Everyone has their favourite Bond songs with the globe-straddling 007 franchise offering up so many different musical outings over the years from classic rock and pop to soul and even dance.
With this in mind, we thought it'd be fun to rank all 25 themes in what we think is the definitive order of awesomeness; starting with the very worst and building up to the very best.
They are ranked purely on the quality of the song and how well the artist pulled it off, nothing else.
So if you know your Blofelds from your Oddjobs, your Moores from your Connerys, or even if you're just mildly curious, this list is bound to leave you a little shaken - and definitely stirred!
Don't agree? Let us know in the comments...
25. Writing’s On The Wall — Sam Smith
Spectre (2015)
The title theme that most people can’t actually remember. And therein lies the problem. By all accounts, Sam Smith’s Writing’s On The Wall was written very quickly, and frankly, it shows.
Far from being a terrible song per se, it just lacks basically everything that a Bond theme needs. Sure, it’s bombastic but it ultimately feels hollow. The rather generic string arrangement and plonking piano are uninspiring. You can’t fault the performance from Sam, however.
It is technically super-controlled singing, easily hitting the high notes. And the almost two octave-higher ‘how do I live, how do I breathe’ is a nice bit of melody — but this fleeting glimmer of finesse just shows how much the rest of the song is lacking. There’s a nice orchestra swoop at 3.15, but really I am clutching at straws here.
24. Die Another Day — Madonna
Die Another Day (2002)
Again, this is not a bad song but it falls into a similar camp as the previous track, ie: it’s just not good enough and it’s just not Bond enough.
This lukewarm slice of electro R&B all sounds rather synthetic, and the weedy-sounding strings do it no favours either.
To Madonna’s credit, the track has dated remarkably well — save for a few electronic blips — and if it was released today I think it would still stand up as contemporary.
Die Another Day is certainly unique in the Bond canon, and for that, it deserves some praise. But I just think the minimalist, stuttering electronica in an upbeat major key just isn’t suitable for our 007. Next …
23. Another Way To Die — Jack White and Alicia Keys
Quantum Of Solace (2008)
An ok-ish song. But is it a decent Bond song? Not really. Jack White’s sassy riff is very cool. And the way he spits out his vocal like a man possessed is pretty darn captivating.
The same can’t really be said for the hugely talented Alicia Keys, who phones in an uncharacteristic sub-par performance.
Another Way To Die just feels a little sparse, even the orchestral stabs at 2.17 sound disappointingly weak. I am a huge White Stripes fan, but that raucous, untamed guitar sound is a bit of an awkward fit for Bond.
There’s a nice bit of duetting at 2.33, closely followed by some wild guitar squeals that work so well for The Stripes but here they sound a little flatulent and out of place. JW (not Sheriff JW!) played the guitar, drums, and piano on this track, which is commendable. In the end, this song is a great example of style over substance.
22. No Time To Die — Billie Eilish
No Time To Die (2020)
This moody, minor-key song about betrayal is as dark as Ernst Stravro Blofeld’s heart.
There’s watery piano and a neat, spiraling riff. Billie Eilish’s hushed, breathy vocals are disarmingly stark — you could hear a pin drop when it played in the cinema.
Her vibrato-heavy and subtle, understated delivery works well within Hans Zimmer’s orchestral arrangement. Johnny Marr pops up on guitar and the tension within the song admirably mirrors the film’s narrative.
I’m all for dark and sombre, but I just think the song could have done with a real kick in it somewhere. The closest we get is when Billie hits that high note at 3.22. The strings swell, but never quite take flight, and the song retreats back into the shadows once more. Solid but far from spectacular.
21. Tomorrow Never Dies — Sheryl Crow
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
This rock/pop little number has always felt rather flimsy to me. It is a bit Bond-aping rather than blazing a trail all by itself, which is what it should ideally be aiming for.
The twangy guitar arpeggio at 0.17 is nice and the likable Crow gives it her all with her inoffensively soft voice. Her breathy, alluring vocals hover over the understated strings like a bird of prey that never quite pounces.
The song all falls away at 2.54 into a serene bit of underwater melancholy. Again, I am loathe to say it is a bad song as it isn’t, it just isn’t that good.
20. The World Is Not Enough — Garbage
The World Is Not Enough (1999)
Sung from the viewpoint of main protagonist Elektra King this doom-laden slice of gloom pop is full of seduction and drama.
The sumptuous swoon that only a huge 60-piece orchestra can bring is all present and correct, lending the song a real touch of class.
The relatively sparse production, particularly on the verses, allows the voice of singer Shirley Manson to take centre stage. She purrs her way through this ominous song and reaches for the heavens at 3.09. The stirring refrain of The World Is Not Enough swells at 3.31.
Composed by David Arnold with lyrics by Don Black, The World Is Not Enough is a competent — if curiously generic-sounding — Bond theme.
19. GoldenEye — Tina Turner
GoldenEye (1995)
GoldenEye sees a cat-like Turner prowling throughout its languid sound stage, flashing her claws where necessary.
Its sweeping arrangement and maudlin brass underpin a thrillingly powerful vocal performance. The tiptoeing strings are punctuated by horns that sound like a passing freight train.
This is thoroughly effortless singing from Turner and her amazing control is a joy to hear. At 1.45 you can hear the Bond theme subtly worked into the mix, and at 2.58 a stirring bellowing of ‘sigggghhhhts’.
Written by Bono and The Edge, this is a solid if unspectacular track. For me, it’s a little too plodding in its execution. More bronze than gold, if you will.
18. The Man With The Golden Gun — Lulu
The Man With The Golden Gun (1974)
Reputed to be John Barry’s least favourite of his 007 compositions, this raunchy and sassy song is far from dull.
An INCREDIBLY Bond-type intro sees booming brass whipped up with orchestral flourishes and some very 70s wah wah guitar.
Lulu may not be to everyone’s taste, but you simply cannot fault the brassy flamboyance and joie de vivre she brings to this song. She utterly belts it out as if her life depends on it. Maybe Scaramanga was watching.
The superb middle eight at 0.54 is cheekily jaunty. At 1.22 the track chills out with a small break before we’re thrown back into a cacophony of screaming guitar once more.
Its everything-but-the-kitchen-sink production is far from subtle but I think, on balance, The Man With The Golden Gun is often unfairly maligned. Having said that I did put it at Number 18 in this list.
17. Thunderball — Tom Jones
Thunderball (1965)
Tom Jones famously fainted from a headrush while holding onto the last note on this epic track. Written by John Barry and Don Black, this song is a testosterone-drenched, swaggering, and downright feisty little number.
Jones prowls like a panther and sings out of his skin in his inimitably remarkably controlled manner.
Bombastic, booming percussion, and dramatic brass swells are everywhere like fish at feeding time. There’s also a nice inclusion of snippets of the Bond theme at 0.37.
With its deep, booming bass and stings of strings, Thunderball is the aural equivalent of being on an underwater dive with a loud Welshman as your guide. A decent Bond track, so why does it sit at number 16? Well, it’s about this point in the list that the quality of songs really starts to take an upward turn …
16. From Russia With Love — Matt Monro
From Russia With Love (1963)
Now the Bond aficionados will note the song From Russia With Love isn’t strictly in the main title credits, but I think we can still cite this as the main theme.
This is an unusually warm-sounding song for Bond, with Monro’s easy baritone like a warm liquor for the ears.
Perfectly enunciated throughout, his pure and natural voice is immediately comforting, albeit with a slightly sinister edge.
Written by Lionel Bart and arranged by John Barry, From Russia With Love is a real classic-sounding, true crooner’s song. Monro holds the high note at 2.18 with effortless ease as the strings swell below.
Bond’s de rigueur thundering brass is noticeable by its absence.
15. You Know My Name — Chris Cornell
Casino Royale (2006)
The uptempo “You Know My Name” was a real welcome breath of fresh air. Bond hadn’t rocked in such a long time, and this aggressive, brutal track fired us up even more for 007's much-anticipated return in 2006.
Right from the dazzlingly exciting intro, the whole track just sounds so muscular, as if it was chiseled out of the very finest granite.
A lot of this is down to Chris Cornell’s phenomenally powerful and deeply rich voice.
One of the greatest singers of his generation, he absolutely nails this track. It’s gritty, edgy, and whip-smart. I love the chord change at 1.08.
Guitars pummel away like a freight train, eagerly competing for your attention.
When Cornell bellows ‘YOU KNOW MY NAME’ at 3.04, we are left with no doubt that we do.
14. Moonraker — Shirley Bassey
Moonraker (1979)
“Where are you, why do you hide?” sings Bassey as she creeps out of the darkness.
A truly haunting intro ushers in this superbly arranged track; it’s a real ‘headphone song’ where picking out its various intricacies is part of the fun.
Moonraker floats, rather aptly, in acres of space. This dreamy number composed by John Barry and lyrics by Hal David, eschews a real emotion.
Strings swell and swoon as a world-weary Bassey sings “take my unfinished life and make it complete”. At 1.19 she reaches that high note with consummate ease. Her restrained power a real lesson to Hugo Drax.
A strangely often maligned song, but I think it more than earns its place in the upper echelons of this list.
13. Licence To Kill — Gladys Knight
Licence To Kill (1989)
What an introduction this song has!
After teasing us for the opening 15 seconds, in swoops the Empress Of Soul herself Gladys Knight.
Hovering in the wings and then divebombing in for the kill, she stamps her authority all over this 80s power ballad.
Moody yet playful, Licence To Kill’s powerful chorus sashays and tugs at the heartstrings.
At 1.41 that powerful horn-laden hook comes in again, just as thrilling as the first time. There’s real clarity in Knight’s voice, that silky voice is so strong and commanding.
There’s a finale breakdown at 5.01 leading to Gladys’ whispered ‘Kill’. A soulful, stirring, addition to the Bond canon.
12. Skyfall — Adele
Skyfall (2012)
Adele is one of the greatest modern female singers, if not the greatest.
And her breathtakingly soulful voice effortlessly carries this heavyweight song as if it was no more than a child’s lullaby. Mostly sung in a lower register, Adele’s voice is lusciously rich and confident. Just listen to the song really hit its stride at 4.12.
The verses roll like the tide before the hurricane of the chorus washes you out to sea. Its nihilistic lyrics make this a dark and macabre ballad that boasts the winning combination of a strong verse melody and a soaring chorus.
Audiences were left shaken and very much stirred by this track back in 2012.
Listen out for the Bond motif at 1.52.
Skyfall is a true modern-day classic Bond song. And there aren’t many I can say that about.
11. The Living Daylights — A-ha
The Living Daylights (1987)
The Living Daylights song always divides opinion. For some, this is a bit of forgettable lightweight Europop. For others, it’s a dazzlingly original, energetic, and icily cool slice of Euro perfection.
I fall into the latter camp and think Norway’s A-ha did a truly excellent job of interpreting the brief.
The band famously did not get on with John Barry at all. But perhaps the tension and animosity coalesced to make both parties give their all to this memorable track.
The song gets off to a great start with its orchestra hits and dancing strings.
The whole production is slick, haunting, and enigmatic, with singer Morton Harket’s distinctive falsetto weaving its way around the 80s synths like a nightingale lost in a storm.
The Living Daylights, with its insanely hummable chorus, riffs on the themes of uneasiness and paranoia, neatly interspersed with steely guitar chops.
The instrument breakdown at 2.47 is an interesting diversion, complete with sax squalls! A great track that’s all too often overlooked.
10. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service — John Barry Orchestra
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
Yes, yes, YES! I know what you’re thinking: where is Louis Armstrong’s “We Have All The Time In The World?”
Well, as much as I love that song, it simply isn’t the main title theme so unfortunately, it doesn’t count in this list.
But let’s move on — particularly when this instrumental is so fantastically diverting. Right from that iconic Moog synthesizer descending intro, its bass-line leads us down the rabbit hole of 60s psychedelia.
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is just so wonderfully serious and ominous.
Its spiralling, majestic horns and driving main theme are hugely empowering. The whole thing just screams espionage and intrigue. Darkly colourful and brutal, at 0.58 the song noticeably lifts, building on what came before. There’s a lot of tension at 1.29 where anxiety-inducing spiralling strings finally resolve to a variation on the main theme.
A powerful and commanding instrumental, “this never happened to the other fella.” And more’s the pity, as it’s a great tune that would have served Bond’s earlier, and later, incarnations well.
9. Goldfinger — Shirley Bassey
Goldfinger (1964)
Now some of you may be screaming “sacrilege” to have perhaps the most iconic of all the Bond themes at Number 9. But this list is all about the songwriting, and while Goldfinger is obviously a great track, there are precisely eight more that I enjoy listening to more.
Singer Shirley Bassey really sells this song, and I mean really sells it.
Her dire warnings about the man who beckons you into his web of sin sound as if she herself were a victim of his ‘spider’s touch.’
Again, the relatively sparse orchestration in the verses lets Bassey’s commanding vocal take centre stage. There’s also a hell of a final note where the singer almost passed out, a la Tom Jones in Thunderball.
Lyricists Bricusse and Newley really delivered here with their razor-sharp, evocative, and chilling words. Goldfinger is a true high-class song that exudes an effortless 60s cool and John Barry’s iconic two-note phrase is hugely symbolic of the whole 007 franchise.
A shimmering track with a tremendously excitingly lush intro, you may be wondering why I only placed it at Number 9. Well, for me, as technically and iconically sound as it is, I still feel the song is a little strange and unsettling. That may not necessarily be a bad thing, of course, but there are simply eight songs I like more …
8. All Time High — Rita Coolidge
Octopussy (1983)
Ok, this is where some controversy creeps in.
I really like All Time High.
It is repeatedly slated by many but I just can’t resist its easy charm. Perhaps its obviousness is its downfall. But there’s no doubt it tugs a fair bit on the old heartstrings for me.
Rita Coolidge’s silky smooth voice really anchors this dreamy ballad about naive, romantic idealism. With lyrics by West End supremo Tim Rice, this is undoubtedly a lighter, more accessible side of Bond.
It has a welcome, soothing quality to it, and marks a nice departure from the booming brass of so many of the Bond numbers. At 1.01 there’s a beautiful, spine-chilling chord change. And that’s the sort of thing I’m after; to be moved by the music.
Coolidge glides through the octaves with grace and ease and John Barry’s strings sweep majestically. What’s not to like?
7. For Your Eyes Only — Sheena Easton
For Your Eyes Only (1981)
“Now steady on, For Your Eyes Only at Number 7?” I hear you cry.
Yeah, I debated it long and hard but I think it warrants its place in the top ten.
Right from the disarming intro conjuring swirling waters and sonar pings from a submarine, it’s clear we’re once more in for that calmer side of Bond.
Again, it’s all to do with the chord changes. At 1.12 there’s a goosebump moment — the track is full of them — and they are notoriously difficult to write.
There’s no John Barry on this one, instead long-time Easton collaborator Christopher Neil took on production duties. And it worked.
Sheena’s unique voice coupled with a pared down arrangement, twinkling piano, and wonderful chord drops pre-chorus, make For Your Eyes Only a real winner. Written by Bill Conti and Michael Leeson, this is still very much Bond, but it’s a bravely understated Bond.
6. A View To A Kill — Duran Duran
A View To A Kill (1985)
A real crowd-pleaser, this immensely popular track is pure grandiose pop.
With a 60-piece orchestra and leading 80s act Duran Duran and John Barry in the mix, this made for a pretty potent cocktail (one with vodka and Martini in it, naturally).
The orchestra stabs in the intro give way to a career-defining vocal from singer Simon Le Bon. Enigmatic, classical-sounding lyrics such as “first time in years to drench your skin in lover’s rosy stain” just exude mystery and detached cool.
A View To A Kill truly nailed the brief to come up with an original Bond song. The iconic guitar bend in the chorus, the relaxed, effortless vibe, the pulsing bassline … it’s all top drawer stuff.
A little like Adele’s Skyfall, this track boasts a strong verse melody and equally strong chorus that smacks you in the face. Powerful and poetic — the fatal sound of broken dreams.
5. James Bond Theme — John Barry & Orchestra
Dr. No (1962)
Now, this was a tricky one. We all know Dr. No relied on the now-iconic Bond theme as its title song, so how exactly do you go about including that in this list?
Well, it wasn’t easy. This timeless piece of music is so ubiquitous and so Bond I found it nigh-on impossible to decide where it should be ranked.
I think top 5 does it justice. Written by Monty Norman and arranged for film by John Barry, what can I feasibly say about this that hasn’t already been said? The James Bond theme just sounds so alive, vibrant, full of action, full of intrigue.
That filthy-sounding guitar motif, the stalking brass … is so intrinsically part of the Bond franchise. A curious mixture of black-as-night danger and searingly colourful fun, the theme crams a hell of a lot into its short running time. In the Dr. No intro it segues into a colourful Jamaican-flecked version of Three Blind Mice. But I ain’t rating that.
4. Diamonds Are Forever — Shirley Bassey
Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
Ah … Diamonds Are Forever.
It’s at this point in the list I am going to start running out of superlatives. From its wonderfully unsettling, tinkling intro and harp flourishes, this is clearly Premium Bond.
With an elegant sense of danger, Bassey’s magisterial voice wraps itself around the melody in impressively authoritative fashion.
Yet again her incredible vocal performance oozes emotion in a wonderfully diva-like way as it sails above the cascading strings.
There’s a touch of early 70s psychedelia in this sparkling, diamond-cut Bond theme. The bridge at 1.10 flies to the heavens before the song breaks into a canter at 1.37 with its funky bassline.
With superb lyrics by Don Black, a wonderful composition by John Barry, and stellar Bassey vocals, Diamonds Are Forever is the holy trinity of Bond themes. Priceless.
3. You Only Live Twice — Nancy Sinatra
You Only Live Twice (1967)
Simply magisterial. Is there anyone out there that isn’t moved by that gorgeous descending string arrangement?
The awesome opening violin in the high octaves and rich French horn harmonies truly stir and, yes I’m going to say it again, shake the soul. And after that intro, at 0.27 the panache is dialed back and we’re gently tiptoeing through Japanese herb gardens; it’s all marvelously unhurried.
Nancy Sinatra’s velvety croon is sung in superbly languid fashion, summoning up just the right blend of beauty and pain. Later in the song, a clean electric guitar joins in to echo the main string melody.
The orchestra gently embraces the mysterious lyrics, the haunting melody gently ebbing and flowing on the deliciously sanguine breeze. It is subtle yet hugely effective, and like all great songs, it exists in its own time and place. John Barry and lyricist Leslie Bricusse really pulled it out of the bag here.
A beautiful song.
2. Nobody Does It Better — Carly Simon 1977
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
I thought long and hard about making this stellar theme my potential Number One.
It is such a perfect song in every way that it was hard to ‘relegate’ it to Number Two.
I feel especially aggrieved not to award it the top spot as Roger Moore himself once told the London Times that this is his favourite Bond theme, calling it a ‘terrific song’. And who am I to argue with the great man?
I once read Nobody Does It Better described as having ‘the warmth of a tolling bell at sundown’. Which sums it up wonderfully.
Carly Simon’s husky, inimitable voice radiates a smouldering passion and carries a genuine emotional resonance. Right from its iconic opening chord, you can tell this song is something very special. Just the piano and Simon are enough to make the hairs stand up on the back of the neck.
At 0.27 there is a lovely chord change before the band fully comes in at 0.37.
The song has a whoozy, swooning melody and an easy, unfussy arrangement. It truly is classic songwriting, the kind of song that comes round once in a blue moon.
At 1.24 there is a wonderful goosebump moment which I am always a sucker for. Written by Marvin Hamlisch and lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager, Nobody Does It Better is a pivotal song in the Bond canon. Raising the bar for quality, it is simply breathtaking songwriting and its finest.
“Nobody does it half as good as you, baby, you’re the best …”
Well, not quite the best, as I have decided to give the Number One spot to …
1. Live And Let Live Die — Paul McCartney & Wings
Live And Let Die (1973)
And here it is, at Number One it’s the utterly unique-sounding Live And Let Die by Paul McCartney & Wings.
Talk about fulfilling a brief to write a Bond song.
Producers Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli invited McCartney to write the theme.
Paul read the novel then wrote the song in an afternoon while ‘messing about at the piano’ (!), then recorded it a week later. Now if that isn’t a genius at work, I don’t know what is.
I decided to make this song Number One as it is just so thrillingly original. After getting on for 50 years later, there is still nothing that sounds anything remotely like it. A real heavyweight slab of contemporary rock which saw Beatles supremo George Martin pulling out all the stops in his towering arrangement.
From the sweet melody of the intro to the symphonic, tribal bombast and heavy rock swagger, to some exquisitely affecting reggae all in one song, “Live And Let Die” is like a mini Bohemian Rhapsody.
Let’s go back to that wonderfully elegant opening for a second, with Macca’s melodic crooning and spine-tingling piano part lulling you into a false sense of security. It’s a true slice of heaven before we’re plunged into hell, as signposted by that iconic three-note riff.
After a momentary silence, we’re suddenly hurtled into a whirlwind of tribal energy and at 0.55 we disappear into the tunnel like a speeding train. Then at 1.10 there’s that astonishing foray into reggae — which would doubtlessly be jarring in anyone else’s hands, but it just works here so beautifully.
At 1.20 Macca literally unleashes ‘heeeeeeeeeellll’ before at 1.38 the string-laden piano part brings us back to the lullaby. A voodoo lullaby imbued with plenty of dark magic and fire, that is.
Live And Let Die sits at the very top for me as it didn’t just raise the bar for a Bond song, it raised the bar for songwriting in general. In my opinion it has never really been bettered.
