In Bill Simmons’ latest column “Good Lord! That’s His Music!” the writer takes up a prime piece of writing real estate devoting close to 4500 words to discuss wrestling, CM Punk and the best entrance songs of all time.
Simmons who in recent weeks had articles comparing movie stars to athletes and how he would end the NBA lockout, decided this was the week to piggyback on the recent changing of the guard (so to speak) in World Wrestling Entertainment. A true CM Punk aficionado in every sense of the word, he explains how the storyline leading up to his match against John Cena and the fallout has “transformed [Punk] into the People’s Champ, a carefree renegade who aired real-life gripes with Vince McMahon’s company in his ‘fake’ interviews.” Simmons adds, “The sport (you’re damned right I called it a sport) always works best when it straddles that real/fake line and makes you think, ‘Wait a second, what the hell am I watching?'”
From there he turns his attention to CM Punk’s entrance at Money in the Bank 2011 and how the atmosphere from the crowd in the seconds leading up to the Punk’s music hitting played a crucial role in making his entrance song that much more meaningful.
Rarely do you see this in wrestling today. Most times music is used as a way to pump the crowd whenever a wrestler makes a surprise or valiant return to the squared circle. (Anybody remember Hulk Hogan’s return to SmackDown! in 2002 prior to Judgement Day and the ovation he received?) In the ’80s music was an integral part of marketing until the music companies wanted payment for the rights to use such songs as Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” (Hogan), Rush’s “Tom Sawyer” (Kerry Von Erich), ZZ Top’s “Sharp Dressed Man” (Jimmy Garvin), Queen’s “Another One Bites The Dust” (Junkyard Dog), and who could forget the Alan Parsons Project’s “SIRIUS” (Ricky Steamboat) How about Ric Flair using the theme of 2001: A Space Odyssey) or Randy Savage with “Pomp and Circumstance.”
There’s a certain skill in selecting the perfect theme for a wrestler. When you think of Stone Cold Steve Austin you think of its opening seconds with glass breaking which is followed with the loud strumming of guitars. The Rock’s anthem includes the famous catchphrase that he’s used over the years “Do you smell what The Rock is cooking?” Shawn Michaels homered two times with “Sexy Boy” when he wrestled as the Heartbreak Kid and years later with “Break It Down” when he and Triple H teamed as Degeneration-X.
Among Simmons’ personal selection of wrestling themes some of the honorable mentions included Batista’s “I Walk Alone” (a respectable pick, because Batista’s entrance is one of the best aspects of his character); The Sandman’s “Enter Sandman” (a lay-up pick but totally fitting of the character); and Undertaker’s “Graveyard Symphony” (it’s still chilling to this day).
Bill Simmons’ top twelve is dominated by WWE themes (with a total of 11) and a single ECW pick. You can view the list in full at the following link. If you disagree with Simmons’ placement of certain themes or feel that he overlooked some great ones, sound off below.
