You’ve definitely heard the horns. That brassy, confident swell that opens "Theme from Jeopardy!" or the slow-burn, late-night croon of "My Way." It’s kinda wild when you think about it. Most people recognize the music, but they don't always connect the dots back to the kid from Ottawa who started out writing songs about his babysitter. Paul Anka isn't just a singer; he’s basically a songwriting factory that’s been running for nearly seventy years.
Honestly, the sheer volume of hits by Paul Anka is staggering. We aren't just talking about a couple of radio tunes from the fifties. We are talking about a guy who wrote for Elvis, Sinatra, and Michael Jackson while simultaneously topping the charts himself. It’s a level of longevity that feels almost impossible in a world where pop stars usually have the shelf life of an open carton of milk.
The Teen Idol Era: It Started with a Crush
In 1957, Paul Anka was fifteen. Let that sink in. Most of us at fifteen were worried about algebra or whether our skin would clear up before prom. Anka was busy recording "Diana."
The song was an immediate explosion. It sold millions of copies and turned a Canadian teenager into an international heartthrob overnight. What made it work wasn’t just the catchy melody; it was the relatability. He wrote it about a girl he knew back home, Diana Ayoub, who was older than him. That "older woman" trope resonated with every teenage boy in North America.
Then came the follow-ups. "Lonely Boy" and "Put Your Head on My Shoulder" solidified his place in the pantheon. These weren't complex orchestral pieces. They were simple, direct, and incredibly effective. He understood the teenage psyche better than almost any other writer of that decade. But here’s the thing: most teen idols from the fifties vanished by 1964 when the Beatles arrived. Anka didn't. He pivoted.
Writing for the Heavyweights
By the time the sixties were swinging, Anka realized that his voice might not be the only way to stay relevant. He shifted his focus toward writing for others, which is where his legacy gets really interesting.
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You know "My Way"? Most people think of it as the ultimate Frank Sinatra song. It’s the anthem of every retired guy at a karaoke bar. But Sinatra didn't write it. Paul Anka heard a French song called "Comme d'habitude," liked the melody, and flew to France to buy the rights. He sat down and wrote English lyrics specifically tailored to Sinatra’s persona. He literally captured the essence of a man he respected and turned it into one of the most covered songs in history.
And then there’s "She’s a Lady." Tom Jones turned that into a massive hit in 1971. It was funky, it was chauvinistic in that specific early-seventies way, and it was entirely Anka. He had this uncanny ability to morph his style to fit whoever was singing. He wasn't just chasing hits by Paul Anka for himself; he was building a catalog that other artists would depend on for decades.
The Michael Jackson Connection
This is one of those facts that usually makes people double-take. In 1983, Paul Anka sat down with a young Michael Jackson to collaborate. They wrote a few things, but most of it sat in a vault for years.
After Michael passed away in 2009, the estate released "This Is It." It was a massive global event. What many people didn't realize until later was that the song was actually a reworked version of a track Anka and Jackson wrote together called "I Never Heard." Anka eventually got his co-writing credit, and the song became a posthumous smash. It’s just another example of how his influence stretches across genres and generations. From the doo-wop of the fifties to the King of Pop, the guy has fingerprints on everything.
The Jeopardy! Theme: The Billion-Dollar Song
If you want to talk about the most lucrative hits by Paul Anka, you have to talk about "It’s Quiz Time." You know it as the Jeopardy! theme. Merv Griffin once mentioned to Anka that he needed a "think" piece for his new game show. Anka wrote it in about ten minutes.
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It’s estimated that the royalties from that one little thirty-second jingle have earned Anka tens of millions of dollars over the years. Every time someone gets a Daily Double or stares blankly at a screen trying to remember who the 14th president was, Paul Anka gets paid. It is perhaps the most played piece of music in television history.
The Controversial Seventies and Beyond
Not every hit was a masterpiece of lyrical depth. In 1974, Anka released "(You're) Having My Baby." To put it bluntly, it’s a polarizing song. Even at the time, some feminist groups weren't exactly thrilled with the lyrics. National Organization for Women actually gave him a "Keep Her in Her Place" award for it.
Yet, it went to number one.
People loved it. Or they hated it so much they couldn't stop talking about it. Either way, it kept him in the spotlight. It showed that he wasn't afraid to lean into the sentimentality that characterized much of the adult contemporary era. He followed it up with "One Man Woman/One Woman Man" and "Times of Your Life," the latter of which became a staple for Kodak commercials and high school graduations everywhere.
Rock Swings: The Reinvention
In the mid-2000s, Anka did something brilliant. He looked at the landscape of modern rock and decided to cover it in a big band style. Rock Swings featured him singing "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana and "Wonderwall" by Oasis.
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It sounds like a gimmick. On paper, it is a gimmick. But in practice? It was actually great. He treated the songs with respect, finding the melodic core of grunge and Britpop hits and rearranging them for a 24-piece band. It introduced his style to a whole new generation that had only ever known him as "that guy from the oldies station." It proved that a good song is a good song, regardless of whether it’s played on a distorted guitar or a saxophone.
Why These Songs Still Matter
We live in a world of algorithmic pop. Everything is polished to a mirror shine and tested by focus groups. Anka’s music, especially his early stuff, has a raw, earnest quality that feels human. Even when it’s cheesy, it’s sincerely cheesy.
There is a craft to his work that is often overlooked. He understands structure. He understands the "hook." Whether he’s writing a ballad for a movie soundtrack or a upbeat pop number, he knows exactly how to trigger an emotional response in the listener. That’s why his music persists. It’s why you still hear "Put Your Head on My Shoulder" in TikTok trends today. The kids on the app don't necessarily know who Paul Anka is, but they know the feeling the song evokes.
The Business of Being Paul Anka
One thing you have to respect about Anka is his business acumen. Early in his career, he fought to own his masters. This was almost unheard of for a teenage artist in the fifties. Most singers were exploited by labels and ended up broke. Anka bought his own tapes back. He understood the value of his intellectual property before "IP" was even a buzzword in the music industry.
This independence allowed him to control his legacy. He wasn't at the mercy of a record company’s whims. He could tour when he wanted, record what he wanted, and collaborate with whoever he felt like. That autonomy is a huge part of why we are still talking about his hits today. He never let the industry chew him up and spit him out.
Actionable Insights for Music Lovers and Creators
If you are looking to truly appreciate the depth of Paul Anka’s catalog, or if you're a songwriter trying to learn from a master, here is how you should approach it:
- Listen beyond the vocals. Don't just focus on the singing. Listen to the arrangement of the strings in "My Way" or the rhythmic drive of "Diana." Notice how he builds tension and releases it.
- Study the "Jeopardy!" effect. If you are a creator, look at how a simple, repetitive melody can become an iconic brand. Sometimes "simple" is the hardest thing to achieve.
- Explore the 21st-century albums. Skip the Greatest Hits for a second and listen to Rock Swings or Classic Songs, My Way. Seeing how he interprets modern lyrics through a classic lens is a masterclass in phrasing.
- Compare versions. Listen to Paul Anka’s version of "My Way" versus Sinatra’s. Notice the different emotional weights each man brings to the same set of lyrics. It shows how much a performer influences the "hit" status of a song.
- Check the credits. Next time you hear a classic song from the 60s or 70s, look up who wrote it. You’d be surprised how many times Anka’s name pops up in the fine print of music history.
Paul Anka represents a specific era of show business—one defined by work ethic, versatility, and a bit of old-school swagger. His hits aren't just relics; they are the blueprints for what pop music became. Whether you're a fan of the crooners or just someone who appreciates a well-crafted tune, his impact is impossible to ignore.