Paul Anka: The Songwriter Behind Hits for Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, and More

January 17, 2025

By Karen Bliss

Paul Anka, 83, who was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2008, and is the subject of a new documentary, His Way, directed by John Maggio (watch on MUBI), is still playing shows, kicking off this month in Palm Desert, CA, then a bunch in Florida in February, followed by Vegas, Phoenix, La Mirada and Modesta in March. A year ago, he released a new single, “Rendezvous: Life at Fontainebleau,” and an EP Ultimate Imagine, with three versions of John Lennon’s “Imagine.” But he is best known for the songs he has penned, including making famous for other people.

The Ottawa-born singer-songwriter wrote his first No. 1 hit, “Diana,” at age 15 and went on to pen such classics as “My Way,” “Puppy Love,” Lonely Boy,” “Put Your Head On My Shoulder,” “She’s a Lady” and “(You’re) Having My Baby,” as well as the theme to The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. He also co-wrote Michael Jackson’s “This Is It.”

His songs have been signature hits for the likes of Tom Jones, Frank Sinatra and Sid Vicious. In 2018, he co-wrote “Don’t Matter to Me” with Drake for the rapper’s 2018 album Scorpion. But the following are five gigantic songs he wrote for four gigantic artists: Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones, Buddy Holly and Michael Jackson.

“My Way” 

Anka adapted Jacques Revaux, Gilles Thibaut and Claude François’ French-language “Comme d’habitude” (1967) into English “My Way” for Frank Sinatra. The story goes that he heard the song while on vacation in the South of France and went to Paris to acquire the rights. Apparently, one evening, at dinner with Sinatra, Ol’ Blue Eyes was threatening to quit the business. Anka went home and created this new version, starting the lyrics with “And now the end is near…” While Anka recorded it too, it was a hit for Sinatra in 1969, as well as punk icon Sid Vicious in 1979. Everyone from Elvis Presley to Robbie Williams has covered the defiant song. In 2024, it was played at Alexei Navalny’s funeral.

“She’s a Lady” 

Anka wrote and recorded “She’s A Lady” for his 1970 album Paul Anka ’70s, but shortly after Tom Jones cut it, it reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1971. In Canada, it peaked at No. 1 on the RPM 100 singles chart. The pair actually re-recorded a version together in 2013 for Anka’s Duets album, with the first verse rewritten because Anka reportedly thought the original was chauvinistic: “Well, she’s all you’d ever want / She’s the kind I like to flaunt and take to dinner / But she always knows her place…” Jones no longer sings the song live, telling the Daily Express, “There are lines in there, like, ‘She always knows her place’ that just don’t work in this day and age. That song doesn’t sit right anymore.”

“It Doesn’t Matter Anymore” 

Anka wrote the peppy “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore” for Buddy Holly, who recorded it on Oct. 21, 1958. The song was released a month before the “That’ll Be The Day” and “Peggy Sue” chart-topper died in a plane crash on Feb. 3, 1959 at just 22 years of age, and peaked posthumously at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was also the UK’s first-ever posthumous hit, where it became No. 1. Anka donated his royalties to Holly’s widow María Elena. “‘It Doesn’t Matter Anymore’ has a tragic irony about it now, but at least it will help look after Buddy Holly’s family,” Anka reportedly said. “I’m giving my composer’s royalty to his widow – it’s the least I can do.” Anka recorded the song for his 21 Golden Hits album in 1963. Don McLean, Linda Ronstadt and many others have also covered the song. In New Zealand, it became a No. 1 hit for Mark Williams.

“Love Never Felt So Good” or the Timberlake version 

Anka co-wrote “Love Never Felt So Good” with Michael Jackson in 1983, during the Thriller sessions, but it wasn’t released until five years after his 2009 death. There is a solo version of the exuberant pop song on his 2014 posthumous album, XSCAPE, that was “contemporized” by producer and Michael Jackson Estate co-executor John McClain, but it was the posthumous “duet” with Justin Timberlake that became a smash hit. That remix was produced by Timbaland and J-Roc and reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and hit the Top 10 in numerous countries, making Jackson the first artist to have a top 10 single in five different decades—six if you include the Jackson 5.

“This Is It” and with Anka from Duets album 

Anka co-wrote this ballad, originally called “I Never Heard,” with Jackson in 1980. The song opens with the lines “This is it, here I stand / I’m the light of the world, I feel grand.” Without knowing its origin, the song was released posthumously, the same year the King of Pop passed away and is the title track for the album, as well as the companion documentary. On the Thriller 40 website, it says, “It was thought initially to be a new song and was released under this title. However upon hearing it, Anka notified Michael [Jackson] Estate and Sony Music of the history. It was originally titled ‘I Never Heard’ and was intended to be a duet with Anka on his album, Walk a Fine Line.” In the 80s, Anka reportedly threatened to sue when the demo tapes went missing. But, after they were found in a box, Jackson returned them to Anka. In retrospect, he believes Jackson had made a copy, recorded his voice, and renamed it “This Is It.” Anka released a version featuring Jackson on his 2013 Duets album.