Getting the chance to record a James Bond theme is one of the greatest honors a recording artist can earn. This week, we learned that for the upcoming film Spectre, Sam Smith will get his shot, with a song called “Writing’s On the Wall.” There have been many musical takes on 007 over the years, some glorious, some atrocious. Where Smith’s composition will ultimately wind up is anyone’s guess, but in the meantime, let’s start a few arguments by ranking every Bond theme from worst to best.
One brief note: We’re not including Dr. No, the first Bond film, because that movie didn’t have its own theme. Rather, it just used the same traditional Bond theme that we hear in every film.
22. Madonna – “Die Another Day”
In theory, having Madonna do a Bond theme is a pretty cool idea, but the execution was disastrous, perhaps because this happened in 2002, when she was well past her prime as a recording artist. First off, the song is hopelessly choppy, robbing it of any sense of tension or suspense. Secondly, Madonna’s high-pitched vocals don’t lend the song any extra gravitas. They could’ve just as easily tapped Britney Spears for this one, and it wouldn’t have made a difference.
21. Lulu – “The Man With The Golden Gun”
Lulu recorded one of the most famous movie themes ever, with 1967’s “To Sir, With Love.” Unfortunately, this track is decidedly not up to par with that classic. It’s not her fault, though; if anything, her vocals are the only good thing about this song. This track is horribly dated, and musically, it’s all over the place, veering from one instrument to the next without much care.
20. Sheena Easton – “For Your Eyes Only”
The biggest problem with this one is that it barely even sounds like a Bond theme. Honestly, this song is pretty much indecipherable from any other adult contemporary dreck that polluted the airwaves in the early ’80s. But hey, it’s not as in-your-face about its awfulness as Madonna and Lulu’s entries are, so that saves it from landing on the bottom of this list.
19. Rita Coolidge – “All Time High”
Yeah, this one has the same problem. For some reason, in the early ’80s, producers forgot that the Bond themes are supposed to be cinematic and badass, and all we got was generic AC schlock. This was the theme from Octopussy, and based on that alone, we should’ve gotten something much more interesting. Basically, as soon as the producers had settled on the title of the movie, they should’ve called Prince and asked him to write the title theme. How cool would that have been?
18. A-ha – “The Living Daylights”
After the massive success of Duran Duran’s “A View To Kill,” it likely seemed logical to tap another synth-pop act for the next theme, so A-ha, best known in America for “Take On Me,” were given the job. Unfortunately, there were some diminishing returns. This song keeps making you think it’s going somewhere, but it never really gets there. Plus, this is probably the most dated Bond theme by far. You can’t hear this song and not be constantly reminded that it was recorded 28 years ago.
17. Gladys Knight – “License To Kill”
Well, out of all non-Duran Duran ’80s Bond themes, this one is easily the most tolerable. Knight has the perfect voice to sing a Bond theme, and it really comes through. Unfortunately, the stale production is everything bad about the late ’80s, and in general, this is yet another re-heated adult contemporary track. But hey, at least they didn’t get Taylor Dayne to sing it.
16. Garbage – “The World Is Not Enough”
The best thing about this song is that it’s appropriately dark and moody, as one might expect from a Garbage song. The biggest reason that it’s not higher on this list is that it just feels a bit too plodding. The chorus doesn’t quite feel like the payoff we were hoping for. Still, it’s cinematic and atmospheric, but it feels like with a little more work, this could have been an all-time classic.
15. Chris Cornell – “You Know My Name”
Chris Cornell, with his legendary rock ‘n roll howl, is certainly a logical choice for a Bond theme, but it feels like he was underutilized here. You keep waiting for the moment when we get a Cornell scream for the ages, but it never quite comes. Maybe this one would have been better if Cornell had been tapped in the ’90s, when he was in his prime with Soundgarden. By 2006, his voice just wasn’t what it used to be.
14. Nancy Sinatra – “You Only Live Twice”
This is one of the more famous Bond themes, which is why I hope it won’t seem too sacrilegious that I’m not particularly hot on it. It’s just a plodding ballad that doesn’t really go anywhere, and Nancy Sinatra’s voice can only save it so much. That said, it’s still considerably better than any of the chintzy ’80s themes, so I could only rank it so low.
13. Shirley Bassey – “Moonraker”
After recording the legendary themes to Goldfinger and Diamonds Are Forever, Bassey was brought back to the Bond franchise in 1979 for “Moonraker.” It’s easily the weakest of her themes, although it’s not her fault. Her vocals are as strong as ever, but musically, this song is painfully boring, and much like “You Only Live Twice,” it just feels directionless.
12. The John Barry Orchestra – “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is the rare Bond film to feature an entirely instrumental theme. There’s not too much to say about this one; it’s a fun, somewhat experimental little theme that does a quality job of setting the stage for a film full of action and suspense. It’s hard to rank this as a real classic without any immortal lyrics to attach it to, but it certainly gets the job done.
11. Carly Simon – “Nobody Does It Better”
This was the hardest song to rank for the this list. On the one hand, Carly Simon’s theme for The Spy Who Loved Me began the trend of every Bond theme being a sappy ballad, which would last well into the ’80s. On the other hand, in this particular instance, it actually kind of works. Like, it’s schmaltz, but it’s good schmaltz, you know? Plus, this song will stick in your head for days at a time.
10. Jack White/Alicia Keys – “Another Way To Die”
One can only assume this song got its title because its composers realized there was no way to write a song called “Quantum of Solace” that anyone would want to listen to. Anyway, this song was better than the movie it came from, but it still feels like it could’ve been better. The horns feel like a hindrance here, as the song gets pigeonholed into being What A Bond Theme Is Supposed To Sound Like, even though it would’ve better if Jack White has simply been allowed to do some trademark guitar shredding. Still, it’s undeniably catchy, and memorable enough to sneak into the top 10.
9. John Barry/Matt Monro – “From Russia With Love”
There were actually two versions of this theme; an instrumental version, and one with vocals by Matt Monro. For the sake of this list, we’ll be looking at the second version. This theme song isn’t as iconic as, say “Goldfinger,” but it’s pretty awesome nonetheless. Monro’s smooth vocals go well with the score, and everything feels appropriately cinematic.
8. Sheryl Crow – “Tomorrow Never Dies”
When we think of Crow’s more lightweight hits, such as “All I Wanna Do” or “Soak Up The Sun,” she seems like a bit of an odd choice for a Bond theme, but she was clearly up to the task. This song is moody, cinematic, and has the type of big, anthemic chorus that we’ve come to expect from the Bond franchise. Plus, her breathy vocals give the song a distinctly sultry vibe.
7. Tom Jones – “Thunderball”
Admittedly, your enjoyment of this one will likely depend on how high a tolerance you have for big, loud string sections, but this feels like just the right amount of bombast for a Bond theme. Plus, Jones’ voice goes with the song perfectly, and after Shirley Bassey, he might be the ideal person to sing one of these themes. This song is quintessentially Old School Hollywood, and whether that’s your type of thing will go a long way in determining how you feel about it.
6. Duran Duran – “A View To A Kill”
This was the only Bond theme to top the charts in the U.S., and its popularity is easy to understand. This ranks among the most memorable themes ever, appropriately suspenseful during the verses before leading us into the “dance into the fire!” chant in the chorus. The one knock against this song is that the ’80s production sounds a bit dated, but beyond that, it’s pretty much perfect.
5. Adele – “Skyfall”
Adele was tapped to record the Skyfall theme just after 21 made her one of the biggest names in music. She was certainly a great choice, as this is one of the best Bond themes of the modern era. Her vocals lend the song a perfect amount of gravitas, and more importantly, the song itself is epic and suspenseful. One can logically assume that the success of this song played a big part in the decision to bring in Sam Smith — who is similar to Adele from a musical standpoint — to record the theme for Spectre. He’ll certainly have a lot to live up to.
4. Tina Turner – “Golden Eye”
Why it took until 1995 for Tina Turner to do a Bond theme is beyond me, but that’s beside the point; this song is awesome. Written by Bono and the Edge, there’s a perfect amount of suspense and buildup throughout the song, putting us in the perfect mood for a killer action flick. Plus, there’s something the way Tina says the phrase “golden eye” that’s just so perfect.
3. Shirley Bassey – “Diamonds Are Forever”
Yeah, it’s pretty much a rule of thumb that any Bond theme recorded by Shirley Bassey is going to be pretty awesome. There’s something quite authoritative about her delivery of “diamonds are forever,” which, of course, is why Kanye West chose to sample the track for his own “Diamonds From Sierra Leone.” While Bassey apparently wasn’t cool with Kanye not clearing the sample, this song gets extra points for inspiring another near-perfect song.
2. Paul McCartney – “Live And Let Die”
Arguably the most famous Bond theme, the obvious case against “Live And Let Die” is that it’s too disjointed, often carelessly transitioning from one section to another. The case in favor of it? When this song comes on, you turn it way up every time. It’s not the best song McCartney ever wrote, but it’s certainly one of his most memorable.
1. Shirley Bassey – “Goldfinger”
Perhaps a predictable choice at No. 1, but the awesomeness of this song is undeniable. It’s as anthemic of a movie theme as you’ll ever hear, and probably the first song you think of when you think of James Bond. Plus, it gets a few extra points for inspiring the immortal Hank Scorpio parody.
