With the upcoming release of WWE 2K22, many people have been reminiscing about the old WWE titles. With the real-life brand split taking place, the WWE decided to showcase it with the SmackDown! vs Raw series. For seven games, players were treated to a variety of modes, including GM Mode and Universe Mode. One thing that stands out about the series, though, is the music. Each title delivered some amazing tunes ranging from hip-hop to hard rock.

We look at 10 great songs featured in the popular WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw series. Pre-orders for WWE 2K22, which arrives on March 11 via PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam, can be made here.

10) Black Stone Cherry - “Lonely Train”

Kentucky hard rock band Black Stone Cherry exploded on the scene with their 2006 debut single “Lonely Train” from their self-titled debut album. The WWE loved it so much, the song was used as the theme for the 2006 Great American Bash PPV before landing on WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2007. In a 2017 interview with Songfacts, vocalist Chris Robertson said this about the tune:

“That song was the first single that we ever put out, so it was kind of like our introduction to the world. We wrote that song after talking to a bunch of our buddies, older and our age, that had been in service in the armed forces for the United States. The things that they went through and coming home was the inspiration behind the song.”

9) Static X - “Start A War”

Released in 2005, Static X's Start A War was the last time producer Ulrich Wild would work with the band until 2020's Project: Regeneration Vol. 1. "Start A War,” which is on the WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006, was also included on the Project Gotham Racing 3 soundtrack.

8) Project 86 - "Evil (A Chorus of Resistance)"

Project 86's 2007 studio album Rival Factions became the band's first studio album with drummer Jason Gerken, who worked with HUM and Shiner. "Evil (A Chorus of Resistance),” which is on WWE SmackDown! Vs Raw 2008, has been a fan favorite at live shows since the game’s release. In a 2007 interview with Jesus Freak Hideout, Andrew Schwab said this about recording the song:

“That was actually the first song that we demoed on this record. Steve wrote the jam. The vocals and everything came together pretty quick. There's this kind of little thing that happens within the band that any time there's a real cool song and it's finished, I don't hear it. So I'm just like "Yeah, that's alright." And then Randy and Steve heard it and were like "Y'know what man? This is cool." So we show it to a couple of other people and they're like, "This is really cool!" So that's become kind of one of the main songs. I think it's got an immediate energy. It's a little bit more accessible, but the chorus is still pretty aggressive. It's a different sound. We definitely wanted to try some different sounds on this record, and we were able to do that.”

7) Three Days Grace - "Animal I Have Become"

Released as the first single to Three Days Grace's sophomore studio album One-X, "Animal I Have Become" topped the US Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for seven weeks. The track, which appears in WWE SmackDown! vs Raw 2007, is written about former vocalist Adam Gontier's time in rehab.

6) Megadeth - “Symphony of Destruction (Steve Tushar Remix)”

Most video game fans know Megadeth's "Symphony of Destruction" from its inclusion in Guitar Hero and Rock Band. For WWE Smackdown! Vs Raw 2006, the band turned to Steve Tushar for a special remix. The Latin Grammy-nominated producer is best known for their work with Fear Factory, Korn, and Puddle of Mudd. This remix is also featured in the game Full Auto 2: Battlelines.

5) The Dillinger Escape Plan - "Unretrofied"

With the release of 2004's Miss Machine New Jersey metalcore band The Dillinger Escape Plan toned down the frantic energy heard in their debut album Calculating Infinity for something more accessible. "Unretrofied," which was the third and final single from the album, gained the band a slew of new fans. Unfortunately, some diehard fans weren’t fond of the new direction. In a 2007 MetalSucks interview, vocalist Greg Puciato said:

“Even though we felt confident in songs like “Unretrofied” and “Setting Fire to Sleeping Giants,” we were still freaked out by them. We knew that a lot of people were going to jump ship, and a lot of people did jump ship.”

4) Rise Against - "Survive"

Rise Against's 2006 studio album The Sufferer & the Witness found the band reuniting with Revolutions per Minute co-producers Bill Stevenson and Jason Livermore. Featured in WWE SmackDown! Vs. Raw 2007, the album closer "Survive" has vocalist Tim McIlrath offering the inspirational message “We've all been sorry, we've all been hurt, but how we survive is what makes us who we are.”

3) AM Conspiracy - “Welt”

AM Conspiracy, which features former Drowning Pool vocalist Jason "Gong" Jones, turned heads in the hard rock scene with their 2007 debut EP Out of the Shallow End. EP closer "Welt" offers the hard rock zest expected from the five-piece ensemble.

2) Nonpoint - "Bullet With A Name"

Nonpoint's 2005 studio album To The Pain began a two album stint with Bieler Bros. The album's opening track "Bullet With A Name," which is featured in WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, quickly became the band's set closer at shows. In a 2007 interview with WWE, vocalist Elias Soriano said:

"Surprisingly our biggest response has come from WWE fans. We've gotten more response from people hearing our song on SmackDown vs. Raw than from when we had a song on the Miami Vice soundtrack. WWE fans embrace the music because their loyalty is second to none, much like the fans of Nonpoint."

1) Sick Puppies - "You're Going Down"

WWE fans first heard Sick Puppies' "You're Going Down" as the theme song for the 2009 Extreme Rules PPV, which was highlighted by CM Punk successfully cashing in their Money In The Bank contract. When it comes to the song, which is on WWE SmackDown! Vs Raw 2010, former vocalist Shimon Moore said in a press statement:

"I just wrote a song I thought someone would want to fight to. I asked myself, when you're getting pumped up to get into the ring, what would you want to hear? And that's what came out."