With WrestleMania 35 on the horizon this Sunday, it’s no secret that World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has become a behemoth in the Sports & Entertainment industry. Not only did Fox recently agree to pony up $1-billion in television rights fees over the next five years, but the publicly traded company also has a slew of successful reality TV shows across the E & USA networks with Total Divas, Total Bella’s and Miz & Mrs. (produced by Bunim/Murray Productions). Not to mention, they operate their own film studio and are one of the pioneers when it comes to delivering original content through its revolutionary subscription-based streaming WWE Network.
Add all this up and as an independent artist or music producer, there are a ton of sync licensing opportunities out there for you through WWE. And if you’ve read my book, you know how easy it is to get in contact with them or Bunim/Murray and find their latest projects.
However, when you think of pro wrestling in the traditional sense, it’s often overlooked how important music is in developing a character or setting the stage for a match. Who doesn’t know those eerie bell tolls that signal when The Undertaker is about to take his slow walk down to the ring? Historically, due to licensing costs, promotions either employed in-house musicians, purchased music from production libraries, or even used music from the public domain. Below we take a look at 5 times they decided to bite the bullet and eat some hefty licensing fee costs for the sake of their creative vision.
1. Hulk Hogan – Voodoo Child by Jimi Hendrix
When most people think of Hulk Hogan’s theme music, usually it’s his mid-80’s to early 90’s WWE “Real American” anthem by Rick Derringer, that comes to mind. However, when he joined rival wrestling promotion, World Championship Wrestling (WCW), in the mid-90’s we soon saw The Hulkster take a shift to the dark side. After turning his back on his fans, Hogan soon donned black colors and took his walk to the ring with those epic Jimi Hendrix riffs blaring.
Download/Stream: Apple Music / Amazon Music / Spotify
2. CM Punk – Cult of Personality by Living Colour
When CM Punk returned to the WWE after a briefly (storyline) quitting the company, he brought with him this counter culture anthem. The anti-establishment lyrics beautifully echoed Punk’s persona and helped cement him as a true fan favorite. After CM Punk quit the WWE for real in 2014, he showed up in the UFC and brought this theme with him there as well.
Download/Stream: Apple Music / Amazon Music / Spotify
3. Ronda Rousey – Bad Reputation by Joan Jett
When Ronda Rousey joined the WWE in 2018 she brought along with her the Joan Jett anthem that she walked out to throughout her UFC career. Fast forward nearly a year and half and she will be walking out to that music this Sunday when she becomes the first ever female to main event a WrestleMania. Major kudos to Rousey for being such a revolutionary female athlete. This music fits her perfectly.
Download/Stream: Apple Music / Amazon Music / Spotify
4. Edge – Metalingus by Alter Bridge
Following some time off due to surgery, Edge attended a Metallica concert and began friendship with former Creed guitarist Mark Tremonti.
Tremonti gave Edge a listen to some of the cuts off his new band Alter Bridge’s debut album. One of those songs was Metalingus. Edge asked if he could use the song for his impending return and Tremonti obliged. The rest is history.
Download/Stream: Apple Music / Amazon Music / Spotify
5. The Undertaker – American Bad Ass by Kid Rock
When you think iconic wrestling themes, you think The Undertaker. You don’t, however, think the “American Bad Ass” Undertaker. In the early 2000’s, Taker ditched that “dead man” gimmick for something new and evolved his character into a bad ass biker who drove a motorcycle to the ring with Kid Rock’s anthem playing. Fans welcomed back the “dead man” character in 2004.
Download/Stream: Apple Music / Amazon Music / Spotify
Trying to line up some cues for a WWE show? Read the book that so many independent artists and producers are calling on to guide them through the process.
