Decades ago, Paul Anka was a tenacious Ottawa teenager who dreamt of becoming a popular and prolific singer-composer.
From leaving Canada for Los Angeles, calling every record company for an audition to diligently plugging his debut single Blau-Wile Deverest Fontaine (it didn’t make it to the charts) and finally seeing his career grow rapidly with the success of Diana — his story is a quintessential Hollywood-dream-come-true narrative.
Fast forward to today, Paul is considered as one music legend whose contribution to the industry ranges from making his own hits to writing for fellow stars such as Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones and Michael Jackson. But, as “not one to rest on his laurels,” he still continues to record and hold tours to relentlessly share music — just as he did around 60 years ago.
As the Canadian tunesmith turns 75 today, let’s celebrate his lucrative music career by looking back on some of the most memorable tracks penned and sealed by the signature Paul Anka songwriting magic.
Puppy Love (Annette Funicello)
This song about young romance was written in 1960 for American actress and singer Annette Funicello, whom Paul was dating at the time. He also recorded a version of this song, which peaked at the second spot of the Billboard Hot 100.
This is It (Michael Jackson)
Michael and Paul co-wrote the posthumous hit for the former back in the 80s. The two recorded it in Paul’s California recording studio and was supposed to be added on his Walk a Fine Line duets album.
Paul claims that the King of Pop secretly took the master tapes from his studios
“He sought me out in the ’80s. I guess the only negative I would have [about him] is when he did steal the tapes from me, but I wouldn’t be talking about that song today if he hadn’t,” he previously shared in an interview.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOTv9jY4X5E
It Doesn’t Matter Anymore (Buddy Holly)
Buddy Holly was a heavy influence and a friend to Paul. Paul wrote the song for the “Peggy Sue” singer just before Buddy tragically died in a plane crash (just FYI: this accident, which also took the lives of Ritchie Valens and J. P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson, is known as “the day the music died.” Yes, the one Don McLean refers to in his American Pie.)
Paul donated his royalties from the posthumous hit to Holly’s widow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvxagNIBVLU
Put Your Head on my Shoulders (Paul Anka)
This golden hit earned Paul another No. 2 Billboard Hot 100 single. Sharing the story of the song in his biography, he shared: “At record hops, I’m up on stage and all these kids are holding each other with heads on each other’s shoulders. Then I have to go have dinner in my room because there are thousands of kids outside the hotel — ‘Put Your Head on My Shoulder’ was totally that experience.”
She’s a Lady (Tom Jones)
Once describing this song as a little bit exaggerated, this Tom Jones tune appears to be one of his least favortite compositions. Nonetheless , this global smash remains to be one of the best songs he wrote as it sold millions of copies and went on to become gold-certified.
Diana (Paul Anka)
This 1957 single launched the decades-long career of Paul in the music industry. It peaked at the top spot of various music charts in Canada, Australia and in the US. Anka said that the song’s muse was a girl in his church whom he vaguely knew.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AVOpNR2PIs
My Way (Frank Sinatra)
According to Paul, the music of this song dedicated to Frank Sinatra was based on the French song “Comme d’habitude.” However, the song’s original lyrics and Paul’s lines are unrelated.
Paul wrote the Sinatra hit, known for its soaring melody and subversive lyrics, upon hearing the latter’s impending retirement. He shared that as he was putting the lyrics on the typewriter, the lines came by as if they were Sinatra’s words.
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