Jim Johnston has offered a pointed assessment of WWE’s current entrance music, arguing that too many modern themes lack the individual identity that once made a wrestler’s arrival feel inseparable from their character.
Speaking with Ropes N Riffs, the former WWE composer said he sees a fundamental difference between the themes associated with many of the company’s biggest stars from previous eras and much of the music heard on WWE programming today. In Johnston’s view, entrance music once functioned as a key storytelling device. It immediately told the audience who was coming out, what that performer represented, and how fans were expected to feel before the wrestler ever reached the ring.
“I mean, the themes used to really be tied to this human being and now it’s coincidentally music that plays for the most part,” Johnston said. “There are exceptions of course, but it’s music that coincidentally plays when wrestlers walk out to the ring and it’s kind of interchangeable.”
Johnston’s comments arrive amid continuing discussion among fans and wrestlers about the state of WWE entrance themes. The subject has become a recurring point of debate in recent years, particularly as viewers compare newer music to songs that became deeply connected with stars from earlier generations. For Johnston, the issue is not simply whether a track is loud, heavy, energetic, or suitable for a televised entrance. The more important question is whether it is unmistakably attached to the person using it.
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That distinction has long been central to how professional wrestling presents its characters. A successful theme can signal a wrestler’s presence in a fraction of a second. It can create anticipation before an entrance begins, give a crowd an immediate cue to react, and become part of a performer’s image outside the ring. In WWE’s most memorable cases, the opening notes, a signature sound effect, or even a brief vocal phrase could be enough to trigger recognition from an arena audience.
Johnston was responsible for many of those defining musical identities during his lengthy time with WWE. His work included The Rock’s “If You Smell” and The Undertaker’s “Rest in Peace,” two themes that remain closely associated with the wrestlers who used them. The songs did more than accompany entrances; they reflected the central features of each act. The Rock’s theme supported his charisma and swagger, while The Undertaker’s music established the ominous atmosphere surrounding one of WWE’s most enduring characters.
Those examples help explain why Johnston places so much value on specificity. A theme does not need to tell an audience every detail about a wrestler, but it should create a feeling that belongs to that wrestler alone. If the same song could plausibly be given to several different people on the roster without changing its impact, Johnston’s criticism is that the music has not fully served its purpose.
Music and character presentation
Entrance themes occupy an unusual place in wrestling presentation. They are often short in practical use, with only the opening portion heard during an entrance, but their influence can be much larger. The right music can sharpen a character’s presentation every week. It can turn a surprise appearance into a major moment, add tension to a confrontation, or make a champion’s walk to the ring feel more important.
Johnston’s argument is that WWE themes previously carried more of that character-building weight. His description of modern songs as “interchangeable” does not mean he believes every current theme is ineffective. He specifically acknowledged that there are exceptions. However, he believes the broader trend has moved away from themes designed around a particular human being and toward music that could simply play as a wrestler makes their way to the ring.
That is an important distinction in a format built around immediate recognition. WWE television moves quickly, and performers are often introduced to viewers through a combination of music, video, lighting, ring gear, body language, and commentary. When a theme has a clear identity, it can reinforce all of those elements at once. When it does not, the entrance may have less impact even if the wrestler’s in-ring work and personality remain strong.
Johnston has voiced similar criticism earlier this year, describing WWE’s current theme music as “generic” and saying that it “sounds like noise.” His latest comments expand on that position by focusing on the relationship between music and character rather than simply the sound of the tracks themselves.
For a composer who helped create some of WWE’s most recognizable musical cues, that relationship is evidently the heart of the matter. A wrestler’s theme should not merely fill time between the backstage area and the ring. It should add to the performer’s identity and leave a distinct impression on the audience.
Johnston also questions WWE storytelling
Johnston’s criticism was not limited to entrance music. During the same interview, he also raised concerns about the intensity and clarity of WWE’s storylines. He said he has heard from people whose biggest complaint is that rivalries can emerge too suddenly and change too quickly.
“The storylines don’t seem intense and I’ve heard from a lot of people that their biggest criticism is that storylines come out of nowhere and change too fast,” Johnston said. “Like suddenly these two guys hate each other but we’re supposed to be really jacked up about that they hate each other except we have absolutely no idea why they hate each other.”
The criticism connects directly to his thoughts on entrance music. In Johnston’s view, both music and story are tools for establishing emotional investment. A theme helps define who a wrestler is. A storyline explains what that wrestler wants, what stands in the way, and why the audience should care about the conflict. If either component is underdeveloped, it can become harder to make a rivalry feel meaningful.
Wrestling has always relied on escalation. Opponents can certainly begin a feud quickly, but the conflict generally gains force when viewers understand the issue between them. Whether the dispute is centered on a championship, betrayal, personal history, respect, ambition, or another motivation, the explanation gives an audience a reason to follow the situation beyond the match itself.
Johnston’s observation is that abrupt changes can make that process more difficult. If wrestlers suddenly become enemies without enough context, viewers may be asked to accept an emotional intensity that has not been fully built on screen. His comments do not identify specific WWE programs, performers, or rivalries. Rather, they address what he sees as a wider issue with the pace and construction of some stories.
That view also reflects the broader role Johnston believes presentation should play in creating stars. He has said that the lack of attention given to entrance themes makes it harder for WWE to build stars. The idea is straightforward: a star is not created by one element alone. Matches, promos, character development, storylines, crowd reaction, visual presentation, and music all contribute to how a performer is perceived.
A lasting legacy in WWE music
Johnston’s name remains closely linked to an era in which WWE entrance music became one of the promotion’s strongest branding tools. His themes helped provide sonic identities for a wide range of performers, and many continue to be recognized long after their original use. That legacy is a major reason his opinions on WWE music continue to draw attention whenever he discusses the current product.
Fans have frequently called for Johnston to return to WWE, especially during the period in which Def Rebel became the primary group behind WWE’s music. Johnston has expressed interest in returning to his former role, but he does not believe WWE would ask him to come back.
Whether or not a return ever becomes possible, Johnston’s comments underline why the debate around entrance themes remains significant. The most enduring songs in wrestling do not simply become popular tracks. They become part of the wrestler’s language with the audience. They announce a personality, summon a reaction, and can make a single entrance feel like an event.
For Johnston, WWE’s challenge is not just to produce music for the next walk to the ring. It is to create themes that feel as though they could belong to nobody else.
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.