As well as fast cars, wisecracks and explosions, Bond movies would be unthinkable without Bond theme tunes. There may have been a few duds over the years, but on the whole there have been some pretty amazing songs produced by some of the biggest names of the time. So here are the 8 most amazing Bond theme tunes …
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1. Goldfinger
“Goldfinger” is without a doubt one of the most recognisable Bond theme tunes. A major movie needs a theme tune to match, and nobody can match Shirley Bassey’s lungs! It’s a song that even people who haven’t seen the film on one of its many TV showings will probably know.
2. Skyfall
Almost 50 years after Goldfinger, here comes Adele with the latest Bond theme. And it’s a cracker for sure! Adele has an impressive voice, even if she can’t quite compete with Dame Shirley for volume. “Skyfall” is a modern classic as far as Bond theme songs go.
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3. Nobody Does It Better
Carly Simon sang this song from The Spy Who Loved Me. One of the top singers of the Seventies, she was the perfect choice for this song. The Bond movies of that era may appear a bit dated now, but this song is a lovely ballad that stands the test of time as a theme tune.
4. We Have All the Time in the World
Bond films may not be great art, but they can still pull in artists of the calibre of Louis Armstrong, who provided this theme for “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”. It’s rather different from the usual songs, which can generally be divided into power ballads or belters.
5. Diamonds Are Forever
Why have one Shirley Bassey Bond theme when you can have two? Back came the Dame for another go, which matches “Goldfinger” for energy and volume. And let’s face it girls, she’s right – diamonds are a lot more dependable than many men!
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6. Goldeneye
If Dame Shirley is unavailable, and you want someone who can really belt out a tune, then your next call is to Tina Turner. Tina certainly isn’t short of energy herself, and packs a lot of it into this song. It may not be quite as classic as some of the other songs, but it ranks up there as one of the best Bond themes.
7. You Know My Name
It’s rare for the Bond producers to take a chance on a less well-known performer, but that’s exactly what they did with Casino Royale. Chris Cornell is not a big name, being best known for performing in grunge bands, but provided an interesting theme to the Daniel Craig version of Casino Royale. I think the experiment turned out pretty well!
8. Bond Theme
You can’t write about Bond theme songs without mentioning the Bond theme itself. It just wouldn’t be the same if they didn’t include the John Barry music in every film! This tune is probably one of the most recognisable pieces of film music ever, and it’s almost impossible to imagine the Bond movies without it.
Of course, taste is subjective, and everyone has their favourite Bond theme tunes. These just happen to be the ones I love most. On the other hand, I really can’t understand why Madonna couldn’t come up with something better for “Die Another Day” (or why she was asked to perform that cameo in the movie). What do you consider to be the best and worst Bond themes?
