As we mourn the loss of Chris Cornell, who performed the Casino Royale theme song “You Know My Name,” maybe the time is ripe to look back at the previous Bond themes. We all have our favorites. So which are the best? Here is our Top 10.
10. “For Your Eyes Only” Sheena Easton
Easton seemed like an unlikely choice to sing this Bill Conti-Mick Leeson tune, given that her debut album, Take My Time, had been released in the U.S. just seven months earlier. In short, she was a relative newcomer. Nevertheless, Easton was considered a big enough star to become the first (and only) theme song performer to appear in the title sequence.
9. “Thunderball” Tom Jones
Though Matt Munro is credited with the theme song for From Russia With Love, he is not the first male to perform a Bond theme that accompanies the titles. That honor goes to Tom Jones, whose trademark baritone vocals were a perfect complement to the booming horns of John Barry’s accompanying music. But Jones would not have recorded the song at all, if not for the circumstances that kept Shirley Bassey’s and Dionne Warwick’s recordings (of different songs) from being used.
8. “Writing’s on the Wall” Sam Smith
At first, Smith’s falsetto seemed out of place for a Bond tune. But the high-low contrasts in the song are a good representation of the black/white and life/death themes of Spectre. Members of the Academy must have concurred somewhat: Smith won an Oscar for the song in 2016.
7. “You Know My Name” Chris Cornell
Casino Royale ushered in a new era for the Bond franchise. With Daniel Craig on board, and a return to the grittiness of Ian Fleming’s novels, a new type of theme song was needed, too. Enter Cornell, who brought an distinct alt-rock sound to the title sequence. Incidentally, Cornell became the first American male to sing a Bond theme song.
6. “A View to a Kill” Duran Duran
By 1985, when A View to a Kill was released in theaters, Duran Duran had become an accomplished new wave band, with hits like “Hungry Like the Wolf” and “The Reflex.” Any questions about the band’s ability to pull off a Bond song were quickly answered within the first ten seconds, with John Taylor’s distinct bass lines.
5. “Nobody Does It Better” Carly Simon
This was the first official theme song to not be titled the same as the film. Written by Carole Bayer Sager, it is also the first (and perhaps only) theme song to pay tribute to Bond’s sexual prowess. In the summer of 1977, it reached #2 on the U.S. singles chart and has since been covered by several acts, including Julie Andrews and Radiohead.
4. “Goldfinger” Shirley Bassey
It wasn’t until Goldfinger, in 1964, that the Bondian element of theme song/title sequence officially emerged. The song just right, in capturing the essence of the film. It combined style with a hint of menace.
3. “Skyfall” Adele
The theme song for the 23rd Bond film was the first to win an Oscar for Best Song. When released, in October 2012, the song debuted in the top 10 on the U.K. and U.S. singles charts. The song marked a return to the classic pop arrangements of the 60s. But at the same time, with Adele’s gripping lyrical style, the song felt contemporary, as well.
2. “You Only Live Twice” Nancy Sinatra
The story behind the song is as fascinating as the song itself. Nancy Sinatra struggled with the tune so much that the final recording was actually made up of many edited takes spliced together. Nevertheless, this Sinatra / Barry collaboration is a mainstay, and was used as the closing song of an episode of Mad Men. Furthermore,. Barry’s music was lifted and used for Robbie Williams’s hit song “Millenium.”
1. “Live and Let Die” Paul McCartney and Wngs
What more can be said about this McCartney classic? It not only reached #2 in the Billboard charts in 1973, it became so iconic that it has been covered by a number of acts, including Guns N’ Roses and Duffy. Plus, the 2013 film, American Hustle, featured Jennifer Lawrence lip synching the tune. The sweeping guitar was a welcome change from the classic, safe, pop melodies of previous Bond songs. Plus, there is underlying irony that a former Beatle would do a Bond song: in Goldfinger, Bond commented that one should not listen to The Beatles without wearing “ear muffs.”