I really have no opinion on Sam Smith at all (although the Tom Petty rip off song is ok), I'm no fan of Adele either but Skyfall is great.

 

I don't like this because it is interminably dull and doesn't sound at all like a Bond theme.

I'm up and down with Sam Smith, liked Stay With Me, the original Lay Me Down and Like I Can, disliked I'm Not The Only One and strongly hated Money On My Mind!

 

The Bond theme merely falls into the dislike category.

I hate Sam Smith and I probably hate this one more an I would if it wasn't him singing, but it's just a stone cold bore of a song.

There's too much apathy towards Another Way To Die in this thread, it is wonderful. And stands out among the Bond themes (I didn't vote though, so I can't really complain at its poor position any more than be disapproving). Sam Smith's new one doesn't stand out though, I think I said in the thread I would have accepted a theme from him if it sounded a bit more exciting.

So, I'm back on this. Having added in Dandy's scores one song has dropped from 12th to 17th and we now have a lovely complex TIE too *.*

#23 - Rita Coolidge - All Time High - 78.5 points - Average 5.61

 

 

Theme to the oft maligned (with good reason) Octopussy, All Time High finds itself languishing in 23rd place. I think this is a tad unfair because it's always been one of my favourites and came slap bang in the middle of what I consider to be an unbroken run of incredible songs from Nobody Does It Better right through to The World Is Not Enough. Generally scoring middle of the road from everyone, only Jester was a particularly strong hater giving it a 1, with Dandy, Liam and myself being it's biggest fans with 8's apiece.

#22 - Chris Cornell - You Know My Name - 86 points - Average 6.14

 

 

When Bond came back in 2006 after a retooling, some hair dye and a new, bolder, brasher image the powers that be went with a distinct change in sound for the theme song. A much rockier number and one which totally fits the new Bond, as well as being a solid song. You Know My Name suffers the curse of Buzzjack's fear of the penis when it is attached to a song. Scoring 3's from popchartfreak and Jester and a 2 from UV amidst a sea of 7's and 8's it is our first song with an average over 6 but has to make do with a dismal placing.

'All Time High' always seems to end up at the bottom of the pile in Bond Theme ranks which does seem unfair, although I find the standard of Bond themes to be so high that this just naturally places near the lower regions. I suppose it's a bit too MOR for Bond but it doesn't stop it being a really emotive song. It works well within the film though.

 

'You Know My Name' was the perfect song to kick start the re-boot and the new, darker, deadlier Bond; it's actually quite surprising how rocky it is - I know we've had the likes of Paul McCartney and Duran Duran but they've had enough pop in them too. Perhaps not as classic as other Bond themes but certainly worked at the time and sounds great to this date.

#21 - Matt Munro - From Russia With Love - 92.5 points - Average 6.61

 

 

The first 'proper' Bond theme song, yet it was relegated to closing credit status. This one was fairly consistently ranked a 6/7 from most members, which seems fair for a song which is an example of a genre which is long since out of fashion (and far from the best example of it, at any rate). Matt has some pipes though and the Bond 'sound' is definitely there, it just awaited some spit and polish and the insertion of some BASSEY to lift it to what we know and love.

#20 - Lulu - The Man With The Golden Gun - 98.5 Points - Average 7.04

 

 

A more fitting song for The Man With The Golden Gun could probably never be found. Faintly (ok, VERY) ridiculous, drenched in double entendre and featuring a SPIRITED vocal performance from Lulu, it's an unabashed piece of pop trash. Kicking off the top 20, it is our first song to score an average of over 7. HAVE NO FEAR, JAMES BOND IS HEEEEEE-RRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEE *.*

#19 - A-Ha - The Living Daylights - 99.5 Points - Average 7.11

 

 

Up to this point, few Bond songs felt like as much of a partnership of act and the Bond 'sound'. Perhaps that's why we find this gem trailing all the way down in 19th (though it may just be the high quality of the theme tune series in general). Timothy Dalton's first outing as Bond was a radical change in style from the preceding Moore films and as such (and probably in no small part thanks to Duran Duran) the producers wanted to go for a more of the moment, credible sound for the title track.

Lulu too low :(

#18 - Tom Jones - Thunderball - 100 Points - Average 7.14 (Less 10's)

 

 

In 18th we find the first song to amass 100 points, which ended it in a 3 way tie which is lost on strength of having fewer 10's than the 2 above. After the success of fellow Welsh superstar DSB on Goldfinger, the producers reached out to the bearded one for the title track to Thunderball. Johnny Cash was passed over, among others, in favour of this. It keeps the drama of Goldfinger and that heady mix of brass, strings and vox which is always a winner. R Tom even reportedly fainted when trying to hit the final note in recordings, such was his dedication.

#17 - Madonna - Die Another Day - 100 Points - Average 7.14 (More 10's)

 

 

As a massive Madonna fan, I should be all over this. It is a very good song, but it isn't a very good Bond song. Especially not paired with the visuals of Bond being captured, tortured and rotting in a Korean jail. It clearly has it's fans as it bagged no fewer than 3 10's, but it was one of the most divisive here as it also bagged a couple 5's and even a -1. It's one of the most individual Bond themes, so at the very least it stands out, perhaps more than any other bar Live & Let Die.

#16 - Monty Norman - Dr. No - 100 Points - Average 7.14 (More 10's, One 11)

 

 

Severin may have planted his -1 in Madonna's heart, but here we have the song he gave his top marks too, helping it to leapfrog her into 16th place. The ICONIC theme tune to the entire series was also the title track to the first Bond movie all the way back in '62. It's been modified many times over the years, but the surf guitar and sparse production set this up as one of the single greatest pieces of music ever recorded. The only hater was Jark, who gave it a 0, but his opinion is worthless, so.

Die Another Day so low :( It's a brilliant song, although I guess not very "Bond" in sound.

#15 - Dame Shirley Bassey - Moonraker - 100.5 Points - Average 7.18

 

 

I will try to restrain my unbridled LOVE for this song, for the sake of objectivity. The 'forgotten' Bond theme, at least in terms of the Bassey 3 anyway. It wasn't really supposed to be her singing it, but she stepped in last minute. It's totally different from her previous Bond themes, lush strings and a midtempo, almost heavenly/other-wordly melody showcasing a very different, but equally impressive, vocal style from the queen of Bond. It also bagged a 0 from Mack and a 4 from Severin amid a general sea of indifference.

Adore Die Another Day, such a fantastic track and definitely stands out :heart:

#14 - Louis Armstrong - We Have All The Time In The World - 104.5 Points - Average 7.47

 

(please be aware this video features TERRIFYING facial expressions)

 

The 'main' theme from On Her Majesty's Secret Service (the one with Lazenby). By the time he recorded this song, a few years before his death, Louis Armstrong was a legend and he managed to imbue the lyrics with the weight of a life lived, especially in his sole live performance of the song. It's often cited as one of the best in the Bond canon, though Buzzjack doesn't really agree as it's a long way off the top here.

#13 - Sheena Easton - For Your Eyes Only - 105.5 Points - Average 7.55

 

 

In 13th we find that other (not so) famous Scot, Sheena Easton. The only singer to feature in the opening credits of the movie and one of the most consistently scored songs here (bar a 0 from Mack), bagging a 7, 8 or 9 from everyone. After the almost total dismissal of Moonraker (partly due to DSB not wanting to promote it) the producers went for a much more current name, in the form of up and coming pop starlet Sheena Easton, who was making waves in the charts on both sides of the pond. For Your Eyes Only isn't the most original Bond theme, but it's got one hell of a chorus and the instrumental lends itself perfectly to the movie.