This week, the soundtrack to “Skyfall” becomes the highest charting album in the James Bond film franchise since 1985, as the set arrives at No. 100 on the Billboard 200 chart. The Sony Masterworks album bows with 5,000 copies sold according to Nielsen SoundScan, marking the loftiest rank for a Bond album since “A View to a Kill” shot to No. 38 on July 27, 1985.
Notably, “Skyfall” is only the second Bond soundtrack in the franchise’s 50-year history to not include its corresponding title theme. (The other: 2006’s “Casino Royale.”)
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The “Skyfall” soundtrack consists entirely of the film’s score by 10-time Academy Award nominee Thomas Newman. Generally speaking, the Bond soundtracks are nearly all-score affairs, but will include the title song and perhaps a few other vocal recordings.
While it’s not on the album, Adele’s rendition of “Skyfall” is commercially available as a stand-alone digital single (via XL Recordings/Columbia Records) and rises 56-33 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week thanks to a big boost in sales. The song, which debuted and (so far) peaked at No. 8, sold 91,000 downloads in the week ending Nov. 11 (a gain of 66% over the previous week).
Listen: Adele’s James Bond Theme, ‘Skyfall’
“Skyfall” is the first Bond film soundtrack to chart during Daniel Craig’s tenure as the title character. He has been Bond in three films thus far (“Skyfall,” “Quantum of Solace” and “Casino Royale”). Previous to this week, the last Bond set to reach the tally was 2002’s “Die Another Day” (No. 156).
“Skyfall” arrives after the film’s blockbuster bow in U.S. and Canadian theaters, racking up the largest opening weekend in the series’ history — $88.4 million in the three-day span between Nov. 9 and 11, according to Box Office Mojo.
Here’s a look at how all of the James Bond film soundtracks have charted on the Billboard 200:
Title, Peak, Peak Year
“Skyfall,” No. 100 (so far), 2012
“Die Another Day,” No. 156, 2002
“Tomorrow Never Dies,” No. 197, 1998
“GoldenEye,” No. 180, 1995
“A View to a Kill,” No. 38, 1985
“Octopussy,” No. 137, 1983
“For Your Eyes Only,” No. 84, 1981
“Moonraker,” No. 159, 1979
“The Spy Who Loved Me,” No. 40, 1977
“Live and Let Die,” No. 17, 1973
“Diamonds Are Forever,” No. 74, 1972
“On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,” No. 103, 1970
“You Only Live Twice,” No. 27, 1967
“Thunderball,” No. 10, 1965
“Goldfinger,” No. 1 (for three weeks), 1965
“From Russia With Love,” No. 27, 1964
“Dr. No,” No. 82, 1963