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Top 7 James Bond Theme Songs

Chevanne Scordinsky
5 min readDec 9, 2021

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The first movie soundtracks I ever played on loop were American Beauty and Amelie. They were just as much a part of a each movie’s unique feel as the scene color palates and the protagonist’s personality.

The James Bond Theme is, in my opinion, one of the most brilliant compositions of the century and a highly distinctive melody with infinite chances for replay and reference in different musical styles. Over Bond’s nearly 60 year history in film, composers have rightly incorporated it in various ways to the benefit of the movie’s action and suspense.

The theme song of each movie, however, provides another layer of thematic richness. Some are more subtle, while others are grand.

Here are my top 7 theme songs.

Microphone on a stage in the spotlight
Original artwork by Automatic Llama

7. “The Writing’s on the Wall”

There is no doubt Sam Smith is a talented singer. Their rise to and fall from falsetto is impressive and well maintained among theme artists. In addition, the orchestral interludes are moving as we hear the string section weep. I would call this an emerging favorite since I still have my quibbles with it. The song could have served with less of the high notes. While it more viscerally denotes the breathlessness Smith describes in their thoughtful lyrics, it feels a tad overdone.

6. “The World Is Not Enough”

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Chevanne Scordinsky
Chevanne Scordinsky

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