The Only James Bond Theme Songs To Win At The Oscars

Adele is one of the most accomplished singers of her generation. In addition to being one of the world’s best-selling musicians, she’s won 16 Grammys, 18 Billboard Music Awards, 12 Brit Awards, five American Music Awards, and  among her other accolades, her “Skyfall” theme got James Bond an Oscar. 

James Bond movies have followed a winning formula that’s kept 007 on movie screens for 60+ plus years, and that formula follows a few trademarks: Beautiful women, super-villain lairs with death traps, lots of guns, terrible puns, etc. Before the adventure truly kicks off, though, Bond films must have a lavish title sequence with a custom-composed song.

The first two Bond films, “Dr. No” and “From Russia With Love,” actually used instrumental openings. Then for the third (and some say best) Bond film, “Goldfinger,” the theme song had lyrics — written by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse, and sung by Shirley Bassey. “Goldfinger” the song is a lot like “Goldfinger” the movie: It may not be high art, but it sure is catchy. (“Goldfinger … Beckons you to enter his web of sin … But don’t go in!”)

“Goldfinger” then kickstarted the tradition of lyrical James Bond theme songs, which then snowballed into each new film getting a celebrity musician to write the theme song. Bond songwriters/singers have included huge names like Paul McCartney (“Live and Let Die”), Tina Turner (“GoldenEye”), and Madonna (“Die Another Day”).

Even before Adele, Daniel Craig’s Bond run recruited some especially impressive musicians: Chris Cornell (“Casino Royale”), and then Jack White and Alicia Keys (“Quantum of Solace”). For “Skyfall,” Sony Pictures Music’s Lia Vollack wanted a classical Bond theme like the ones Bassey had sung. She concluded Adele was the woman for the job: “Adele has this soulful, haunting, evocative quality, and she’s a great writer. Stylistically, it just felt right to bring back that classic Shirley Bassey feel that you associate with those early Bond films.”

Mixed with the film’s stylish aquatic title sequence, Adele’s “Skyfall” became a widely-acclaimed hit. The only other movie-original song I can remember making a similar impact in the modern era is “Shallow” from 2018’s “A Star Is Born.” So, no surprise, “Skyfall” (the song) netted Best Original Song at the 85th Academy Awards, winning alongside “Skyfall” (the film) composer Thomas Newman for Best Original Score. But did the good will from “Skyfall” carry the following Bond themes?