Essential 007 Movie Theme Songs
Music is a crucial element to the James Bond movie franchise as much as gadgets and cars. Nearly every movie has an elaborate opening credits sequence set to it's own theme song, several were even given an ending credits song as well. I've taken everything into account here, including those ending credits themes as well as songs that were "inspired" by James Bond.
This song was featured during the closing credits to Timothy Dalton's final appearance as Bond, in the film Licence To Kill. Louis Armstrong was the first African American singer to perform a Bond song, and not only was Licence To Kill the first to feature an female African American singer, but it had two of them; Gladys Knight and Patti LaBelle. It's also an interesting trivia fact that while this song was featured during the closing credits, it would eventually become a success on the Billboard charts for Celine Dion in 1992. Even though this version made my Top Ten, I'm not ashamed to admit I like the Celine Deon cover version better.
9. "The Man With The Golden Gun" (Alice Cooper, unused theme song)
I made an exception for this song because it was actually Lulu's "The Man With The Golden Gun" that appeared within the film. While I don't dislike Lulu's, I just feel that this version better fits the spy genre, even it's use of horns and female backing vocals. The Alice Cooper band also had an earlier song "Halo Of Flies", which took inspiration from an evil crime organization (possibly SPECTRE?) with its lyrics of submarines and timebombs. Cooper would later have a song called "Dirty Diamonds" that is very much in this style as well that sounds like it was lifted straight out of a 1970's movie.
8. "Skyfall" (Adele, Skyfall)
I was not sold on this song when I first heard it in 2012. It sounded like an attempt to copy the earlier theme songs of Shirley Bassey on Diamonds Are Forever and Moonraker. However, once I heard the song in the right context on the big screen with the opening credits of Skyfall, I was hooked. It perfectly captured the darker tone of the movie.
7. "Diamonds Are Forever" (Shirley Bassey, Diamonds Are Forever)
This song gets stuck in my head more than any other Bond theme. Out of her 3 Bonds themes, "Diamonds Are Forever" is Shirley Bassey's best vocal performance.
6. "We Have All The Time In The World" (Louis Armstrong, On Her Majesty's Secret Service)
Upon first watch when going through the entire Bond series in 2011 with my good friend Nick, I totally underrated both this movie and it's theme song. I think it was such a drastic change in style from the Connery movies with it's romantic storyline and song that I rated it against the formula, rather than on it's own merit. There was also the fact it featured one-time "James Bond" actor George Lazenby, which was a distraction.
5. "Goldfinger" (Shirley Bassey, Goldfinger)
Probably the most famous Bond theme of all, and the one that tops nearly every list of favorite Bond movies, is Goldfinger. With that distinctive horn and Shirley Bassey's vocals warning you to not go into his web of sin, it definitely earns its place amongst the greatest Bond themes. The lyrics are amazingly campy and fit the comedic tone of the film which included moments like Bond killing the title villain by sucking him out of an airplane, I just can't put it above my personal favorite songs; which is odd given that the film tops my list of the movies.
4. "Nobody Does It Better" (Carly Simon, The Spy Who Loved Me)
While listening to these theme songs repeatedly, I noticed that many of them are female singers, which brings out the romantic side of the films. The best example of this is Carly Simon's song from Roger Moore's third, and possibly best Bond film, The Spy Who Loved Me. But let's be real, that movie wasn't great for it's song, it's all about the henchman named Jaws.
3. "A View To A Kill" (Duran Duran, A View To A Kill)
If you had asked me years ago which was my favorite theme, I'd have said the Duran Duran song in a heartbeat. Yet after listening to all of the songs back to back, I found it's status slipping. I do like how it incorporates orchestrated samples in with it's rock riffs, and effectively brought back the hard rock edge to the film franchise. These films of the 1980's were also desperately trying to create an edgier James Bond that was lost during Moore's early appearances in the 1970's.
2. "Live And Let Die" (Paul McCartney, Live And Let Die)
This song holds a special place because when I decided to watch the James Bond films, I chose this movie to start with (although out of order) because I loved the song. I actually had no idea this was even a James Bond movie theme because I was first introduced to the song through the cover version by Guns N' Roses. Listening to it now alongside the other themes, it still doesn't even sound like it would be a James Bond theme.
1. "You Know My Name" (Chris Cornell, Casino Royale)
I wasn't sold on Daniel Craig as James Bond, though I instantly loved this movie's theme song. It's pulse-pounding and such an intense rocker that it makes me want to leap from rooftop to rooftop and chase bad guys on winding mountain roads at top speed. It was the best way to relaunch the James Bond franchise after it's descent into camp, with a rock song and a grittier version of the character of 007.
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