Top Five list: best 80s wrestling ring-entrance music
By Troublemaker
WrestlersRamblings.com
wrestling news  Â
It wasn’t just Vince McMahon and his famous “grapefruits” who completely revolutionized wrestling around the mid-80s. For those growing up around that time, the introduction of the so-called “Rock n’Wrestling connectionâ€? was every bit as important in the development of sports entertainment as we all know it today. As I recall it all began with Hulk Hogan thundering to the ring to defend his belt while the strains of the Survivor anthem Eye of the Tiger blared over the PA. Had that song not been replaced by the now famous Rick Derringer ditty, Real American, the list I am about to compile could look a lot different. So with apologies to the WWE and all their efforts in recording ring entrance music, the following Top 5 list will only reflect for the most part, real music performed by real musicians.
TOP FIVE EIGHTIES RING ENTRANCE MUSIC
5. The Road Warriors – OK admit it, who else out there used to stay up until 2 a.m. waiting for Black Sabbath’s Iron Man and a chance to see Hawk and Animal storm the ring and execute one or two moves before cruising to another easy victory? And to think sometimes I actually wonder why I never had a high school sweet heart. (NOTE: I sure don’t. - Mr. Mal)
4. Kamala – A painstaking search recovered no name for the menacing chant that accompanied the Ugandan Giant to the ring. One of the few songs the WWE didn’t shelve in favor of their own, Kamala’s walk to the ring was made whole lot more intimidating by this primal number.
3. Eddie Gilbert – If I didn’t know better I’d swear Donna Summer had the late, great Gilbert in mind when she came out with the song Hot Stuff many, many years ago. Another spine-tingler.
4. Randy Savage – Although it was actually Gorgeous George who first entered the ring to Edward Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance, it was the “Macho Man� and his “manager� Elizabeth who I obviously identify with on this one. Had I attended my high school graduation I would have insisted on this march upon accepting my diploma.
1. Ric Flair – Long before the WWE butchered it, 2001 A Space Odyssey was the gold standard in ring entrance music. As the Nature Boy majestically “walked that aisle,� you knew as a fan you were about to get your money’s worth from a true master of his craft. Even the stripped down version gave me goose bumps at WrestleMania.
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ATTENTION OLD SCHOOL FANS: TAKE A LOOK AT OUR RANKINGS OF TOP FIVE WWF 1980S JOBBERS! CLICK HERE!
May 25th, 2007 at 8:40 am
Wha?!? No Manhattan Transfer “Boy from New York City” for the Boogie Woogie Man Jimmie Valiant??!? This list has no merit whatsoever without it.