Music has been as integral to the James Bond film series as guns, globetrotting, and gorgeous women. Since the John Barry Orchestra recorded that instantly recognizable theme song for 1962’s “Dr. No” – you can hear it in your head right now, can’t you? – up through Billie Eilish’s bleak elegy from 2021’s “No Time to Die,” every Bond film has had a unique musical theme, the best of which heightened the movies’ themes, and soem of which went on to be cultural touchstones in their own right. While the Bond franchise is currently on pause, the Great Pop Culture Debate wants to look back at nearly 65 years of songs as we attempt to name the Best James Bond Theme Song.
Songs discussed: “Goldfinger” by Shirley Bassey, “No Time to Die” by Billie Eilish, “For Your Eyes Only” by Sheena Easton, “James Bond Theme” by the John Barry Orchestra, “A View to a Kill” by Duran Duran, “You Only Live Twice” by Nancy Sinatra, “Licence to Kill” by Gladys Knight, “Diamonds Are Forever” by Shirley Bassey, “Live and Let Die” by Paul McCartney & Wings, “Die Another Day” by Madonna, “The World Is Not Enough” by Garbage, “Nobody Does It Better” by Carly Simon, “Skyfall” by Adele, “Tomorrow Never Dies” by Sheryl Crow, “You Know My Name” by Chris Cornell, “GoldenEye” by Tina Turner
Join host Eric Rezsnyak and panelists David Silbert, Joelle Boedecker, and Kevin Dillon as they discuss and debate 16 of the most killer James Bond theme songs.
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Round 1 Match-Ups:
Play along at home by finding the listener bracket here. Make a copy for yourself, fill it out, and see if your picks match up with ours!
Match-Up 1: “Goldfinger” by Shirley Bassey (1) vs. “No Time to Die” by Billie Eilish (4)
Match-Up 2: “For Your Eyes Only” by Sheena Easton (3) vs. “James Bond Theme” by John Barry Orchestra (2)
Match-Up 3: “A View to a Kill” by Duran Duran (1) vs. “You Only Live Twice” by Nancy Sinatra (4)
Match-Up 4: “Licence to Kill” by Gladys Knight (3) vs. “Diamonds Are Forever” by Shirley Bassey (2)
Match-Up 5: “Live and Let Die” by Paul McCartney & Wings (1) vs. “Die Another Day” by Madonna (4)
Match-Up 6: “The World Is Not Enough” by Garbage (3) vs. “Nobody Does It Better” (Theme from The Spy Who Loved Me) by Carly Simon (2)
Match-Up 7: “Skyfall” by Adele (1) vs. “Tomorrow Never Dies” by Sheryl Crow (4)
Match-Up 8: “You Know My Name” (Theme from Casino Royale) by Chris Cornell (3) vs. “GoldenEye” by Tina Turner (2)
Looking for a playlist of ALL the Bond theme songs? We made one for you right here:
Want to play along at home?
Download the Listener Bracket and see if your picks match up with ours!
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Episode Credits
Host: Eric Rezsnyak
Panelists: David Silbert, Joelle Boedecker, Kevin Dillon
Producer: Bob Erlenback
Editor: Bob Erlenback
Theme Music: “Dance to My Tune” by Marc Torch
