Ranking Every James Bond Theme Song

Greetings, reader!

My James Bond theme month continues, in honor of Goldfinger's sixtieth anniversary. This week, I'm ranking the theme songs for all twenty-five films in the franchise. There were a few dilemmas to face when making this list - while 23 of the films have a clear and conventional theme song, I had to decide what to do with Dr. No and On Her Majesty's Secret Service, which are interesting exceptions.

After considering many options, I decided that both films qualify for the list, with the instrumental tracks that play during the opening credits counting as their theme songs (as opposed to disqualifying the first film as the theme song convention hadn't been formed yet, or counting Louis Armstrong's We Have All the Time in the World for On Her Majesty's Secret Service - it could be counted as the film's theme song, but it doesn't appear in the opening credits like all the others, so it's hard to compare as it serves a different function). Anyways, here's my ranking of the twenty-five theme songs!

25. Jack White & Alicia Keys - Another Way to Die (Quantum of Solace, 2008)

Quite fittingly, this bottom-tier Bond flick also has a bottom-tier theme song. Another Way to Die is the only Bond theme I have hardly anything positive to say about - usually, the experimental ones can be applauded for trying even if they miss the mark, while with the typical ones, you can say "well, at least it feels like James Bond" even if it's generic. But this one is somehow the worst of both worlds, with the bold new direction being uninteresting, while the melodic references to the franchise's musical conventions are bland and unimaginative.

24. Madonna - Die Another Day (Die Another Day, 2002)

Ha, speaking of applauding the song for trying when it's experimental but a bit of a misfire. Die Another Day sure sticks out in the canon of 007 theme tunes, with the general consensus being "not in a good way". I have to agree - it's not a great song. It still earns a spot above Another Way to Die, because I do appreciate the effort to reinvent, and at least the song fits the unhinged vibe of the movie it was written for.

23. Rita Coolidge - All Time High (Octopussy, 1983)

Here we have the lowest-ranked conventional-style Bond theme (if there is such a thing - the theme songs have always evolved with their times in a thoroughly fascinating manner). I wouldn't go as far as to call All Time High generic, as it is a decent tune and clearly some amount of thought went into producing it, but it doesn't reach the heights of most similar songs.

Stylistically it isn't far from some of the franchise's best, but there's just something it lacks in terms of memorability and gravitas, thus earning this fairly low spot on the list. A majority of these are really quite good, as can be expected when a big studio comes out every few years to ask a major artist to record a theme song for a box office hit.

22. A-ha - The Living Daylights (The Living Daylights, 1987)

One of the more interesting trends in the history of the Bond theme songs is when, in the late 80's, the franchise decided to ditch solo artists in favor of pop bands, only to return to solo artists some time later. The Living Daylights is a thoroughly enjoyable tune, and one that I would rank even higher if it wasn't for the fact that I'm not ranking these purely as pieces of music, but also as Bond themes, which means that questions like "How well does this fit the franchise?" and "How well does this fit this movie in particular" are taken into account.

It's the second of those questions where The Living Daylights falls short - it's Bond-y enough to be a Bond theme, but it's a weird-ass choice for this specific film. I can just imagine the pitch meeting:

"Hey, y'know how we said that for the debut of this Timothy Dalton guy, we'd go for a more gritty and down-to-earth direction, so we'd be more loyal to the espionage-heavy books the franchise is based on?"

"Yeah, it's gonna be a gritty one for sure"

"Okay, so who were we thinking about for music?"

"How about the band that did Take On Me?"

Weird.

21. Sheryl Crow - Tomorrow Never Dies (Tomorrow Never Dies, 1997)

In the vein of the Rita Coolidge one, this is also a perfectly fine conventional Bond theme, but one that doesn't hold a candle to the best in its genre. It's a few spots higher because I do like the chords and melody quite a bit.

Also, Tomorrow Never Dies being one of the most underrated Bond flicks in my opinion may or may not play a role. The goodness of the film shouldn't be a major factor in ranking the songs, but it's hard to separate them completely - music from a film you like is more likely to cause positive associations and nostalgia, et cetera. I noticed that there's a small correlation (not a super-clear one, as there are PLENTY of exceptions!) between my ranking of Bond films and my ranking of their themes, and it does make sense that a worse film is likelier to have a less favorable theme song (and vice versa) to some degree. So it could be that my affection for Tomorrow Never Dies (the movie) boosts my liking of Tomorrow Never Dies (the song) just a bit, but I tried to be as unbiased as possible in that regard. I will have you know that the theme from my second-least-favorite Bond film of all time is in today's top ten!

20. John Barry - On Her Majesty's Secret Service (On Her Majesty's Secret Service, 1969)

The two purely instrumental theme songs that the franchise has produced are difficult to compare to the others, but hey, I love a challenge. The theme for On Her Majesty's Secret Service was composed and arranged by none other than John Barry, the mastermind behind the original James Bond theme, who also scored several of the films and wrote most of the theme songs in the franchise's first three decades together with the guest artists.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service is a fine piece of orchestral music, immaculately befitting the atmosphere of a Bond film. It could be ranked even higher, but I have a fondness for the conventionally sung Bond themes and the way they set the franchise apart musically, so this one isn't quite in the big leagues.

19. Sheena Easton - For Your Eyes Only (For Your Eyes Only, 1981)

One of the most beautiful pieces of music written for the franchise, For Your Eyes Only might also be ranked higher if it wasn't for the slight minus that it's not the greatest as a Bond theme per se - it's not aggressively un-Bond-like, but it also doesn't capture the franchise's feel as well as most of these songs (this would've been more understandable had the song been done for an exceptionally slow and moving Bond flick, but For Your Eyes Only is as 'typical Roger Moore 007' cinema as they come).

So, slight minus points for not capturing the essence of the franchise as well as its counterparts, but still ranked above many others because it's a sweet and graceful song.

18. Garbage - The World Is Not Enough (The World Is Not Enough, 1999)

During the first round of listening through these songs with the goal of an eventual ranking in mind, I figured that The World Is Not Enough wouldn't rank all that highly - and then it got to the final chorus, and I went 'oh damn'.

It's a typical by-the-numbers Bond theme of its era, until it isn't, as the song's dynamics are some of the best in the bunch, really growing in multiple subtle ways leading up to that climactic ending. I don't know where that band got their name from, because this song most definitely is not garbage.

17. Lulu - The Man with the Golden Gun (The Man with the Golden Gun, 1974)

After I had finished my preliminary ranking, I read through the rankings of some other people online, just to see how typical/revolutionary my takes were, and if anyone had points to make that might give me second thoughts about anything. In these travels, I found out that Lulu's vocal performance in this tune is quite polarizing, with many not liking her style. I never really got that specific brand of singing criticism - let her do her thing, man. The world would be a lot more boring if every talented singer sounded similar to each other in order to reach some arbitrary conventions of what singing is supposed to sound like.

So, yeah, I rather enjoy Lulu's dramatic and colorful vocals on top of this fine John Barry arrangement, especially the belting of the final chorus. The fact that there are sixteen songs ahead of this one just means that the bar is high, as most of these songs are real bangers.

16. Duran Duran - A View to a Kill (A View to a Kill, 1985)

I can't think of anything particularly analytical to say about Duran Duran's 007 theme, nor do I need to - it's fun, it feels like the franchise and the era (the corny madness of the tail end of Roger Moore's tenure in the lead role), and the atmosphere is groovy as hell.

15. Tom Jones - Thunderball (Thunderball, 1965)

The lyrics are some of the corniest and most unimaginative shit you'll ever hear, and could've been written by an eight-year-old who just heard the basic premise of the franchise. And while he's an iconic artist, I'm not a huge fan of Tom Jones' vocal performance here either.

Then why, in spite of these criticisms, is Thunderball so high on the list? Because John Barry's orchestral arrangement carries it, and to magnificent heights as well.

The instrumentation, the dynamics, the rhythmic nuance, it's all perfection. Musically, it's in the very highest tier of Bond music, even if the ridiculous lyrics weigh it down a bit (just to be clear, Jones' vocals aren't bad, but very average when considering the atmospheric standard set by the franchise's theme songs).

14. John Barry - The James Bond Theme (Dr. No, 1962)

This one was definitely hard to rank - the theme song for the first 007 film, the song that plays after the cold open during the opening credits, is what we have come to know as the James Bond theme. I could've excluded it from the list on the grounds of the vocal theme song tradition having really kicked off with the second film, but I like a challenge, and on a technical level, this one is just as much of a theme song as the others, but just happens to get a lot of playtime in the future instalments as well.

There is an argument to be made for ranking John Barry's most enduring composition much higher, as it is such an iconic piece of music and plays a part in the whole franchise's atmosphere. But at the same time, it isn't as much of a perfect fit for its individual film as many of these others, which is why you don't hear anyone calling it "the theme from Dr. No". After long consideration, I've decided it to rank the legendary track here, above the average ones but not above the truest bangers that do feel more like a Bond theme for a specific film.

13. Gladys Knight - Licence to Kill (Licence to Kill, 1989)

Oh, speaking of bangers! This 80's pop anthem is fantastic - it's not quite in the very Bond-y-est category of the theme songs, otherwise it would be way in the top ten, because it's such a killer song (it is also Bond-y enough and appropriate for its specific film that its ranking shouldn't be punished all that much either). Gladys Knight's vocals soar with diva power, the arrangement screams the late 80's, and oh man, that modulation into the final chorus is divine.

12. Sam Smith - Writing's on the Wall (Spectre, 2015)

After a few decades of Bond themes trying to get with the times with all sorts of modern arrangements, the trend was suddenly to return to the orchestral arrangements in the vein of John Barry's legacy. This direction gave us majestic tracks like Writing's on the Wall, an ominous and dramatic song truly fitting the nature of Daniel Craig's fourth Bond film. If there ever was a song where the pre-chorus is better than the chorus, it is this one - the chorus is neat and good enough, but the pre-chorus is most definitely where the song's atmosphere and Smith's vocals come alive the most each time. 

11. Billie Eilish - No Time to Die (No Time to Die, 2021)

The Oscar-winning No Time to Die possibly has the legacy of being the last-ever James Bond theme song, depending on the franchise's question-mark-riddled future. If so, they certainly went out on a high note. No Time to Die is an interesting piece in many ways, one of which being how weirdly un-memorable it is - many Bond themes are tunes you can't get out of your head, but with this one, I always love it whenever I listen to it, but a while later, I couldn't tell you how the melody goes.

I won't count that against the song, however, as I find that to speak to its subdued nature rather than anything negative. The production is insane, with every detail in the soundscape contributing to the gradually building momentum, and Eilish's style of singing fits the atmosphere with mysterious and beautiful perfection.

10. Shirley Bassey - Moonraker (Moonraker, 1979)

There are twenty-five James Bond movies. There are twenty artists who have done a single James Bond theme song without being invited back to do another. Of the remaining five, John Barry did an instrumental theme song for two. And the remaining three? All performed by Shirley Bassey, unbridled queen of the James Bond music genre, who was so good with her first Bond theme that she was later invited to another, and later yet a third. And yes, all three Shirley Bassey tracks made it into my top ten.

Even her least-good one, Moonraker, is an elegant classic. Beautiful vocals, a magical arrangement, and an end product that is quite frankly much better than what its film deserves.

9. Matt Monro - From Russia with Love (From Russia with Love, 1963)

Ah, the one where it all began - the second-ever Bond flick has the first instance of the conventional-style 007 theme song we know and love, sung by a guest artist who composed the song together with the composer behind the film's instrumental score. From Russia with Love bathes in slightly mystic melodies and a worldly percussion groove on an otherwise simple arrangement, with Monro's Sinatra-esque vocals really sealing the deal.

8. Carly Simon - Nobody Does It Better (The Spy Who Loved Me, 1977)

Mm, that's the stuff. The bittersweet melodies of this song are thoroughly fitting for what is one of the more sentimental old-school Bond flicks, with song and film alike finding lots of heart without losing any of the cool. Nobody Does It Better also gains points for one of the best relationships between theme song and instrumental score, as the chorus' melody is brilliantly intertwined into several key moments in the soundtrack for the rest of the film, making it a theme tune in the truest sense of the term.

7. Chris Cornell - You Know My Name (Casino Royale, 2006)

HELL YES! Casino Royale is an ambitious film, as we were being introduced not only to a new James Bond in Daniel Craig, but also a new era for the franchise, and a new vibe of taking the films a bit more seriously than before while still remaining cool spy-action flicks at the core. So, for the theme song for such a film in such a time, they turned to grunge legend Chris Cornell for a song that would rock harder than any Bond theme before (or since, for that matter).

You Know My Name is different from any previous Bond theme - while there were a select few that had dabbled in the rock genre, this was a level of distorted heaviness that was totally new to the franchise. But, just like the Casino Royale movie doesn't fall into the trap of taking itself too seriously or trying too much (unlike the follow-up Quantum of Solace), the song also manages to avoid the trap of trying too hard - while it rocks at unforeseen levels, it's still suspenseful and classy enough to feel and sound like a Bond theme. Thus, a perfect balance is found: it sounds like a fresh new wave of James Bond, but it still most definitely sounds like James Bond.

6. Shirley Bassey - Goldfinger (Goldfinger, 1964)

And then for more Shirley Bassey elegance. Goldfinger (or, as Bassey eloquently puts it, "GOLLDFINGUHHHH") is widely considered the movie where the franchise completed its signature atmosphere: the first instalment Dr. No had introduced most of the tropes and conventions, the sophomore film From Russia with Love added a few key elements to make it even more Bond-y, and the third film, Goldfinger, perfected the recipe. This is thanks to many things - the pacing, the character dynamics, the first instance of Bond ordering a martini that is shaken rather than stirred, the list goes on...and very much includes the theme song.

While the first film didn't have a conventionally sung theme song, and the second film had one that would set the groundwork, it is Goldfinger where the Bond themes truly started to sound like the Bond themes we know and love. Bassey's trad-pop vocals fit beautifully together with John Barry's orchestral arrangement, making for a song that quite simply oozes class and sets the exact blueprint for what a 007 theme should sound like.

5. Tina Turner - Goldeneye (GoldenEye, 1995)

A lot of people don't know that this song was, oddly enough, composed by Bono and The Edge from U2. Hiring the two leading figures of a rock band to compose the theme song of Pierce Brosnan's debut Bond flick, and then hiring a completely separate pop artist to perform it, was an unusual choice, but oh man, the world is better off for it, because Goldeneye is one hell of a banger.

It's a fantastic piece of music even without the Bond context, with the suspenseful verses beautifully flowing into the energetic choruses while Turner's soaring vocals enchant the listener. But, in the context of the film, it's even better - GoldenEye is my favorite 007 flick of all time, and the theme song is one of the many pieces that fit perfectly together with the other pieces (Brosnan's charming debut, Judi Dench's introduction as M, Sean Bean's fantastic villain role, the well-paced plot and Martin Campbell's directing et cetera) in order to make it the best.

4. Shirley Bassey - Diamonds Are Forever (Diamonds Are Forever, 1971)

The three 007 theme songs that Shirley Bassey gifted to the world with her divine presence are all so good that any one of them could easily be argued to be the best out of the three (hell, you could name any of the three as the best of all the Bond themes, and I wouldn't have a problem with that take even if my personal list has a select few songs ahead of them). But, gun to my head, my favorite Bond theme of hers is the middle instalment, made for Sean Connery's final Bond flick, Diamonds Are Forever.

The film itself isn't all that great, and feels like it doesn't deserve such an amazing theme song. Not that I'm complaining - the song is probably the best thing about the film, and instantly makes the viewing experience better. The arrangement mixes mystique and intrigue with power and excitement, and Bassey's vocals perfect this combination. One for the ages.

3. Nancy Sinatra - You Only Live Twice (You Only Live Twice, 1967)

First of all, this one has arguably the best transition from opening scene to opening credit sequence - after James Bond fakes his death in order to prepare for a deep-cover mission, he is found and declared dead, after which the atmospheric string section of this musical masterwork begin to play, causing the utmost shivers and hype to the viewer.

The song itself is pure class - Sinatra's vocal performance, the whimsical yet elegant arrangement, it's all quite perfect. The stuff of legends.

2. Adele - Skyfall (Skyfall, 2012)

I consider the Skyfall movie as a whole to be quite overrated, but damn, the theme song is the one element where they truly lived up to the level of mastery that the franchise's 50th anniversary called for. After the cold open where our hero is very nearly killed, this musical masterpiece starts to play to the visual backdrop of Bond appearing to drown, and oh man, it is so dramatic (while still feeling so classy and Bond-y that it doesn't run the risk of over-dramatization).

Many of these theme songs have utilized musical elements from the original Bond theme in their composition, but I'd argue that this has never been done quite as ingeniously as in Skyfall, where notes and intervals familiar from the original theme are arranged into massive, dramatic chords in key parts of the song, making the song simultaneously feel like James Bond but also like it's larger than James Bond. Also, Adele gives the arguably greatest vocal performance heard in any of these songs, which is really saying something when you look at the level of artists involved in this tradition.

1. Paul McCartney and Wings - Live and Let Die (Live and Let Die, 1973)

Yeah, there's no way around it, this is and will probably always be my favorite. As a fan of the Beatles and of rock music, it's no surprise that I have a place in my heart for this particular track, but it's not only that - Roger Moore's fast-paced debut film as 007 was such a perfect place for this song, one that felt more dangerous and exciting than previous Bond themes in order to set itself apart while still being charming and classy enough to feel like the same franchise.

The harmonies in the instrumental section are genius, building a sense of action-cinema tension in the most wonderful ways, while the dynamic shifting from beautiful and ballad-y into full-blown rock anthem in the intro (and then again at the end) is unforgettable. Out of the many, many great Bond themes out there, this takes the cake as my winner.

Thank you for reading! Tune in next week for my final instalment of the Bond theme month - the top 10 'Bond girls', from a modern feminist perspective.