James Bond Film's Theme Tunes

 

The James Bond theme tunes are classic, cinematic musical pieces which have become known the world over.

There have been twenty five Bond films to date, all of which have had their own classic theme tune specifically written and performed for them.

The Bond signature tune is synonomous with composer John Barry who wrote and performed the tune for the first ever film, which has remained the classic Bond signature tune to this day.

John Barry was also co - writer of  another ten individual Bond film themes and his orchestra performed another four of them.

Other notable Bond theme tune composers were Hal David, who co - wrote two tunes, and Don Black, who co - wrote four of them. 

Singer Shirley Bassey holds the record for performing the most Bond themes, with three songs to her credit.

Below is a list of all the Bond themes, including the names of their composer and performer and their U.S and U.K chart ranking. 

DR NO.

Dr No was the very first Bond film and was released in October 1962 and it’s classic instrumental theme tune has gone on to feature in every Bond film ever released. 

This iconic tune was written by British singer and composer Monty Norman and arranged by British conductor and composer John Barry. 

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE.

From Russia With Love was the second Bond film and  was released in October 1963.

The song was written by British composer Lionel Bart and performed by British singer Matt Munro along with the John Barry Orchestra. 

The song failed to make the charts in either the U.K or the U.S.

 

GOLDFINGER.

Goldfinger was released in September 1964. The Goldfinger theme was written by British composers Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley and John Barry, and was performed by British singer Shirley Bassey. 

Bassey took the song to number 8 in the U.S charts and number 21 in the U.K charts. 

THUNDERBALL.

Thunderball was released in December 1965.  It's theme tune was written by British composers John Barry and Don Black and was performed by British singer Tom Jones. 

Jones took the song to number 25 in the U.S charts and number 35 in the U.K charts. 

YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE.

You Only Live Twice was released in June 1967. It's theme tune was written by British composers Leslie Bricusse, Anita Baker and John Barry and was performed by American singer Nancy Sinatra. 

Sinatra took the song to number 44 in both the U.S and U.K charts. 

ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE.

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was released in December 1969 and had an instrumental theme tune which was written by British composers John Barry and Hal David. 

The signature tune was performed by the John Barry Orchestra but made little impact with audiences owing to the much better known  “ We Have All The Time In The World” performed by jazz icon Louis Armstrong over the film's closing credits. 

Neither the signature tune nor  “ We Have All The Time In The World”  made the charts on either side of the Atlantic but the Louis Armstrong tune did gain notoriety twenty five years later after it appeared on a T.V advert. 

Today it is now classified as one of the top three love songs of all time.

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER.

Diamond Are Forever was the seventh Bond film and was released in August 1971. The film is synonomous for being the last Bond film to star legendary Bond actor Sean Connery. 

The theme tune was written by British composers John Barry and Don Black and performed by British singer Shirley Bassey, which was the second Bond theme to be performed by her.

Bassey took the tune to number 38 in the U.K charts and number 57 in the U.S charts. 

LIVE AND LET DIE.

Live and Let Die was released in June 1973 and was the first Bond film to star long running Bond actor Roger Moore.

The theme tune was written and performed by British music legend Paul McCartney who wrote it along with his wife Linda and performed it with their group Wings. 

Wings took the tune to number 2 in the U.S charts and number 7 in the U.K charts.

 

THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN.

The Man With The Golden Gun was released in December 1974. The theme tune was composed by British composers John Barry and Don Black and performed by British singer Lulu.

Lulu failed to get the song into the charts on either side of the Atlantic. 

THE SPY WHO LOVED ME.

The Spy Who Loved Me was the tenth Bond film and was released in June 1977. 

This was the first Bond film to have a theme tune which was not named after it’s title.

The theme tune was called  “Nobody Does It Better” and was written by American composers Marvin Hamlisch and Carol Bayer Sager. 

The song was performed by American singer Carly Simon who went on to take the song to number 2 in the U.S charts and number 7 in the U.K charts. 

MOONRAKER.

Released in June 1979 Moonraker had it's theme tune penned by British composers John Barry and Hal David. The tune was the third and final Bond theme performed by singer Shirley Bassey, who this time failed to chart the song on either side of the Atlantic. 

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY.

For Your Eyes Only was released in June 1981.

The film's theme tune was written by American conductor and composer Bill Conti and American screenwriter Michael Leeson.

It’s vocals were performed by British singer Sheena Easton who took the tune to number 4 in the U.S charts and number 8 in the U.K charts. 

OCTOPUSSY.

Octopussy was the thirteenth Bond film and was released in June 1983. It’s theme tune was the second Bond theme not to be named after it’s title. 

The theme tune for this film was called “All Time High” and was written by British composers John Barry, Tim Rice and Stephen Short.

The song was performed by U.S country singer Rita Coolidge who took the tune to number 36 in the U.S charts and 75 in the U.K charts.

NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN.

Never Say Never Again was an unofficial James Bond movie released by Warner Brothers in October 1984 which starred British actors Sean Connery and Kim Basinger. By unofficial I  mean it was not produced by the usual James Bond film makers EON. 

This film's theme tune was written by film score composer  Michel Legrand and performed by American singer (and wife of band leader Herb Alpert) Lani Hall. 

A VIEW TO A KILL. 

A View To A Kill was the seventh and last Bond film to star iconic Bond actor Roger Moore. The film was released in May 1985 and it's theme tune was the only Bond theme to reach number one in the music charts.

The tune was composed by Bond maestro John Barry and musician John Taylor who performed in the group who performed the tune, Duran Duran.

Duran Duran took the song to number 2 in the U.K charts and number 1 in the U.S charts.  

THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS.

The Living Daylights was the first Bond movie to star actor Timothy Dalton. The film's theme tune was the last to be composed by Bond music legend John Barry, who co - wrote it with Norwegian musician Pal Waaktaar - Savoy, who also performed in the pop group who performed the tune, A - Ha. 

A-Ha took the tune to number 5 in the U.K charts but it failed to chart in the U.S. 

A LICENCE TO KILL.

A Licence To Kill was released in July 1989 and it's iconic theme tune was written by American musical directors Narada Michael Walden, Jeffrey Cohen and Walter Afanasieff.

The vocals were performed by legendary American soul singer Gladys Knight who took the song to number 6 in the U.K charts but failed to make the charts in her native U.S. 

GOLDEN EYE.

Golden Eye was the seventeenth Bond movie and was released in November 1995. The film is synonomous for being the first Bond film to star Irish actor Pierce Brosnan.

The film's theme tune was written by Irish composers Paul David Hewson (AKA  Bono) and David Howell Evans ( AKA The Edge )  both of whom were performers in the hit group U2.

Vocals for the song were performed by legendary rock icon Tina Turner who went on to take the song to number 7 in the U.K charts and 102 in the U.S charts. 

TOMORROW NEVER DIES.

Released in December 1997 Tomorrow Never Dies had it’s theme tune both written and performed by American singer song writer Sheryl Crow who co - wrote it with American musician Mitchell Froom.

The song charted at number 12 in the U.K but failed to chart in her native U.S. 

THE WORLD IN NOT ENOUGH.

The World Is Not Enough was released in November 1999. The theme tune was written by British film composers David G Arnold and Don Black. 

The song was performed by U.S rock band Garbage who took the tune to number 11 in the U.K charts but failed to make an impression with their home audience in the U.S.

DIE ANOTHER DAY.

Die Another Day is the twentieth Bond movie and was released in November 2002. The film is iconic for being the last Bond movie to star Irish actor Pierce Brosnan.

The theme tune was written and performed by American pop icon Madonna, who co - wrote it with French songwriter Mirwais Ahmadzai.

Madonna, who also made a small appearance in the film, took the song to number 3 in the U.K charts and number 8 in the U.S charts.  

CASINO ROYALE.

Casino Royale is the film from the first ever James Bond novel written by Ian Fleming in 1953.

There have actually been three productions of this film, but only the most recent was actually made by the official Bond film makers EON.

The first showing of Casino Royale was produced by the Climax Mystery Theatre in 1954 and starred the one and only American actor to have ever play Bond, Barry Nelson, who was known in the film ass Jimmy Bond.

This film was a live recording of an episode of a long running popular crime series in the U.S.

The second Casino Royale production was a spoof film made in 1967 by Columbia Pictures and starred British actor David Niven,  who by all accounts was actually author Ian Flemming's chosen actor to star as Bond.

The film's theme tune was an instrumental written by legendary composer Bert Bacharach and performed by Herb Alpert and his Tijuana Brass, which was released as a B side single to the song The Wall Street Rag. 

The most recent Casino Royale was the 2006 production starring the first ever blond haired  James Bond, British actor Daniel Craig.

The theme tune to this film was the third theme tune not to be named after the film title and was called “You Know My Name” . the song  was written and performed by American musician Chris Cornell, who co - wrote the tune with British film composer David G Arnold. 

Cornell took the song to number 7 in the U.K charts and number 79 in the U.S charts.

QUANTUM OF SOLACE.

Quantum Of Solace was the second film for Bond actor Daniel Craig and was released in October 2008. The theme song was written and performed by American musician Jack White and American singer songwriter Alicia Keys. 

White and Keys took the song to number 7 in the U.K charts and number 79 in the U.S charts.  

SKYFALL.

Skyfall was released in October 2012. The theme song was written and performed by British singer and songwriter Adele, along with her regular co-writer Paul Epworth. 

Adele took the song to number one on the iTunes online store within ten hours of it’s release and  took it to number one in the French music charts, number two in the U.K music charts and to number 8 in the American Billboard charts. 

The song also went on to win the “ Best original song” at the Golden Globe Awards in 2012 and the “Best British Single” at the Brit Awards in 2013. 

SPECTRE. 

Spectre was released on October the 26^th,  2015. It’s theme song, Writing’s On The Wall, was written and performed by British singer/songwriter Sam Smith.

The song reached number one on the Itunes online store within days of it's release and made history one week later by becoming the first ever Bond theme to make it to number one in the UK charts, it then went on to make number 2 in the American Billboard Top 100.  
The song also went on to win the "Best Original Song" category at the Oscars in 2016.