Jim Johnston believes wrestling entrance music has lost its identity, and he says it is hurting the business.

The composer behind more than three decades of WWE themes criticised today’s music during an appearance on Ropes & Riffs, arguing that too many tracks fail to capture the wrestler behind them.

“They’re not scores to the people. The music’s not saying anything about the character. You could take this theme and just give it to the next guy, and it would feel the same when he came out.”

For Johnston, big guitars and pounding drums mean little without instant recognition.

“But the days of being in the kitchen and the TV’s in the living room and being able to know exactly who’s coming out? That’s not happening.”

He also believes that disconnect contributes to wrestling’s struggle to create stars with the crossover appeal of Steve Austin and The Rock.

“And it’s also I think bad for business because I think that’s why the business is not really creating stars. There are not new Stone Colds and new Rocks. There are guys who are popular, but it’s like a ceiling now. There’s no one breaking through and jumping into Hollywood and the movies anymore.”

Johnston acknowledged that he no longer watches much wrestling, catching only brief moments while changing channels. However, he said fans regularly contact him about the music.

“The themes used to really be tied to this human being, and now it’s music that coincidentally plays when wrestlers walk out to the ring.”

He also challenged the idea that wrestlers should choose their own themes. His approach was to build music around the character, rather than the performer’s personal taste.

Johnston pointed to D-Generation X as an example, saying Shawn Michaels recognised that the theme suited the character even if it was not something he would choose to play at home.

He also revealed that Chyna inspired the title of Triple H’s “My Time” while reassuring him backstage.

“She was being so kind to him and reassuring him it’s going to work out, and suddenly she said, you know, it’s your time, and I was like, it’s my time. That’s it, my time.”

Despite saying he owns the copyright to “nothing” from his WWE work, Johnston is still creating. He has been finishing two songs, “We Are the Lucky Ones” and “I Make You Feel Alive,” and is working on another with Brand New Sin’s Joe Altier.

Does Johnston have a point about today’s entrance themes? Tell us which wrestling theme you would recognise from the first note.