Jim Johnston On WWE's New Entrance Themes: "There's Just No Feeling"

By Andy H Murray / October 6, 2021

Not for the first time since leaving the promotion four years ago, former WWE music producer Jim Johnston has thrown some less-than-complimentary words at the company's modern entrance themes.

Johnston, considered by many the greatest theme composer in wrestling history, said the following on Ron Funches' Gettin' Better podcast, stating that WWE's current array of tracks lack feeling:-

"It's all about feeling for me, particularly with music - and there's just no feeling. It used to be you could be three rooms away and know who's coming out to the ring. Now, it's 'who knows?', and sort of 'who cares?'."

The veteran composer continued, saying WWE had become comfortable with its position while comparing the promotion to a clothing line that has lost its appeal:-

"The people in charge have gotten comfortable with where it is. It's making money, it's like 'okay, let's not screw with it.' We've all seen that happen with a lot of things in our lives, whether it be a clothing line we once loved and now we go back to the store and it just all seems to be tired. There's nothing cool here anymore. There's nothing elegant or special, it's just the same as the store next door."

Jim made similar comments on WWE's current themes earlier this year, telling Lucha Libre Online that he wanted to "slap Vince upside the head" for the company's "bad" music.

Johnston was WWE's in-house music producer for 32 years until he was let go by the promotion in November 2017. He had been phased out as the company's chief music creator in favour of CFO$ prior to that, though WWE has since terminated its relationship with that group as well. Production company def rebel now handle the bulk of the company's themes.

Some of the most iconic wrestling themes in history came from Johnston, including Steve Austin, The Rock, and Vince McMahon's. The 62-year-old hasn't been involved in professional wrestling since leaving the market leaders.