Sorry, Sam Smith: the writing is on the wall and it clearly states there were many Bond themes that were way better than yours. While all the 007 tunes pack enough drama, suspense and sex we had to settle with these eight in light of the Specter worldwide premiere. Get your guns and vodka Martinis ready and enjoy some truly epic numbers.

Adele – “Skyfall” from 'Skyfall' (2012)

Well, hello, it’s Adele we’re talking about, so everyone pretty much knew beforehand that her Bond theme would be: a) epic as hell and b) heavenly dramatic. Apparently, Adele was hesitant about writing a theme for the movie, reminding the crew that her songs are usually too persona,l which was exactly what Sam Mendes wanted for his movie. Adele agreed as soon as she read the dark script for the movie and eventually won all kinds of awards for her grand 007 number.

Shirley Bassey – “Goldfinger” from 'Goldfinger' (1964)

When you think about it, Shirley Bassey was the Bond girl to end all Bond girls, as the renowned Welsh chanteuse recorded not one, but three Bond themes— for Goldfinger (1964), Diamonds Are Forever (1971) and Moonraker (1979). Apparently it’s wiser to fall for a writer than a producer, as Bassey was dating John Barry, who wrote “Goldfinger”’s lyrics and offered it to the singer. Can you believe Bond producer Harry Saltzman almost cut the song from the movie, as he openly hated the triumphant tune? No gold for him!

Nancy Sinatra – “You Only Live Twice” from 'You Only Live Twice' (1967)

As legend has it, Nancy Sinatra was extremely nervous during the recordings of her Bond theme and it took almost 25 takes for her to get it right. But when she finally did, she struck gold (to this day “You Only Live Twice” is one of the most popular 007 themes, which is constantly covered and sampled by all sorts of artists). So despite its promise in the title, the song lived more than twice.

Garbage – “The World Is Not Enough” from 'The World Is Not Enough' (1999)

Nothing like a bad girl served on a timebomb, right?! Garbage’s frontlady Shirley Manson made a properly killer Terminator in The Sarah Connor Chronicles series, which would’ve been impossible without her stint as a bombastic android in the song’s remarkable music video. It makes us think she could even become a worthy Bond girl. (Or more realistically, a deadly cherry-lipped vixen.) As for the song, it was everything you’d want from a Bond theme: epic scale, raw ambition and exuberant sensuality with Manson reaching a perfect place between Garbage’s mid-‘90s angst and Shirley Bassey-esque grace.

Sheryl Crow – “Tomorrow Never Dies” from 'Tomorrow Never Dies' (1997)

To this day, the critics are skeptical about the decision to pick Sheryl Crow for the karaoke-destroying Tomorrow Never Dies main theme. But even if Crow’s vocals fall on the softer side (especially compared to some of the other Bond-approved divas), the song is still one of the catchiest and most dramatic in 007 history. Now all we wanna do is turn up this ballad to the max and have a killer sing-along session.

Duran Duran – “A View To A Kill” from 'A View To A Kill' (1985)

The Bond themes rarely surpass their soundtrack status, but English new wavers scored a huge hit with their spytastic synthpop banger, which became one of the band’s staple numbers and also topped the US chart. As bassist/Bond fanatic John Taylor remarks, he approached the Bond producer Albert Broccoli at a party and pitched an idea for a song that would be better than the last few 007 themes. Apparently Broccoli was taken with the musician’s passion and gave Duran Duran a go. A smart producer he was!

Paul McCartney and Wings – “Live And Let Die” from 'Live And Let Die' (1973)

Many of The Beatles fans hold this tune close to their heart, as the song saw McCartney re-uniting with the band’s producer George Martin. The song had to be written even before the screenplay for the movie was finished, so McCartney looked for an inspiration in the original novel and also had to convince the producers to let his band Wings perform the track, as they originally wanted a female vocalist. Sir Paul knew what he was doing: “Live And Let Die” became the first Bond theme to score an Academy Award For Best Original Song.

Tina Turner – “GoldenEye” from 'GoldenEye' (1995)

Try saying the names Bond, Tina Turner and Bono in one sentence and feel yourself shaking in the awe of the collective swagger. The U2 frontman-penned song was produced by Nellee Hooper, a frequent Madonna and Soul II Soul collaborator, which explains the theme’s transparent sexual energy. Also when it comes to sensual vocals, Tina Turner is simply the best.