Ranking every James Bond theme song: 1-23 | For The Win
Ranking every James Bond theme song: 1-23
Ranking every James Bond theme song: 1-23
By Mike Foss November 2, 2015 4:02 pm Follow     @themikefoss
852 shares
By: Mike Foss | November 2, 2015 4:02 pm Follow @themikefoss
James Bond’s 24th film is set to hit theaters in the United States on Friday. While the performances of the many actors who have portrayed the British super spy have always been hotly contested, the opening themes have also garnered a healthy amount of attention. Though 1962’s Dr. No failed to have an opening theme, but every film to follow did, with varying degrees of success.
23. All Time High (Octopussy) – Rita Coolidge
Let’s just forget any of this happened. The movie. The song. Let’s burn it all.
22. Die Another Day – Madonna
This was weird. Really weird. Too weird. No more of this.
21. Tomorrow Never Dies – Sheryl Crow
If you told me Sheryl Crow was going to pick up her acoustic guitar and give us a splashy, sun-soaked tribute to 007 … well, no, that would have been terrible, too.
20. Living Daylights – A-Ha
Remember every terrible musical gimmick that happen in the ’80s? A-Ha made a song with all of them so you’d never forget.
19. The Man With the Golden Gun – Lulu
This is a hilarious song. Make no mistake, it’s also horrendous. But at least it’s absurdity is memorable.
18. License to Kill – Gladys Knight
Gladys Knight is talented enough to make you forget that License to Kill is a less-sexy version of Goldfinger. But then you remember when you rank all of the James Bond themes for worst to best and realize how lame that is.
17. Another Way to Die (Quantam of Solace) – Jack White & Alicia Keys
This song should have worked a lot better than it did, but White and Keys’ theme was significantly better than the film, so there’s that.
16. From Russia With Love – John Barry Orchestra
The first Bond film to have an opening theme, John Barry’s effort started the tradition we enjoy today.
15.  A View to Kill – Duran Duran
Yep, this is what Duran Duran would sound like if they made a James Bond theme.
14. The World is Not Enough – Garbage
I have to admit I forgot about this movie and this song. After looking up the movie, I remember it. It wasn’t that great. The song is pretty good, though.
13.  On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – John Barry Orchestra
John Barry’s second instrumental theme bests his first by laying the foundation of every opening Bond theme which followed.
12. For Your Eyes Only – Sheena Easton
Remember earlier in the list when you listened to A-Ha’s gimmicky effort at a James Bond song in the ’80s? This is what a gimmicky James Bond song in the ’80s is supposed to sound like.
11. You Know My Name (Casino Royale) – Chris Cornell, 2007
Some would tell you this is a bad song and the lead singer of Soundgarden is a terrible choice for the James Bond theme. That’s wrong. Had Chris Cornell sung the exact same song in 1996 for Goldeneye, he would have been lauded. But this was 2007, so it was cool to dismiss his effort as washed up. When all is said and done, this is far from the worst Bond theme. Yes, I’m jaded by my love of ’90s alt-rock. Black hoooooole sunnnnnnn …
10. Moonraker – Shirley Bassey
You could have your choice of vocalists sing a Bond theme and none of them will come close to Shirley Bassey, who appears on three Bond tracks. Moonraker was an utterly absurd film, but Bassey’s voice carries this song masterfully.
9. Writing’s on the Wall (Spectre) – Sam Smith
You did it, Sam Smith. The newest Bond theme cracks the Top 10 on our list. Why? It doesn’t rip anyone off, it doesn’t try to incorporate the trope du jour, and simply just tries to be a good song. For these efforts, Sam Smith bested 13 other songs who didn’t.
8. Nobody Does it Better (The Spy Who Loved Me) – Carly Simon
Simon’s ode to the lovemaking ability of 007 will make you blush if you listen to the lyrics, and yet it somehow comes off as wholesome with the piano backing.
7. Thunderball – Tom Jones
Me to you while listening to this song:
You want to be a spy with me? Yep! You want to do karate in a tuxedo? Yep! You want to drive super fast sports cars and then blow them up? Hell yep!
6. Diamonds are Forever – Shirley Bassey
When the title of the film is Diamonds are Forever, you would expect a lavish opening theme. Shirley Bassey happily delivers.
5. Goldeneye – Tina Turner
Was the decision to place Goldeneye so high based purely on the Nintendo 64 video game of the same name? Yes, what of it?
4. Skyfall – Adele
I fully admit this probably jumps a full three places if radio stations didn’t assault people with this theme for the entire 2013 holiday season. That said, Adele’s performance still gives me chills.
3. You Only Live Twice – Nancy Sinatra
This theme hits perfectly mixes the spectacle every good Bond theme needs with Sinatra’s delicate and haunting vocals.
2. Goldfinger – Shirley Bassey
Completely unforgettable and flawless in every way. You can’t be a fan of a Bond film without loving this song.
1. Live and Let Die – Paul McCartney
Yeah, yeah, Goldfinger was robbed. Whatever. This is an amazing song, and the only good thing that Wings did for pop culture. There hasn’t been a Bond theme before or after that has come near Live and Let Die’s stratosphere.