Jim Johnston discusses his approach to creating WWE entrance themes

Veteran composer Jim Johnston has shared insights into his process for creating iconic entrance music for WWE performers such as The Undertaker and ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin. Speaking on the All Access Entertainment podcast, Johnston explained that his primary goal was to translate a wrestler’s character and personality into music rather than catering to the personal musical tastes of the talent.

Johnston noted that he rarely consulted directly with wrestlers during the composition process because their suggestions often reflected their personal listening habits rather than what best represented their on-screen personas.

Furthermore, Johnston criticized the use of commercially released songs as entrance themes, calling it a ‘horrible idea’ and ‘self-defeating.’ He argued that licensed music carries existing emotional associations for listeners that can distract from the performer. He emphasized that custom music allows the audience to focus solely on the wrestler, creating a unique emotional connection that commercial tracks cannot achieve.