The Best of Bond

Sean Connery as Bond, James Bond.

For over 40 years, James Bond has been thrilling movie audiences with his exploits. In a world constantly in flux, he has remained a constant. Although five different actors have portrayed the suave secret agent, he has remained a cinematic icon. The movie series has had its up and its down, but even a bad Bond movie has its redeeming features. Here’s our picks for the very best Bond movies produced to date.

1. Goldfinger (1964) - The blueprint for all future Bond movies. Connery in his prime and who can forget that Aston Martin.
2. For Your Eyes Only (1981) - On the whole, Roger Moore was the worst of the actors to play James Bond, but for this movie he managed to bring back all that was good about the series.
3. Dr. No (1962) - The very first Bond movie and one of the few that shows 007 as the cold-blooded killer that really is.
4. Living Daylights (1987) - After too many years of overblown gadgets and comedy, Timothy Dalton returned the Bond movies to their roots with this often overlooked Bond classic.
5. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) - Brosnan's second outing and one of his best.
6. The World is not Enough (1999) - By the time Brosnan's third outing as Bond came along, it was obvious that he was second only to Connery as the best of the Bonds.
7. Diamonds are Forever (1971) - Campy and over the top, this is one of the funnest of all the Bond films.
8. Goldeneye (1995) - Brosnan, Pierce Brosnan. After six years, the longest amount of time between Bond films, he came back with a vengance.
9. From Russia with Love (1963) - Perhaps the most faithful to the original book upon which it was based, it is remembered most for the fight on the train.
10. Thunderball (1965) - When it comes to Bond plots, this one's the most remembered. As Dr. Evil would say, years later in Austin Powers, "Shit, let's just do what we always do, hijack a nuclear device and hold the world to ransom."

Song:
Bond themes, besides helping to set mood and tempo, have become a status symbol for pop musicians. Artists as diverse as Nancy Sinatra, Tina Turner, Tom Jones, Sheryl Crow and Madonna have all taken a turn singing for the world's coolest spy. Styles have ranged from sixties lounge music to sultry ballads, eighties synth-pop to straightforward rock & roll and even techno dance music. An impressive five Bond themes have ranked in the Billboard top ten with one going all the way to the top spot. Here's our list of the ten most memorable...

1. For Your Eyes Only...Sheena Easton - The only singer to appear on screen singing during the opening credits. #4 on Billboard singles chart in 1981.
2. Goldfinger....Shirley Bassey - Her first of three Bond songs and the theme for our number one Bond movie. #8 on Billboard singles chart in 1965.
3. A View to a Kill....Duran Duran - They were the biggest British band at the time and they had the required mix of sophistication and cool. #1 on Billboard singles chart in 1985.
4. Diamonds are Forever...Shirley Bassey - Hers is the voice of Bond, powerful and sexy.
5. Nobody Does it Better...Carly Simon - The best homage to Bond love theme. #2 on Billboard singles chart in 1977.
6. The World is not Enough...Garbage - Despite their name this band struck just the right Bond note with lead singer Shirley Manson's sexy vocals.
7. We Have all the Time in the World (Diamonds are Forever)....Louis Armstrong - Has little to do with any Bond movie, but it is an awesome song.
8. Live and Let Die...Paul McCartney and Wings - This was the first Bond theme to rock, musically speaking it brought the franchise into the seventies. #2 on Billboard singles chart in 1973.
9. Man with the Golden Gun...Lulu - Lulu's rocking vocals and spirited delivery makes this song far more memorable than the movie of the same name.
10. Moonraker...Shirley Bassey - Her weakest song, but not because of her singing, also her last Bond theme to date.

Bond Girl:
To be a Bond girl, there is only one requirement. You have got to be hot! Nationality, ethnic background and political affiliation mean nothing. When it comes to sex, Bond is very bipartisan. Here is our top ten Bond babes

1. Ursula Andress .... Honey Ryder (Dr. No) - The original who set the standard for all babes to come
2. Barbara Carrera .... Fatima Blush (Never Say Never Again) - The most gloriously over the top bad Bond babe
3. Michelle Yeoh .... Wai Lin (Tomorrow Never Dies) - Before Halle, Michelle was the female match to Bond
4. Famke Janssen .... Xenia Onatopp (Goldeneye) - a close second to Carrera for bad Bond babe
5. Maude Adams....Octopussy (Octopussy) - The name is more funny than sexy, but wow is she gorgeous
6. Diana Rigg .... Tracy Bond (On Her Majesty's Secret Service) - the only Bond Babe to get 007 to the Altar, of course she died right afterwards
7. Halle Berry .... Jinx (Die Another Day) - she's Halle!
8. Jill St. John .... Tiffany Case (Diamonds are Forever) - campy, but fits the movie perfectly
9. Honor Blackman .... Pussy Galore (Goldfinger) - For the name alone, she makes the list
10. Teri Hatcher....Paris Carver (Tommorow Never Dies) - Limited screen time, but she has more of a character than most of the babes who live through the whole movie