James Bond movies have always had excellent theme songs, mainly since they are excellent songs in their own right. These are the ten main themes that stick out in my mind, but it was hard picking just ten since there were so many great choices to pick from. As for the original Monty Norman James Bond theme, I’m leaving it out of the list simply because everyone knows it.
On with the list….
10. Goldfinger
The first genuine theme “song” from the franchise, Goldfinger has stood the test of time with its memorable, if cheesy, lyrics and the insane vocal performance by Shirley Bassey. I felt that if I has to start from somewhere, Goldfinger is a solid choice. Not quite top-5 material, but I do get a kick from listening to it.
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9. The Living Daylights
If there’s one Bond movie that just says “80s” it has to be the first and the cheesier of the two Timothy Dalton films. The theme song was performed by the pop-group A-Ha, best known for their hit “Take On Me”. The Living Daylights has the most unique sound of any Bond theme. It honestly could be its own song and not just a theme to a Bond movie. It puts me in a good mood so I thought it deserved a spot here…
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8. Live and Let Die
The theme of first Roger Moore era Bond film is in my view better than the actual film itself. Paul McCartney of the Beatles and his solo band The Wings did one of the very first genuine rock and roll themes to a Bond movie. This song has some insane highs and lows and it just kicks massive ass.
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7. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
Okay, so this one isn’t a theme “song” per se, but sombre and serious instrumental John Barry composition actually made for a chance in between the massive cheese-fest themes of the late 60s and early 70s Bond films. And it is just a really catchy instrumental piece. However, those of you who feel it’s an underwhelming entry, I also recommend the second theme song from this movie, Louis Armstrong’s We Have All The Time in the World.
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6. Nobody Does it Better (The Spy Who Loved Me)
This is yet another example of a Bond theme that I actually think is better than the movie it’s from. Carly Simon’s beautiful vocals just hook me every time I listen to this and it was also smart of her to break the trend of always having the Bond themes named after the movie (though the title of the film is in the song). It’s a lovely theme and one of the better slow-tempoed Bond themes.
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5. You Know My Name (Casino Royale)
Casino Royale has one of the single most badass Bond themes in history. It perfectly fits this excellent movie and puts you in an excellent mood even before the movie has even begun. The song fits the cool intro perfectly and I really love Chris Cornell’s vocals. Definite Top-5 material…
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4. The Man With the Golden Gun
There actually used to be a time when I couldn’t stand this theme. I think this was before I really started to like Roger Moore’s comical performance style as Bond and I used to think this theme was just too obvious and cheesy. Now however, I can’t get enough of it. It’s purely an anthem for the movie but it’s so excellently performed and the lyrics just stick in your head. Lulu’s vocal performance just makes it perfect, I get goosebumps from it.
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3. The World is Not Enough
This yet another theme that I think is actually better than the movie it’s featured in. Garbage’s lovely slow but still powerful melodic performance makes this one of the most uniquely addicting Bond themes of all time. Well, The World is Not Enough is actually a pretty okay Bond movie that actually tried some new stuff and this theme definitely is amongst its redeeming qualities, but for some reason it just never stood out for me as anything but a rather stock Bond flick plot-wise.
The music video for the song is pretty awesome as well.
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2. Licence to Kill
Timothy Dalton’s second and final Bond movie, Licence to Kill, was an instant hit with me due to its dark storyline and more down-to-earth feel compared to other Bond films. I also loved the theme song with Gladys Knight which is another slow but powerful number. The theme is a little obvious with its title and lyrics, but it’s just so smooth I honestly don’t care.
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1. GoldenEye
GoldenEye used to be my favourite Bond movie and though it was eventually usurped by both Licence to Kill and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, no Bond theme can ever replace the warmth and genuine love I hold for the theme song performed by Tina Turner. In fact, GoldenEye might have been the very song that turned me into a Tina Turner fan to begin with.
You can’t compete with GoldenEye, it’s simply the best, better than all the rest.
