The Best James Bond Theme Songs

By: Jacob Elyachar

Yesterday, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Adele became the latest superstar to lend her voice to a James Bond film track.    (To listen to this astonishing track, click here: http://youtu.be/7HKoqNJtMTQ)

Adele isn’t the only singer to record a powerful or impactful song to help Bond film franchise, this article focuses on six songs that have played an important part to the Bond film franchise.

Diamonds Are Forever-Shirley Bassey (1971)

The powerful Dame Shirley Bassey sang three theme songs for the James Bond franchise.    However, her best performance was when she performed the incomparable theme to the seventh spy film, which was the second to last time Sean Connery starred as Agent 007.  She showed off her powerful vocal range and enchanted listeners with John Barry and Don Black’s music and lyrics.

Shirley Bassey performed this song live at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee earlier this year.  To watch her performance, click here: http://youtu.be/qq0moBm59i0

Live and Let Die-Paul McCartney & Wings (1973)

Live and Let Die marked a new era for the Bond franchise, as Roger Moore became the fourth actor to play the British spy and rock music was infused into the franchise’s soundtrack.   Sir Paul McCartney and his wife: the late Linda McCartney co-wrote and performed with their band Wings the popular title track.  From the superb lyrics to the impeccable orchestrations, “Live and Let Die” remains one of the best Bond themes ever recorded.

Paul McCartney always performs this song at every concert.  When he performed at the Citi Field in New York City, over 100,000 people watched this spectacular performance: http://youtu.be/co-yucte14Q

A View to a Kill-Duran Duran (1985)

British band Duran Duran’s “A View to a Kill” provided the perfect blend of pop and rock music.  From its brilliant lyrics and musical arrangements to its wacky music video starring Roger Moore that showcased a battle royale at the Eiffel Tower, this was one of the more memorable songs from the Eighties.

To watch the music video, click here: http://youtu.be/Fp4CR2HcHLQ

License to Kill-Gladys Knight (1989)

To close out the decade, Eon Productions turned to the Empress of Soul to sing the film’s title track.  Written by popular songwriters and producers Narada Michael Walden, Jeffrey Cohen and Walter Afanasieff, “License to Kill” featured an excellent vocal performance by Gladys Knight that closed the book on the popular film franchise.

To watch the music video featured Gladys Knight as a special agent, click here: http://youtu.be/vQKaujX6R-U

 

GoldenEye-Tina Turner (1995)

The incomparable Queen of Rock and Roll breathed new life into the Bond franchise with this track written and composed by U2’s Bono and the Edge.    Turner’s astonishing vocal performance set a standard that had no artist has ever touched.

“GoldenEye” was on the set list at every stop on her 50^th Anniversary Tour. To watch Tina perform her hit in Holland, click here: http://youtu.be/6RWwxvYI1uc

Die Another Day-Madonna (2002)

While Madonna did not have a superb vocals performance like her predecessors, the Queen of Pop proved to both critics and fans that you can put dance pop and house music into one of the most important features of a classic film franchise and turn it into addictive ear candy.

Madonna’s “Die Another Day” music video’s plot similarly followed the opening sequence to the 2002 where Bond was tortured by his captives: http://youtu.be/V_pCcBm400Y

You Know My Name-Chris Cornell (2006)

Rocker Chris Cornell co-wrote a brilliant introductory song that perfectly accompanied the James Bond reboot film Casino Royale.  This was an impressive Alternative rock track that set the tone of the first Daniel Craig Bond adventure.

Chris’s song was perfectly interweaved into Casino Royale’s opening titles: http://youtu.be/Nfc9GLxlhEw