Adele is one of the most successful singers of her generation. In addition to being one of the world's best-selling musicians, she has won 16 Grammys, 18 Billboard Music Awards, 12 Brit Awards, five American Music Awards, and among her other accolades, her theme song "Skyfall" won a James Bond Oscar.

The James Bond movies have followed the winning formula that has kept 007 on screen for 60+ years, and that formula follows several trademarks: Beautiful women, super-villains with death traps, lots of guns, terrible puns, etc. Where the adventure really begins, however, the Bond films must have a sumptuous title sequence with a custom-composed song.

The first two Bond films, Dr. No and From Russia With Love, actually used instrumental openings. Then for the third (and some say the best) Bond film, Goldfinger, the theme song had lyrics - written by Anthony Newley and Lesley Bricus, and sung by Shirley Bassey. The song "Goldfinger" is a lot like the movie "Goldfinger": It may not be high art, but it sure is catchy. ("Goldfinger... Beckons you to enter his web of sin... But don't enter!")

Goldfinger then started the tradition of James Bond lyric songswhich then made its way into each new film, getting a famous musician to write the theme. Bond's songwriters/singers included huge names like Paul McCartney ("Live and Let Die"), Tina Turner ("GoldenEye") and Madonna ("Die Another Day").

Even before Adele, Daniel Craig's Bond run recruited some particularly impressive musicians: Chris Cornell ("Casino Royale") and then Jack White and Alicia Keys ("Quantum of Solace"). For Skyfall, Sony Pictures Music's Leah Wolak wanted a classic Bond theme like the one sung by Basie. She concluded that Adele was the woman for the job: “Adele has this ghostly, haunting, evocative quality, and she's a great writer. Stylistically, it felt right to bring back that classic Shirley Basie feel that you associate with those early Bond films."

Mixed with the film's stylish aquatic title sequenceAdele's "Skyfall" became a widely recognized hit. The only other movie original song I can think of that has had a similar impact in the modern era is "Shallow" from 2018's A Star Is Born. So, no surprise, "Skyfall" (the song) won Best Original Song at the 85th Academy Awards, winning along with "Skyfall" composer (the movie) Thomas Newman for Best Original Score. But did the good will from "Skyfall" carry the next Bond themes?