Bond, James Bond.

Like wine, James bond's themes age better with time. Everyone has their Bond. For some it will always be Connery, and other will swear by Moore. There are few Misteps. From the guitar riff of Dr. No to the dreamlike melody of No time to die, Bond themes are iconic. With each new Bond flick, the producers will recruit top-tier talent to give Bond a musical edge. I discovered Bond in the Brosnan era when one-liners and narrow escapes were still the thing. When Bond was a superspy and Meglomania was still in demand.

You may not have noticed the star power behind the themes until Billie Eilish, but as far back as the 70's, Bond has had the likes of Carly Simon, Gladys Knight, and Paul McCartney. It's not all pop culture. License to Kill and Nobody does it better have a heartfelt tone that would be home in an 80's romance flick. Skyfall reached #8 on Billboards top 100.

Recently, I had the privilege of listening to renditions, ala 007 plays the classic by the Las Vegas Philharmonic orhcestra. Here is my take on some of the best Bond themes.

Skyfall

2012 was a good year for Bond. Not only did his movie gross over a billion in box office, with one of the best receptions since Casino Royale, but the theme song was sung by none other than Adele. This was not the end for the theme song, that went to reach #8 on the top 100. It had all the cards going for it. Her voice is captivating from the very first lyric, and her voice effortlessly carries the rest of the song, right through to the end. Enough said.

No Time to Die -- Bilie Eillish

No Time To Die has grown on me since it was first released. At first the muted tones were a bit jarring. Eillish keeps to her signature style. Its bittersweet. At first I waited for the second verse, when Bond themes normally open up. Here, that verse is a similar melody than the first. You don't listen to this song by comparison, you have to appreciate it for what it is. Taken together with the lyrics, it conveys the level of sorrow of parting with the love of your life at a train station, dragging your feet to the local watering hole, and spending the next 18 hours of your life, rethinking every other hour. No Time To Die - Plenty of time for introspection.

You know my Name - Chris Cornell

Fresh from the Brosnan Era, things were looking Dark for James Bond. Die Another Day had fizzled at box office, and then along came Daniel Craig, filling in the huge shoes left by Brosnan. Craig added a darker, grittier, more realistic tone. Bond bled and cried. He was more human, he could wounded or killed. He could be tied to a chair naked and well, you know where that is going. The theme was sung by none other than the late Chris Cornell -- God rest his soul. I've seen diamonds cut through other themes, but this anthem deserves a place among the best.

Tomorrow never dies. - Sheryl Crow

Sheryl Crow can sing, with considerable range. Tomorrow never dies has the honky tonk rythm of Perry Mason, with an undercurrent of Bond motif. I like both the original and orchestral version of this song. The orchestral version is like painting with clouds. Crow's voice gives Tommorow never dies a distinct aftermath of a femme fatale vibe about it. James Bond may have a better themes song, or a recurrance from Crow but Until That daaaaaaaaaaay!

Nobody does it Better -- Carly Simon.

I wasn't looking, but somehow I found this bond song, before I skipped the shapely shillouettes of the titular credit sequence. The spy who loved me, features one of the best Bond themes period, Lyrically and compositely. Martin Hamlisch did a phenomenal job tailoring the music to match Simon's voice. It's one of the rare occasions where the words match the music. For a song that's only 3 mins in length, you could hardly do better than this theme.

License to Kill - Gladys Knight.

Please don't think you'll ever escape me, once I get my sights on you. The year was 1989, and Bond was Changing. Not only is License to Kill one of the grittier bonds, earning a PG-13 rating at the time, but it features one of the best Bond themes, sung by none other than Gladys Knight. The lyrics are somewhat at odds with the tonality of the film. Either way, good job.