A good theme song can transcend a movie. However, a theme song to an established property has to be a genuinely great tune to stand on its own. The theme song is one of the most scrutinized parts of every new James Bond film and a bad one might portend a film of similar quality.
The best Bond themes often stand apart from and can change the perception of a Bond film. It’s a lot of pressure for any artist, but several take a chance on the theme during each production. Billie Eilish is the next artist to tackle a Bond theme. Here are the 10 best themes of Bond films past.
Moonraker (Shirley Bassey, Moonraker)
Moonraker is undoubtedly one of the weaker Bond films, but the same can’t be said for Shirley Bassey’s third and final Bond theme. She wasn’t originally supposed to sing the song; Frank Sinatra and Kate Bush were both considered and Johnny Mathis left recording with only weeks before production.
This forced producers to offer the song to Bassey, who does just about the most she can given the circumstances.
We Have All The Time In The World (Louis Armstrong, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service)
Louis Armstrong might seem like an odd pick for a Bond theme. Armstrong was 67 when the song was released and he didn’t even play the trumpet on the song. He instead lends his voice to the track.
The song received a resurgence in 1994 when it was used in a Guinness commercial and received a cover from Irish shoegaze band My Bloody Valentine. The song has become something close to a pop standard and is frequently played at weddings as a first dance.
A View to a Kill (Duran Duran, A View to a Kill)
Duran Duran’s theme for Roger Moore’s last Bond film is the only Bond theme to hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song is one of the Bond themes that is the most “of its time” with its new wave stylings and synth lines placing it firmly in the 1980s.
Despite this, “A View to a Kill” remains a solid song and a great Bond theme. Its nature as a very 80s tune holds it back from true greatness. It’s also notable as the last song Duran Duran’s classic five-man lineup recorded and performed before their reunion in 2001.
The Living Daylights (a-ha, The Living Daylights)
While a-ha had a brief moment of glory in the U.S. with “Take on Me,” the band had greater staying power in Britain. This led to their handling of the title track to Timothy Dalton’s first Bond film.
“The Living Daylights” has a darker feel than a-ha’s most well-known song and acts as a primer for the darker tone of The Living Daylights and Timothy Dalton’s take on Bond. Critics didn’t love the film, but the song has stood the test of time as one of Bond’s best.
The World is Not Enough (Garbage, The World is Not Enough)
Shirley Bassey isn’t the only Shirley with a fantastic Bond theme to her name. Garbage lead singer Shirley Manson propels the band through the title track to Pierce Brosnan’s third Bond film. The song is a perfect blend of the classic strings and horns of Bond themes past and Garbage’s pop songcraft indebted to Sonic Youth’s clean guitars and My Bloody Valentine’s shoegaze.
Some Britpop and post-Britpop bands might have made more sense for this time, but Madison, Wisconsin-based Garbage was the right band at the right time. It’s a shame the film isn’t nearly as memorable as the song that opens it.
Goldfinger (Shirley Bassey, Goldfinger)
The idea of a title theme for each James Bond film wouldn’t have received the traction it did if the first wasn’t up to a gold standard. Goldfinger’s title song serves as the perfect introduction to its titular villain.
The song is fittingly menacing, brazen and calculating for a villain whose iconic line is “No Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!” Shirley Bassey’s vocals complement the brassy instrumentation and soft perfectly, giving the song and its subject an authoritative feel.
Skyfall (Adele, Skyfall)
“Skyfall” works as both an Adele song and a Bond theme. Adele crafted the tune with frequent collaborator Paul Epworth hot off the heels of her global smash record 21. The song sounds like it could fit right in on that record, but its varied instrumentation also harkens back to her debut LP.
It sets the mood for Sam Mendes’ first Bond film with ominous horns, a mournful piano and a truly epic bridge and final chorus. The song garnered many comparisons to the Shirley Bassey themes of yore, but “Skyfall” is brutally, distinctly Adele.
Goldeneye (Tina Turner, Goldeneye)
For all the portrayal of James Bond as a sexual figure, “Goldeneye” is the only Bond theme that could remotely be considered sexy. The tune is probably the closest Bond themes have come to matching Shirley Bassey since her last go of it in Moonraker.
Turner’s voice isn’t nearly as strong as Bassey’s (which says more about the latter than the former), but Turner has an energy few singers before or since could match.
Live And Let Die (Wings, Live And Let Die)
“Live and Let Die” is a true rock symphony, combining many elements and genres into a tight three-minute package. None of these sections should work together as well as they do. The transitions are abrupt, but McCartney’s songwriting makes them as smooth as a perfect martini.
The song is one of the few that has proven more prominent than the Bond franchise, evident through its many covers and the fact that Paul McCartney makes it a centerpiece of his fantastic live shows nearly 60 years after its release.
Diamonds Are Forever (Shirley Bassey, Diamonds Are Forever)
“Diamonds Are Forever” takes the top spot because it isn’t a cultural monolith. It functions as a cultural point of reference just as well as it stands alone. Where “Live and Let Die”’s broader cultural impact mostly exists in its many covers, samples of “Diamonds” have formed the backbone of songs in many genres spanning decades, including house, pop, and rap.
“Diamonds” is both a great song and a cultural chameleon, a status many songs aspire to but never reach. Other Bond songs have won shinier awards, but “Diamonds Are Forever” is, well, forever.
