The 22 Best WCW Theme Songs, Ranked (2024)

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WWE

By: Elton Jones

Published Jun 25, 2021

Back in its heyday, World Championship Wrestling offered an enjoyable alternative to Vince McMahon’s wrestling empire.

WCW featured some of the greatest Cruiserweights in the world, brought in past WWF talents, delivered a recognizable TV presentation, and produced some of the most memorable moments & matches in wrestling history. While WWE takes the cake when it comes to the best theme songs in all the sport, WCW’s not too shabby in the music department either. Ask any diehard WCW fan that followed the company extensively back in the day and they’ll be sure to mention most or all of the songs posted on this list. That’s because the now-defunct wrestling company put forward a strong lineup of catchy tunes that were either wholly original or surprisingly decent covers of popular songs.

22. “Ravishing” Rick Rude

The lead singer on this cheesy yet oh-so-catchy tune sounds like Tina Turner stepped into the booth to belt it out. And once she starts singing about the “Ravishing” one’s amazing sex appeal, you can’t help but get caught up in all its musical hoopla. Rick Rude’s WCW run produced some of his best in-ring work (his work with the Dangerous Alliance still holds up!) and this theme song was the perfect accompaniment to his run at the top. This song has one clear message - don’t leave your girl about Mr. Rude.

21. “The Total Package” Lex Luger

The theme that brought Lex Luger to the ring during the Monday Night Wars era is certainly a strong tune in its own right. But this song from the earlier portion of his WCW career just exudes a stronger cool factor and makes him come off as the coolest badass you could ever come across. In 1991, Lex could be seen tapping into his full heel role by strutting to the ring with manager Harley Race and Mr. Hughes by his side. This theme perfectly captured the spirit of his newfound sense of championship glory.

20. Doom/Ron Simmons

Ron Simmons isn’t just the “DAMN!” guy that makes a WWE cameo every now and then. He’s the first recognized African American champion in wrestling history. He overcame the overwhelming threat of Big Van Vader and sent the fans & his peers into a frenzy via his big win. This jazzy/funky tune played a huge part in solidifying his babyface image and endearing him to the fans even more at that time. Ron’s early 90s tune also welcomed him & Butch Reed to the ring when they were known as Doom. You gotta hand it to this theme for successfully pulling off double duty.

19. Big Van Vader

Big Van Vader once reigned over WCW as its fearsome final boss. He laid into countless victims with stiff body shots, painful corner splashes, sick powerbombs, and even some beautiful moonsaults during his reign of terror. With Harley Race by his side, Vader walked down to the ring to tear someone new apart while this banger blared in the background. It perfectly embodied the monstrous spirit of Vader and sparked fear into whoever was unlucky enough to be on his warpath. RIP to "The Man They Call Vader" - make sure you play this song on repeat in his honor.

18. Hollywood Blondes/”Stunning” Steve Austin

The unlikely duo of “Stunning” Steve Austin and “Flyin” Brian Pillman ended up working out way better than anyone ever expected. They exuded a believable level of confidence and swagger that endeared them to fans at the time. Another one of the reasons they were so beloved is because of how awesome their theme is. This rocking tune sounds like it came straight from a lost 90s action B-movie, which is far from an insult. And once Steve went the solo route and kept it, you couldn’t help but keep loving it. Whoever’s shredding the guitar on this tune went the extra mile to make it sound incredible.

17. Dean Malenko

“The Iceman” and “The Man of 1,000 Holds” didn’t have to say too much - everyone knew he was less of a talker and more of a master technician that got his point across in the ring. His theme song gives off heavy “I’m here to destroy you!” vibes and that’s usually what he did every time the bell rang. Listening back to this one makes you feel as if Dean’s running through a war-torn battlefield while explosives are going off around him. Seeing as how Dean regularly went to war in WCW, that description sounds quite apropos.

16. La Parka

“The Chairman” of WCW ended up becoming one of the more underrated members of the company’s massive roster during the Monday Night Wars. The lively luchador got plenty of fans on his side due to this energetic entrance and penchant for smashing dudes in the head with a steel chair. His theme song is another reason why his WCW run is looked back on so fondly - it matched La Parka’s frenetic pace in the ring perfectly and was actually listenable. Watching La Parka shred his trusty chair as if it were a guitar is an image that will forever stay embedded in the memory of wrestling fans everywhere.

15. Raven

“What about me? What about Raven?” The grunge rocker/leader of The Flock is another beloved gem from the late 90s boom period of WCW. Raven stuck out in the best way possible due to his impassioned promo delivery, cool stable full of society’s outsiders, and sick Evenflow DDT finisher. The song that marked his slow march to the ring matched up with his sulky demeanor so well. Yes, it’s an obvious ripoff of “Come As You Are” by Nirvana. But it’s way better than it has any right to be and fits Raven like a glove. “Quote the Raven! Nevermore.”

14. Chris Jericho

WCW sure loved their theme song covers, didn’t they? They got by without getting sued by the original song’s creators by making them as close to their tunes as possible without making them sound too similar. In the case of “Lionheart” Chris Jericho, WCW attached an awesome rendition of Pearl Jam’s “Even Flow” to “The Master of 1,004 Holds.” And honestly, it worked out pretty well for the guy during his time spent as a despicable yet oh-so-hilarious heel. As soon as you hear this tune, you can’t help but reminisce about Jericho planting his foot on another victim for a co*cky pinfall. “C’mon, babay!”

13. “Macho Man” Randy Savage

“Macho Man’s” first WCW run was colorful, to say the least. But once he added a few valets to his entourage and began adorning himself in all black, a new era of “Macho Madness” had begun. Randy Savage went from “Pomp and Circ*mstance” to this head-banging theme that endeared him to a whole new set of fans. The intro’s iconic “WHAT UP, MACH?” paves the way for a hardcore tune that matched Randy’s late-stage career resurgence. Throw up the devil horns for this one!

12. The Four Horsem*n

The Four Horsem*n are regarded as one of the greatest wrestling stables of all time. There were many variations of the group, but the majority of them maintained the high level of excellence the crew produced at the very start of their run. Once they finally got a theme song to accompany their cool heel demeanor, they were gifted with an amazingly impactful song that hits hard and heavy. The sound of wild bucks running at the start already clues old-school wrestling fans to what’s set to happen next - the Horsem*n have arrived to deliver amazing promos and vicious beatdowns.

11. Jeff Jarrett

“The Cho-Cho-Cho-Chosen One!” *cue harmonica* When “Double J” Jeff Jarrett left Vince and Co. behind to join WCW, he embraced his inner Kid Rock in quick fashion. The guitar-smashing madman earned himself a theme song that was clearly inspired by the aforementioned rap/rock artist’s smash hit “Cowboy.” And it damn sure worked considering Jeff Jarrett’s country roots. The booming intro, badass guitar shreds, bass-heavy drum pattern, and random trumpet interludes make this theme shine.

10. Billy Kidman

Billy Kidman and his awe-inspiring Shooting Star Press are still held in high regard to this very day. Once he left The Flock and rid himself of that Seven Year Itch, Billy realized his full potential as a cruiserweight star. This low-fi banger helped breathe some life into his renewed purpose as WCW’s literal shooting star. You can’t help but bob your head to this funky tune - it certainly goes hand in hand with Kidman’s spunkiness.

9. Filthy Animals

“I SNATCH A RABBIT OUT YA HAT AND CHOKE IT!” Shout out to Mad One for delivering one of the few memorable WCW theme songs that were accompanied by strong vocals. WCW’s answer to D-Generation X came in the form of the Filthy Animals, which featured Rey Mysterio, Konnan, Billy Kidman, Eddie Guerrero, and a host of gorgeous valets. The theme that marked their exciting arrival still bangs tremendously to this very day. Once this tune randomly pops up on your playlist, you’ll let it play out completely every time.

8. Diamond Dallas Page

WCW’s “People’s Champion” commanded the adoration of the audience due to his natural ascent to the top of the card. Diamond Dallas Page sticks out as one of WCW’s greatest homegrown stars and still remains a fan favorite thanks to that awesome “Diamond Cutter '' of his. Whenever the words “Self High Five” kicked in, everyone knew what time it was. This theme is practically Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and doesn’t try to hide it, which is what makes it such a gem. DDP’s quotables push this theme even farther into the territory of “close to perfection.”

7. “Nature Boy” Ric Flair

To non-wrestling fans, Richard Strauss’s “Also Sprach Zarathustra” is one of the finest examples of classical music. To wrestling fans around the globe, his masterpiece will forever be attached to the legacy of the “Nature Boy.” Ric Flair has kept this unmistakable theme song for the entirety of his Hall of Fame career and we’re glad he did. The booming timpani and the rest of this song’s incredible orchestral score match the grandeur of Flair’s sequin robes and beautiful blond hair. WOO!

6. Harlem Heat/Booker T.

If you didn’t know already, allow us to provide you with the name of this everlasting banger - “Rap Sheet.” The tag team of Booker T. and Stevie Ray beat the breaks off of suckas for years and made it look and sound so good with this theme song marking their arrival. And once the 5-time WCW Champion decided to go solo, this awesome theme stayed by his side right up until his retirement. “Rap Sheet” holds a special place in our hearts and gets us all nostalgic every time we hear it. *proceeds to raise the roof with repeated double-hand lifting motions*

5. nWo Wolfpac

That infamous wolf howl could only mean one thing - the Wolfpac was officially in the house. You can definitely say that there were way too many nWo offshoots, but you can’t deny that the red & black spinoff was one of the best. The rap song that kicked in every time they took over any arena they entered is catchy as hell - ask any old-school wrestling fan to repeat the first verse and they’ll most likely do it without any issue. Always remember, folks - “Don’t turn your back on the Wolfpac/You might end up in a body bag.” Shout out to C-Murder for blessing this track.

4. “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan

How can you ever go wrong when you have a theme song tied to the great Jimi Hendrix? Eric Bischoff must have realized the magic of Jimi’s incredible catalog and decided to pony up $100,000 to acquire the rights to “Voodoo Child.” That move ended up being one of the smartest decisions “Eazy E” ever made. Watching “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan take his sweet time getting to the ring while his black & white entourage backed him up was just so damn cool. And thanks to “Voodoo Child,” wrestling fans will forever associate it with Hogan's WCW career rebirth.

3. Goldberg

What. A. Theme. Song! The voracious drums and memorable horns that came from it could only mean one thing and one thing only - Goldberg was about to add another name to his list of hapless victims. Goldberg’s theme changed the mood to an entirely different one and made everyone watching him live feel like they were sitting in a gladiator arena. Which makes sense considering the chant that accompanied the song itself. Do yourself a favor and check out Pastor Troy’s flip of this song when you get a chance.

2. Sting

Sting’s record of great theme songs will forever be kept intact. His very first WCW theme, “The Man Called Sting,” and his Crow comeback music are all sublime. Even his TNA/IMPACT Wrestling, WWE, and AEW themes come off super well. But we gotta give all the props in the world to Sting’s use of Metallica’s “Seek & Destroy.” What made this theme go even harder is the fact that WCW used the live version of it, which added even more to Sting’s magnetic personality.

1. nWo

How could we not place this theme in the top spot? The nWo isn’t just one of the greatest stables in wrestling history, but they’re also one of the most influential. And whenever they arrived to raise hell and embrace the anarchy of it all, the crowd couldn’t help but love every minute of it. The group’s theme song can instantly be recognized by any wrestling fan young and old - the vocal cuts, wailing guitar licks, and mellow feel of it all helped it maintain its iconic status. The nWo theme is easily recognized by many as the greatest WCW theme song of all time.

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