James Bond has been a cinematic icon for almost 60 years. No other film subject has had such an enduring presence, yielding new movies every few years. And what makes a successful James Bond theme song? The music should convey a touch of mystery, seduction, excitement, danger. There’s also room for a touch of humor. While the Bond films have tried on a variety of styles over the years—cabaret, R&B, rock, pop, adult contemporary—the most successful have felt integrated with the movie, stimulating the imagination. Here’s my take on ranking the 25 theme songs to date.
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It’s easy to write a strange song. Much harder to craft a song that musically captures the idea while still being beautiful. Here are the top 10 songs with “strange” in the title. In each case, the music has unusual elements that highlight the feeling of strangeness. They span the decades and represent different genres. I’ve listed additional songs after the top 10. Because the word “stranger” denotes something quite different from “strange,” I’ve omitted those songs from the list. Continue reading →
The lists below, broken out by days of the week, reflect the best songs that have days in their titles. I’ve generally omitted covers in favor of the original versions, unless the cover is especially popular or noteworthy. Each embedded playlist offers a short sample of the song, or you can click on the playlist link to hear the complete songs. At the end of each section you’ll find a link to a more comprehensive list of songs for the days of the week. 
This is a list of witch songs. That is, songs about witches. You’ll find these songs in just about every genre from jazz to rock to soul to Broadway to rap, decade after decade, proving the enduring power of the imagery. Especially as a metaphor for the enchantment of love. Often the lure is tinged with danger. Or at least mystery. I’ve selected thirteen of the best, most enchanting tunes for the first part of the list. In the second part you’ll find a compilation of additional songs. While many more songs reference witches in passing (like “Sister Janet” by Tori Amos), this list focuses on witches as the main subject of the song. And for the most part, these are the original recordings, not covers.