Bond movies do appallingly badly in all categories at the Oscars: they won two, then waited another forty seven years before winning another two (and one of those they had to share). My personal theory about this is that Bond films take an American genre (the action film) and do it really well without needing any American technicians and actors i.e. the Academy voters. This includes the music: a quick reminder that neither John Barry nor David Arnold received an Oscar nomination for their Bond music, and the only times the score was nominated (The Spy Who Loved Me and Skyfall), it was composed by an American. Similarly, the Bond songs, one of the most famous parts of the 007 formula, have only been nominated when they've been written by an American (Nobody Does It Better and For Your Eyes Only) or when they've been written by a megastar the Academy can't really ignore (Paul McCartney and Adele). (Sam Smith has sneaked in because it's a bad year, I feel).
It's made me wonder; did Bond themes deserve to be nominated? What were the amazing songs that stopped Goldfinger or A View To A Kill from being in with a chance of winning a tiny naked gold man? I've referred to Wikipedia and YouTube and Spotify to find out.
1962: Dr No. Eligible songs: "Kingston Calypso", "Jamaica Jump Up", "Underneath the Mango Tree"
The nominees that year (I've underlined the winner):
"Days Of Wine And Roses" from Days of Wine and Roses -- Music by Henry Mancini; Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
"Love Song From Mutiny On The Bounty (Follow Me)" from Mutiny on the Bounty -- Music by Bronislau Kaper; Lyrics by Paul Francis Webster
"Song From Two For The Seesaw (Second Chance)" from Two for the Seesaw -- Music by Andre Previn; Lyrics by Dory Langdon
"Tender Is The Night" from Tender Is the Night -- Music by Sammy Fain; Lyrics by Paul Francis Webster
"Walk On The Wild Side" from Walk on the Wild Side -- Music by Elmer Bernstein; Lyrics by Mack David
Not a great start for the Bond movies, musically - none of Monty Norman's tunes are real classics. They're certainly not as good as Days of Wine and Roses or Tender Is The Night, a couple of standards. I'm amused by the idea of there being a "Love Song from Mutiny On The Bounty", presumably charting the torrid shipboard lusts of Fletcher Christian and William Bligh.
1963: From Russia With Love. Eligible song: "From Russia With Love".
"Call Me Irresponsible" from Papa's Delicate Condition -- Music by James Van Heusen; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn
"Charade" from Charade -- Music by Henry Mancini; Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
"It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" from It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World -- Music by Ernest Gold; Lyrics by Mack David
"So Little Time" from 55 Days at Peking -- Music by Dimitri Tiomkin; Lyrics by Paul Francis Webster
"More" from Mondo Cane -- Music by Riz Ortolani and Nino Oliviero; Lyrics by Norman Newell
Looking at these nominees it becomes clear why America rushed headlong into the Beatles' open arms. From Russia With Love would have slotted in nicely alongside these jazz-influenced ballads performed by honey-voiced crooners. I mean, did you know that Call Me Irresponsible was written the same year as I Want To Hold Your Hand? There's an actual generation's gap between the two.
1964: Goldfinger. Eligible song: "Goldfinger"
"Chim Chim Cher-ee" from Mary Poppins -- Music and Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman
"Dear Heart" from Dear Heart -- Music by Henry Mancini; Lyrics by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans
"Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte" from Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte -- Music by Frank DeVol; Lyrics by Mack David
"My Kind Of Town" from Robin and the 7 Hoods -- Music by James Van Heusen; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn
"Where Love Has Gone" from Where Love Has Gone -- Music by James Van Heusen; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn
This is where we get into genuine snubs. Chim Chim Cher-ee - ok, that's a proper classic. Goldfinger probably shouldn't beat that for the Oscar (though personally I prefer Supercalifrajilisticexpialidocious). The other songs though? You could probably make a case for My Kind Of Town, but Dear Heart? Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte? Even Radio 2 would reject them for being too staid and tedious. Goldfinger was robbed of a slot on this list.
1965: Thunderball. Eligible song: "Thunderball"
"The Ballad Of Cat Ballou" from Cat Ballou -- Music by Jerry Livingston; Lyrics by Mack David
"I Will Wait For You" from The Umbrellas of Cherbourg -- Music by Michel Legrand; Lyrics by Jacques Demy; English Lyrics by Norman Gimbel
"The Shadow Of Your Smile" from The Sandpiper -- Music by Johnny Mandel; Lyrics by Paul Francis Webster
"The Sweetheart Tree" from The Great Race -- Music by Henry Mancini; Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
"What's New Pussycat?" from What's New Pussycat? -- Music by Burt Bacharach; Lyrics by Hal David
1967: You Only Live Twice. Eligible song: "You Only Live Twice"
"The Bare Necessities" from The Jungle Book -- Music and Lyrics by Terry Gilkyson
"The Eyes Of Love" from Banning -- Music by Quincy Jones; Lyrics by Bob Russell
"The Look Of Love" from Casino Royale -- Music by Burt Bacharach; Lyrics by Hal David
"Talk To The Animals" from Doctor Dolittle -- Music and Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse
"Thoroughly Modern Millie" from Thoroughly Modern Millie -- Music and Lyrics by James Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn
The presence of The Look of Love on this list must have been especially galling to Saltzman and Broccoli, though it's hard to argue You Only Live Twice is a better song. YOLT is definitely a better song than Talk To The Animals, a dreadful piece of rubbish that won thanks to Fox basically ordering its employees to vote for it. The Bond theme is certainly better than The Eyes of Love and Thoroughly Modern Millie, the theme to one of those horrible three hour long musicals that the studios kept pumping out at the tail end of the Sixties then wondered why no-one was going to the pictures any more.
1969: On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Eligible songs: "We Have All The Time In The World", "Do You Know How Christmas Trees Are Grown?"
"Come Saturday Morning" from The Sterile Cuckoo -- Music by Fred Karlin; Lyrics by Dory Previn
"Jean" from The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie -- Music and Lyrics by Rod McKuen
"Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid -- Music by Burt Bacharach; Lyrics by Hal David
"True Grit" from True Grit -- Music by Elmer Bernstein; Lyrics by Don Black
"What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?" from The Happy Ending -- Music by Michel Legrand; Lyrics by Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman
I'll whisper this, but I think We Have All The Time In The World is a bit overrated. It's alright, but everyone falling over themselves to proclaim it a "forgotten classic" after it was in a beer advert means it's got a better reputation than it deserves. It's certainly no Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head or What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?, put it that way, two evergreens that deserve their nominations. Meanwhile, folky drips take up the rest of the nominations, but they're surprisingly listenable.
1971: Diamonds Are Forever. Eligible song: "Diamonds Are Forever"
"The Age Of Not Believing" from Bedknobs and Broomsticks -- Music and Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman
"All His Children" from Sometimes a Great Notion -- Music by Henry Mancini; Lyrics by Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman
"Bless The Beasts & Children" from Bless the Beasts & Children -- Music and Lyrics by Barry DeVorzon and Perry Botkin, Jr.
"Life Is What You Make It" from Kotch -- Music by Marvin Hamlisch; Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
"Theme From Shaft" from Shaft -- Music and Lyrics by Isaac Hayes
Another classic Bond theme, but better than the Theme from Shaft? Shut yo mouf! I'll let The Age of Not Believing through as well, but the middle three songs are yet more tunes from another era that somehow managed to land in 1971. Bland and unexciting, and certainly no match for the Bass at her finest.
1973: Live and Let Die. Eligible song: "Live and Let Die"
"All That Love Went To Waste" from A Touch of Class -- Music by George Barrie; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn
"Live And Let Die" from Live and Let Die -- Music and Lyrics by Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney
"Love" from Robin Hood -- Music by George Bruns; Lyrics by Floyd Huddleston
"Nice To Be Around" from Cinderella Liberty -- Music by John Williams; Lyrics by Paul Williams
"The Way We Were" from The Way We Were -- Music by Marvin Hamlisch; Lyrics by Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman
An actual Bond theme makes the nominations! And loses, but loses to The Way We Were, which was probably the right decision if we're honest.
1974: The Man With The Golden Gun. Eligible song: "The Man With The Golden Gun"
"Benji's Theme (I Feel Love)" from Benji -- Music by Euel Box; Lyrics by Betty Box
"Blazing Saddles" from Blazing Saddles -- Music by John Morris; Lyrics by Mel Brooks
"Little Prince" from The Little Prince -- Music by Frederick Loewe; Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner
"We May Never Love Like This Again" from The Towering Inferno -- Music and Lyrics by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn
"Wherever Love Takes Me" from Gold -- Music by Elmer Bernstein; Lyrics by Don Black
Listen, I love The Man With The Golden Gun. I think it's insane, which is always a good quality in a Bond theme. Was it deserving of an Oscar nomination? No. Not even slightly.
1977: The Spy Who Loved Me. Eligible song: "Nobody Does It Better"
"Candle On The Water" from Pete's Dragon -- Music and Lyrics by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn
"Nobody Does It Better" from The Spy Who Loved Me -- Music by Marvin Hamlisch; Lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager
"The Slipper And The Rose Waltz (He Danced With Me/She Danced With Me)" from The Slipper and the Rose--The Story of Cinderella -- Music and Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman
"Someone's Waiting For You" from The Rescuers -- Music by Sammy Fain; Lyrics by Carol Connors and Ayn Robbins
"You Light Up My Life" from You Light Up My Life -- Music and Lyrics by Joseph Brooks
Nobody Does It Better was robbed. Absolute true fact. Who even remembers You Light Up My Life these days? A boring ballad from a film starring Didi Conn, for goodness's sake. Though when you see what the Oscar producers did with Nobody Does It Better during the ceremony, their disdain is clear.
1979: Moonraker. Eligible song: "Moonraker"
"I'll Never Say 'Goodbye'" from The Promise -- Music by David Shire; Lyric by Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman
"It Goes Like It Goes" from Norma Rae -- Music by David Shire; Lyric by Norman Gimbel
"It's Easy To Say" from 10 -- Music by Henry Mancini; Lyric by Robert Wells
"The Rainbow Connection" from The Muppet Movie -- Music and Lyric by Paul Williams and Kenny Ascher
"Through The Eyes Of Love" from Ice Castles -- Music by Marvin Hamlisch; Lyric by Carole Bayer Sager
Is there anything more Hollywood than a film about a rabble-rousing union leader having an Oscar-winning theme tune? Not a great year, let's be honest, and there's no sign of disco or punk amongst these tinkly piano love themes. Moonraker is my favourite Bond theme, and it would have slotted in amongst these other ballads quite easily, but you can equally see why it didn't.
1981: For Your Eyes Only. Eligible song: "For Your Eyes Only"
"Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" from Arthur -- Music and Lyric by Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, Christopher Cross and Peter Allen
"Endless Love" from Endless Love -- Music and Lyric by Lionel Richie
"The First Time It Happens" from The Great Muppet Caper -- Music and Lyric by Joe Raposo
"For Your Eyes Only" from For Your Eyes Only -- Music by Bill Conti; Lyric by Mick Leeson
"One More Hour" from Ragtime -- Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
The last time a Bond film would get an Oscar nomination for thirty one years, and it's easy to see why it lost. Arthur's Theme is still a great mellow classic, though I'd have personally given it to Endless Love.
1983: Octopussy. Eligible song: "All Time High"
"Flashdance...What A Feeling" from Flashdance -- Music by Giorgio Moroder; Lyric by Keith Forsey and Irene Cara
"Maniac" from Flashdance -- Music and Lyric by Michael Sembello and Dennis Matkosky
"Over You" from Tender Mercies -- Music and Lyric by Austin Roberts and Bobby Hart
"Papa, Can You Hear Me?" from Yentl -- Music by Michel Legrand; Lyric by Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman
"The Way He Makes Me Feel" from Yentl -- Music by Michel Legrand; Lyric by Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman
There's no way All Time High can compete with those two Flashdance classics; it's at least six or seven years behind, musically. A deserved snubbing, here. (And as for Never Say Never Again - good lord no).
1985: A View To A Kill. Eligible song: "A View To A Kill"
"Miss Celie's Blues (Sister)" from The Color Purple -- Music by Quincy Jones and Rod Temperton; Lyric by Quincy Jones, Rod Temperton and Lionel Richie
"The Power Of Love" from Back to the Future -- Music by Chris Hayes and Johnny Colla; Lyric by Huey Lewis
"Say You, Say Me" from White Nights -- Music and Lyric by Lionel Richie
"Separate Lives (Love Theme From 'White Nights')" from White Nights -- Music and Lyric by Stephen Bishop
"Surprise, Surprise" from A Chorus Line -- Music by Marvin Hamlisch; Lyric by Edward Kleban
The winner is nothing; obviously a consolation prize for Lionel Ritchie because he's, you know, Lionel Ritchie, and they really should have given him an Oscar for Endless Love. A View To A Kill could have slipped in here easily, probably knocking out that rubbish song from A Chorus Line, but good though it is, Huey Lewis beats Duran Duran in my book.
1987: The Living Daylights. Eligible songs: "The Living Daylights" "If There Was A Man" "Where Has Every Body Gone?"
"(I've Had) The Time of My Life" – Dirty Dancing
– Music: Franke Previte, John DeNicola and Donald Markowitz • Lyrics: Franke Previte
"Shakedown" – Beverly Hills Cop II • Music: Harold Faltermeyer and Keith Forsey • Lyrics: Harold Faltermeyer, Keith Forsey and Bob Seger
"Cry Freedom" – Cry Freedom • Music and Lyrics: George Fenton and Jonas Gwangwa
"Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" – Mannequin • Music and Lyrics: Albert Hammond and Diane Warren
"Storybook Love" – The Princess Bride • Music and Lyrics: Willy DeVille
Dirty Dancing is not a touchstone film for me like it is for many others of my age; it's pretty dreadful for the most part. But it really does come alive in that last dance number, so I'll have to say that (I've Had) The Time Of My Life deserved its victory. Plus I like any song with (Unnecessary) Extra Clauses In Brackets. Of The Living Daylights' three songs, If There Was A Man is probably most deserving of a spot here: the title track is just that little bit too weird, and Where Has Every Body Gone? is a bit repetitive. In a thinner year, perhaps, but this year, no.
1989: Licence To Kill. Eligible songs: "Licence To Kill" "Wedding Party" "Dirty Love" "If You Asked Me To"
"Under the Sea" – The Little Mermaid – Music: Alan Menken • Lyrics: Howard Ashman
"After All" – Chances Are • Music: Tom Snow • Lyrics: Dean Pitchford
"Kiss the Girl" – The Little Mermaid • Music: Alan Menkin • Lyrics: Howard Ashman
"I Love To See You Smile" – Parenthood • Music and Lyrics: Randy Newman
"The Girl Who Used To Be Me" – Shirley Valentine • Music: Marvin Hamlisch • Lyrics: Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman
Let's rule out Wedding Party and Dirty Love immediately, what with them being shit and all. Licence To Kill's, ahem, "interesting" writing credits mean it probably wouldn't qualify as an "original" song anyway. But If You Asked Me To, by perennial Oscar loser Diane Warren, is a genuine modern classic, and certainly better than The Randy Newman Song That Sounds Like Every Other Randy Newman Song or the duet between Cher and the inexplicable Peter Cetera. It would have lost to the Disney juggernaut, but it deserved better (and it certainly deserved better than becoming famous thanks to C***** D***).
1995: GoldenEye. Eligible songs: "GoldenEye" "The Experience of Love"
"Colors of the Wind" – Pocahontas – Music: Alan Menken • Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz
"Dead Man Walkin'" – Dead Man Walking • Music and Lyrics: Bruce Springsteen
"Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?" – Don Juan DeMarco • Music and Lyrics: Michael Kamen, Bryan Adams, and Robert John Lange
"Moonlight" – Sabrina • Music: John Williams • Lyrics: Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman
"You've Got a Friend in Me" – Toy Story • Music and lyrics: Randy Newman
This is the height of "give the Disney film the song award", as even a B-picture like Pocohontas walked away with the statuette. None the less, it's a strong year, and GoldenEye was rightly overshadowed, not least because if you were going to give Bono an Oscar nomination that year, Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me was a better song (and, arguably, a better Bond theme). Still that leaves The ExperiHAHAHAHAHA no.
1997: Tomorrow Never Dies. Eligible songs: "Tomorrow Never Dies" "Surrender"
"My Heart Will Go On" – Titanic – Music: James Horner • Lyrics: Will Jennings
"Go the Distance" – Hercules • Music: Alan Menken • Lyrics: David Zippel
"How Do I Live" – Con Air • Music and Lyrics: Diane Warren
"Journey to the Past" – Anastasia • Music: Stephen Flaherty • Lyrics: Lynn Ahrens
"Miss Misery" – Good Will Hunting • Music and Lyrics: Elliott Smith
Sheryl Crow was definitely not going to win against C***** D***, was she? Not in a million years. It's probably about as good as some of the nominees here, but with two animated films, the ubiquitous Diane Warren power ballad, and a song from a Best Picture nominee, it never stood a chance of getting a slot. Surrender is obviously the better song, but if they won't nominate the theme tune, the Academy are not going to nominate the also ran theme.
1999: The World Is Not Enough. Eligible song: "The World Is Not Enough"
"You'll Be in My Heart" – Tarzan – Music and Lyrics: Phil Collins
"Save Me" – Magnolia • Music and Lyrics: Aimee Mann
"Music of My Heart" – Music of the Heart • Music and Lyrics: Diane Warren
"Blame Canada" – South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut • Music and Lyrics: Trey Parker and Marc Shaiman
"When She Loved Me" – Toy Story 2 • Music and Lyrics: Randy Newman
Phil Collins? Really? The World Is Not Enough was better than THAT. Not better than When She Loved Me, which is one of the saddest songs in movie history, or Blame Canada. Again though, I just don't feel that TWINE has the "umf" to push it over the line for an Oscar nominee. It's a great song but just not great enough. (If Only Myself To Blame had remained in the film, I think... it still wouldn't have been nominated).
2002: Die Another Day. Eligible song: "Die Another Day"
"Lose Yourself" – 8 Mile – Music: Eminem, Jeff Bass, and Luis Resto • Lyrics: Eminem
"Burn It Blue" – Frida • Music: Elliot Goldenthal • Lyrics: Julie Taymor
"Father and Daughter" – The Wild Thornberrys Movie • Music and Lyrics: Paul Simon
"The Hands That Built America" – Gangs of New York • Music and Lyrics: Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr. (U2)
"I Move On" – Chicago • Music: John Kander • Lyrics: Fred Ebb
There is absolutely no way on earth that Madonna will ever receive an Academy Award nomination, whether she deserves one or not. On this occasion, she didn't deserve one. (Beautiful Stranger, back in 1999, however? Absolutely).
2006: Casino Royale. Eligible song: "You Know My Name"
"I Need to Wake Up" – An Inconvenient Truth – Music and Lyrics: Melissa Etheridge
"Listen" – Dreamgirls • Music: Henry Krieger and Scott Cutler • Lyrics: Anne Preven
"Love You I Do" – Dreamgirls • Music: Henry Krieger • Lyrics: Siedah Garrett
"Our Town" – Cars • Music and Lyrics: Randy Newman
"Patience" – Dreamgirls • Music: Henry Krieger • Lyrics: Willie Reale
Let's be honest, Dreamgirls didn't need to have THREE nominations here. They could have easily pushed one aside for You Know My Name. That's just selfish.
2008: Quantum of Solace. Eligible song: "Another Way To Die"
"Jai Ho" – Slumdog Millionaire – Music: A. R. Rahman • Lyrics: Gulzar
"Down to Earth" – WALL-E • Music: Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman • Lyrics: Peter Gabriel
"O…Saya" – Slumdog Millionaire • Music and Lyrics: A. R. Rahman and M.I.A.
According to the Academy's rules, there weren't enough songs receiving high marks in 2008 to enable them to nominate five songs. Which should be unfair to Another Way To Die, but... nah. It's You Know My Name's shouty little brother, and is kind of a mess.
2012: Skyfall. Eligible song: "Skyfall"
"Skyfall" – Skyfall – Music and Lyrics: Adele and Paul Epworth
"Before My Time" – Chasing Ice • Music and Lyrics: J. Ralph
"Everybody Needs a Best Friend" – Ted • Music: Walter Murphy • Lyrics: Seth MacFarlane
"Pi's Lullaby" – Life of Pi • Music: Mychael Danna • Lyrics: Bombay Jayashri
"Suddenly" – Les Misérables • Music: Claude-Michel Schönberg • Lyrics: Herbert Kretzmer and Alain Boublil
Yep, Skyfall actually won, and you know what? It deserved to. It's easily the best song there, interesting, distinctive, respectful of the Bond heritage but modern, and performed by a great artist. Well done Adele.
2015: Spectre. Eligible song: "Writing's On The Wall"
"Writing's on the Wall" – Spectre – Music and Lyrics: Jimmy Napes and Sam Smith
"Earned It" from – Fifty Shades of Grey • Music and Lyrics: Belly, Stephan Moccio, Jason "Daheala" Quenneville, and The Weeknd
"Manta Ray" – Racing Extinction • Music: J. Ralph • Lyrics: Anohni
"Simple Song #3" – Youth • Music and Lyrics: David Lang
"Til It Happens to You" – The Hunting Ground • Music and Lyrics: Lady Gaga and Diane Warren
This heap of crap, on the other hand? Writing's On The Wall is not a good song, never mind a good Bond theme, NEVER MIND an Academy Award winner. The other nominees weren't great - when you nominate two songs from documentaries, you're clearly reaching - but there were other film songs last year that were better than Sam Smith's dirge and should have taken their place. Yes, for the one and only time on this list, I'm arguing for a Bond film to be removed from the Oscar nominations. Please do better next time, Babs and Mickey. Beyonce's desperate for an Oscar; give her a call.
