We've featured a lot of great themes to accompany the fast-paced action of the James Bond series. The best themes which fit the character and the franchise are spotlighted below!
#9:
"For Your Eyes Only"
by Sheena Easton
from For Your Eyes Only
John Glen made his directorial debut in this 1981 film produced by Albert Broccoli. Roger Moore returned as Bond in the 12th movie in the canon based on two Ian Fleming short stories, "For Your Eyes Only" and "Risico". Bond must locate a stolen missile system that jeopardized British submarines while in the wrong hands, while dealing with rival businessmen along with Melina Havelock (played by Carole Bouquet), who is seeking revenge for the murder of her parents.
Chaim Topol is Milos Columbo, with former U.S. figure skater Lynn-Holly Johnson in that role and Julian Glover as the top villain who aims to sell the missile system to the KGB. Glover was one of the top choices to be the next Bond in the 1973 movie Live and Let Die before losing out to Moore. Cassandra Harris, who at the time was married to future Bond actor Pierce Brosnan, played Lisl, Columbo's mistress. Harris and Brosnan had lunch with Broccoli during the filming. The cast also includes Michael Gothard, Jill Bennett, Jack Hedley, Walter Gotell, James Villiers, and Lois Maxwell as Moneypenny, one of 14 Bond films Maxwell would star in.
Bill Conti wrote the score and co-wrote the title song with Michael Leeson. Impressive newcomer Sheena Easton sang "For Your Eyes Only" to the opening credits.
Easton scored one of the biggest hits of the franchise with this worldwide smash, which rocketed to #1 in the Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland and reaching #3 in Austria, #4 in the United States and France, #5 in Canada and Canada and #8 in the U.K.
#8:
"James Bond Theme"
by Monty Newman
from Dr. No
#8 is instantly recognizable to any Bond fan--it began the series and is featured in all of the other 25. Terence Young set the tone by directing the debut film that starred Sean Connery as Bond with Ursula Andress his love interest. Joseph Wiseman as one of the top villains in the series and Jack Lord (Bond's CIA contact Felix Leiter) added credibility the opener.
Dr. No, as the first Bond villain, sets the stage for all that follow, with an elaborate island fortress and robot hands. He has procured loyal followers willing to die for his cause. Dr. No is a great Bond enemy, played perfectly by Wiseman.
Connery was sent by MI6 to Jamaica to investigate the disappearance of another British agent. He finds out about a plot by Dr. No to disrupt an American space launce with a radio beam weapon.
The "James Bond Theme" is heard in the gun barrel sequence and was written by Norman with arrangement from John Barry. It peaked at #11 in the U.K.
#7:
"Skyfall"
by Adele
from Skyfall
Skyfall is the 23rd movie in the series and is largely credited for helping the franchise make a big comeback in 2012. Daniel Craig made his third appearance as Bond with Judi Dench reprising her role as M.
Directed by Sam Mendes, Bond investigated a series of data leaks and coordinated attacks on MI6, led by the former MI6 operative turned terrorist Raoul Silva, played by Javier Bardem.
Unlike many of the Bond villains, Silva draws his inspiration from personal hatred and rage, not world domination. Bardem gives a solid performance in making Silva one of the 21st century's top villains and one of the baddest in the Bond series.
The characters Moneypenny (played by Naomie Harris) and Q (played by Ben Whishaw) return after a two-film absence. The film also stars Albert Finney, Ralph Fiennes, Bérénice Marlohe, Rory Kinnear, Ola Rapace and Helen McCrory.
Skyfall premiered at the Royal Albert Hall on October 23 and debuted in the United States on November 9, the 50th anniversary of Dr. No in 1962. The movie, which grossed $1 billion, was nominated for five Academy Awards and won two.
Thomas Newman replaced David Arnold as the ninth composer in the series. Superstar Adele wrote and recorded the theme song with Paul Epworth. "Skyfall" catapulted to #1 in 11 countries (including, France, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Ireland) and reached #2 in the U.K. and New Zelaland, #3 in Canada, #5 in Australia and #8 in the United States and with sales of 7 million copies, is one of the top-selling singles of all-time.
It won an Oscar for Best Original Song, an honor which had eluded three previous Bond nominees, and also won the Golden Globe in the same category. When "Skyfall won the Grammy for Best Song Written for Visual media, it became the first Bond song to win all three awards.
#6:
"No Time To Die"
by Billie Eilish
from No Time To Die
The most recent Bond movie, one of the most emotional in the series, stars Daniel Craig in his fifth and final role as James Bond. Cary Joji Fukunaga directed the film that also stars Léa Seydoux, Lashana Lynch (the new British agent given the number 007), Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Christoph Waltz, Rory Kinnear and Ralph Fiennes.
Although Bond has left active duty with MI6, he is recruited by the CIA to find a kidnapped scientist and meets the powerful villain Lyutsifer Safin (played by Rami Malek) who possesses the technology capable of killing millions. Fukanaga describes Safin as "the most powerful adversary Bond has ever faced".
Dan Romer was the composer of the film score but because of "creative differences", was replaced by Hans Zimmer. At age 18, Eilish is the youngest recording artist ever to sing a Bond theme. She delivered in a big way. Eilish co-wrote the song with her brother, Finneas O'Connell.
"No Time To Die" debuted at #1 in the U.K. and Ireland, and reached #1 in Ireland and Scotland, #2 in Switzerland, #3 in Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands and Norway, #4 in Australia and Denmark, #5 in Germany and #9 in New Zealand.
It became the third Bond theme in franchise history and also the third consecutive to win an Academy Award (after "Skyfall" in 2012 and "Writing's On The Wall" in 2015) and won the Grammy for Best Song Written for Visual Media and a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. "No Time To Die" has sold over two million copies worldwide.
#5:
"You Only Live Twice"
by Nancy Sinatra
from You Only Live Twice
You Only Live Twice from 1967 is another of the early Bond films among the best in the series. Lewis Gilbert made his Bond directing debut; he would go on to also direct the 1997 movie The Spy Who Loved Me and the 1979 film Moonraker. Although loosely based on Ian Fleming's 1964 novel, it is the first Bond film to feature an entirely new plot, only using a few characters and locations from the book.
After American and Soviet spacecraft mysteriously disappear in orbit, with each nation blaming the other during the Cold War, Bond is sent to Japan, which is believed to be the site which the attacking spacecraft originated from.
The movie reveals the appearance of Ernst Stavro Blofeld (played by Donald Pleasance), who was previously only seen from the neck down. Blofeld, the head of SPECTRE, is working for an unnamed Asian power, believed to be China, which is trying to provoke war between the two superpowers.
Connery stars as Bond for a fifth time, with Tetsurō Tamba as Tiger Tanaka, Akkiko Wakabayashi as Aki, Mie Hama, Teru Shimada, Karin Dor and Charles Gray as a British contact living in Japan. Gray later played Blofeld in Diamonds Are Forever.
Barry composed his fourth soundtrack of the series and co-wrote the theme with lyricist Leslie Bricusse. Nancy Sinatra recorded the theme after her father Frank passed. Although she was reportedly nervous and needed 25 takes, Nancy's finished product is among the all-time best in the series. It reached #3 on the Easy Listening chart and #11 overall in the U.S., #10 in Australia and #11 in the U.K.
#4:
"Live And Let Die"
by Paul McCartney & Wings
from Live And Let Die
"He always did have an inflated opinion of himself."
Sir Roger Moore issued this campy line after the villainous Dr. Kanaga was killed with a gas pellet that blew him up like a balloon. Moore made his debut as Bond in this 1973 spy thriller directed by Guy Hamilton.
Based on Ian Fleming's 1954 novel of the same name, the drug lord Mr. Big plots to distribute two tons of heroin for free to put rival drug barons out of business. Mr. Big (played by Yaphet Kotto) is the alter ego of Dr. Kananga, a corrupt Caribbean dictator of the fictitious island San Monique, where opium poppies are secretly farmed. Bond must investigate the deaths of three British agents which leads him to Kananga.
Jane Seymour plays Solitaire, Kananga's psychic. The cast also includes Sheriff J.W. Pepper, Clifton James, Julius Harris, Geoffrey Holder, David Hedison as Felix Leiter, Gloria Hendry, Tommy Lane, Earl Jolly Brown, Roy Stewart as Quarrel Jr., son of Quarrel from Dr. No, and Lon Satton as CIA agent Harry Strutter.
As John Barry was unavailable due to another commitment, Broccoli and Saltzman asked Paul McCartney to write the theme song. This reunited McCartney with Beatles producer George Martin, who was chosen to score the film. "Live And Let Die" became one of the most successful Bond themes in history, reaching #2 for three weeks in the U.S. and #9 in the U.K. It was nominated for an Academy Award but had the misfortune of being released in the same year as "The Way We Were", which took the honor.
#3:
"Diamonds Are Forever"
by Shirley Bassey
from Diamonds Are Forever
Diamonds are Forever from 1971 is the seventh in the series and, after a one-movie break, Sean Connery, who earned $1.25 million for the role, returns as James Bond. This would, however, be Connery's last appearance as James Bond until 1983. The movie, which earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Sound, is based on Ian Fleming's book of the same name and is the second of four Bond films directed by Guy Hamilton.
In this thriller, Bond needs to impersonate a diamond smuggler in order to infiltrate a crime ring and soon discovers a plot by arch-enemy Ernst Stavro Blofeld to use the diamonds to build a space-based laser weapon that will destroy Washington, D.C.
Joining Bond in the story are diamond smuggler Jill St. John (as Tiffany Case), Charles Gray as Blofeld, Lana Wood, Jimmy Dean, Bruce Cabot, Bruce Glover, Putter Smith, Norman Burotn as Felix Leiter, Joseph Furst and Leonard Barr. Bernard Lee, Desmond Llewelyn and Lois Maxwell reprise their roles as M, Q, and Moneypenny, respectively.
John Barry composed the soundtrack for a sixth time with Bond fans thrilled with the return of Shirley Bassey to perform her second Bond theme song. Bassey only reached #57 with the song, one of The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*.
#2:
"Nobody Does It Better"
by Carly Simon
from The Spy Who Loved Me
Another of the highly rated Bond films comes from 1977, The Spy Who Loved Me, with Moore back as Bond for a third time. Lewis Gilbert directed the movie which takes its name from Ian Fleming's 1962 novel while not using any of its plot.
Reclusive villain Karl Stromberg (played by Curt Jürgens) has a plan to destroy the world and create a new civilization underwater. Bond teams up with Soviet agent Anya Amasova (played by Barbara Bach of Mission: Impossible fame) to stop the sceme, dodging Stromberg's giant henchman, Jaws (played by Richard Kiel).
Caroline Munro, Geoffey Keen (the first of six Bond films as Sir Frederick Gray), Edward de Souza, George Baker and Walter Gotell as General Gogol, also the first of six Bond movies he would appear in, round out the cast.
Producers Saltzman and Broccoli called on Marvin Hamlisch to score the movie. The Spy Who Loved Me was nominated for three Academy Awards--Best Art Direction-Set Direction, Original Score and Best Original Song, sung by Carly Simon.
Carly's "Nobody Does It Better", written by Hamlisch and Carole Bayer Sager, was the first Bond theme to have a different title than the movie. Cleverly, Bayer Sager included the film's title in the lyrics.
"Nobody Does It Better" was a monster hit, reaching #2 for three weeks in the United States, kept out of the top spot only by Debby Boone's classic "You Light Up My Life". Simon achieved one of The Top Easy Listening Songs of the Rock Era*, however, with a seven-week stay at #1 on that chart.
"Nobody Does It Better" also landed at #1 in Ireland, #2 in Canada,#5 in France and Norway, #7 in the U.K., #8 in Australia, thus becoming one of the biggest international hits to that time.
Simon earned a Gold record for the song and was also nominated for Song of the Year and Best Female Vocal Performance at the Grammy Awards and Best Original Song at the Golden Globe Awards. In 2004, the American Film Institute honored "Nobody Does It Better" as #67 in their salute to the best movie music of the last 100 years.
#1:
"Goldfinger"
by Shirley Bassey
from Goldfinger
Goldfinger from 1964 is the third movie in the series and generally regarded as the best in the franchise. It is the first of four Bond films directed by Guy Hamilton. There's several "bests" in the film, including topping our ranking of Bond themes. Goldfinger was the first in the series to win an Oscar (for Best Sound Editing) and recouped its budget in two weeks. It is the only one in the series to include two of The Top 10 Bond Villains in Goldfinger and the quirky OddJob.
Goldfinger (played by Gert Fröbe) is a bad human being, rich enough to be able to put in motion his sick plans. There isn't anything one needs to read between the lines about Goldfinger; his greed, ego, and utter disregard for human life are on full display. His famous line "No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!" is one of the best quotes from any movie.
Oddjob is a menacing physical specimen, played superbly by Harold Sakata. Sakata is a former American Olympic silver medalist weightlifter and professional wrestler. It is not only Oddjob's toughness, but his smug smiles of satisfaction, the way he is impeccably dressed and his fierce loyalty that makes him special in Bond lore. The lethal Oddjob can flick his bowler hat lined with a razor to decapitate a victim in seconds. And Sakata creates this legendary villain without uttering a word. Although he was badly burned in his death scene, Sakata steadfastly held on to his hat until the director yelled "Cut!".
The movie also happens to be included among the best presentations of opening credits in cinema history.
Sean Connery once again shines as MI6 agent James Bond, who uncovers Goldfinger's plans to contaminate Fort Knox from his initial investigation of gold smuggling. The penchant for Bond gadgets and use of technology in later films all owe a debt to Connery in Goldfinger, for this is the Bond film in which they first appear.
Honor Blackman is one of the best of the Bond girls, starring as Pussy Galore and leader of Pussy Galore's Flying Circus, an all-female team of pilots. The cast also includes Shirley Easton, Tania Mallet, Martin Benson, Cec Linder as Felix Leiter, Bernard Lee as M and Lois Maxwell as Moneypenny.
John Barry's movie score is also superb, matching the themes of gold and metal with the heavy use of brass and metallic chimes. Barry teamed with lyricists Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse to write "Goldfinger", with a tour de force vocal performance by Shirley Bassey. The track features a young Jimmy Page on guitar.
"Goldfinger was featured in both the memorable open as well as over the closing credits. Bassey reached #1 in Japan, #4 in Australia, #5 in the Netherlands, #7 in Austria, #8 on the Popular chart and #2 for four weeks on the Easy Listening chart in the United States and #8 in Germany and earned a Gold record for one million copies sold. Although it stalled at #21 in the U.K. at the time, a 2002 BBC poll of listeners ranked the song at #46 by a British act for the last 50 years.
"Goldfinger" ranked #53 in AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs countdown of the top songs in cinema history. In 2008, the single was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
The "Goldfinger" Soundtrack stands alone among Bond films as the only one to chart at #1 on the Billboard Album chart, far more successful than any other Bond soundtrack.
