The Rocky franchise is known for its music, so here are all 9 theme songs from the Rocky and Creed movies, ranked. Each Rocky and Creed movie has a song or track that has become heavily associated with it, with many viewers thinking of the film anytime they hear the song. While some movies, such as Rocky IV and Creed III, have multiple songs that could fit this theme song slot, most audiences have agreed on one. So, here are the common picks for each theme song from throughout the Rocky and Creed series, as well as which one is the best.
1976’s Rocky was a small-scale boxing movie that, to the surprise of many, was a huge success that led to a franchise that is still thriving today. Six Rocky movies were made from 1976 to 2006, but Rocky Balboa was far from the end of the franchise. Rocky came back with the 2015 spin-off film Creed, which itself has turned into a trilogy. Future Creed spin-offs and sequels are in the works, meaning that plenty more Rocky franchise theme songs will probably pop up in the future. However, as of now, there are nine. Each of the franchise’s nine films has a theme song, and here they all are, ranked.
9 “Go For It” (Rocky V)
Rocky V is often considered to be the worst of the Rocky movies, and because of this, it unsurprisingly has the worst theme song. “Go For It” by Joey B. Ellis was another entry in a list of songs made specifically for Rocky movies, but compared to some of the later entries on this list, it just wasn’t as good. Rocky V oddly chose to step away from the rock genre and instead focused on hip hop and rap, and the inclusion of “Go For It” made the shift feel incredibly jarring. “Go For It” is a fine song, but it simply doesn’t work in the context of Rocky V.
8 “It’s A Fight” (Rocky Balboa)
“It’s A Fight” by Three 6 Mafia is a great song that has become a staple of many sporting events, with many fans of the track not actually knowing that it originated in Rocky Balboa. Rocky Balboa mostly stuck to using the score from the original film, with this being one of the only new songs. While this is technically the original theme song for Rocky Balboa, it isn’t used as significantly in the film as some of the other tracks. “It’s A Fight” is featured as background music during one of the fight scenes, and while it works, it’s not all that significant.
7 “Redemption” (Rocky II)
Rather than having a musician create an original song for the film, the theme of Rocky II is an updated take on the score of the original Rocky. “Redemption” is the track that is heavily used throughout the film, and while it does manage to recreate the feel of the original film, that is also one of its weaknesses. “Redemption” just feels like a lesser version of tracks from the original film, and surrounding it with the rematch between Rocky and Apollo Creed makes the whole film feel like a retread.
6 “Runnin” (Creed II)
Ludwig Göransson is the composer of the first two Creed films, and while he has some great tracks in Creed II, “Runnin” is clearly the best one. Although “Runnin” mostly consists of a score, the track features A$AP Rocky and Jacob Banks, with the musicians providing some vocals at the end of the song. “Runnin” is a really solid track, but it hasn’t become as iconic as some of the other musical selections throughout the Rocky franchise.
5 “Heart’s On Fire” (Rocky IV)
It is hard to pick a theme song for Rocky IV, as tons of great songs like James Brown’s “Living in America” and Survivor’s “Burning Heart” debuted in the film. However, it is hard to deny that John Cafferty’s “Heart’s on Fire” is the theme song of the film. “Heart’s on Fire” plays during the film’s extensive training montage, one of the most exciting scenes in the franchise. While “Heart’s on Fire” does sound like a cheesy 1980s rock song, Rocky IV is a cheesy 1980s movie, so it really fits.
4 “Training Montage” (Creed III)
Although the name may not sound all that spectacular, “Training Montage” is a fantastic choice for the Creed III theme song. The track, composed by Joseph Shirley and featuring singer Baby Rose, plays during the film’s training montage, with it being one of the most powerful in the franchise. The exciting song works incredibly well as shots of Adonis Creed and Dame Anderson are interlaced with each other, with the intense track preparing viewers for the climactic final battle.
3 “Eye Of The Tiger” (Rocky III)
Although it originated in Rocky III, Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” has managed to escape the Rocky stratosphere and become an incredibly popular song in its own right. “Eye of the Tiger” is a quintessential song of the 1980s, with it being well-known by even non-Rocky fans. It also started the trend of Rocky movies getting musicians to make original songs for the films, with this remaining one of the best examples of this pattern.
2 “Lord Knows / Fighting Stronger” (Creed)
“Lord Knows / Fighting Stronger” is not only the theme song of the first Creed movie, but it is also the theme song of the entire Creed series, with segments of it appearing in every film. The track combines “Gonna Fly Now” from the original Rocky with the song ‘Lord Knows” by Meek Mill. This song perfectly honored Creed‘s Rocky roots while also highlighting that the spin-off was going in a different direction, leading to “Lord Knows / Fighting Stronger” becoming the second-best Rocky theme song of all time.
1 “Gonna Fly Now” (Rocky)
Although it may seem obvious, “Gonna Fly Now” from the original Rocky is clearly the best theme song in the franchise. “Gonna Fly Now” is simply incredible, with the iconic track slowly building to an incredible burst of choral inspirations for the Italian Stallion. The original film uses it just sparingly enough that when it hits it is immensely impactful. Without “Gonna Fly Now,” the original Rocky may not have been nearly as impactful. “Gonna Fly Now” is possibly the most iconic element from the Rocky franchise, which is why it has to be the best theme song of them all.
