On Monday, WWE Raw entered a “new era” of programming with new authority figures, a new roster, a new set, new visual presentation, a new announce team and, perhaps most importantly, a new opening theme. It got us thinking about all the songs that’ve opened Raw in the past, so, because we are on the internet, we decided to lay them all out and rank them from worst to best.
These are our choices, and our explanations. If you like the list or disagree with it to the point of wanting to fight us in real life, drop down into our comments section and let us know how you’d rank them. We’re really hoping to get an outpouring of Papa Roach fans in here.
Enjoy!
10. I Like It Raw
Performed By: Jim Johnston
Years Used: part of 1995
Most Aggro Lyric: “No doubt about it, make it a law! I like it raw!”
You probably don’t remember this one, but it’s so bad it made Shawn Michaels want to jump off a building. One part vague Jim Johnston butt rock, one part mid-’90s country, one part Roseanne theme song, “I Like It Raw” was only used for part of 1995 until someone actually listened to it and changed it back.
I do like that the accompanying clip is sort of the precursor to the Attitude Era “walk into the exploding warehouse and start punching people” open. Why is there an illegal, sparsely-attended battle royal happening in the parking lot of an office building, and why is Goldust watching from afar?
9. The Night
Performed By: Kromestatik
Years Used: July 2012 – July 2016
Most Aggro Lyric: “Bright lights, hype crowd, yeah, we came to throw down!”
Can you believe this was the Raw intro theme for four years? The original version of it has CM Punk, Eve Torres and the Funkasaurus in it, and they used this until like last week.
Performed by Kromestatik (Bryan Clark and Bryan Adams) (not really), it’s the kind of limp, non-offensive semi-hip-hop that defined WWE after the Ruthless Aggression era. We want you to get excited, but not too excited. Everybody be very careful!
I think this one ranks low for me because it reminds me of every boring, cookie-cutter Raw from the past few years. It’s like Baron Corbin vs. Dolph Ziggler The Song. In a few years, once the pain has started to fade, I’ll probably bump it up a notch or two.
8. Tonight Is The Night
Performed By: Outasight
Years Used: Raw 1000
Most Aggro Lyric: “Everybody go, wooh wooh ooh ooh ooh, wooh wooh ooh ooh ooh, yeah yeah yeah yeah”
This was used only once, for Raw’s 1000th episode. If you watch the video, you’ll notice there’s an unusual amount of comedy bits and deaths/retirements in the highlight reel. One thousand wrestling shows and 80 percent of your best moments are people dressing up as other people and Mark Henry having sex with old ladies?
That’s this song. “Moments” over content. Nobody listens to this song and hears lyrics, they just hear the “ooh ooh part.” That’s why it’s perfect for the video package, and perfect for celebrating 1000 of something.
7. Enemies
Performed By: Shinedown
Years Used: This Week
Most Aggro Lyric: “You want more; you’ll get nothing from me!”
This one’s new, but we’ve already called it the, “Jimmy Hart version of NXT’s intro.” It thankfully steps away from WWE’s love of bad club music and half-assed hip-hop and gets back to music that’s truly appropriate for pro wrestling: aggro-ass radio rock about how you’re about to get into a fight. IT’S 20 TO ONE, YOU BETTER RUN!
Shinedown is such a perfect pro wrestling band, especially now that Saliva is living on a nice farm upstate where they have a big yard and can run around.
6. Burn It To The Ground
Performed By: Nickelback
Years Used: November 2009 – July 2012
Most Aggro Lyric: “We got no fear, no doubt. All in, balls out!”
Here’s the dilemma.
I wanted to rank this one dead last, because most good-hearted people agree that Nickelback sucks eggs. At the same time, chopped up snippets of threaten-rock Nickelback are pretty perfect for Raw, especially when they’re talking about fearlessly pulling out their balls and setting sh*t on fire. Part of me wants to go back and dub-in “Photograph” over every time WCW showed you stills from the previous night’s pay-per-view instead of video.
The “hey!” parts are the kind of catchy nonsense you want in your open, too. Play the regular version of this song and try not to picture John Cena saluting at the end of it. Can’t be done.
5. The Beautiful People
Performed By: Marilyn Manson
Years Used: a few weeks in 1997
Most Aggro Lyric: “And I don’t want you, and I don’t need you. Don’t bother to resist, or I’ll beat you!”
This one loses points for only being used for a few weeks, then popping up again as the opening theme to Smackdown. Still, nothing says “1997” and “trying too hard to be offensive” quite like Marilyn Manson, and that was pitch-perfect for the new era of WWF programming.
Plus, it gave us our first look at the exploding fire ring warehouse, which would get its much more appropriate and iconic soundtrack within a month.
4. …To Be Loved
Performed By: Papa Roach
Years Used: October 2006 – November 2009
Most Aggro Lyric: “I want domination. I want your submission!”
Like Nickelback, Papa Roach added a bunch of “hey!” and “whoa!” sounds to a song and made it perfect for pro wrestling.
This was recorded during that hilarious period where Papa Roach was a few years removed from the emo nu-metal success of “Last Resort” and had gone Full Buckcherry. Seriously, watch the official video for “…To Be Loved.” He’s got a jet black heart, it’s all f*cked up and falling apart! It’s like Jet and Good Charlotte went on Wife Swap.
Also, how weird is it to hear full versions of these Raw entrance themes? It’s like seeing your teachers outside of school.
3. Across The Nation
Performed By: The Union Underground
Years Used: April 2002 – October 2006
Most Aggro Lyric: “And they refuse to see the change in me, why won’t they wake up?” and/or, simply, “PLAY THAT F*CKIN’ MUSIC”
If you ask anybody under 30 to name their most iconic Raw opening theme, they’ll probably claim this one. A post-Attitude Era WWF creeping out of the Attitude Era but not yet boned by the deaths of Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero wanted you to know that they had bloody faces and naked ladies and hot lesbian action, and that they weren’t afraid to say the F-word! The censored F-word, but they’ll say it a lot.
Funny enough, The Union Underground broke up right around the time this became Raw’s opening theme, but their badly-updated Wikipedia page will tell you that they’re back together and making music again. “Across The Nation ’17,” anybody?
2. Monday Night Raw
Performed By: Jim Johnston
Years Used: 1993-1996, intermittently
Most Aggro Lyric: saxophone
The first Raw theme is still one of the most iconic. It screams pre-Attitude Era WWF, and if you played any of the Super Nintendo games you probably had the MIDI version stuck in your head for years. Definitely a strong No. 2 behind “WrestleMania” as the definitive old school track.
They occasionally bring it back when they do an Old School Raw, and it still works. They could sneak this back in today and people would love it.
1. Thorn In Your Eye/We’re All Together Now
Performed By: WWE Superstars & Slam Jam
Years Used: March 1997 – March 2002
Most Aggro Lyric: who the hell knows, all of them
It had to be this one, didn’t it? One day we’ll find out the real lyrics, which are definitely not the “I’ve seen the donut” version you can on wrestling lyric sites. I’ve always sung SOUL OF BEEF! and I’m not gonna stop now.
The actual best Raw theme ever is the accompanying “We’re All Together Now,” which is a terrible and cornball song with an instrumental that absolutely defines late-’90s wrestling.
Nothing says “STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN AND AHMED JOHNSON WALKED INTO THIS DEADLY WAREHOUSE AND WON’T STOP PUNCHING EACH OTHER” more. Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler should have it playing behind them every time they speak. Classic, and our choice for No. 1.
