The importance of entrance music

**Tom Guycott** · 03-02-2011, 07:17 AM

In a sense, the music gets you "in the mood" for that character. When it starts, and handled well, you know what's coming and react accordingly.

Firstly, Daniel Bryan is kind of unfair in this, as I believe "Ride of the Valkyries" would garner instant pop if a) they continued the Miz-trashing, Cole-stomping, Cena-spitting, tie-choking version he used to be, and b) they used a less generic sounding arrangement.

On to the subject: when done well, you get that feeling of excitement* about what's coming. It doesn't always have to be like Rock's or Miz's- opening with a catch phrase. Hell, HHH has been simplified to one single riff even before you hear Lemmy, so much so that it was copypasta'd onto the start of "King of Kings". For others, it's the entirety of the piece itself that adds to character development, from Christian's "At Last" rock-opera, to "Dashing" Cody Rhodes' boy-bandish vibe you get from "Smoke & Mirrors", to the Undertaker's "dong" (heh) and thunder rolls. Mark Henry's current theme fit a little more when he was being heavily heel pushed (the first time, pre WWECW) as a monster who liked hurting people just for fun. A good song can convey what you're supposed to feel about the character even before he steps out on the stage, and I don't just mean by having fitting lyrics.

Just look at how over Sandman was.

*unless it's X-Pac. His themes generally always sucked, and added into the perpetuation of "X-Pac heat". However, I am one of those who kinda dug his TNA theme, so even the sun shines on a dog's ass sometimes.

03-02-2011, 07:17 AM	#8
Tom Guycott Wrestling Marks Rejoice! Posts: 10,166	In a sense, the music gets you "in the mood" for that character. When it starts, and handled well, you know what's coming and react accordingly. Firstly, Daniel Bryan is kind of unfair in this, as I believe "Ride of the Valkyries" would garner instant pop if a) they continued the Miz-trashing, Cole-stomping, Cena-spitting, tie-choking version he used to be, and b) they used a less generic sounding arrangement. On to the subject: when done well, you get that feeling of excitement* about what's coming. It doesn't always have to be like Rock's or Miz's- opening with a catch phrase. Hell, HHH has been simplified to one single riff even before you hear Lemmy, so much so that it was copypasta'd onto the start of "King of Kings". For others, it's the entirety of the piece itself that adds to character development, from Christian's "At Last" rock-opera, to "Dashing" Cody Rhodes' boy-bandish vibe you get from "Smoke & Mirrors", to the Undertaker's "dong" (heh) and thunder rolls. Mark Henry's current theme fit a little more when he was being heavily heel pushed (the first time, pre WWECW) as a monster who liked hurting people just for fun. A good song can convey what you're supposed to feel about the character even before he steps out on the stage, and I don't just mean by having fitting lyrics. Just look at how over Sandman was. *unless it's X-Pac. His themes generally always sucked, and added into the perpetuation of "X-Pac heat". However, I am one of those who kinda dug his TNA theme, so even the sun shines on a dog's ass sometimes.