https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKM1AAzeRCg Rick Derringer hit his musical stride in the 80's as one of the key figureheads of the WWE's sound department but undeniably his greatest achievement was Hulk Hogan's 'Real American'. It's a song that many wrestling fans have had imprinted into their brain from their earliest wrestling memories, a rite of passage almost in the wrestling world. That's because it embodied everything about that era in wrestling, and to a lesser extent, wider culture. It emphasized a time period when wrestling was more innocent and endearing, although admittedly, quite naive by today's standards. Derringer achieved this by writing a song that invokes pride and the good in people. Hulk Hogan was the one chosen as the face of this philosophy. The theme's musical attributes are befitting of its lyrical intentions as well with its spacious drum blasts and determined vocal melodies, interspersed with some intricate, lead guitar work. However, the main riff is what makes it so iconic even to this day, it's driving rhythm pulling the other instrumental strands into one powerful wall of sound. In other words, if you're not wanting to tear your shirt off by the end, you might want to check your pulse. The message might be somewhat contrived, but that's also what makes wrestling so entertaining to millions around the world. 'Real American' is the perfect 80's anthem for patriotism, overcoming the forces of evil with its uplifting musical message - one that could easily sit independent from the wrestling world.
Music Journalism graduate and freelance writer from Northern Ireland, who enjoys scouring the music archives for the best sounds from the past and present. Writer for the awesome publications WhatCulture, Metal Injection, Scribol, The Gamer, and Prefix.