My Top 10 James Bond Themes

Hey, It’s Tony Harris, Operations Director and Music Director of 102.9 MGK. I’ve been with MGK for almost 24 years and one thing I’ve learned from all of you is you absolutely love lists. Countdown lists, Top 10, Top 20, Philly 500, Beatles A to Z..LISTS RULE! So, let’s start with a topic that’s timely. I've got a list of my top 10 James Bond themes, and the movies that made them famous.

Anyone can look at one and agree or disagree with the “rank” of something made by one person (in this case it’s me) by what they feel may be higher or lower in their own experience. That’s the fun in list personalization!

In this list of my top 10 James Bond themes, you’ll find some you’ll agree with. I went for the overall vocal/instrumental performance and how it relates to the screenplay as well as the Bond legacy and mystique.

So whether you “shake it” or  “stir it,” let’s dig into my Top 10 James Bond themes. Here are my top picks for the music that accompanied and reinforced each Bond Chapter.

At #1, The James Bond Theme has and always will set the stage for the entire series. It's a brilliant and dynamic piece of music that even symphony orchestras at times play in their programs. It might not have been the first theme piece in the spy genre, but there’s no denying it influenced countless other themes in both movies and TV for decades to come.

If not for that theme, the show-stopping stellar vocal performance of Dame Shirley Bassey on Goldfinger would be my #1 without question. And thanks to Paul McCartney, Bond will always be linked to Classic Rock.

Soundtracks are a magical thing. They can make or break a moment in a movie or TV scene and add a new level of emotion.

Sometimes, movies and TV shows will look to modern songs to soundtrack a scene. However, there are plenty of examples of a film or a show going back in time to find a song that perfectly complements a moment. Oftentimes, using a more seasoned song, as opposed to a newer track, can help make a moment even more memorable.

A great example of this is the use of The Knack's "My Sharona" in 1994's Reality Bites. Oh, you’ve never whimsically danced in the food mart of a gas station? Then you never really have lived! Sometimes, you just have to dance in public with your friends.

Who can forget the use of "Miserlou" in Pulp Fiction? Can you imagine the opening credits of Quentin Tarantino's hit without this Dick Dale classic? Exactly.

Tarantino really enjoys showcasing classic tunes in his movies. His inclusion of the Stealers Wheel's song "Stuck in the Middle With You" in Reservoir Dogs helped introduce the one-hit wonder to a whole new audience. Sure, it was used during an incredibly grizzly scene, but it's proof of how effective music moments like these are.

John Hughes often liked to highlight artists of the day in his many classic movies, but in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, he went back to the '60s for this magic moment. In perhaps the greatest lip sync performance outside of RuPaul's Drag Race, Matthew Broderick’s Ferris Bueller transforms Chicago’s Von Steuben Day Parade into the party of the year with some help from Wayne Newton and The Beatles.

From iconic films to contemporary series, here are nine songs that got a second life in modern movies and TV shows.

Season four of Stranger Things was very good to Kate Bush. After the Netflix series used her 1985 song in the show, it became a sensation in the summer of 2022. The track eventually peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in July. Additionally, CBS News reported Bush earned a whopping $2.3 million in streaming royalties between May 27 and June 23.

Season four of Stranger Things was also very good to Metallica. Their classic track "Master of Puppets" was featured in the season finale of the Netflix show and helped introduce the band to a whole new slate of fans. Thanks to its use in the show, "Master of Puppets entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time since its initial release in 1986. The track would peak at number 35.

Nearly any song from the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack could’ve made this list. However, it’s difficult not to highlight this Redbone tune that plays during the opening credits. The soundtrack would go on to top the Billboard 200 chart and sell over one million copies. (Seriously, this soundtrack is an absolute banger. Way to make this happen, director James Gunn!

To this day, it’s hard setting an alarm clock at 6:00 AM without thinking about Sonny & Cher. Sure, Bill Murray's character, Phil Connors, went partially crazy after reliving the same day over and over again. There's a good chance this song got old very quick. But, for the rest of us, it's just a good time.

Cheesy? Yes. A memorable way to pick up a woman at a bar? Also, yes. Even though Maverick initially “crashed and burned” while singing this Righteous Brothers classic with the help of his fellow naval aviators, he still got the girl in the end. 

Four years later, The Righteous Brothers were provided the soundtrack to another memorable movie moment. This time it was the infamous pottery wheel scene from Ghost. The song and scene were so popular that "Unchained Melody" reentered the Billboard Hot 100 and would peak at number 13. It's understandable why. Just relieve the magic below.

Not only did this instrumental from The Champs soundtrack this hilarious moment, it gave the world that dance we’ve all done. Perhaps you did it while drinking tequila. Seriously, this whole moment shouldn't work at all. That's just another example of just how wonderful Pee-Wee Herman was.

“Who needs reasons when you’ve got heroin?” Trainspotting doesn’t waste any time cutting to the chase, and it does so all while being soundtracked by this Iggy Pop classic. With the exception of "Stuck in the Middle of You," this might be the darkest example on this list.

Surely, this list wouldn’t be complete without “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Thanks to its use in Wayne’s World, “Bohemian Rhapsody” re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number two, seven spots higher than when it was originally released. If you've made it this far, there's a good chance you created this scene in the car with your friends, too.