. The positive message told in her storyline with Alexa Bliss is important. As the champion, she can carry that message to WWE fans struggling with there own self-image issue. Nia’s not like most people, she’s a real role model.

2. Bray Wyatt – Live in Fear

Okay, this song is just on my regular playlist, and I’ll put in on at the bar anytime there’s a jukebox. Well, right after Jimmy Jazz and Change in Louise that is. Anyway, there’s so much about this tune that makes it unique in the WWE Universe. It sounds like it would be more at home in a Tarantino flick than marching a wrestler to the squared-circle yet somehow fits Bray Wyatt.

Broken Out in Love, or Live in Fear as it was re-dubbed, was not picked arbitrarily. Mark Crozer uploaded the song to licensing website in 2012 before he was contacted by the WWE to use it. Bray once stated when picking themes they had all the new guys in a room and gave them a bunch of songs to pick from. Guys were jumping at the first heavy guitar lick they heard, but not Bray. He listened until he found the perfect piece for his character.

“As soon as I heard the bass line of this one a spark happened. It was magic. He was able to capture a mood in a melody. The mood is very eerie. The song and Bray Wyatt come together so well because Bray is an enigma.”

Despite what booking did to him after winning the WWE Championship, Bray has always been very thoughtful about his character. The time he spent picking a perfect theme reflects the care with which he treats his gimmick. On top of all this, the song itself stands out from everything else the roster uses. True, most WWE songs are written by CFO$, but it was still an interesting risk Bray and WWE took using such a slow and eerie song.

1. Bobby Roode – Glorious Domination

“Bobby Roode’s music is, by far, the most glorious piece of music that has ever been created,”  John Alicastro of CFO$ said. “From the lyrics, to the vocals, to the harmonies, to the strings, it’s glorious.”

What more can really be said about this song? How could it not be at the top? It’s not only a powerful ballad that would get Mother Teresa amped-up enough to fight at Helm’s Deep, but it also helped define Bobby Roode’s persona in WWE.

If I ever get drafted, I want this song and the Team America theme playing on a non-stop loop in my Humvee. This song can get you ready for anything. I use it when I need the motivation to wash the dishes. So versatile.

There are rumors that this song was originally intended for Shinsuke Nakamura, but not according to CFO$. They said they felt immense pressure to create a piece worthy of Bobby Roode’s big personality. Roode wasn’t some unknown just starting out, this was a veteran and a big signing for WWE.

With the task of creating something “grandiose” CFO$ produced a “battle hymn” fitting of the ‘Glorious One’. Since debuting with Glorious Domination, “Glorious” has become a signature catchphrase of Bob Roode (Happy Rusev Day). The song has taken on a life of its own and become a key fixture of Roode’s character. His entrance, his robes, his finisher. his catchphrase, how he carries himself, and struts to the ring… all glorious.

Do you agree with my choices? What’s your favorite entrance theme on the red brand? Let us know in the comments below or on our official Twitter here.