A Ranking of Every James Bond Theme Song, From Billie Eilish to Paul McCartney – Men’s Health

No disrespect to Madge, but this just does not work at all. As soon as the beat drops, things go off the rails, with Madonna’s AutoTune-soaked vocals sounding more appropriate for a secret agent-themed America’s Next Top Model episode rather than a blockbuster action movie. When she whispers “Sigmund Freud,” I can’t stop my face from scrunching up in frustration.

Points for creativity, but the guys from “Take On Me” are probably the strangest choice for a Bond theme on this list. Too synthy, too tethered to what was in vogue at the time rather than opting for something more timeless. “The Living Daylights” is not even a top-5 A-ha song, and that is saying a lot for a one-hit wonder.

On paper, this song checks a lot of boxes. Swanky horns? Yep. A swaggering vocal performance? Surely. That wah-wah secret agent guitar? It’s there. But the whole tune comes off as unnecessarily hokey, especially with lyrics that are lacking any and all nuance. The slowed-down interlude is the best part, but it lasts like 10 seconds. Pass.

Tina Turner totally makes sense for a Bond theme, and she oozes nostalgia for the film’s original era on this cut for Pierce Brosnan’s 1995 debut as 007. But the song never really…goes anywhere? There’s no big finish to latch on to, no earworm chorus that digs in and has you humming long after you’ve finished.

“A View to a Kill” holds the distinction of being the only James Bond theme song to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. It’s also corny as hell. This also loses points because it sounds like a sorta-good Duran Duran song that just happened to be placed in a James Bond movie, as opposed to something that stretched the band to be more creative.

This attempt by the venerable Welsh belter fits the mold of a Bond theme, with blaring horns and minor-key, lounge singer panache. It’s simply unremarkable—not terrible, not great, ultimately forgettable when compared to other songs from this early Bond era.

People love this jawn, and it’s a staple on easy listening radio stations. And don’t get me wrong, it’s a serviceable love song. But where’s the danger? The intrigue? The sex? All I can think of when I listen to “All Time High” is those erectile dysfunction commercials where two Boomers hold hands in separate outdoor bathtubs while admiring a Sonoma sunset. It just does nothing to prep me for a secret agent movie that’s about to go down. Any Bond theme that prominently features smooth saxophone over a saucy trumpet is making a choice—and it’s the wrong one.

“Nobody Does It Better” is a lovely song. It tugs at the heartstrings, is dynamically interesting, and is elegantly produced. It’s just not a Bond song! It’s too happy, too sweet, too major-key. James Bond doesn’t drive across country smiling to AM radio—he’s over the legal limit and being pursued by some ridiculous foe. If a Bond theme song could function as a first dance song at a wedding, it’s not really a Bond theme song.

The good parts about this song? It’s gauzy, a clear throwback to classic Bond ballads. Sam Smith is adequately brooding to deliver it. It’s got a not-bad chorus. The bad part? It’s boring! At best, it’s an ersatz “Skyfall.”

Shirley Bassey is the Queen of Bond theme songs, with several entries on this list. This is the worst of those entries. Not awful, but easily the least memorable of her contributions to the Bond pantheon.

There’s more rock ‘n’ roll swagger in this duet than the Bond franchise is accustomed. And that’s okay! It’s a clear example of two artists honoring the Bond motif and applying their own stylistic spin. But it lacks the gravitas and drama of the best theme songs. It’s way better as an end credits song than an opening credits song.

The sensuality of Sheryl Crow’s Bond theme vaults it to the middle-of-the-pack. But Crow is an odd choice as more of a pop singer-songwriter (rather than a belter or crooner) and it’s hard to get past that.

Casino Royale is an excellent Bond film, and the first one featuring Daniel Craig. Perhaps to announce a grittier 007, the late Chris Cornell was brought things into grunge things up. It’s a polarizing song: extremely true to Cornell’s instincts as an artist coupled with Bondian horn blasts, but maybe too Buzz Cuts for diehard Bond-lovers. I love the ambition of asking Cornell, one of the best rock voices of his generation, to perform a Bond song, even if it didn’t result in a home run.

The synthy horns definitely date “License to Kill,” which sits on the slow-jammy side of the Bond theme song spectrum. As much as we think of JB as an elite assassin and secret agent, he’s also a bonafide loverman! Gladys Knight’s sultry R&B nails that facet of the protagonist’s character.

Shirley Manson singing in a Bond movie? I’ll take it. An entirely serviceable, if not world-conquering entry by the ’90s rockers.

Billie Eilish scares me (and I think she’s supposed to). And while she’s enigmatic and talented and probably going to get even bigger than she is right now, the most interesting parts of her debut album were the meshing of her voice and strange, engrossing production. Asking her to sing a more conventional ballad over an orchestra is a treat in terms of stretching her artistic skill set. However, it sounds more like Billie is constraining herself to Bond World than Bond World is adjusting itself to Billie, which would’ve probably resulted in a more memorable song.

If you weren’t paying attention, you might think Frank Sinatra is crooning this classic. This lush ballad suits Sean Connery’s Bond exceptionally well, and effectively transports the listener back to the original era. Monro’s voice is front-and-center, allowing it to really soar over the orchestra serving as a sonic foundation.

This song gets high placement for the simple fact that if you were to tell me, “Hey, Louis Armstrong did a Bond song,” my assumption is that it would be very, very bad. Don’t get me wrong—Armstrong is a legend. But dark melodrama isn’t his lane. That he doesn’t lean into Bond musical tropes and still manages to turnaround a song that works within the franchise while simultaneously being enjoyable in and of itself is an achievement, and a tribute to Armstrong’s enduring brilliance.

That voice! One of the most decadent Bond songs—and it’s not even Bassey’s best Bond song. Bow down.

The build-up to the chorus makes me want to pump my fist in the air and crush some air drums. Yes, it’s not as shadowy as the rest of the Bond catalog, but who cares? A bop is a bop is a bop.

Melancholy. Stealthy. Protean. Radiohead is such a slam-dunk choice for a Bond theme song that…the producers decided to swap “Spectre” out for Sam Smith. History will not look kindly on that choice, but Radiohead’s exclusion makes their dejected theme that much more powerful. Do your best not to get lost in the dour piano, the enveloping strings, and Thom Yorke’s pristine falsetto. Perhaps it was too interesting to be a Bond song!

That opening string motif is just so of-the-times. Coupled with strummed acoustic guitar and an electric guitar playing that same opening string melody, Nancy Sinatra’s Bond song takes you right back to the Swinging ’60s. This captures less 007, the action star and more 007, the man of mystery. Plucked harp? Sign me up.

“Live and Let Die” is certainly the song out of this batch that my dad would most often crank up really loud in his Saab with my sister and I riding in the backseat. Like most of Wings’ best stuff, it’s essentially 3 songs in one, which helps to cover the spectrum of Bond theme moods: sentimental, frenetic, and charming. It may be the best song on this list, but it’s not the best Bond theme song because it has an entire life outside of the film. It’s a top-notch McCartney song that just so happened to be in a Bond film, not the other way around.

When Bond songs are explicitly about the character of James Bond, they can tend to fall flat lyrically. Like, we get it, we’re about to see a movie about James Bond, we’re all onboard. But when a Bond theme is more about the capital-V Vibe that Bond evokes, it has a way higher success rate. Adele is our generation’s most gifted torch singer, and she makes almost too much sense as a Bond chanteuse. Despite her being a super on-the-nose selection, she pulls it off and delivers not only an all-time great Bond theme, but one of the best Adele songs in a catalog crowded with great songs.

It’s not surprising that Jay-Z and Kanye West sampled this song in “Diamonds From Sierra Leone.” It’s so evocative, building layer upon layer effortlessly, anchored by a first-class vocal performance from Bassey. This sets the template for great Bond songs, and holds up exceedingly well as a cinematic masterwork. Bassey’s the queen of Bond for a reason, and this is the standout among her oeuvre.