# What is the best theme song to a James Bond movie? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 9, 2006, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-theme-song-to-a-james-bond-movie/352000 "2006-04-09T21:58:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-theme-song-to-a-james-bond-movie/352000/41 "2006-04-10T18:49:19Z")
> [@GargoyleWB](#): > > earn you major Bond-geek cred for mentioning. 🙂 I say old boy, do you chaps read the novels as well? ---
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-theme-song-to-a-james-bond-movie/352000/42 "2006-04-10T19:32:52Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Connery said he did _Name of the Rose_ because the character was an old fat guy, which he was by then. 🙂 > > I just like the way Lazenby played Bond. Lazenby was 10 times better than Roger Moore and at least good as Brosnan. Unfortunately, most Bondophiles dismiss him as Sean Lite. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-theme-song-to-a-james-bond-movie/352000/43 "2006-04-10T20:00:18Z")
> [@Askia](#): > > Fine. Dibs on the pistols. 😃 Shotgun! I’d have to go with Wings Carly Simon Sheena Easton in order of staying power and favoriteness. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-theme-song-to-a-james-bond-movie/352000/44 "2006-04-10T20:10:51Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > Actually, Edsel’s were unjustly saddled with a rep of being a lemon (sort of like Tuckers). Heck, the president of Edsel was a former Packard president (Tucker used to work for Packard as well). Note to self: Never try to insult Tuckerfan with a car reference… ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-theme-song-to-a-james-bond-movie/352000/45 "2006-04-10T20:24:39Z")
> [@Carnac the Magnificent!](#): > > Lazenby was 10 times better than Roger Moore and at least good as Brosnan. Unfortunately, most Bondophiles dismiss him as Sean Lite. \*On Her Majesty’s Secret Service \* was my first Bond movie, ever. I was seven, school was the next day, yet Mom let me stay up past 11 on a Sunday night to watch WTBS. Ah, bliss. The movie did not have a happy ending, and it made me terribly sad, yet still I wanted more. Lazenby will always be my favorite Bond. Connery is the best, Bond, tho. [Aside] I had the honor of indoctrinating my 8 year old nephew into the Bondian Mysteries by watching _Goldfinger_ with him last week. Nothing like watching a beloved movie again from the eyes of youngster. When Bond and Oddjob were squaring off at the end, my nephew punctuated every kick, punch and blow with a loud, “Oh, DA–aaa-NG!” until my sister told him to “SHUT UP!” from the other room. 😃 [/aside] ---
**Author:** ![Logan\_5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/fbc32d/32.png) [@Logan\_5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Logan_5)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-theme-song-to-a-james-bond-movie/352000/46 "2006-04-10T22:31:19Z")
NO! NO! NO! You’re all wrong! 😛 The Best James Bond song ever was Surrender by K.D. Lang, which should have been the main theme but for some reason they chose that boring, whiny tune that Sheryl Crow contributed for Tomorrow Never Dies. :rolleyes: After that I’d say, You Only Live Twice View to a Kill Goldfinger Live and Let Die Anyway after that the others really don’t matter do they? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-theme-song-to-a-james-bond-movie/352000/47 "2006-04-10T23:49:41Z")
> [@pinkfreud](#): > > I love the theme from **You Only Live Twice**. Didn’t particularly care for the movie, but yes, this is one of my favorite Bond theme songs, too. But then, I gotta admit having to a serious Jones for Nancy Sinatra since I was 16 (both the babe and her music), so it possibly could not have a lot to do with the merits of that particular song ---
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-theme-song-to-a-james-bond-movie/352000/48 "2006-04-10T23:52:36Z")
> [@LiveOnAPlane](#): > > Didn’t particularly care for the movie, but yes, this is one of my favorite Bond theme songs, too. > > But then, I gotta admit having to a serious Jones for Nancy Sinatra since I was 16 (both the babe and her music), so it possibly could not have a lot to do with the merits of that particular song corrections to not sound completely stupid: …admit to having a serious… …so, it could, possibly, not have a lot to do with… ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-theme-song-to-a-james-bond-movie/352000/49 "2006-04-11T01:06:19Z")
Ok, here are my top three, in order of preference: 1. Goldfinger 2. A View to a Kill 3. Live and Let Die Best background score, and backing my second-fave Bond movie after _From Russia With Love_, is Barry’s wonderful music for _OHMSS_. IIRC, _Man With the Golden Gun_ is often cited as the worst of the Eon Bond films, and now that I think of it the theme is drawing a complete blank, even though I’ve seen the dreadful thing at least three times. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-theme-song-to-a-james-bond-movie/352000/50 "2006-04-11T05:48:42Z")
_1. The James Bond Theme 2. Goldfinger 3. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service 4. Moonraker 5. Live and Let Die 6. Nobody Does it Better 7. Thunderball 8. The World is Not Enough 9. Casino Royale 10. Tomorrow Never Dies 11. You Only Live Twice 12. Diamonds are Forever 13. Licence to Kill 14. For Your Eyes Only 15. The Living Daylights 16. GoldenEye 17. A View to a KIll 18. From Russia with Love 19. The Man With the Golden Gun 20. All Time HiIgh 21. Die Another Day_ ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-theme-song-to-a-james-bond-movie/352000/51 "2006-04-11T06:07:39Z")
> [@wolf\_meister](#): > > My favorites are > > 1. Nobody Does It Better - Carly Simon > 2. Goldfinger - Shirley Bassey > > I give Carly Simon the win because her _performance_ sells that song. I love the way she ends that with “Baby … you’re the best”, etc. > > To be fair, there is no question in my mind that Shirley Bassey’s singing “Goldfinger” is a bravura accomplishment. > > And Paul McCartney’s “Live And Let Die” deserves a mention. That song goes through incredibile changes and captures the spirit of a James Bond movie. I would have written this…but you wrote it first. I agree completely. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-theme-song-to-a-james-bond-movie/352000/52 "2006-04-11T07:19:34Z")
Oops, the end of my last post should read: _20. All Time High 21. Never Say Never Again 22. Die Another Day_ ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-theme-song-to-a-james-bond-movie/352000/53 "2006-04-11T22:15:18Z")
> [@LiveOnAPlane](#): > > Didn’t particularly care for the movie, but yes, this is one of my favorite Bond theme songs, too. > > But then, I gotta admit having to a serious Jones for Nancy Sinatra since I was 16 (both the babe and her music), so it possibly could not have a lot to do with the merits of that particular song Me too, I actually own her 45s, “Sugar Town/Summer Wine”, and “Boots/City Never Sleeps” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-theme-song-to-a-james-bond-movie/352000.md?page=2)