Nobody does it better: Ranking all James Bond theme songs

Over 60 years of films and over 60 years of terrific theme songs.
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Pretty good Bond songs

15. “The Living Daylights” – A-Ha

A-Ha’s moment in the spotlight might have only extended to “Take On Me” in the U.S., but they had a string of hits overseas. A cheesy synth intro leads into some yelping from A-Ha’s lead singer Morten Harket all headlined by a quite infectious chorus. Still, on the lower end of the spectrum for Bond songs.

14. “Tomorrow Never Dies” – Sheryl Crow

Another rather mediocre track with a much better chorus, Sheryl Crow’s take on Bond features the chanteuse’s lilting delivery and crystalline guitar arpeggios.

13. “You Only Live Twice” – Nancy Sinatra

Nancy Sinatra’s Bond song is one of the last I would willingly listen to (if given the choice). An interesting intro, terrific string parts, and a sultry delivery from Ms. Sinatra make this is a good (but not great) Bond song.

12. “From Russia With Love” – Matt Monro

One of the most un-Bond songs one could think of, this Frank Sinatra-lite track (sung by Matt Monro) is a straight-up early 60s pop song. When judging it on songcraft alone, it performs quite well, but as a Bond song, it lacks the drama of the best examples. That makes it feel as if it is not a real Bond track.