James Bond Ranking Every Theme Song From The Daniel Craig Movies

James Bond: Ranking Every Theme Song From The Daniel Craig Movies

Contents

Daniel Craig’s James Bond movies brought some of the greatest title themes in the series’ history, including two Oscar wins.

You Are Reading :[thien_display_title]

James Bond Ranking Every Theme Song From The Daniel Craig Movies

The title theme is a James Bond movie tradition going all the way back to Dr. No. Over the years, such legendary artists as Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, Nancy Sinatra, Paul McCartney & Wings, Carly Simon, and Tina Turner have contributed theme songs to the Bond franchise. It’s become a badge of honor for a pop artist to be offered the chance to record a theme song for a Bond film.

Daniel Craig’s tenure in the role of 007 brought some of the series’ most memorable themes, courtesy of such disparate artists as grunge icon Chris Cornell, chart-topping superstar Billie Eilish, and the unlikely pairing of Jack White and Alicia Keys. The Bond themes of the Craig era were responsible for the franchise’s first and second Oscar wins for Best Original Song.

5 “Writing’s On The Wall” By Sam Smith (From Spectre)

James Bond Ranking Every Theme Song From The Daniel Craig Movies

In keeping with Spectre being one of the most disappointing Bond movies ever made, Sam Smith’s “Writing’s on the Wall” is one of the series’ most disappointing theme songs. Stylistically, it’s a shallow attempt to replicate what worked so well in Adele’s Skyfall theme, and it somehow managed to replicate Adele’s much more deserved Oscar win.

Like most polarizing Bond themes, the problem with “Writing’s on the Wall” isn’t that it’s a particularly bad song – it just doesn’t play like a Bond theme. Instead of evoking the somber, seductive sound of classic Bond themes, “Writing’s on the Wall” is just a generic Sam Smith song.

See also  Mad Men 5 Things That Are Historically Accurate (And 5 Things That Are Completely Fabricated)

4 “Another Way To Die” By Jack White And Alicia Keys (From Quantum Of Solace)

James Bond Ranking Every Theme Song From The Daniel Craig Movies

The theme for Quantum of Solace, “Another Way to Die,” performed by the unlikely partnership of Jack White and Alicia Keys, is the first duet in the Bond series. White played the guitar, piano, and drums on the track, while Keys provided the vocals. The theme was met by a mixed response from fans and critics. It’s a perfectly catchy rock tune, but some felt it didn’t fit with the style of the franchise – a common problem with critically panned Bond themes.

Not feeling like classic Bond is one of the main problems with Quantum of Solace itself: it plays more like a generic action thriller than a distinctly Bondian spy adventure. Similarly, “Another Way to Die” plays more like an alternative rock track than a brooding Bond theme. The piano melodies recall earlier Bond themes, but the electric guitar riffs wouldn’t feel out of place on one of White’s own White Stripes tracks.

3 “You Know My Name” By Chris Cornell (From Casino Royale)

James Bond Ranking Every Theme Song From The Daniel Craig Movies

When Craig’s Bond was introduced in Casino Royale, the producers recruited Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell to record his first theme song. Just as director Martin Campbell had to come up with a spy thriller that felt like a Bond movie while also reinvigorating the franchise with a darker, edgier sensibility, Cornell had to come up with an entirely new sound for 007 while still fitting in with the well-worn musical traditions of the franchise. “You Know My Name” received mixed reviews, but Cornell’s groundbreaking grunge sound was perfect for the gritty reinvention of the franchise.

In terms of its lyrics and style, “You Know My Name” is a classic Bond theme, but the rougher guitar rhythms ushered in the subversive brutality of Craig’s 007. Cornell’s track perfectly blends all the facets of Bond’s personality: devil-may-care coolness, smoldering intensity, a dark worldview. It sets the ominous tone for Casino Royale’s visceral thrills, but it’s still a snappy, memorable rock ‘n’ roll song.

See also  Where Are They Now The Cast of The Breakfast Club

2 “No Time To Die” By Billie Eilish

James Bond Ranking Every Theme Song From The Daniel Craig Movies

With her theme song for No Time to Die, Billie Eilish became the youngest artist to write and record a Bond theme. The best Bond theme singers deftly blend the familiar style of classic Bond themes with their own distinctive musical sensibility. Eilish did this masterfully, combining the sharp minimalism of her own work with the operatic intensity of Bond music.

The record-length pre-title sequence in No Time to Die isn’t just a mindless action set piece. It’s a mini-sequel to Spectre in which Bond callously ejects Madeleine from his life after mistakenly believing she betrayed him to Blofeld. The melancholic tone of Eilish’s theme perfectly fits the emotions of this extended sequence. When Madeleine leaves on the train and the opening bars kick in, the gravity of the situation sets in.

1 “Skyfall” By Adele

When the rock ‘n’ roll stylings of Cornell, White, and Keys had Bond fans worried that traditional Bond themes were a thing of the past, Adele came along with her signature R&B sound and delivered one of the series’ all-time greatest title tracks. “Skyfall” is a throwback to the dark, moody style of Shirley Bassey’s classic early Bond themes. This was the first Bond theme to win an Oscar, the first Bond theme to win a Grammy, and the first Bond theme to win a Golden Globe.

The lyrics of older Bond themes directly related to the plot of the movie, but that was phased out as pop singers came in with their own take on 007 lore. Adele brought back that tradition with lyrics whose themes and emotions connect to Bond’s surprisingly personal journey throughout Skyfall.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/james-bond-daniel-craig-movie-theme-songs-ranked/

Movies -