Jim Johnston: Behind WWE's legendary theme songs, why he's not in the Hall of Fame, thoughts on AEW
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- Опубликовано: 26 апр 2021
- Jim Johnston is a music composer who worked as the music producer for WWE from 1985 - 2017. He is the man responsible for the legendary theme songs for Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H, Mick Foley, Degeneration X, The Undertaker, Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon, Randy Orton and countless others. During the course of his 32-year career with WWE he composed more than 10,000 pieces of music before he was released in 2017. Jim joins Chris Van Vliet from his studio in Greenwich, CT where he talks about how he started working for WWE, his process behind creating music, some of his favorite themes, why he doesn't think he will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and he ends the interview with a beautiful piano rendition of The Undertaker's theme song. This is truly one of my favorite conversations ever!
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#WWE #JimJohnston #GOAT 
Развлечения
Like this if you agree that Jim Johnston is the 🐐
A one-of-a-kind, genuinely awesome human being.
Hall of Fame Worthy!💜🌹
hes the goat but hes also a lil salty
Idk why AEW hasn’t picked him up.
You should totally get him to make a theme out of the guitar riff he made from outta nowhere, it was 🔥, I was lowkey mad he stopped.
@@decimationjones2342 For real, for real. My one gripe with AEW is their audio production. It... could use some help IMO. JJ is no brainer!!
He not only created theme music, he helped superstars make an impact and get reactions from fans. Induct him into the HOF for sure.
They need enough room for Drew Carey and Pete Rose you know. SMH.
He's too good for WWE's bullshit HoF anyhow
I still can't process why people take their HoF so seriously, like if it means something in the wrestling world
@@el-youtub3r402 facts . Their hall of fame is a circus just like the US election
@@theworldisimmense more like the whole U.S. as a country
If he has any dignity he would not want to be associated with that shit stain what they call hall of fame only one person inducts people depending on there relationship with him.
I don't know how WWE could let this man go. He's basically wrestling's John Williams.
Is John Williams a basketball player?...
@@justinterry7853 I don't know if this is bait... Greatest film composer of modern day (guy who made Star Wars music)
Who? 🤔
@@jjthapyro4130 more like who are you? Another shit bird sock puppet? Or just another shit bird?
@@julesmateo9954 LOL why are you so triggered? That was a real question. I don't know who that is. You have anger issues. Go take your medication kid. 😂
In 1999, I wrote about what I'd like to do when I grew up for a 5th grade class assignment. I actually wrote about Jim Johnston and how I'd like to write music for wrestlers. Took a couple of twists since then, BUT I did ultimately get involved in the music business. Johnston is a monster at writing short, recognizable melodies that loop - just like a classic video game musician.
He would probably be unbelievable at writing dance music with his skill set
You've done pretty well yourself
The guest we didn't expected but the guest we needed.... thank you CVV
Thank you!
@@ChrisVanVliet thank YOU Chris!
Thank you Chris! We needed this during this time.
@@ChrisVanVliet ur Welcome 😁
Thanks Chris!
The fact that he is not in Hall of Fame should be a punishable crime for every single person in WWE management.
they don't deserve him in their HoF
From this interview, it falls on both parties. Jim doesn't seem like he cares to be in the HOF.
Its okay cause you know.... the bella twins, the great khali, snoop dogg and drew Carrey are more important
@@HitmanEF the funny thing is that people like you are the ones who refer to the HoF as something legitimately when its the complete opposite
@@el-youtub3r402 wtf are you talking about.
Themes back then gave wrestlers depth and individuality. Now everybody has either a rock/ hip-hop theme that loops lol. Props to Jim for all those iconic entrances.
They all look like were recorded by the same people, in the same studio, on the same day.
And now they changed a lot of themes again (probably due to CFO's departure) and they're even worse!
you’re right the last Theme he made was the Shields theme song then he was let go big mistake.
Was it The Shields theme? Always heard it was Barron Corbin theme from like 2015 ish
Yea 100% false. Themes gave wrestlers depth? No their a storylines did that. And the individuality came from their gimmick and that why certain music was chosen.
Nowadays people dont want cheesy gimmicks, they want a pro wrestlers character to be an extension of themselves, and thats the wrestlers want to. And thats why they are asked what kind of music do you want to come out to.
Its 2 completely different times, comparing them really holds no ground.
And there were just as many rock based themes in the 80s/90s are there ever were.
@@theignaciortega Yea, we were like "CFO is the worst..." and then def rebel arrived with even worse sh*** - HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?!
I grew Up listening to his created WWE theme music , Today I am Successful Music producer And i gotta say his work still amazes me , He is doing every genre and doing it more than best .
Responsible for some of the greatest theme songs of all time. Jim definitely is the *GOAT.* You should have him write your theme, CVV.
I think you might be onto something 👀
@@ChrisVanVliet the question is would you be a face or a heel?
The Legend behind the soundtracks to our Childhoods!!
Indeed! 💯
Oh yeah 💯
Jim Johnston was the best at making WWF/WWE Theme music. Theme songs these days aren't as good
I think the problem with the songs now are it’s literally a minute of a song then it’s just a loop and that’s every song. Don’t get me wrong I love a lot of song that the CFO$ do but it doesn’t feel the same. Also they’re very generic or really good songs get changed to those generic themes.
@@CbabyDavy5703 just u tell that now CFO$ Doesn't make wwe's new themes they fired them like 2019 or something
@@CbabyDavy5703 u just freaking said it the repitition of the songs are so bad
The some theme I love done by CFO$ are shinsuke's and Keith lee's
@@sumigoutham1391 Oh shoot honestly I forgot they did lol damn. Who does it now?
What makes Chris so good at his job is he's an excellent listener. He does a perfect job of knowing when to get out of the way and it never feels artificial or forced. It's usually just a straight forward conversation with the questions everyone wants answered sprinkled in. It makes these videos (no matter how long) such an easy watch. Well done, Chris. While most interview shows are guest dependant, these videos never feel that way.
I appreciate the kind words! Thanks for watching!
What an interesting interview. Always wondered what Jim was doing! Thanks, Chris!
Thanks Swamp!
These weren't just theme songs. These sold the wrestler and brought the crowd to life. When themes like Taker, HBK, Warrior....hell, Stone Cold, when they hit the crowd would just explode. Jim is the goat, legend and a genius. CVV killing the interview game once again.
HBK's theme was written by JJ McGuire/Jimmy Hart.
@@pigs18 Yeah, they are also goats of wwf and wcw theme songs. JJ has a youtube channel
I'd say the Undertaker theme was his masterpiece, as much of that success comes from the man's portrayal, I think the music was vital to the vibe of the character.
its a perfect piece of music
kane's is also perfect
Takers was big for the character, same with Warrior. Ultimate Warrior without that theme doesn't work.
The Undertaker theme at the end! One of the most iconic pieces of music.. regardless of place or genre. A fantastic interview. Thank you, Jim!
the ministry of darkness
Jim needs more recognition from fans
He does I feel most fan are more annoyed that wwe doesn’t really hold him in that high regard as he is still not in the hof....
Oooooo he needs it need need need need need . I need this I need that
@@joee95 u good there?
Dude why are you crying for him not being in the hall of fame it was made for wrestlers/managers/gm not music artists
@@geleneceline2310 if Trump is in it, Jim has a shot.
The John Williams of wrestling. Pure genius. My favorite themes are Stone Cold's shattered glass, Taker's 1998 theme and the Brood's theme.
The Broods for sure
Ennio Morricone > John Williams.
@@mitchie2267 for Wrestling Themes he would have been probably 😂
I would not say better but as good as in a different way. You can't always compare or superior things over another
This man single handedly molded what I listen to today, true hall of famer
same!!!
*jim deserves to be in the wwe making music rn
This man was the soundtrack to my childhood. Put him in the Hall of Fame!!
Jim Johnston: the man, the myth, the legend. The best there is at what he does.
"I'll do a theme for you. What would be a theme for you?" That's it, kill me now. Life has peaked. A theme from Jim Johnston himself?! What a dream!
I Really really hope chris takes him up on that so we get a great song.
I love that when Jim is sort of at a loss for words, his guitar is able to complete the sentence or story for him 🏆
When he said about Corbins theme... The end of days. That choked me up! What a Legend!!
Number one rule of RUclips, always place a time stamp.
This man created the sound of my childhood!
Back in the day the theme songs sounded like the wrestlers themselves would sing it. Randy Orton, Batista, Edge, Rey, Triple H etc. It always fitted perfectly and was unique
Jim Johnston, DESERVES, to be in the WWE hall of fame. all of us that grew up listening to his music are so appreciative for everything he did. just imagine the attitude era without him! thank you, Jim. we love you.
This alone should have a million views no dislikes this is about a man that made our child hood and gave us life through music
THIS GUY IS A F***NG LEGEND! Doesn't get enough credit for the Awesome, Nostalgic, Legendary themes he produced for WWE in the 90s and 2000s! ABSOLUTLY CRIMINAL HOW HE'S NOT IN THE HALL OF FAME!!!!
Not gonna lie, I'm tempted to commission my own theme that will never see the light of day, just to say I have my own music by Jim Johnston.
Haha how much would that cost? Such a sick idea
What a genius! Crazy how one man was behind some of the most iconic wrestling themes. My favorite work of his is The Rock's 'Hollywood' theme. It's simply phenomenal.
IS COOKIN.............
@@HITTTAB the guitars are Epic!
Bro, I was legit just singing it, low key one of favorites, that and Slow Chemical by Finger 11, and Disturbed SCSA theme.
That theme is like something straight out of a church with it's long intro,slow and beautiful at the same time.
@@uniontrains.8631 That build up is Godly.
This is by far one of my favorite interviews Chris has ever done. As a musician it's super fascinating to hear Jim's story. That guy pumped out some of the most iconic themes that were literally a soundtrack for wrestling fans lives essentially. Superb interview and conversation!
Great interview. I actually like the fact he feels a little ticked that he was fired and none of the other companies tried to hire him. He deserves so much more.
Also, knowing he's the singer on the original Smackdown theme is incredible.
Let’s also be real about it. None of the companies ar the time he was let go had the infrastructure or money to bring him on. The cost he’d bring to a company would be high. Wwe saved some in royalties since they had a music division that held some of it but he sriknmade millions. None of the other companies had the funds for a music division to distribute his music nor could they afford the royalties. But it is susrprising an AEW never had interest since Tony has been willing to pay licensing for songs for people so you could see him being willing to pay for a Jim Johnston.
@@Matt-cr4vvTony has fumbled many bags at this point
Am I the only one who teared up at that rendition of Taker's theme at the end? Great post CVV! Keep on keeping on with that brilliant smile of yours!
I did as well
Even though it's been heard hundreds of times before, hearing Jim Johnston play in a "live" setting brings a tear to the eye, great way to wrap up this banger of an interview.
I’ve been waiting for someone to interview Jim Johnston. I couldn’t be happier that it was you. Thank you!
WWE were dumb to let him go. This is a great interview. Chris you need a theme song for your youtube channel. MAKE IT HAPPEN!!! lol
First off, Jim Johnston if you ever come across this comment, thank you for everything you have contributed to wrestling and especially my childhood all the way through to my adult years. You are one of the biggest legends in the history of the business and are very much appreciated. HOF bound for sure, should probably have your own wing with all the legendary theme songs that have literally made stars. #ThankYouJimJohnston. I hope you continue with your Uncaged albums. This may be a long shot, but I would love to request some themes on your next album. Especially the saxophone 80s stuff.
1. Survivor Series 89
2. Survivor Series 90
3. Rumble 89 (30 Participants Intro)
4. Rumble 90 (30 Participants Intro)
5. Rumble 91 (30 Participants Intro)
6. Wresting Challenge 90 (Warrior Remix Intro)
7. Wrestling Challenge 91
8. Prime Time Wrestling 91
9. Zues
10. Bam Bam Bigelow 87
11. Lawrence Taylor
12. The New Midnight Express
13. Blue Blazer 1st
14. Blue Blazer 2nd
15. Owen Hart Nation (Arena Theme)
16. Rick The Model Martel (Arena Theme)
17. Brian Pillman Loose Cannon 1st
18. Test (Version 1, also used by Mabel)
19. The Radicalz 1st
20. Tajiri 1st (1997 Raw)
21. Ultimate Warrior 1st
22. Wade Barrett (Version 1 End Of Days)
23. The Corre (Version 3)
24. Spirit Of The Undertaker (With Guitar Solo)
And too many more to name, but this is my Uncaged wish list. Thank you again for everything Mr. Johnston 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Real fan right here
Him playing DX out of the blue brought a huge smile to my face
He transcended a whole generation. His sounds were the anthem to all of our childhoods. Not only does he deserve to be in the Hall of Fame, he deserves his own wing! Hell.. This man IS the Hall of Fame!! Do the right the thing Vince.
We salute you Jim Johnston. 👏
*Triple H & Rock
How this is not well WELL beyond 100k+ views is beyond me, this is WWF/WWE history. One of the top 5 CVV interviews, what a treasure
Today is the first time I see and hear the legendary Jim Johnston. This is 100% spot on how I pictured the guy to be. Spot on ha
Jim inspired me to get into creating music. Just hearing his work always set the tone for the talent, PPVs, and WWE in general. Why he's not in the hall of fame by now is a crying shame.
Couldn’t agree more. 💯
Probably my favorite interview you've done.
Same!
When Jim says hes so humbled by people praising his work etc and at the same time embarasses him, I totally get it as an introverted personality myself. Just embrace it and enjoy it... hard to explain.
Great interview. As you Chris, Jim is responsible for the soundtrack to my (as many of us) childhood as well.
I got to say I love all your interviews but this one with Mr. Jim is by far my favorite so far! Thank you for this amazing episode!
This interview was well overdue & I am glad you got to do it Chris!! Jim seems like such a brilliant guy & his creations were literally the soundtrack of my youth. Much love to the both of you!!!
The interview we didn’t know we needed
The true definition of a genius. A master in his craft, leaves an incredible legacy and a little socially awkward. It’s actually endearing.
And handled masterfully, as always, by fellow genius, Chris ☺️
what an awesome interview. Mr. Johnston is an absolute legend and an absolute class act with such a great attitude and work ethic in the studio. I had the pleasure of working with him in the early 2000s for a day out at the WWE studio in Connecticut, tracking a bunch of rock and metal drumbeats for him to use. I can only imagine what he used them for. Love ya Jim. I had a blast meeting you way back when.
For my music production degree, I did my dissertation on wrestling themes, where Jim Johnson was cited countless times.
So glad to have this interview, wish it happened three years ago so I could use it in my paper!
Jim Johnston is the John Williams of wrestling themes
When the music guy says it was completely unstructured you know the place is wild. Chris says, "We just signed this guy he's debuting on raw tonight. We need a theme for him." Jim says, "Oh that wasn't rare at all. Happened all the time." Wow
And you could never tell from watching the show. Incredible.
Triple H’s “My Time” is the best ever. There’s some close, but that’ll always be a 11/10! An absolute masterpiece still 20 plus years later
Don't think Jim did that, the same band who did the dx theme did it.
@@sleazyfellow Nah, he says it was him and that it's a funk song. Around 44 mins
@@sleazyfellow Chris Warren band performed DX theme. Jim wrote & composed it. Jim made “My Time” Chris Warren did the vocals.
Agreed. Superb theme. The instrumental version that Jim Johnston later wrote is brilliant too
@@CHANCEFOR27it was by motorhead heavy metal band
Chris thank you for this interview. It's awesome to see Jim being appreciated.
I was in tears in the final! Such a great guy Jim! I'm thinking about that part when you asked him about his best piece... He knows that The Undertaker's theme was a masterpiece! ❤
Chris, you the man! Thanks to Jim we have this awesome combo : Glass shatters + insane pop + kick ass riff
He's such an idol for composers and music producers. Thanks Chris for this wonderful interview!
The Summerslam 1988/1989 Theme, SNME Theme 88-91, Ultimate Warrior Theme are some of my favorites and are a huge, happy memory for me from the 80's. Him and Jimmy Hart had the gift and had "it." The music made the show for me.
I don’t think I’ve hit play and thumbs up so fast haha
Jim Johnston’s music still is played damn near daily from my phone 😂
No mercy 2002, The end (armaggedon PPVs) Fight, Summerslam 2002. Those songs are so iconic that I listen to them on daily basis
Wow. So this is the guy who created music for WWE. What a talent.
This is 100% the interview I never knew I needed. So cool to see the man behind all those classic themes
Such a great interview, this was my favorite so far. What a treat!
Thank you for this interview Chris. What a legend. I hope he goes into the Hall Of Fame in the future
Chris never fails to amaze me with the guests he gets on.
You can tell Chris Van Vliet takes so much time to prepare what questions many people have been wanting to ask.
Thank you Chris!
Firing him would have been literally like firing the Dr Dre of wrestling music. Crazy
Much much more than the Dr Dre haha
@@ryanmoore7283 agreed 👍
Great interview! Thank you Jim for making our childhoods so special! 👏🏽🙏🏽🎸
He DEFINITELY belongs in the HOF. You can't put guys like Drew Carey and the like in there. When you've got a super talented guy like this who put together so many of the wrestlers theme songs that we ALL remember so well. Jim was TOTALLY responsible for getting them over as much as everything else.
This was low key the most incredible wrestling interview I’ve watched in awhile. Great job Chris. I finally get why so many people do your show. You get it and they know you do.
Great guest and great interview! 😁
Truly & deeply loved every second of the legend of Jim Johnson talk about his amazing music career, that change many people life's with. Thank you for this truly blessed
Very knowledgeable and very touching interview. The ending made me very emotional. Can't wait for Chris' theme.
Hope AEW gets him. Its something I have been aware since early on that they've been lacking. Good music.
Of all of the CVV interviews, this one is my favorite. We all know Chris does deep dives into wrestler's histories to conduct great interviews, but him asking such relevant and interesting questions related to music is just so great. Thanks Chris
You can really tell that Jim loves music and is speaking from the heart. Great interview! I love many of the classic themes that this man is responsible for.
This man is a music legend! Nobody making entrance music these days comes close to his insight into wrestler's personalities. If WWE doesn't want him, then AEW should hire him as a supervisor to the younger generation of music makers joining the company. Great pick for an interview!
Mikey Ruckus is doing a good job
@@jafet7965 Eh, he's doing ok. Definitely not offensive to my ears, but nothing really standout yet. It blends in with the show fine. His songs are maybe more memorable than the typical riffs heard on Impact, at least so far. Again, I'm comparing him to Jim Johnston, who had a hot streak of memorable tunes throughout the 90's and 00's. I just don't know if there will ever by anybody like that again. To put that into perspective, my dad, who is not by any stretch of the imagination a wrestling fan, caught himself humming the tunes of Stone Cold, Mankind and Diesel and even asked me to burn some songs for him.
Yes Chris!!! When you mentioned "The Brood" I thought I was the only one that rated that 👍👊
Been wanting this interviews for soooooo long, Chris!! Awesome job!
Wow! To listen to the man who is responsible for most of my playlist! Thanks, Chris! You're awesome.
Literally listen to bits of his music every day when booking on TEW
@@CMBell1985 ditto! I jam out to those tracks when I'm feeling low, wanting to get psyched up before work, or when I'm just chilling and feeling nostalgic. I thought I was one of the few ones who actually loved brood's theme 😂🙏
Undertaker's 1998 theme song is my all time favorite of Jim Johnston!
If you’re talking about the one with the guitar riff and chanting druids…..🍻. That’s still my favorite to this day. It was the perfect blend of the Undertaker with a little bit of Mark Callaway thrown in.
@@zlinedavid damn right I'm talking about the one with the guitar riff and the chanting druids! The theme song when he sacrificed Austin.
@@morningstar577 No, that was the Ministry theme. The one I’m talking about lasted from just after KOTR 1998 until just after the Highway to Hell Summerslam.
Another awesome interview Chris 🔥🔥🔥🔥 this is now apart of my favorite interviews list!
One of the best interviews I've ever seen, across genres. So well done.
Would love to hear him go through every song he ever made
This is the guy who created our childhood music then , now , forever
This is a really interesting discussion, one of the more underrated interviews you've done. Johnston has had a massive impact on the industry, setting the example for what entrance music should be and how to easily convey how we should feel about the wrestlers. He led a very important transition as WWF went into cable and elevated the presentation massively.
You sir @Chris Van Vilet are the 🐐 for giving this interview to us
Jim: “want me to do a theme for you?”
Chris’ : 🥰😍😦😲😮
Vince: “we need a cool theme song for Undertaker”
Jim: “hold my organ”
what an icon to have on to interview. thank you chris. as an artist he inspired me to get into music.
Great interview! Sound track to my childhood and teenage years! Really cool to hear his side of the story because he’s the sound of WWF/WWE in its prime
I remember I wished for an interview like this years ago. His mucic was a big part of my later childhood, like I would just sit down with my PSP and listen to SDvsRaw themes 😊
That the man had made all the wwe music back then love it
legend
Nope, Jimmy Hart and JJ Maguire did many many theme songs aswell, like Shawn Michaels, Hart Foundation, Million Dollar Man ..... for example
This is such a wonderful interview Chris. Awesome job on this interview!
Thank you for making this happen, Chris. You were the absolute perfect person to do this interview. You got to be the fan for all of us.
The thing that makes him a goat of themes are the depth of his themes eg undertaker's and lyrics of Randy Orton is just lengendary
Awesome awesome interview Chris. Man, Jim is thinking seeing hearing feeling everything. Wow. Theme music is so crucial. The glass shatter. 'If you smell!!!` that first guitar note for Bret Hart and the build up. Also, playing theme songs every single run in, ESPECIALLY when the music is forgettable and packs no punch. No. This was great insight!!
Anyways lol
This is one we’ve been waiting for, stellar stuff from both brilliant gentlemen!
👏👏👏
Thank you Chris for this amazing interview.
Thanks RUclips for not putting this video on my timeline. Can't believe that I almost missed this
Jim Johnston is very smart to the business for a guy who isn’t necessarily a wrestling fan. Some of the things he says here reminds me of what Cornette is always talking about.