The Golden Era of WWE lasted through most of the 1980s and into the early 1990s. In that time, many theme songs were developed and composed for the wrestlers to enter the ring with to add to the entertainment. Certain songs were made from within WWE, while others were licensed from artists outside of WWE.
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Either way, the best themes from the Golden Era are remembered more than 30 years later, both for the wrestlers the songs are identified with, and for the songs themselves. Each song comes with catchy background music, engaging lyrics, and in some cases, both. This was the first era of WWE creating entrance themes, and the results were great.
10 Real American - Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan entered arenas to "Real American," a patriotic song by Rick Derringer, throughout the mid-1980s into the 1990s. This song was consistent with Hulk Hogan's persona of the 1980s, an all-American hero who cut promos about doing the right thing and working hard. The song's guitars and drums, combined with Hogan's animated facial expressions and mannerisms during his entrance, caused the fans to cheer wildly for Hogan.
Besides "Real American" being a good rock song itself, WWE choosing it as Hogan's theme was wise because it complemented Hogan's presentation and contributed to his status as a WWE legend.
9 Pomp and Circ*mstance - Randy Savage
"Pomp and Circ*mstance," a classical piece of music typically used for high school graduations, was a good fit for the eccentric and charismatic "Macho Man." Randy Savage was known for his flashy attire and promo style, in which "Oh Yeah!" was a constant phrase. When it came time for Savage to enter arenas for his matches, "Pomp and Circ*mstance" complemented Savage's mannerisms and colorful appearance.
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This song is associated with most of Savage's memorable WWE matches and moments, a more emotional example being Savage reuniting with Miss Elizabeth at WrestleMania 7 following his loss to Ultimate Warrior. That moment caused some tears from the fans.
8 The Perfect Twist - Mr. Perfect
Curt Hennig portrayed Mr. Perfect throughout the late 1980s into the mid 1990s, and The Perfect Twist, a song created by longtime WWE music composer Jim Johnston, complemented the gimmick very much. Mr. Perfect backed up his arrogance in the ring; bumping, selling and bringing his own impressive offense to the table.
The song's title is as appropriate as the song itself, because Mr. Perfect would twist his body during his entrance to exude his self-confidence. The song sounds classical in its music and drums, which makes sense for the classic wrestler that was Mr. Perfect.
7 Road to Destruction - Hart Foundation
Bret Hart and Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart entered arenas to this song, made by Jimmy Hart and J.J. Maguire, during the majority of their time as The Hart Foundation. "Road to Destruction" does not have lyrics, but the music of the song makes up for that. The electric guitar and drums convey that the Hart Foundaton meant business in their tag team matches.
Combined with Hart and Neidhart's pink-and-black ring gear, the Hart Foundation's entrance with this song is memorable for their fans and a good song for rock music fans.
6 High Energy - Owen Hart
This song is consistent with Owen Hart's persona and in-ring style. 'High Energy" has an entertaining set of guitars and drums that tell Owen's story of being an energetic wrestler when it came to his aerial and technical abilities.
When Owen made his entrance to "High Energy," the fans were about to be treated to a good match by a charismatic wrestler.
5 Unstable - Ultimate Warrior
Ultimate Warrior's entrance was both energized and intense, since he would run full-force to the ring without taking a breath. His theme song's title was appropriate because in his promos, he came off as a bit unhinged.
Regardless, "Unstable" conveyed Ultimate Warrior's animated persona with the guitars and drums, as well as his in-ring style of constant movement.
4 Simply Ravishing - Rick Rude
Rick Rude's theme song was a good example of the song connecting to his persona. "Simply Ravishing" gave off the vibe of a man who was arrogant, but justified due to his natural talent. There are not lyrics in this song, but the music tells Rude's story regardless.
When Rude would disrobe and show off his washboard abs, with "Simply Ravishing" playing in the arena, he exuded so much heel heat because he was gifted in the ring and knew it.
3 Cool co*cky Bad - Honky Tonk Man
Honky Tonk Man's theme, another song by Jimmy Hart and J.J. Maguire, had plenty of lyrics that added to the gimmick very much. Honky sang some of the lyrics, along with some backup singers, and told his story of trying to be the second coming of Elvis Presley.
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He played his guitar, drove in a Cadillac and wore suede shoes, so he came very close to his goals of being a country singer. "Cool, co*cky, Bad" played for several of Honky's matches, and he danced to it in the ring as well.
2 Common Man Boogie - Dusty Rhodes
Dusty Rhodes entered WWE arenas to this song during his time there in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and it was a good fit for him. The term boogie was a popular one at the time for music fans, and "Common Man Boogie" told Dusty's story of coming from humble beginnings very well.
The music, guitar and drums, added to the lyrics about working hard to achieve your dreams no matter who you are, which was consistent with Dusty's real-life beliefs.
1 Demolition - Demolition
This song, sung by Rick Derringer, was designed for rock and metal music fans. There are many lyrics that tell Ax and Smash's story of being menacing brawlers who would rough up their opponents in the ring.
The instrument that makes this song so engaging is the guitars because they are so over-the-top and intense, which correlate to Demolition's persona so well.
