Nobody does it better: Ranking all James Bond theme songs
Over 60 years of films and over 60 years of terrific theme songs.
By Chris Guest
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.