WWE Anthology

WWE Anthology is a compilation album by WWE. Released on November 12, 2002 by Koch Records, it features entrance theme music of various WWE wrestlers and events. The album is the first on which the company is named WWE, after it was renamed from World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in May 2002. The album was a commercial success, charting at number 13 on the US Billboard 200.

WWE Anthology
Compilation album by
ReleasedNovember 12, 2002 (2002-11-12)
Genre
Length3:29:41
LabelKoch
ProducerJim Johnston
World Wrestling Entertainment chronology
WWF Forceable Entry
(2002)
WWE Anthology
(2002)
WWE Originals
(2004)

Composition

The three-disc WWE Anthology was categorised by music website AllMusic in the genres of hard rock and heavy metal.[1] The album features entrance theme music of various WWE wrestlers from different eras of the company's history up until the album's release, including "The Federation Years" (such as Hulk Hogan's "Real American", Bret Hart's "Hitman" and Shawn Michaels's "Sexy Boy"), "The Attitude Era" (such as D-Generation X's "Break It Down", The Rock's "If You Smell..." and Stone Cold Steve Austin's "I Won't Do What You Tell Me") and the modern era.[1]

Release

WWE Anthology was released on November 12, 2002 by Koch Records in association with SmackDown! Records, a division of WWE.[2] Announcing the album, a WWE press release described the album as a "collection featuring the greatest hits, past and present, of WWE Superstar Entrance and Event themes", all but 38 of the featured tracks had never been previously released.[2]

Reception

Commercial

WWE Anthology was a commercial success. In the US, the album reached number 13 on the US Billboard 200, as well as topping the Independent Albums chart and reaching number two on the Top Soundtracks chart.[3] It was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, indicating sales of over 1 million units, in only ten days of its release.[4] The album was also certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry in the United Kingdom.[5]

Critical

Music website AllMusic awarded WWE Anthology four out of five stars.[1] Reviewer Bradley Torreano praised the album for its comprehensive nature, noting that "for completists this is the premier collection of WWF/WWE music up to this point, bar none".[1] Torreano hailed the second disc (titled "The Attitude Era") as the highlight, but condemned the third disc (titled "NOW!") as documenting "the fall of the company", describing the music as "mostly boring".[1]

Track listing

All songs written and performed by Jim Johnston, except where noted. "Deadly Game", featured in the "Attitude Era" section, is labeled as the theme of In Your House, when it was actually the theme of the 1998 Survivor Series pay-per-view. "The End", featured in the "NOW!" section, is incorrectly noted as being the theme from Judgment Day when it is in fact from the Armageddon pay-per-view. "Brawl for All", featured in the "Attitude Era" section, is labeled as the theme for the Brawl for All tournament, when it is actually the theme song for the first incarnation of the XFL. "The Game", featured in the "NOW!" section, is labeled as Triple H's theme, when it is actually a rap-style lyrical, unused version of Triple H's 2000 "My Time" instrumental mix (the version used by Triple H was subsequently released in 2020 on the Uncaged XIV digital release under the title "Game Time"). Upon purchase of the album, buyers were provided with a code which, when entered on the website promoting the album, would allow download of a bonus track, titled "Billy Kidman". That track would later be released on ThemeAddict: WWE The Music, Vol. 6 under the title "You Can Run".

Disc one: "The Federation Years"
No.TitleSubject(s)Length
1."World Wrestling Federation Signature"World Wrestling Federation0:08
2."Real American" (written by Rick Derringer and Kenny Bernhard)Hulk Hogan2:57
3."Hitman" (written by Jimmy Hart and J.J. Maguire)Bret Hart2:00
4."Walkabout"The Bushwackers2:01
5."Together" (written by Johnston, Hart and Maguire)Macho Man Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth's wedding3:31
6."It's All About the Money" (written by Hart and Maguire)"The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase1:47
7."Snake Bit"Jake "The Snake" Roberts2:08
8."Bad Boy"Razor Ramon1:58
9."No Holds Barred"No Holds Barred3:42
10."Unstable"The Ultimate Warrior1:43
11."I Love You"Brother Love2:01
12."Cool Cocky Bad" (written by Hart)The Honky Tonk Man2:09
13."One Two Three"1-2-3 Kid1:38
14."Sweet Lovin' Arms"Bertha Faye3:11
15."Can't Get Enough"Flash Funk2:01
16."I Know You Want Me"Sunny2:03
17."I'll Be Your Hero"Lex Express4:29
18."Sexy Boy" (written by Hart and Maguire)Shawn Michaels2:49
19."Los Boricuas"Los Boricuas1:57
20."Schizophrenic"Mankind1:44
21."Smokin'"The Smoking Gunns2:16
22."Sumo"Yokozuna2:08
23."Snapped"Sycho Sid2:05
24."Tell Me a Lie"Shawn Michaels's "farewell"3:02
25."Enough Is Enough"Owen Hart2:02
26."With My Baby Tonight"Road Dogg3:49
27."Wild Cat"Sable1:57
28."You Start the Fire"Bret Hart tribute3:08
29."Diesel Blues"Diesel2:20
30."Dude's Shack"Dude Love2:20
31."Power"Nation of Domination1:37
32."Corporate Ministry"The Corporate Ministry3:55
33."The Dudester"Dude Love1:53
Total length:78:31
Disc two: "The Attitude Era"
No.TitleSubject(s)Length
1."Attitude Signature"WWE0:13
2."Break It Down" (featuring The Chris Warren Band)D-Generation X2:13
3."I Won't Do What You Tell Me"Stone Cold Steve Austin3:02
4."Ass Man"Billy Gunn2:27
5."Brawl for All"XFL1:15
6."Gold-Lust"Goldust2:35
7."California"WrestleMania 20002:22
8."Who I Am"Chyna1:57
9."The Real Deal"D'Lo Brown2:00
10."Deadly Game"Survivor Series (1998)3:33
11."The Ultimate"Ken Shamrock2:14
12."You Think You Know Me"Edge2:23
13."Blood"Gangrel2:06
14."The Ho Train"The Godfather2:23
15."Fist"DX with Mike Tyson2:22
16."Oh You Didn't Know?"The New Age Outlaws2:06
17."Burned"Kane2:33
18."Hello Ladies"Val Venis2:27
19."Real Man's Man"William Regal1:30
20."I Don't Suck"Kurt Angle2:22
21."Latino Heat"Eddie Guerrero1:46
22."It Just Feels Right"Lita1:46
23."Sexual Chocolate"Mark Henry2:29
24."No Chance in Hell"Mr. McMahon1:59
25."Oh Hell Yeah" (featuring H-Blockx)Stone Cold Steve Austin2:14
26."If You Smell..."The Rock2:55
27."Bad Man"Rikishi2:05
28."Bangin' It"Scotty 2 Hotty2:07
29."13"Tazz2:17
30."We're Comin' Down"The Dudley Boyz2:35
31."My Time" (featuring The Chris Warren Band)Triple H3:05
32."Rabid"Chris Benoit1:58
33."How Do You Like Me Now?"Hardcore Holly1:57
34."Dark Side"The Undertaker3:47
35."Break Down the Walls"Chris Jericho2:03
Total length:79:07
Disc three: "NOW!"
No.TitleSubject(s)Length
1."WWE Signature"WWE0:19
2."Next Big Thing"Brock Lesnar2:33
3."Dead Man"The Undertaker3:11
4."At Last"Christian3:05
5."I'm Back"Eric Bischoff3:21
6."Eyes of Righteousness"Reverend D-Von3:39
7."Fight"SummerSlam 20023:14
8."(619)"Rey Mysterio2:51
9."Time to Rock & Roll" (featuring Lil' Kim)Trish Stratus3:19
10."Eye of the Hurricane"The Hurricane2:51
11."King of My World" (written by and featuring Saliva)Chris Jericho3:57
12."All Grown Up"Stephanie McMahon2:56
13."Need a Little Time"Torrie Wilson3:11
14."The Game"Triple H (an unused rap-style lyrical version of his 2000 "My Time" instrumental mix)3:06
15."You're Gonna Pay"The Undertaker3:19
16."You Look So Good to Me"Billy & Chuck2:53
17."The End"Armageddon1:38
18."Here Comes the Money" (featuring Naughty by Nature)Shane McMahon2:51
Total length:52:13
Bonus free download track
No.TitleLength
1."Billy Kidman"1:45

Personnel

Charts

Chart (2002) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[3] 13
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[3] 1
US Top Soundtracks (Billboard)[3] 2

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
United States (RIAA)[4] Platinum 1,000,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[5] Silver 60,000^
^shipments figures based on certification alone

See also

References

  1. Torreano, Bradley. "World Wrestling Federation: The Anthology - Various Artists". AllMusic. Retrieved October 21, 2015.
  2. "WWE and Koch Records Announce the November 12 Release of WWE Anthology". WWE. October 30, 2002. Retrieved October 21, 2015.
  3. "World Wrestling Federation: The Anthology - Various Artists: Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved October 21, 2015.
  4. "RIAA Gold & Platinum Search "WWE"". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 21, 2015.
  5. "Certified Awards". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved October 6, 2015. Note: User must manually search for album title in order to see results.
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