James Bond: Ranking The Theme Songs From Worst To Best

5. Thunderball - Tom Jones

Thunderball

Description: If you're going to talk about Bond songs, you don't even leave the room without paying tribute to the great Sir Tom Jones. A bit of a 007 himself when it came to the music scene (at least, as far as his image was concerned), Jones was brought in at the last minute to belt out Don Black's legendary tune of the same name as the film. Not satisfied with a slow build up, the theme starts automatically with a sting of horns and Sir Tom's smoky voice, playing up the danger and the unrelenting egoism of the possessor of the eponymous Thunderball. No mercy is given, no chord wasted, and full energy abounds as a true living legend put so much effort into his work, that he almost passed out at the end of the job. Choice Lyrics: "He knows the meaning of success. His needs are more, so he gives less. They call him the winner who takes all. So he strikes, like Thunderball." This works for either Bond or villain Emilo Largo, because like most good Bond villains, all it takes is a little creative thinking to see that the hero and the villain are mirrored reflections. Unrelenting, unyielding, willing to go to great lengths to take what's "rightfully" theirs, this is the anthem for their kind and the struggle they shall forever endure.
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Mike Reyes may or may not be a Time Lord, but he's definitely the Doctor Who editor here at What Culture. In addition to his work at What Culture, Mr. Reyes writes for Cocktails and Movies, as well as his own personal blogs Mr. Controversy and The Bookish Kind. On top of that, he's also got a couple Short Stories and Novels in various states of completion, like any good writer worth their salt. He resides in New Jersey, and compiles his work from all publications on his Facebook page.