The James Bond franchise is iconic for many reasons: the fashion, the cars, the technology, the urbanity of the leading character, and a witty, but suspenseful approach to the classic spy narrative. Perhaps one of the most important elements of the James Bond universe is the films' use of music. From the first Bond movies starring Sean Connery, to the more recent ones with Daniel Craig in the main role, music has been used to set the stage and evoke the sophisticated, swanky, and at times sleazy world of 007.
Each of the films has featured an original song, often by a popular artist of the time, and the pattern has become such a trope that James Bond music has become its own genre. In addition to the iconic "James Bond Theme" written by score composer John Barry for the 1963 film From Russia with Love, original songs have been written for each film. The Welsh singer Shirley Bassey, who sings the theme song for Goldfinger, has recorded the most Bond theme songs, for such films as Goldfinger, Diamonds are Forever, and Moonraker.
The Beatle Paul McCartney recorded "Live and Let Die" for a James Bond film, and the song was nominated for an Academy Award, as was Carly Simon's famous song "Nobody Does it Better," and "Skyfall" by Adele. Other artists to record songs for James Bond films include Lulu, Duran Duran, A-ha, Gladys Knight, Tina Turner, Sheryl Crow, Garbage, Madonna, Chris Cornell, Jack White, Alicia Keys, and Sam Smith.
In an article about the songs written for James Bond films in Rolling Stone, David Ehrlich writes, "Each Bond gets the themes he deserves, from the smooth and impenetrable tunes of the Connery era to the radio-ready offerings from the Daniel Craig years, as muscular and wounded as his iteration of the legendary spy. You don't need to have seen Spectre to know that the song Sam Smith wrote for it taps into the unique pathos of the rebranded contemporary version of the character; when it comes to Bond themes, the writing has always been on the wall." Coming in at number 1 is Shirley Bassey's recording of "Goldfinger," of which Ehrlich says, "The singer couldn't have known the extent to which her performance would resonate in pop culture, but she holds that final note for so long that it may reverberate with us forever."
