Jim Johnston says music in WWE has lost its soul.
Without a doubt, Jim Johnston is responsible for some of the most iconic theme songs in wrestling history. Along with Jimmy Hart, Johnston helped create the soundtrack that defined a generation. Helping put together theme songs for acts such as Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Vader, Demolition, The Undertaker, and more, Johnston helped create the aura of many of the superstars that have defined WWE throughout history.
Speaking with Lucha Libre Online, Johnston would say that the music of today's wrestling is so bad that he wants to slap Vince McMahon upside the head because he feels like it has lost all connection to the storylines and characters involved in WWE programming.
“I want to slap Vince [McMahon] upside the head because I don't know what's happened to the music. It's so bad these days. It's just sound effects and noises and stuff that doesn’t have anything to do with the characters or the storylines anymore. That’s the essence of this business, it's [about] characters and storylines and that’s currently lost. I don’t get it.”
He continued, “Just go down the list. Undertaker and his music, they're one thing. Steve Austin, Hunter and ‘The Game.’ Triple H, he is The Game. It isn't like that's coincidentally his music. It goes as far as one of the frustrating things is, when I would write a theme, particularly for somebody who is really popular it would so stick that I could never use that singer again.”
Jim Johnston would further say that he feels like the poor quality of the music is another element preventing people from becoming stars. However, that does make him feel better about all of the iconic themes he did create.
“I hate to say it, but there’s a certain satisfaction that the music now is so bad. It makes me feel better about what I did contribute. It does make me feel bad for a bunch of wrestlers because, without good music, you can’t become a big star. I don’t believe it’s possible. The music is just like a score in a movie, it’s what leads the fans’ emotions. It’s a very visceral, very deep emotional connection. That’s always what I went for and that’s now what is missing.”
Nowadays, WWE music is produced by “def rebel,” likely an in-house team as WWE owns the trademark for the name.
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