Sometimes a take on the present musical climate can go on to represent it.
All films, TV and media has this. It is an imprint of the time, whether it is 'original' or not.
Starsky And Hutch, Streets Of San Fransisco to name but two US TV shows that reflected the time in the music theme but weren't exactly the 'real deal'.
But years later, you hear those things and you get a view into the past.
Sometimes these things become kitsch. Sometimes they become 'cool'.
I wonder how we'll be viewing the soundtrack to The Matrix in a few years. And can you compare using a Garbage track on a Bond film to Shirley Bassey? Well, they both reflected the time, but the Garbage track actually WAS the time.....and you know, I'd have preffered something less obvious, and probably nore naff.
For me, Shirley Bassey's song is indelibly printed on that film and everything it's about. It sums up the nonsense glamour and kitsch over the top cheese, and the oversophistication of Mr Bond. Having Garbage on a later soundtrack reminds me of Garbage. Even Sheena Easton somehow made an imprint on 'For Your Eyes Only'. She was appropriately naff.
'A View To A Kill' by Duran Duran helped in no way whatsoever. In my opinion, you can't have an artist as the title song of a movie which has more identity than the movie itself. It smothers the movie with the taste of someone elses ideas and fashion values. Madonna song as soundtrack to a Bond film? Modonna makes you think of Madonna. Shirley Bassey soundtrack makes me think of James Bond
Film music has had a place all it's own and I quite liked it there.
(Walks offf whistling the theme song to 'Arthur' which is goddamn awful, followed by Celine Donut singing 'Titanic')