Every professional wrestler these days--from champion to jobber--walks down the aisle with his or her theme music pumping through the P.A. speakers, but it wasn't all that long ago when wrestlers entered the ring in complete silence.

It's a little unclear who was actually the first wrestler to have musical accompaniment for their walk to the squared circle. Some have cited 1950's wrestler, Glen Stride, as being the first. Some give the distinction to fellow 50's wrestler, Gorgeous George, who flamboyantly paraded down the aisle to the sounds of "Pomp and Circumstance." Sgt. Slaughter may take credit for it, coming up with the idea of playing the "Marines Hymn" for his walk to the ring in a wrestling era void of theme music. Arguably, Rowdy Roddy Piper could be tossed into the conversation, playing his own theme music on the bagpipes during his early career.

(above: Rowdy Roddy Piper, a one-man, wrestling-theme-music machine.)

Regardless of who brought music to wrestling, we can all agree that suplexes, body slams, and pile drivers wouldn't be the same without it.

Lace up your boots and step into the ring, here are the greatest wrestling theme songs of all-time:

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Tags: Best Wrestling Theme Songs of All Time, ECW, Entrance Music, Junkyard Dog, Macho Man, Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase, Mr. Perfect, Randy Savage, Ric Flair, Rob Van Dam, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Shawn Michaeld, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker, Triple H, WCW, World Wrestling Federation, WWE, WWF

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25. Buddy Holly
Though his career didn't last for long, Buddy Holly left an indelible mark on rock music. For starters, he took something rather nerdy--a pair of black-rimmed glasses--and turned them into a legendary rock and roll accessory. You won't hear any arguments from Donnie Iris, Elvis Costello, or Rivers Cuomo.

He also was one of the first artists to get experimental in the studio, introducing overdubbing into his recordings (a technique that uses various vocal takes, simultaneously, to add emphasis to certain parts of a song--which is now a staple in popular music). Holly's biggest accomplishment though, may be inspiring a group of kids who started a band called The Beatles.

24. Michael Jackson
Your children should know that Michael Jackson was scoring hits when he was--well--just a kid. Now we wouldn't recommend your kids sharing a bed with the "King of Pop," but knowing his catalog is a must for any well-rounded musical education. After stepping out from the shadow of the Jackson 5, MJ ruled the 1980's with a sequins-covered fist--setting sales and chart records that will never be broken, taking the art of music videos to a whole new level, performing jaw-dropping dance moves that to this day are still being imitated, and establishing precedent after precedent in pop music. Yes he's become the butt of many jokes, but talk to any serious music person, and they will still give Jackson his just due in music history.

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Tags: 50 Bands Your Kids Should Know, Black Sabbath, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Buddy Holly, Dr. Dre, Elvis Presley, Green Day, Guns N' Roses, James Brown, Johnny Cash, KRS-One, Led Zeppelin, Madonna, Metallica, Michael Jackson, Nirvana, Public Enemy, Radiohead, Run-DMC, The Beastie Boys, The Beatles, The Clash, The Ramones, The Rolling Stones, U2

Being a good parent means showering your children with lots of love and affection, feeding them nutritional meals, getting them into the best schools, and of course, teaching them the difference between good music and bad music. That's why it's so confusing when many parents expose their kids to singing dinosaurs, high school musicals, and teenage pop tarts named after states, instead of starting them off with an early education on some of the most important bands and solo artists of our time.

Below are 50 Bands Your Kids Should Know. If they know about these 50 performers, not only will your kids be among the coolest in the neighborhood, but there's a good chance they'll be able to hold their own against any serious music fan (blogger, album reviewer, and college radio disc jockey alike).

We should point out that this is NOT a list of the 50 greatest bands of all-time. As a parent, you should know that getting your kids to eat a bowl of ice cream is a lot easier than having them down a plate of brussel sprouts. That being said, your children still need to eat their vegetables for a healthy nutrition. So think of this list as a balance of both--legendary trailblazers and more current day artists (mmm, ice cream).

As you'll soon find out, not every big name made the list (a couple Jims, a Neil, and a Janis are curiously missing). This was done for a couple reasons. First of all, not every influential band is necessarily accessible to children (sorry Velvet Underground). Secondly, we wouldn't be doing a good job of teaching your children if we didn't make them do some work on their own. This list of 50, whether they realize it now or not, will expose your young prodigies to thousands of other artists who were either influenced or inspired someone else on this list.

If you disagree with any of the picks, that's precisely why there's a comment section below:

By Jim Shearer in LISTS | Link | 9 Comments | Recommended (4)

Tags: 50 Bands Your Kids Should Know, AC/DC, Ani DiFranco, Aretha Franklin, Bjork, Bob Marley, Bon Jovi, David Bowie, Gorillaz, Joan Jett, Joni Mitchell, Minor Threat, No Doubt, Queen, R.E.M., Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Bouncing Souls, The Cure, The Flaming Lips, The Fugees, The Grateful Dead, The Pixies, The Smiths, The White Stripes, Weezer Daft Punk

If you haven't noticed, it's List Month on IFC.com, a brand new list every weekday in July. I wasn't scheduled to make a list today, but I guess I'm so caught up in the madness, I created one anyway. That's right, it's unsanctioned!

Think of this as an appetizer for the 50 Bands Your Kids Should Know list which will be posted later this week.

For your list viewing pleasure, an idea that randomly came to me last night, here are the 10 Best Logos In the History of Music:

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Tags: 10 Best Logos in Music History, AC/DC, Metallica, Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana, Public Enemy, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Run DMC, The Grateful Dead, The Rolling Stones, Van Halen

BIGGEST WASTE OF WATER AWARD

In the age of bottled-water, this may seem a little disgusting, but the Pitchfork Festival had some fountains cranking out some good 'ol Chicago tap water (which was mighty good). For some reason, this particular faucet wouldn't shut off. Because I'm down with a little water conservation every now and then, I tried my best to stop this fountain from running. The water fountain won.

DOWN FOR THE CAUSE AWARD

On a 90-degree day with the sun beating down on festival goers, this fan of Ghostface Killah & Raekwon braved it all and wore his black (100% cotton) Wu-Tang Clan shirt. You know how some shirts are worn until they become a light, sheer material? Well, this wasn't one of them. I'm getting sunburn just thinking about it.

By Jim Shearer in IT'S LIKE THAT, LISTS, SUMMER FESTIVAL '08 UPDATE | Link | 0 Comments | Recommended (4)

Tags: Best of the Rest, Pitchfork Music Festival

11. Green Party with Ralph Nader (2000)
How many times has Ralph Nader run for President of the U.S.A.? How many times has he lost? Alright, so he's never won--big deal. But, how many presidential candidates had Pearl Jam, Ani DiFranco and Ben Harper together on the same bill for a campaign concert? How many candidates had Adrock of the Beastie Boys remix a campaign speech?

One.

Ralph Nader. Proving once again, that they're ain't no party like a Ralph Nader party!

(left: "Yo, you need someone to lay down a dope freestyle? Here, pass me the microphone.")

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Tags: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Betty Ford, Bruce Springsteen, Captain & Tenille, Dee Snyder, Dixie Chicks, Elvis, folk music, Hilary Clinton, Jimmy Carter, John Kerry, John Lennon, Kinky Freidman, marijuana, Muskrat Love, Nixon, P. Diddy, Ralph Nader, Ronald Reagan, Tammy Wynette, Texas, Willy Nelson

The idea for this list came to me after watching an episode of Wheel of Fortune where contestants were buying vowels at will. As Vanna White tapped the glowing letterboxes, I thought to myself, "What if vowels didn't exist?"

(left: Wait, what? I'm not allowed to buy a vowel?)

How would society, or music for that matter, survive without the A,E,I,O, or U? Where would The Ramones be--whose signature hooks relied on long vowel sounds--without the freedom of using a few choice A, E, or O's? Pronouncing band names like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, or Led Zeppelin, would sound like caveman grunts. AC/DC would almost survive, but groups like A.F.I. and M.I.A. would only be down to one-letter band names. Poor Afrika Bambaataa, he needs seven letter A's to pronounce his legendary handle. Former American Idol winner, Carrie Underwood, would be in a world of hurt considering she's one of the few artists who boasts every single vowel in her name.

If vowels were to disappear, believe it or not, some bands would be left standing. The following musical acts have done splendidly well in the careers, all without the presence of vowels in their musical monikers:

By Jim Shearer in LISTS | Link | 1 Comments | Recommended (1)

Tags: Best musical acts, group's title, List month, no vowels, without vowels

Back in the day, a band usually only included the name of a city in its name if they had roots in that city. For example, the band Chicago formed in, Chicago, and though Tom Scholz was born in Toledo, his band Boston originated in, you guessed it, Boston.

(left: "I'm From Barcelona...psych!")

These days, bands don't need to have an allegiance to a particular city to name themselves after it. Do you know where the following indie bands really come from?

1. What Made Milwaukee Famous ____
2. Of Montreal ____
3. I'm From Barcelona ____

A. Jonkoping, Sweden
B. Austin, TX
C. Athens, GA

---

ANSWERS:
1. B
2. C
3. A

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Tags: City Bands, I'm From Barcelona, Of Montreal, What Made Milwaukee Famous

We are in the midst of another "man" summer, with Iron Man cleaning up at the box office and The Dark Knight (aka Batman) soon to follow. The mans, or I guess I should say the men mentioned above got me thinking about superhero names. I always appreciated how easy it was to dole them out--you simply take the hero's most notable attribute and attach the word "man" on the end (Iron Man, Batman, Spider-Man, Superman, etc.). Growing up, I soon realized it was just as easy for a band to do the same with a song, in fact, it was easier. You could merely take an adjective (charmless) or noun (muffin), stick a "man" on the end, and have yourself a catchy song title.

(left: Coming up with a "man" song title is even easier than coming up with a name for a superhero.)

Below, in my opinion, are the best "man" songs ever created. Before you cry foul because Johnny Cash's "Man in Black", R.E.M.'s "Man on the Moon", The Pixies, "Here Comes Your Man", or Public Enemy's "Can't Do Nuttin' For Ya Man" didn't make the list, please keep in mind that each song chosen had to fit the superhero naming criteria explained above:

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Tags: best, List month, man songs

It's no secret that the music industry is in big trouble. With CD sales tanking, record labels downsizing, and less and less high profile rock stars to fill arena seats, it's becoming more difficult to achieve music's version of the American Dream.

(left: William Schintziss, the man who can save music!)

Fortunately for us, there are visionaries like William Schintziss (brother of famed record label mogul, Robert Schintziss). While attending one of his seminars this past weekend at the Expo Mart, Schintziss laid out his first 11 steps to help save the music industry. Apparently the next 310 steps will follow in subsequent seminars, self-help events, and a 500-page leather bound coffee table book.

By Jim Shearer in HOW TO SAVE THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, LISTS | Link | 2 Comments | Recommended (3)

Tags: How To Save The Music Industry, William Schintziss

At least a couple times a year, I try to send 20-30 of my closest music listening friends a Milkit mix CD (Milkit is my half-imaginary/half-real indie record label that has been putting out homemade mixtapes for years).

(left: My co-worker/cat, Bat-Bat, is the official cover girl of my latest mix. Note: I'll probably scrimp on the color copying and go black-and-white for the CD-sleeve, sorry Troy).

Half of the people receiving the mix have kept up with current music (and will probably debate me on why I didn't include certain tracks), while the other half have fallen a bit behind (that's what happens when you work a full-time job and have a family to take care of). Because I want everyone to enjoy the disc equally, I never make my mixes too indie (may go over some of my friends' heads) or too commercial friendly (why put it on a disc if they can hear a song every two seconds on the radio?).

By Jim Shearer in IT'S LIKE THAT, LISTS | Link | 8 Comments | Recommended (2)

Tags: Milkit Radio, Mix CD