It was 60 years ago this summer that the first James Bond movie, Dr. No, starring the late Sean Connery, was released in the U.S. 

That movie instantly became a touchstone of 1960s pop culture which has flourished to the present day. The iconic James Bond theme is as recognizable today as it was 60 years ago, and we recall all of the big pop songs by the biggest stars that were written just for the movie, from Shirley Bassey belting out Goldfinger to Adele’s haunting performance of Skyfall.

Admittedly, not all of the Bond movies were that great, nor were all of Sean Connery’s successors equal to Connery. And to be sure, as with just anything from that pop-culture era, some of it is cringe-worthy by today’s standards.

But James Bond films always were fun and entertaining, and proved to be a wonderful escape, whether in an air-conditioned movie theatre in the summertime or a cozy theatre at winter holiday-time, creating warm memories that have lasted a lifetime.