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The 10 Best Bond Themes

Sam Smith's theme song for Spectre failed to impress most listeners, so we looked back at Bond's history and picked out our 10 favourite Bond themes.




10. Licence To Kill - Gladys Knight
In truth, this theme song should be a lot higher, but it's let down by cheesy late 1980s production that sounds like the great Gladys Knight is performing with a discount wedding band. But hey, it's Gladys Knight!

9. A View To a Kill - Duran Duran
Very much of its era, but Duran Duran knocked out a cracking, energetic theme that Roger Moore's final appearance failed to live up to.

8. Diamonds Are Forever - Shirley Bassey
Shirley Bassey's second of three Bond songs is the weakest of the trio, but a hell of a tune nonetheless.

7. The Spy Who Loved Me - Carly Simon
Hiring Carly Simon was a massive break from the norm; sensitive singer-songwriters don't spring to mind when you think of 007, but Simon gave us one of the most memorable tunes to accompany one of the series' best movies.

6. You Only Live Twice - Nancy Sinatra
John Barry's orchestration has rarely been more sumptuous than on the theme for You Only Live Twice. Let's try to forget it was ever sampled by Robin Williams.

5. Moonraker - Shirley Bassey
Bassey's final appearance (her excellent offering for Quantum of Solace was sadly rejected) is one of the series' best, maintaining that classic Bond sound while acknowledging the disco era.

4. Dr. No - Monty Norman
The Bond theme is often mistakenly credited to John Barry, but it was Monty Norman who created it for the first chapter of the series, and the rest is history.

3. Goldfinger - Shirley Bassey
When you hear the phrase 'Bond theme', this is most likely the tune that starts playing in your head - Bassey on top form!

2. On Her Majesty's Secret Service - John Barry
The first post-Connery movie broke with the norm and gave us an instrumental theme, putting John Barry centre stage, and boy is it one hell of a thunderous theme, fitting for a movie that's grown to become many fans' favourite.

1. Live and Let Die - Wings
When Roger Moore stepped into the tux, we were well and truly into the '70s, and a new sound was needed. Paul McCartney's Wings gave us a pounding, epic track to usher in a new era.


Bonus tracks:

We Have All the Time in the World - Louis Armstrong
The greatest song to appear in a Bond movie wasn't actually a theme, but rather used as a 'love theme' in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, and what better voice to carry it than Satchmo!

No Good about Goodbye - Shirley Bassey 
Bassey's rejected theme for Quantum of Solace would have been the one saving grace for an otherwise misfiring movie.


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