Daniel Craigended his five-movie tenure as the world’s most famous spy with a license to kill in 2021. The actor made a huge splash with his spectacular debut in 2006’sCasino Royale, even if his departure from the role of James Bond was more a fizzle than a bang. Craig starred in two of the all-time best movies in the saga, cementing his place as one of the best actors to ever play 007. Craig’s movies were known for their gritty intensity, grounded action sequences, bleak tone, dry humor, and consistently personal plots that delved deep into Bond’s psyche, his relationship with those few he let in, and his increasingly tenuous connection to a job he never expected to hold on to for so long.
Logically, the Bond themes that accompanied Craig’s movies were suitably gloomy and full of melancholy. Performed by a wide range of artists, from legends of rock and roll like the lateChris Cornellall the way to mainstream performers dominating the current charts likeBillie Eilish, Craig’s Bond themes were as uneven as the five movies he starred in. Yet, some rank among the all-time best songs in the 007 franchise, even if others absolutely rank near the bottom of the long collection.This list will rank all five Bond themes produced during Daniel Craig’s tenure, focusing on the songs themselves, their relation to the movies they belong to, and their place among the overall pantheon of James Bond themes.
5"Another Way to Die" from ‘Quantum of Solace’ (2008)
Music & Lyrics by Jack White, Performed by Jack White & Alicia Keys
The highly anticipated sequel to Craig’s acclaimed debut,Quantum of Solacearrived two years afterCasino Royaleand nearly undid all the goodwill the 2006 hit earned. The plot acts as a direct sequel toCasino Royale, as Bond investigates the mysterious organization Quantum. Soon, he teams up with Camille Montes (Olga Kurylenko) to take down her lover, Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), a terrorist planning to disrupt the Bolivian water supply.The 2007 writers' strike greatly affectedQuantum of Solace, resulting in an uneven product that has aged quite poorly. Indeed, it wouldn’t be an understatement to callQuantum of Solacethe worst of Craig’s Bond movies, and sadly, it also has the worst theme song.
At first glance, the collaboration ofJack WhiteandAlicia Keysmight be incredibly interesting and promising. After all, the two are among their generation’s most versatile and acclaimed performers, talented composers and lyricists who have proven their talent countless times. Yet, the combination yields uneven results in “Another Way to Die,” a song thatdesperately tries to sound interesting by focusing on the most basic of ideasin the Bond canon: trust no one. White and Keys deliver strangely dry and unenthusiastic vocal performances, and the song itself isweirdly over-produced for such an unengaging result, sonically and melodically-wise. As a standalone song separate from the franchise, “Another Way to Die” is just intriguing enough to warrant such a peculiar collaboration. However, as a Bond theme, “Another Way to Die” isas awkward and ultimately unsuccessfulas Lulu’s “The Man with the Golden Gun.”
Quantum of Solace
4"Writing’s on the Wall" from ‘Spectre’ (2015)
Music & Lyrics by Sam Smith & Jimmy Napes, Performed by Sam Smith
FollowingSkyfallwas always going to be a tough task, andSpectredidn’t exactly rise to the challenge. The film brings one of 007’s most timeless enemies, Ernst Stavro Blofeld and the Spectre organization, into the world of Craig’s grounded Bond. As Bond discovers a mystery from his past that connects him to Spectre, he finds new allies and enemies along the way.Perennial bad guyChristoph Waltzplays Blofeld, whileLéa Seydouxjoins the saga as Madeleine Swann, a psychiatrist who becomes one of Bond’s most meaningful connections.
It’s curious how in-tune the theme songs of Craig’s era are with their respective movies; in this case,Spectreis as by-the-numbers as its song,Sam Smith’s Oscar-winning ballad “Writing’s on the Wall.” The main issue here ishow indebted it is to Adele’s soaring “Skyfall"and how much it tries to emulate it. From the melodramatic orchestration — granted, a staple of Bond themes, albeit one that hadn’t been used since 1999’s “The World Is Not Enough” — tothe elusive lyrics that opt for a broader approachwith little connection to the actual plot, “Writing’s on the Wall” isthe musical representation of “Skyfall at home.“Smith’s well-known vocals are perfectly suitable and decidedly soulful, but the lyrics aren’t as profound as he seems to think they are. In hindsight, it’s truly baffling how such a plain ballad won the Oscar over more worthy efforts that year, mainlyLady GagaandDiane Warren’s powerful and anthemic “Til It Happens to You.”
3"No Time to Die” from ‘No Time to Die’ (2021)
Music & Lyrics by Billie Eilish & Phinneas O’Connell, Performed by Phinneas O’Connell
Craig’s departure from the James Bond rolecame six years afterSpectre, following numerous delays, a pandemic, and a few contradictory reports regarding his future in the saga.No Time to Diesees Bond settle in seemingly blissful domesticity with Swann before his world comes crumbling down. As he is dragged back to active service to rescue a kidnapped scientist, Bond stumbles upon an even more dangerous plot against a mysterious enemy with powerful weapons at his disposal.
No Time to Diefeatures yet another piano ballad, but this one hasa more defined identity that allows it to occasionally soar. Written by multi-Grammy-winnersBillie EilishandPhinneas O’Connelland performed by Eilish, “No Time to Die” is a safe but quite solid Bond theme.It’s sorrowful and soft, in line with Eilish’s previous efforts. However, her distinctive approach fits both the plot ofNo Time to Dieand the overall bittersweet theme of saying goodbye to Craig, this time for good. More importantly,“No Time to Die” is cinematic, starting slow and building to a powerful crescendo that lets Eilish showcase some of her cleanest and most purposeful vocal deliveries. As a Bond theme, “No Time to Die” is familiar but with a strong enough punch to confidently stand next to the likes of “Live and Let Die” and “Nobody Does It Better” with its head held high. It became the third Bond theme to win the Oscar for Best Original Song, and it was quite deserved.
No Time to Die
2"Skyfall” from ‘Skyfall’ (2012)
Music & Lyrics by Adele Adkins & Paul Epworth, Performed by Adele
Skyfallis arguably the peak of the Craig era in terms of acclaim, box office success, and mainstream recognition. The film was nominated for five Oscars and won two, including Best Original Song, and earned over a billion at the worldwide box office, becoming the highest-grossing Bond movie of all time. In it, Bond must protect M (DameJudi Dench) from Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem), a former MI6 agent and cyberterrorist who seeks revenge against her for seemingly betraying him.Skyfallis an outlier in the series,focusing entirely on Bond’s bond with Mto the point where she is arguably the Bond Girl in the story.
In 2012, Adele was on top of the world. Her 2011 album21catapulted her to international success, earning rave reviews and numerous accolades, including six Grammys. If there was ever a perfect match between an artist and a franchise at the peak of their respective abilities, it was this one. The result was “Skyfall,” a powerful ballad thatdefined the sound of every Bond theme that followed. With poignantlyrics that evoke rather than retell the film’s themesand a haunting rendition from Adele that recalls the might ofShirley Basseywithout ever imitating her, “Skyfall” is a pretty perfect Bond theme. It’sgrandiose and larger-than-life without being self-indulgent, a rare and ambitious feat for any song. It became the first tune from the series to win the Oscar for Best Original Song, and it couldn’t have happened at a better time.
1"You Know My Name” from ‘Casino Royale’ (2006)
Music & Lyrics by Chris Cornell & David Arnold, Performed by Chris Cornell
Craig’s debut as 007 was in 2006’sCasino Royale, directed byMartin Campbell. The film acts as an origin story of sorts for Bond, as he is recruited into the 00 program and receives his license to kill. For his first major mission, Bond goes undercover at a prestigious poker tournament in Montenegro to bankrupt dangerous terrorist financier Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen). Joining Bond and Mikkelsen are Eva Green as Vesper Lynd, a representative for the British Treasury and one ofthe all-time best Bond girls, and Dench as M.
Casino Royalewas a radical reinvention of the Bond formula, and it neededan equally disruptive theme song. Enter the lateChris Cornell, the vocalist of the bands Soundgarden and Audioslave and a bonafide rock star. Joined byDavid Arnold, in his only contribution to the songs of the Craig era, Cornell crafted a furious hard-rock song that instantly stands out among the Bond catalog. “You Know My Name"forsakes the suave approach of previous Bond themesin favor of a down-and-dirty approach perfect for this new iteration of the iconic spy. “You Know My Name” issleek, instantly iconic, aloof, and full of bravado, just like Craig’s Bond. It’s the perfect encapsulation of who Craig’s 007 is, setting the stage for his five-movie tenure that would come to be seen as one of the best in the character’s history. “The coldest blood runs through my veins, you know my name.” Few other words have ever described a character with such succinct genius.
