Jim Johnston: Greatest WWE Hits

Jim Johnston has had a profound influence on my life, as I'm sure he has yours. If I had to choose one man as being responsible for the soundtrack of my life to date, it would be Jim Johnston. The first music I can recall hearing that didn't come from Playdays, Arthur, Backstreet Boys or Oakie Doke came from Jim and probably goes a long way to explaining why I don't have a

real

job at the moment. Thank you, Jim.

The genius behind Johnston's music, for me, is the way he could capture a personality without using a single lyric whatsoever. He'd seemingly just look at a picture of a Superstar, maybe even a short clip of them walking to the ring, and create a piece of music that fit their character better than Mankind's tights fit Mick Foley's arse - and goodness me, were they snug or what?!

Jim's departure from WWE is sad. When a man has been in a high profile role like that for 32 years and consistently knocked the ball out of the park during that time, reading about his release without any sort of well wishes from the company that reaped the benefits from his tenacity and genius - not to mention the fact they still haven't recognised his achievements with a Hall of Fame induction - just rubs you up the wrong way, you know? Also, with his last big hit going down as Baron Corbin's 'Bring the Darkness' (End of Days), featuring vocals from Tommy Vext, it's clear the man still has a whole lot to give to the business. I'm sure the call made by WWE to not renew Jim's contract was the right one from their point of view, given that we don't really know the details surrounding the decision. But for a fan looking in from the outside, it just feels wrong.

Over here in the United Kingdom, we have a thing that happens on the radio every Sunday called 'The Official UK Top 40 Singles Chart' which is a very stressful show to listen to indeed. I don't listen to it anymore, but I can recall travelling back home from football matches when I was a kid and only getting down to number 17 during the course of my journey, even though there was clearly enough time to get to number one. Those reckless DJs would just waste time talking about the colour of the plant pot in their downstairs toilet and it would drive me insane. JUST PLAY THE F*****G MUSIC MAN!

I've got to be honest, I fully intended to make a Jim Johnson WWE Top 40 article here but the further I dug, the bigger the number of gems that wouldn't make the cut became. So I said 'screw it,' let's include all of the best tunes and make this a greatest hits compilation.

I'm not a music journalist so I won't be able to add any modicum of insightful commentary as to what makes the following songs great. They just make my toes tap, as I'm sure they do yours. Let's celebrate Jim's back catalogue of work by just listening to them. No hype or redundant hyperbole, no downstairs toilet plant pots, just quality tunes, mate.

I guess if this article is ever released on CD it would be called Now That's What I Call Jim Johnston, so let's just enjoy these bangers for what they're worth and pay homage to a fantastic musical legacy. Thank you, Jim.

HEY! According to the credits on the WWE Anthology album, Hulk Hogan's 'Real American' (written by Rick Derringer and Kenny Bernhard), Bret Hart's 'Hitman' (written by Jimmy Hart and J.J. Maguire), Million Dollar Man's 'It's All About The Money' (written by Hart and Maguire), Shawn Michaels' 'Sexy Boy' (also written by Hart and Maguire) and Honkey Tonk Man's 'Cool Cocky Bad (written by Hart) can't be claimed by Jim and do not make this list.

I know, I didn't know either...  

86. Steven Regal - Real Man's Man

85. Bret Hart/Natalya - Return Of The Hitman

84. Nation Of Domination - Power

83. Rodney Mac/Teddy Long - Macmilitant

Performed by Miestro.

82. Scotty 2 Hotty/Too Cool - Turn It Up

81. Brodus Clay - Somebody Call My Moma

80. Brock Lesnar - Enforcer

79. Alex Riley - Say It To My Face

Performed by Downstait.

78. Umaga - Virtual Voodoo

77. Sheamus - Written In My Face

Vocals by Sean Jenness.

76. Eddie Guerrero - Latino Heat

75. New Age Outlaws - Oh You Didn't Know

74. Big Bossman - Guard

73. Val Venis - Hello Ladies

72. Sycho Sid - Snapped

71. Diesel - Diesel Blues

70. Dude Love - Dude's Shack

69. AJ Lee - Let's Light It Up

Vocals by Kari Kimmel.

68. John Morrison - Ain't No Make Believe

67. Smack - SmackDown's Debut Theme

66. Tamina - Tropical Storm

65. Doink The Clown - Evil Behind The Makeup

64. Mark Henry - Sexual Chocolate

63. Ken Shamrock - The Ultimate

62. Ryback - Meat On The Table

61. The Godfather - The Ho Train

60. The Undertaker - You're Gonna Pay

59. Test - This Is A Test

58. Al Snow - Snow-Man

57. Shawn Michaels Farewell - Tell Me A Lie

56. The Big Show - Big

Fun fact: Michael P.S. Hayes did the "WEEEEEEEEEL, WELL IT'S THE BIG SHOW!" schtick. You learn something new every day.

55. Ezekiel Jackon - Domination

Vocals by Evan Jones.

54. Triple H - King Of Kings

Performed by Motörhead.

53. Cody Rhodes - Smoke & Mirrors

52. Rebellion Theme - Burning Tree

51. Goldust - Gold-Lust

50. Kane - Burned

49. New Day - New Day, New Way

48. Edge & Christian - You Think You Know Me

47. The Sandman - Nightmare

46. The Miz - I Came To Play

Performed by Downstait.

45. Armageddon PPV - The End

44. Dolph Ziggler - Here To Show The World

Performed by Downstait.

43. Rob Van Dam - Dam-Nation

42. Mankind - Schizophreniac

41. Jack Swagger - On Your Knees

Performed by Age Against The Machine.

40. Razor Ramon - Bad Boy

39. D'Lo Brown - The Real Deal

38. Mick Foley - Wreck

37. Mark Henry - Some Bodies Gonna Get It

Performed by Three 6 Mafia.

36. Eddie Guerrero - Lie Cheat Steal

35. Brawl For All Theme

34. Tazz - If You Dare

33. Fandango -  ChaChaLaLa

32. Lita - It Just Feels Right

31. Randy Orton - Voices

Featuring Rich Luzzi of Rev Theory.

30. APA - Protection

29. Eric Bischoff - I'm Back

28. The Undertaker - Funeral Dirge

27. Rey Mysterio - 619

Written by Jim and Chris Classic.

26. The Shield - Special Op

25. John Cena - Basic Thuganomics

Performed by John Cena and Tha Trademarc

24. Drew McIntyre - Broken Dreams

Performed by Shaman's Harvest. 

23. Mr Perfect - Perfection

22. Shane McMahon - Here Comes The Money

Performed by Naughty By Nature.

21. Baron Corbin - Bring the Darkness (End of Days)

Vocals by Tommy Vext.

20. Brock Lesnar - The Next Big Thing

19. Christian - Just Close Your Eyes

Performed by Waterproof Blonde.

18. The Corporate Ministry

17. Billy Gunn - Ass Man

16. 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper - Hot Rod

15. Kurt Angle - Medal

14. Christian - At Last

13. Jake 'The Snake' Roberts - Snake Bit

12. Vince McMahon - No Chance In Hell

11. Chris Jericho - Break The Walls Down

10. Gangrel/The Brood - Blood

9. The Rock - Is Cooking

8. D-Generation X - Break It Down

Performed by The Chris Warren Band.

7. Triple H - The Game

Performed by Motörhead.

6. Triple H - My Time

Performed by The Chris Warren Band.

5. The Undertaker - Dark Side

4. The Ultimate Warrior - Unstable

3. Dan 'The Beast' Severn - Fighter

2. Stone Cold Steve Austin - I Won't Do What You Tell Me

1. The Undertaker - Rest In Peace

Jim Johnston has had a profound influence on my life, as I'm sure he has yours. If I had to choose one man as being responsible for the soundtrack of my life to date, it would be Jim Johnston. The first music I can recall hearing that didn't come from Playdays, Arthur, Backstreet Boys or Oakie Doke came from Jim and probably goes a long way to explaining why I don't have a

real

job at the moment. Thank you, Jim.

The genius behind Johnston's music, for me, is the way he could capture a personality without using a single lyric whatsoever. He'd seemingly just look at a picture of a Superstar, maybe even a short clip of them walking to the ring, and create a piece of music that fit their character better than Mankind's tights fit Mick Foley's arse - and goodness me, were they snug or what?!

Jim's departure from WWE is sad. When a man has been in a high profile role like that for 32 years and consistently knocked the ball out of the park during that time, reading about his release without any sort of well wishes from the company that reaped the benefits from his tenacity and genius - not to mention the fact they still haven't recognised his achievements with a Hall of Fame induction - just rubs you up the wrong way, you know? Also, with his last big hit going down as Baron Corbin's 'Bring the Darkness' (End of Days), featuring vocals from Tommy Vext, it's clear the man still has a whole lot to give to the business. I'm sure the call made by WWE to not renew Jim's contract was the right one from their point of view, given that we don't really know the details surrounding the decision. But for a fan looking in from the outside, it just feels wrong.

Over here in the United Kingdom, we have a thing that happens on the radio every Sunday called 'The Official UK Top 40 Singles Chart' which is a very stressful show to listen to indeed. I don't listen to it anymore, but I can recall travelling back home from football matches when I was a kid and only getting down to number 17 during the course of my journey, even though there was clearly enough time to get to number one. Those reckless DJs would just waste time talking about the colour of the plant pot in their downstairs toilet and it would drive me insane. JUST PLAY THE F*****G MUSIC MAN!

I've got to be honest, I fully intended to make a Jim Johnson WWE Top 40 article here but the further I dug, the bigger the number of gems that wouldn't make the cut became. So I said 'screw it,' let's include all of the best tunes and make this a greatest hits compilation.

I'm not a music journalist so I won't be able to add any modicum of insightful commentary as to what makes the following songs great. They just make my toes tap, as I'm sure they do yours. Let's celebrate Jim's back catalogue of work by just listening to them. No hype or redundant hyperbole, no downstairs toilet plant pots, just quality tunes, mate.

I guess if this article is ever released on CD it would be called Now That's What I Call Jim Johnston, so let's just enjoy these bangers for what they're worth and pay homage to a fantastic musical legacy. Thank you, Jim.

HEY! According to the credits on the WWE Anthology album, Hulk Hogan's 'Real American' (written by Rick Derringer and Kenny Bernhard), Bret Hart's 'Hitman' (written by Jimmy Hart and J.J. Maguire), Million Dollar Man's 'It's All About The Money' (written by Hart and Maguire), Shawn Michaels' 'Sexy Boy' (also written by Hart and Maguire) and Honkey Tonk Man's 'Cool Cocky Bad (written by Hart) can't be claimed by Jim and do not make this list.

I know, I didn't know either...  

86. Steven Regal - Real Man's Man

85. Bret Hart/Natalya - Return Of The Hitman

84. Nation Of Domination - Power

83. Rodney Mac/Teddy Long - Macmilitant

Performed by Miestro.

82. Scotty 2 Hotty/Too Cool - Turn It Up

81. Brodus Clay - Somebody Call My Moma

80. Brock Lesnar - Enforcer

79. Alex Riley - Say It To My Face

Performed by Downstait.

78. Umaga - Virtual Voodoo

77. Sheamus - Written In My Face

Vocals by Sean Jenness.

76. Eddie Guerrero - Latino Heat

75. New Age Outlaws - Oh You Didn't Know

74. Big Bossman - Guard

73. Val Venis - Hello Ladies

72. Sycho Sid - Snapped

71. Diesel - Diesel Blues

70. Dude Love - Dude's Shack

69. AJ Lee - Let's Light It Up

Vocals by Kari Kimmel.

68. John Morrison - Ain't No Make Believe

67. Smack - SmackDown's Debut Theme

66. Tamina - Tropical Storm

65. Doink The Clown - Evil Behind The Makeup

64. Mark Henry - Sexual Chocolate

63. Ken Shamrock - The Ultimate

62. Ryback - Meat On The Table

61. The Godfather - The Ho Train

60. The Undertaker - You're Gonna Pay

59. Test - This Is A Test

58. Al Snow - Snow-Man

57. Shawn Michaels Farewell - Tell Me A Lie

56. The Big Show - Big

Fun fact: Michael P.S. Hayes did the "WEEEEEEEEEL, WELL IT'S THE BIG SHOW!" schtick. You learn something new every day.

55. Ezekiel Jackon - Domination

Vocals by Evan Jones.

54. Triple H - King Of Kings

Performed by Motörhead.

53. Cody Rhodes - Smoke & Mirrors

52. Rebellion Theme - Burning Tree

51. Goldust - Gold-Lust

50. Kane - Burned

49. New Day - New Day, New Way

48. Edge & Christian - You Think You Know Me

47. The Sandman - Nightmare

46. The Miz - I Came To Play

Performed by Downstait.

45. Armageddon PPV - The End

44. Dolph Ziggler - Here To Show The World

Performed by Downstait.

43. Rob Van Dam - Dam-Nation

42. Mankind - Schizophreniac

41. Jack Swagger - On Your Knees

Performed by Age Against The Machine.

40. Razor Ramon - Bad Boy

39. D'Lo Brown - The Real Deal

38. Mick Foley - Wreck

37. Mark Henry - Some Bodies Gonna Get It

Performed by Three 6 Mafia.

36. Eddie Guerrero - Lie Cheat Steal

35. Brawl For All Theme

34. Tazz - If You Dare

33. Fandango -  ChaChaLaLa

32. Lita - It Just Feels Right

31. Randy Orton - Voices

Featuring Rich Luzzi of Rev Theory.

30. APA - Protection

29. Eric Bischoff - I'm Back

28. The Undertaker - Funeral Dirge

27. Rey Mysterio - 619

Written by Jim and Chris Classic.

26. The Shield - Special Op

25. John Cena - Basic Thuganomics

Performed by John Cena and Tha Trademarc

24. Drew McIntyre - Broken Dreams

Performed by Shaman's Harvest. 

23. Mr Perfect - Perfection

22. Shane McMahon - Here Comes The Money

Performed by Naughty By Nature.

21. Baron Corbin - Bring the Darkness (End of Days)

Vocals by Tommy Vext.

20. Brock Lesnar - The Next Big Thing

19. Christian - Just Close Your Eyes

Performed by Waterproof Blonde.

18. The Corporate Ministry

17. Billy Gunn - Ass Man

16. 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper - Hot Rod

15. Kurt Angle - Medal

14. Christian - At Last

13. Jake 'The Snake' Roberts - Snake Bit

12. Vince McMahon - No Chance In Hell

11. Chris Jericho - Break The Walls Down

10. Gangrel/The Brood - Blood

9. The Rock - Is Cooking

8. D-Generation X - Break It Down

Performed by The Chris Warren Band.

7. Triple H - The Game

Performed by Motörhead.

6. Triple H - My Time

Performed by The Chris Warren Band.

5. The Undertaker - Dark Side

4. The Ultimate Warrior - Unstable

3. Dan 'The Beast' Severn - Fighter

2. Stone Cold Steve Austin - I Won't Do What You Tell Me

1. The Undertaker - Rest In Peace

Jim Johnston has had a profound influence on my life, as I'm sure he has yours. If I had to choose one man as being responsible for the soundtrack of my life to date, it would be Jim Johnston. The first music I can recall hearing that didn't come from Playdays, Arthur, Backstreet Boys or Oakie Doke came from Jim and probably goes a long way to explaining why I don't have a

real

job at the moment. Thank you, Jim.

The genius behind Johnston's music, for me, is the way he could capture a personality without using a single lyric whatsoever. He'd seemingly just look at a picture of a Superstar, maybe even a short clip of them walking to the ring, and create a piece of music that fit their character better than Mankind's tights fit Mick Foley's arse - and goodness me, were they snug or what?!

Jim's departure from WWE is sad. When a man has been in a high profile role like that for 32 years and consistently knocked the ball out of the park during that time, reading about his release without any sort of well wishes from the company that reaped the benefits from his tenacity and genius - not to mention the fact they still haven't recognised his achievements with a Hall of Fame induction - just rubs you up the wrong way, you know? Also, with his last big hit going down as Baron Corbin's 'Bring the Darkness' (End of Days), featuring vocals from Tommy Vext, it's clear the man still has a whole lot to give to the business. I'm sure the call made by WWE to not renew Jim's contract was the right one from their point of view, given that we don't really know the details surrounding the decision. But for a fan looking in from the outside, it just feels wrong.

Over here in the United Kingdom, we have a thing that happens on the radio every Sunday called 'The Official UK Top 40 Singles Chart' which is a very stressful show to listen to indeed. I don't listen to it anymore, but I can recall travelling back home from football matches when I was a kid and only getting down to number 17 during the course of my journey, even though there was clearly enough time to get to number one. Those reckless DJs would just waste time talking about the colour of the plant pot in their downstairs toilet and it would drive me insane. JUST PLAY THE F*****G MUSIC MAN!

I've got to be honest, I fully intended to make a Jim Johnson WWE Top 40 article here but the further I dug, the bigger the number of gems that wouldn't make the cut became. So I said 'screw it,' let's include all of the best tunes and make this a greatest hits compilation.

I'm not a music journalist so I won't be able to add any modicum of insightful commentary as to what makes the following songs great. They just make my toes tap, as I'm sure they do yours. Let's celebrate Jim's back catalogue of work by just listening to them. No hype or redundant hyperbole, no downstairs toilet plant pots, just quality tunes, mate.

I guess if this article is ever released on CD it would be called Now That's What I Call Jim Johnston, so let's just enjoy these bangers for what they're worth and pay homage to a fantastic musical legacy. Thank you, Jim.

HEY! According to the credits on the WWE Anthology album, Hulk Hogan's 'Real American' (written by Rick Derringer and Kenny Bernhard), Bret Hart's 'Hitman' (written by Jimmy Hart and J.J. Maguire), Million Dollar Man's 'It's All About The Money' (written by Hart and Maguire), Shawn Michaels' 'Sexy Boy' (also written by Hart and Maguire) and Honkey Tonk Man's 'Cool Cocky Bad (written by Hart) can't be claimed by Jim and do not make this list.

I know, I didn't know either...  

86. Steven Regal - Real Man's Man

85. Bret Hart/Natalya - Return Of The Hitman

84. Nation Of Domination - Power

83. Rodney Mac/Teddy Long - Macmilitant

Performed by Miestro.

82. Scotty 2 Hotty/Too Cool - Turn It Up

81. Brodus Clay - Somebody Call My Moma

80. Brock Lesnar - Enforcer

79. Alex Riley - Say It To My Face

Performed by Downstait.

78. Umaga - Virtual Voodoo

77. Sheamus - Written In My Face

Vocals by Sean Jenness.

76. Eddie Guerrero - Latino Heat

75. New Age Outlaws - Oh You Didn't Know

74. Big Bossman - Guard

73. Val Venis - Hello Ladies

72. Sycho Sid - Snapped

71. Diesel - Diesel Blues

70. Dude Love - Dude's Shack

69. AJ Lee - Let's Light It Up

Vocals by Kari Kimmel.

68. John Morrison - Ain't No Make Believe

67. Smack - SmackDown's Debut Theme

66. Tamina - Tropical Storm

65. Doink The Clown - Evil Behind The Makeup

64. Mark Henry - Sexual Chocolate

63. Ken Shamrock - The Ultimate

62. Ryback - Meat On The Table

61. The Godfather - The Ho Train

60. The Undertaker - You're Gonna Pay

59. Test - This Is A Test

58. Al Snow - Snow-Man

57. Shawn Michaels Farewell - Tell Me A Lie

56. The Big Show - Big

Fun fact: Michael P.S. Hayes did the "WEEEEEEEEEL, WELL IT'S THE BIG SHOW!" schtick. You learn something new every day.

55. Ezekiel Jackon - Domination

Vocals by Evan Jones.

54. Triple H - King Of Kings

Performed by Motörhead.

53. Cody Rhodes - Smoke & Mirrors

52. Rebellion Theme - Burning Tree

51. Goldust - Gold-Lust

50. Kane - Burned

49. New Day - New Day, New Way

48. Edge & Christian - You Think You Know Me

47. The Sandman - Nightmare

46. The Miz - I Came To Play

Performed by Downstait.

45. Armageddon PPV - The End

44. Dolph Ziggler - Here To Show The World

Performed by Downstait.

43. Rob Van Dam - Dam-Nation

42. Mankind - Schizophreniac

41. Jack Swagger - On Your Knees

Performed by Age Against The Machine.

40. Razor Ramon - Bad Boy

39. D'Lo Brown - The Real Deal

38. Mick Foley - Wreck

37. Mark Henry - Some Bodies Gonna Get It

Performed by Three 6 Mafia.

36. Eddie Guerrero - Lie Cheat Steal

35. Brawl For All Theme

34. Tazz - If You Dare

33. Fandango -  ChaChaLaLa

32. Lita - It Just Feels Right

31. Randy Orton - Voices

Featuring Rich Luzzi of Rev Theory.

30. APA - Protection

29. Eric Bischoff - I'm Back

28. The Undertaker - Funeral Dirge

27. Rey Mysterio - 619

Written by Jim and Chris Classic.

26. The Shield - Special Op

25. John Cena - Basic Thuganomics

Performed by John Cena and Tha Trademarc

24. Drew McIntyre - Broken Dreams

Performed by Shaman's Harvest. 

23. Mr Perfect - Perfection

22. Shane McMahon - Here Comes The Money

Performed by Naughty By Nature.

21. Baron Corbin - Bring the Darkness (End of Days)

Vocals by Tommy Vext.

20. Brock Lesnar - The Next Big Thing

19. Christian - Just Close Your Eyes

Performed by Waterproof Blonde.

18. The Corporate Ministry

17. Billy Gunn - Ass Man

16. 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper - Hot Rod

15. Kurt Angle - Medal

14. Christian - At Last

13. Jake 'The Snake' Roberts - Snake Bit

12. Vince McMahon - No Chance In Hell

11. Chris Jericho - Break The Walls Down

10. Gangrel/The Brood - Blood

9. The Rock - Is Cooking

8. D-Generation X - Break It Down

Performed by The Chris Warren Band.

7. Triple H - The Game

Performed by Motörhead.

6. Triple H - My Time

Performed by The Chris Warren Band.

5. The Undertaker - Dark Side

4. The Ultimate Warrior - Unstable

3. Dan 'The Beast' Severn - Fighter

2. Stone Cold Steve Austin - I Won't Do What You Tell Me

1. The Undertaker - Rest In Peace

Jim Johnston has had a profound influence on my life, as I'm sure he has yours. If I had to choose one man as being responsible for the soundtrack of my life to date, it would be Jim Johnston. The first music I can recall hearing that didn't come from Playdays, Arthur, Backstreet Boys or Oakie Doke came from Jim and probably goes a long way to explaining why I don't have a

real

job at the moment. Thank you, Jim.

The genius behind Johnston's music, for me, is the way he could capture a personality without using a single lyric whatsoever. He'd seemingly just look at a picture of a Superstar, maybe even a short clip of them walking to the ring, and create a piece of music that fit their character better than Mankind's tights fit Mick Foley's arse - and goodness me, were they snug or what?!

Jim's departure from WWE is sad. When a man has been in a high profile role like that for 32 years and consistently knocked the ball out of the park during that time, reading about his release without any sort of well wishes from the company that reaped the benefits from his tenacity and genius - not to mention the fact they still haven't recognised his achievements with a Hall of Fame induction - just rubs you up the wrong way, you know? Also, with his last big hit going down as Baron Corbin's 'Bring the Darkness' (End of Days), featuring vocals from Tommy Vext, it's clear the man still has a whole lot to give to the business. I'm sure the call made by WWE to not renew Jim's contract was the right one from their point of view, given that we don't really know the details surrounding the decision. But for a fan looking in from the outside, it just feels wrong.

Over here in the United Kingdom, we have a thing that happens on the radio every Sunday called 'The Official UK Top 40 Singles Chart' which is a very stressful show to listen to indeed. I don't listen to it anymore, but I can recall travelling back home from football matches when I was a kid and only getting down to number 17 during the course of my journey, even though there was clearly enough time to get to number one. Those reckless DJs would just waste time talking about the colour of the plant pot in their downstairs toilet and it would drive me insane. JUST PLAY THE F*****G MUSIC MAN!

I've got to be honest, I fully intended to make a Jim Johnson WWE Top 40 article here but the further I dug, the bigger the number of gems that wouldn't make the cut became. So I said 'screw it,' let's include all of the best tunes and make this a greatest hits compilation.

I'm not a music journalist so I won't be able to add any modicum of insightful commentary as to what makes the following songs great. They just make my toes tap, as I'm sure they do yours. Let's celebrate Jim's back catalogue of work by just listening to them. No hype or redundant hyperbole, no downstairs toilet plant pots, just quality tunes, mate.

I guess if this article is ever released on CD it would be called Now That's What I Call Jim Johnston, so let's just enjoy these bangers for what they're worth and pay homage to a fantastic musical legacy. Thank you, Jim.

HEY! According to the credits on the WWE Anthology album, Hulk Hogan's 'Real American' (written by Rick Derringer and Kenny Bernhard), Bret Hart's 'Hitman' (written by Jimmy Hart and J.J. Maguire), Million Dollar Man's 'It's All About The Money' (written by Hart and Maguire), Shawn Michaels' 'Sexy Boy' (also written by Hart and Maguire) and Honkey Tonk Man's 'Cool Cocky Bad (written by Hart) can't be claimed by Jim and do not make this list.

I know, I didn't know either...  

86. Steven Regal - Real Man's Man

85. Bret Hart/Natalya - Return Of The Hitman

84. Nation Of Domination - Power

83. Rodney Mac/Teddy Long - Macmilitant

Performed by Miestro.

82. Scotty 2 Hotty/Too Cool - Turn It Up

81. Brodus Clay - Somebody Call My Moma

80. Brock Lesnar - Enforcer

79. Alex Riley - Say It To My Face

Performed by Downstait.

78. Umaga - Virtual Voodoo

77. Sheamus - Written In My Face

Vocals by Sean Jenness.

76. Eddie Guerrero - Latino Heat

75. New Age Outlaws - Oh You Didn't Know

74. Big Bossman - Guard

73. Val Venis - Hello Ladies

72. Sycho Sid - Snapped

71. Diesel - Diesel Blues

70. Dude Love - Dude's Shack

69. AJ Lee - Let's Light It Up

Vocals by Kari Kimmel.

68. John Morrison - Ain't No Make Believe

67. Smack - SmackDown's Debut Theme

66. Tamina - Tropical Storm

65. Doink The Clown - Evil Behind The Makeup

64. Mark Henry - Sexual Chocolate

63. Ken Shamrock - The Ultimate

62. Ryback - Meat On The Table

61. The Godfather - The Ho Train

60. The Undertaker - You're Gonna Pay

59. Test - This Is A Test

58. Al Snow - Snow-Man

57. Shawn Michaels Farewell - Tell Me A Lie

56. The Big Show - Big

Fun fact: Michael P.S. Hayes did the "WEEEEEEEEEL, WELL IT'S THE BIG SHOW!" schtick. You learn something new every day.

55. Ezekiel Jackon - Domination

Vocals by Evan Jones.

54. Triple H - King Of Kings

Performed by Motörhead.

53. Cody Rhodes - Smoke & Mirrors

52. Rebellion Theme - Burning Tree

51. Goldust - Gold-Lust

50. Kane - Burned

49. New Day - New Day, New Way

48. Edge & Christian - You Think You Know Me

47. The Sandman - Nightmare

46. The Miz - I Came To Play

Performed by Downstait.

45. Armageddon PPV - The End

44. Dolph Ziggler - Here To Show The World

Performed by Downstait.

43. Rob Van Dam - Dam-Nation

42. Mankind - Schizophreniac

41. Jack Swagger - On Your Knees

Performed by Age Against The Machine.

40. Razor Ramon - Bad Boy

39. D'Lo Brown - The Real Deal

38. Mick Foley - Wreck

37. Mark Henry - Some Bodies Gonna Get It

Performed by Three 6 Mafia.

36. Eddie Guerrero - Lie Cheat Steal

35. Brawl For All Theme

34. Tazz - If You Dare

33. Fandango -  ChaChaLaLa

32. Lita - It Just Feels Right

31. Randy Orton - Voices

Featuring Rich Luzzi of Rev Theory.

30. APA - Protection

29. Eric Bischoff - I'm Back

28. The Undertaker - Funeral Dirge

27. Rey Mysterio - 619

Written by Jim and Chris Classic.

26. The Shield - Special Op

25. John Cena - Basic Thuganomics

Performed by John Cena and Tha Trademarc

24. Drew McIntyre - Broken Dreams

Performed by Shaman's Harvest. 

23. Mr Perfect - Perfection

22. Shane McMahon - Here Comes The Money

Performed by Naughty By Nature.

21. Baron Corbin - Bring the Darkness (End of Days)

Vocals by Tommy Vext.

20. Brock Lesnar - The Next Big Thing

19. Christian - Just Close Your Eyes

Performed by Waterproof Blonde.

18. The Corporate Ministry

17. Billy Gunn - Ass Man

16. 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper - Hot Rod

15. Kurt Angle - Medal

14. Christian - At Last

13. Jake 'The Snake' Roberts - Snake Bit

12. Vince McMahon - No Chance In Hell

11. Chris Jericho - Break The Walls Down

10. Gangrel/The Brood - Blood

9. The Rock - Is Cooking

8. D-Generation X - Break It Down

Performed by The Chris Warren Band.

7. Triple H - The Game

Performed by Motörhead.

6. Triple H - My Time

Performed by The Chris Warren Band.

5. The Undertaker - Dark Side

4. The Ultimate Warrior - Unstable

3. Dan 'The Beast' Severn - Fighter

2. Stone Cold Steve Austin - I Won't Do What You Tell Me

1. The Undertaker - Rest In Peace

Jim Johnston has had a profound influence on my life, as I'm sure he has yours. If I had to choose one man as being responsible for the soundtrack of my life to date, it would be Jim Johnston. The first music I can recall hearing that didn't come from Playdays, Arthur, Backstreet Boys or Oakie Doke came from Jim and probably goes a long way to explaining why I don't have a

real

job at the moment. Thank you, Jim.

The genius behind Johnston's music, for me, is the way he could capture a personality without using a single lyric whatsoever. He'd seemingly just look at a picture of a Superstar, maybe even a short clip of them walking to the ring, and create a piece of music that fit their character better than Mankind's tights fit Mick Foley's arse - and goodness me, were they snug or what?!

Jim's departure from WWE is sad. When a man has been in a high profile role like that for 32 years and consistently knocked the ball out of the park during that time, reading about his release without any sort of well wishes from the company that reaped the benefits from his tenacity and genius - not to mention the fact they still haven't recognised his achievements with a Hall of Fame induction - just rubs you up the wrong way, you know? Also, with his last big hit going down as Baron Corbin's 'Bring the Darkness' (End of Days), featuring vocals from Tommy Vext, it's clear the man still has a whole lot to give to the business. I'm sure the call made by WWE to not renew Jim's contract was the right one from their point of view, given that we don't really know the details surrounding the decision. But for a fan looking in from the outside, it just feels wrong.

Over here in the United Kingdom, we have a thing that happens on the radio every Sunday called 'The Official UK Top 40 Singles Chart' which is a very stressful show to listen to indeed. I don't listen to it anymore, but I can recall travelling back home from football matches when I was a kid and only getting down to number 17 during the course of my journey, even though there was clearly enough time to get to number one. Those reckless DJs would just waste time talking about the colour of the plant pot in their downstairs toilet and it would drive me insane. JUST PLAY THE F*****G MUSIC MAN!

I've got to be honest, I fully intended to make a Jim Johnson WWE Top 40 article here but the further I dug, the bigger the number of gems that wouldn't make the cut became. So I said 'screw it,' let's include all of the best tunes and make this a greatest hits compilation.

I'm not a music journalist so I won't be able to add any modicum of insightful commentary as to what makes the following songs great. They just make my toes tap, as I'm sure they do yours. Let's celebrate Jim's back catalogue of work by just listening to them. No hype or redundant hyperbole, no downstairs toilet plant pots, just quality tunes, mate.

I guess if this article is ever released on CD it would be called Now That's What I Call Jim Johnston, so let's just enjoy these bangers for what they're worth and pay homage to a fantastic musical legacy. Thank you, Jim.

HEY! According to the credits on the WWE Anthology album, Hulk Hogan's 'Real American' (written by Rick Derringer and Kenny Bernhard), Bret Hart's 'Hitman' (written by Jimmy Hart and J.J. Maguire), Million Dollar Man's 'It's All About The Money' (written by Hart and Maguire), Shawn Michaels' 'Sexy Boy' (also written by Hart and Maguire) and Honkey Tonk Man's 'Cool Cocky Bad (written by Hart) can't be claimed by Jim and do not make this list.

I know, I didn't know either...  

86. Steven Regal - Real Man's Man

85. Bret Hart/Natalya - Return Of The Hitman

84. Nation Of Domination - Power

83. Rodney Mac/Teddy Long - Macmilitant

Performed by Miestro.

82. Scotty 2 Hotty/Too Cool - Turn It Up

81. Brodus Clay - Somebody Call My Moma

80. Brock Lesnar - Enforcer

79. Alex Riley - Say It To My Face

Performed by Downstait.

78. Umaga - Virtual Voodoo

77. Sheamus - Written In My Face

Vocals by Sean Jenness.

76. Eddie Guerrero - Latino Heat

75. New Age Outlaws - Oh You Didn't Know

74. Big Bossman - Guard

73. Val Venis - Hello Ladies

72. Sycho Sid - Snapped

71. Diesel - Diesel Blues

70. Dude Love - Dude's Shack

69. AJ Lee - Let's Light It Up

Vocals by Kari Kimmel.

68. John Morrison - Ain't No Make Believe

67. Smack - SmackDown's Debut Theme

66. Tamina - Tropical Storm

65. Doink The Clown - Evil Behind The Makeup

64. Mark Henry - Sexual Chocolate

63. Ken Shamrock - The Ultimate

62. Ryback - Meat On The Table

61. The Godfather - The Ho Train

60. The Undertaker - You're Gonna Pay

59. Test - This Is A Test

58. Al Snow - Snow-Man

57. Shawn Michaels Farewell - Tell Me A Lie

56. The Big Show - Big

Fun fact: Michael P.S. Hayes did the "WEEEEEEEEEL, WELL IT'S THE BIG SHOW!" schtick. You learn something new every day.

55. Ezekiel Jackon - Domination

Vocals by Evan Jones.

54. Triple H - King Of Kings

Performed by Motörhead.

53. Cody Rhodes - Smoke & Mirrors

52. Rebellion Theme - Burning Tree

51. Goldust - Gold-Lust

50. Kane - Burned

49. New Day - New Day, New Way

48. Edge & Christian - You Think You Know Me

47. The Sandman - Nightmare

46. The Miz - I Came To Play

Performed by Downstait.

45. Armageddon PPV - The End

44. Dolph Ziggler - Here To Show The World

Performed by Downstait.

43. Rob Van Dam - Dam-Nation

42. Mankind - Schizophreniac

41. Jack Swagger - On Your Knees

Performed by Age Against The Machine.

40. Razor Ramon - Bad Boy

39. D'Lo Brown - The Real Deal

38. Mick Foley - Wreck

37. Mark Henry - Some Bodies Gonna Get It

Performed by Three 6 Mafia.

36. Eddie Guerrero - Lie Cheat Steal

35. Brawl For All Theme

34. Tazz - If You Dare

33. Fandango -  ChaChaLaLa

32. Lita - It Just Feels Right

31. Randy Orton - Voices

Featuring Rich Luzzi of Rev Theory.

30. APA - Protection

29. Eric Bischoff - I'm Back

28. The Undertaker - Funeral Dirge

27. Rey Mysterio - 619

Written by Jim and Chris Classic.

26. The Shield - Special Op

25. John Cena - Basic Thuganomics

Performed by John Cena and Tha Trademarc

24. Drew McIntyre - Broken Dreams

Performed by Shaman's Harvest. 

23. Mr Perfect - Perfection

22. Shane McMahon - Here Comes The Money

Performed by Naughty By Nature.

21. Baron Corbin - Bring the Darkness (End of Days)

Vocals by Tommy Vext.

20. Brock Lesnar - The Next Big Thing

19. Christian - Just Close Your Eyes

Performed by Waterproof Blonde.

18. The Corporate Ministry

17. Billy Gunn - Ass Man

16. 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper - Hot Rod

15. Kurt Angle - Medal

14. Christian - At Last

13. Jake 'The Snake' Roberts - Snake Bit

12. Vince McMahon - No Chance In Hell

11. Chris Jericho - Break The Walls Down

10. Gangrel/The Brood - Blood

9. The Rock - Is Cooking

8. D-Generation X - Break It Down

Performed by The Chris Warren Band.

7. Triple H - The Game

Performed by Motörhead.

6. Triple H - My Time

Performed by The Chris Warren Band.

5. The Undertaker - Dark Side

4. The Ultimate Warrior - Unstable

3. Dan 'The Beast' Severn - Fighter

2. Stone Cold Steve Austin - I Won't Do What You Tell Me

1. The Undertaker - Rest In Peace

Jim Johnston has had a profound influence on my life, as I'm sure he has yours. If I had to choose one man as being responsible for the soundtrack of my life to date, it would be Jim Johnston. The first music I can recall hearing that didn't come from Playdays, Arthur, Backstreet Boys or Oakie Doke came from Jim and probably goes a long way to explaining why I don't have a

real

job at the moment. Thank you, Jim.

The genius behind Johnston's music, for me, is the way he could capture a personality without using a single lyric whatsoever. He'd seemingly just look at a picture of a Superstar, maybe even a short clip of them walking to the ring, and create a piece of music that fit their character better than Mankind's tights fit Mick Foley's arse - and goodness me, were they snug or what?!

Jim's departure from WWE is sad. When a man has been in a high profile role like that for 32 years and consistently knocked the ball out of the park during that time, reading about his release without any sort of well wishes from the company that reaped the benefits from his tenacity and genius - not to mention the fact they still haven't recognised his achievements with a Hall of Fame induction - just rubs you up the wrong way, you know? Also, with his last big hit going down as Baron Corbin's 'Bring the Darkness' (End of Days), featuring vocals from Tommy Vext, it's clear the man still has a whole lot to give to the business. I'm sure the call made by WWE to not renew Jim's contract was the right one from their point of view, given that we don't really know the details surrounding the decision. But for a fan looking in from the outside, it just feels wrong.

Over here in the United Kingdom, we have a thing that happens on the radio every Sunday called 'The Official UK Top 40 Singles Chart' which is a very stressful show to listen to indeed. I don't listen to it anymore, but I can recall travelling back home from football matches when I was a kid and only getting down to number 17 during the course of my journey, even though there was clearly enough time to get to number one. Those reckless DJs would just waste time talking about the colour of the plant pot in their downstairs toilet and it would drive me insane. JUST PLAY THE F*****G MUSIC MAN!

I've got to be honest, I fully intended to make a Jim Johnson WWE Top 40 article here but the further I dug, the bigger the number of gems that wouldn't make the cut became. So I said 'screw it,' let's include all of the best tunes and make this a greatest hits compilation.

I'm not a music journalist so I won't be able to add any modicum of insightful commentary as to what makes the following songs great. They just make my toes tap, as I'm sure they do yours. Let's celebrate Jim's back catalogue of work by just listening to them. No hype or redundant hyperbole, no downstairs toilet plant pots, just quality tunes, mate.

I guess if this article is ever released on CD it would be called Now That's What I Call Jim Johnston, so let's just enjoy these bangers for what they're worth and pay homage to a fantastic musical legacy. Thank you, Jim.

HEY! According to the credits on the WWE Anthology album, Hulk Hogan's 'Real American' (written by Rick Derringer and Kenny Bernhard), Bret Hart's 'Hitman' (written by Jimmy Hart and J.J. Maguire), Million Dollar Man's 'It's All About The Money' (written by Hart and Maguire), Shawn Michaels' 'Sexy Boy' (also written by Hart and Maguire) and Honkey Tonk Man's 'Cool Cocky Bad (written by Hart) can't be claimed by Jim and do not make this list.

I know, I didn't know either...  

86. Steven Regal - Real Man's Man

85. Bret Hart/Natalya - Return Of The Hitman

84. Nation Of Domination - Power

83. Rodney Mac/Teddy Long - Macmilitant

Performed by Miestro.

82. Scotty 2 Hotty/Too Cool - Turn It Up

81. Brodus Clay - Somebody Call My Moma

80. Brock Lesnar - Enforcer

79. Alex Riley - Say It To My Face

Performed by Downstait.

78. Umaga - Virtual Voodoo

77. Sheamus - Written In My Face

Vocals by Sean Jenness.

76. Eddie Guerrero - Latino Heat

75. New Age Outlaws - Oh You Didn't Know

74. Big Bossman - Guard

73. Val Venis - Hello Ladies

72. Sycho Sid - Snapped

71. Diesel - Diesel Blues

70. Dude Love - Dude's Shack

69. AJ Lee - Let's Light It Up

Vocals by Kari Kimmel.

68. John Morrison - Ain't No Make Believe

67. Smack - SmackDown's Debut Theme

66. Tamina - Tropical Storm

65. Doink The Clown - Evil Behind The Makeup

64. Mark Henry - Sexual Chocolate

63. Ken Shamrock - The Ultimate

62. Ryback - Meat On The Table

61. The Godfather - The Ho Train

60. The Undertaker - You're Gonna Pay

59. Test - This Is A Test

58. Al Snow - Snow-Man

57. Shawn Michaels Farewell - Tell Me A Lie

56. The Big Show - Big

Fun fact: Michael P.S. Hayes did the "WEEEEEEEEEL, WELL IT'S THE BIG SHOW!" schtick. You learn something new every day.

55. Ezekiel Jackon - Domination

Vocals by Evan Jones.

54. Triple H - King Of Kings

Performed by Motörhead.

53. Cody Rhodes - Smoke & Mirrors

52. Rebellion Theme - Burning Tree

51. Goldust - Gold-Lust

50. Kane - Burned

49. New Day - New Day, New Way

48. Edge & Christian - You Think You Know Me

47. The Sandman - Nightmare

46. The Miz - I Came To Play

Performed by Downstait.

45. Armageddon PPV - The End

44. Dolph Ziggler - Here To Show The World

Performed by Downstait.

43. Rob Van Dam - Dam-Nation

42. Mankind - Schizophreniac

41. Jack Swagger - On Your Knees

Performed by Age Against The Machine.

40. Razor Ramon - Bad Boy

39. D'Lo Brown - The Real Deal

38. Mick Foley - Wreck

37. Mark Henry - Some Bodies Gonna Get It

Performed by Three 6 Mafia.

36. Eddie Guerrero - Lie Cheat Steal

35. Brawl For All Theme