Andrew SpoorsThere are so many reasons why wrestling fans look forward to WrestleMania each year. Dream matches. A long weekend of wrestling events and experiences. Unforgettable moments. But it’s also the smaller things that make the ‘show of shows’ the industry’s headline event.
From anticipating what the stage might look like to live musical performances, WWE goes all out for Mania. One more differential is the music theme for each year’s event. Dating back to the very first WrestleMania when an instrumental version of Phil Collins and Phil Bailey’s Easy Lover was used, the ‘Grandaddy of them all’ is often an insight of the current musical climate.
Here we look at some of the musical acts that have worked with WWE on more than one occasion…
Limp Bizkit
Once billed as “WWE’s favourite band” by Howard Finkel, Fred Durst and co have supplied two themes for the company.
My Way and Crack Addict provided the soundtrack for WrestleMania X-Seven and XIX respectively.
Rooted in the early noughties, both WWE and the music industry found themselves in a wave of nu-metal acts.
Of course the brashness of the genre suited the infamous and unpredictable nature of the “Attitude Era”.
Not content with just a Mania soundtrack, Limp Bizkit also allowed The Undertaker to use Rollin’ as his entrance theme and even put in a live performance at Safeco Field in Seattle for WrestleMania XIX.
Flo Rida
Featuring on no fewer than four WrestleMania tracks, Flo Rida is another artist that quickly became a go-to for WWE.
Over the span of five years between 2012 and 2017, the Floridian rapper-come-pop sensation found an unofficial home in wrestling, appearing live at WrestleMania XXVIII and again collaborating with Pitbull at 33.
WrestleMania 32 saw the event use both My House and Hello Friday during the peak of the hip/hop and pop infusion that seemed to flood the charts at the time.
Coincidentally those two tracks were accompanied by tracks from both Avenged Sevenfold and Motorhead, proving that rock music has never been too far from the hearts of WWE.
Saliva
Another major player in the nu-metal era of the early noughties, Saliva enjoyed a very fruitful relationship with WWE at Mania and beyond.
Thanks to Superstar at WrestleMania X-8, as well as Ladies And Gentlemen for 23, Saliva are afforded a special place in the hearts of wrestling fans of a certain vintage.
Perhaps never really reaching the soaring heights of Korn, Linkin Park and co. Saliva thrived just under the mainstream even providing Batista with one of the best entrance songs of all time in the shape of I Walk Alone.
Very few Mania themes were able to hype the action quite as well as Ladies And Gentlemen.
Its lyrics entwine perfectly with the visuals of larger than life athletes colliding (‘Hold tight ’cause the show is not over/If you will please move in closer/You’re about to be bowled over/By the wonders you’re about to behold here’).
The band were also behind the theme for No Mercy 2001, supplying the ear-worm inducing Click Click Boom.
Kid Rock
The only artist on this list to be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame, WWE seems to have enjoyed a longer standing relationship with Kid Rock than any of his previous personal relationships.
Another to supply The Undertaker with an entrance theme (as well as Stacey Keibler), Kid Rock also provided So Hott for WrestleMania 25, Celebrate for WrestleMania XXX and New Orleans for WrestleMania 34.
The Detroit rap-country-rocker holds the distinction of putting on live performances on Monday Night Raw, Tribute To The Troops and multiple WrestleManias.
The man himself has never been one to shy away from reinventing himself and trying new things, much like WWE over the years.
It seems likely that Mr Rock. will provide the soundtrack to at least one more WrestleMania in the coming years.
The Weeknd
This year sees The Weeknd set a new record for WrestleMania themes, after Less Than Zero was named as the artist’s fourth consecutive Mania theme in a row.
Starting in 2020, The Weeknd has supplied Blinding Lights, Save Your Tears, Sacrifice and this year’s effort too.
No other artist has been selected since WrestleMania moved to a two night event and speculation seems to ramp up each year that the man himself will perform live.
So far that hasn’t happened, but both Survivor Series 2016 and Crown Jewel 2021 have also been accompanied by other tracks in his back catalogue.
Rushonrock has previously focussed on the reasons why WWE have been keen to continue with this particular collaboration and for once the company seem to have their finger on current pop culture.
Our very own King of the Ring, Andy Spoors, set about crowning the best WrestleMania theme over on his YouTube. See who Wrestling Royalty bestowed that lofty honour to right here…