#12 - The John Barry Orchestra - On Her Majesty's Secret Service - 106 Points - Average 7.57

 

 

The 'official' theme to the film of the same name, this piece has become as much a part of the Bond musical canon as the main Bond theme. It's perhaps better suited to the less action heavy, exploration, cinematic vista's which have come to typify Bond movies from the 70's onwards. It's every bit as recognisable and captivating of course, as almost as John Barry compositions are. Jester loves it so much he gave it his 11, no less.

#11 - Duran Duran - A View To A Kill - 108 Points - Average 7.71

 

 

By 1985 Roger Moore was getting far too long in the tooth for the role of Bond (and an interesting facelift/browlift did nothing to help his cause) and whilst his final film might not be a Bond classic, the title track certainly is. Indeed, until the most recent pair of themes, this remained the most successful Bond title track. It definitely shows it's age more than many of the others here, quite tellingly Barry had less to do with this than almost any other theme he worked on. But when you have stars of the magnitude of Duran Duran in 1985, you're not going to argue with them.

So, in chronological order, that leaves:

 

Goldfinger

You Only Live Twice

Diamonds Are Forever

Live & Let Die

Nobody Does It Better

License To Kill

Goldeneye

Tomorrow Never Dies

The World Is Not Enough

Skyfall

 

YAS at License To Kill getting top 10! :cheer:

I shall present the top 10 tomorrow, safe to say there are some surprising results. Feel free to predict what has won/come 10th/etc if you curr.

Skyfall to win hopefully :heart:

OHMSS is the best Bond theme by far imo, good to see it at least get to number 12 here.

Oh and Goldeneye to win now please!

#10 - Garbage - The World Is Not Enough - 108.5 Points - Average 7.75

 

 

Kicking off the top 10 we find the final Bond theme of the 20th century, the glorious The World Is Not Enough. Bagging only one low score (a 3 from Ultraviolence) this is perhaps a surprising entry into the top 10. It has the most 'lush' sounding production since probably You Only Live Twice and harks back to the best of classic bonds, yet it totally up to date (for 1999) and has stood the test of time very well.

#09 - Adele - Skyfall - 111 Points - Average 7.93

 

 

The single biggest shock of the entire thing, surely. Skyfall recently WON a national poll conducted by ITV into the favourite Bond theme, but I feel like this is a position much more fitting to the song. It's a good song, but it leans a little too heavily on the classic sound and comes off as a rip off, rather than an homage. Also, remove Adele's undeniable star power from the equation and would people like it so much? It did receive a -1 from Regina costing it one place, but it would still have finished comfortably below 7th place.

#08 - Sheryl Crow - Tomorrow Never Dies - 111.5 Points - Average 7.97

 

 

So Regina's -1 cost Adele a place to his 11, some might cry tactical voting, but I am above such things. Mainly because this is a better song and deserves to be higher. Pierce Brosnan's second outing as Bond is an oft maligned (unfairly, I might add) film, but the title track is often overlooked too. It's not as 'big' as many Bond numbers, but you don't expect BIG from Sheryl. In the end it's a nice mix of singer and song, even if she isn't hugely fond of it. It's got the usual dramatic strings that come with the David Arnold sound and Sheryl sounds fantastic throughout.

 

#07 - Nancy Sinatra - You Only Live Twice - 115.5 Points - Average 8.25

 

 

Bond's first foray into Japan also brought about a change in the sound of the theme, less bombastic and with a much more subdued vocal style, Nancy Sinatra was given the nod to record this beautiful song. It opened the doors to the later string heavy, lush sounding Bond soundscapes we're become accustomed to, rather than the brass heavy bombast of the previous movies. It's rightly seen as one of the series' signature tunes, often sampled (Robbie Williams scored a number one off the back of it with Millennium and Cee-Lo Green samples the french horn line for Bright Lights Bigger City) but never bettered.

#06 - Gladys Knight - License To Kill - 119 Points - Average 8.5

 

 

So, despite soundtracking what is arguably the worst Bond movie ever made, the 1989 theme to License To Kill has climbed all the way to #6, the last song standing from the 80's. One I am very pleasantly surprised to see this high, I had always assumed this was largely forgotten given it wasn't a big hit and the movie isn't well remembered. Continuing in the long, and very successful, vein of picking big, soulful voices to sing Bond themes, License To Kill tipped Gladys Knight for vocal duties. As powerful a vocalist as any, she brings a real sense of gravitas to the song, earned through her many decades as a star and lends the song weight despite the admittedly (and typically) simple lyrics.

So our top 5:

 

Goldfinger

Diamonds Are Forever

Live & Let Die

Nobody Does It Better

Goldeneye

 

I can reveal that all 5 are separated by less than 10 points, there was no runaway winner.

I hate Skyfall with a passion, mainly due to not liking Adele in any shape or form. Glad to see the superior Sheryl beat her here *.*

I will catch up on all songs in the countdown but just want to say that's a really good final 5 (yes for 'Goldeneye'!!!). I'd personally prefer Garbage and Sheryl to be above Nancy and Gladys though, and Duran Duran should have easily been Top 10, but we can't expect too much for a Buzzjack countdown. :kink:

I had a feeling Skyfall was going to be one of the shock low finishes but yay it made the top 10 at least! I adore Adele's vocals on the track, as well as the instrumental, and it is my favourite Bond theme :wub:

Live Or Let Die or Diamonds Are Forever to win now!

Die Another Day is absolutely atrocious, worst Bond theme I have ever heard. Although Another Way To Die is terrible aswell.

 

We Have All The Time In The World, A View To A Kill and Skyfall should be much higher.

#05 - Tina Turner - Goldeneye - 121 Points - Average 8.64

 

 

The most recent song and indeed the last recorded within the lifetimes of most people who voted has fallen. Tina Turner was the artist given the honour of the first Bond them of the 90's and the theme song to the first 'revival' of Bond after the nasty legal wrangling in the early part of the decade. Goldeneye saw the role pass to the fresh faced Irishman, Pierce Brosnan, and so the powers that be tried to modernise the sound as well. It worked, Tina brought am energy and power to the song that only she can deliver and the clever lyrics from Bono make this a solid gold Bond song and a just plain great song in general. The only hater of this was the usually reliable Dandy, who gave it a 3, a 7 or above would have seen it leapfrog the song coming up next.

#04 - Carly Simon - Nobody Does It Better - 124 Points - Average 8.86

 

 

Falling just short of the top 3 and the last song not to receive an average score of 9 or above is the first Bond song not to be given the same name as the film it accompanied. Carole Bayer-Sager does, however, cleverly work the title into the first verse. One of the most successful Bond themes, critically and commerically, Nobody Does It Better is also among the most widely covered. The lyrics also cleverly tread the line between praising Bond as a lover and just outright saying he's the best f*** she's ever had. Carly brings her own style to it vocally and it really lifts an already great package up to the level of being genuinely incredible.