James Bond

The recipe for a good James Bond film includes explosive gadgets, luxury cars, exotic locations, and a song performed by a star. Hits have followed one another from Paul McCartney’s Live and Let Die (1973) to Madonna’s Die Another Day (2002) and Adele’s Skyfall (2012). But it was English composer John Barry who, with his eleven soundtracks over nearly 25 years (1963–87)—including Goldfinger (1964) and Diamonds Are Forever (1971) with Sean Connery—best defined the instantly recognizable sound of Agent 007: powerful brass, jazzy harmonies, and syncopated rhythms.