Paul Anka - Paul Anka Sings His Big 15

Paul Anka Sings His Big 15 gathers the hits that made a teenager from Ottawa one of rock and roll's first true idols, most of them written by the young man singing them.

Anka was still in his mid-teens when "Diana" became a worldwide smash in 1957, and over the next few years he kept the hits coming at a remarkable clip. This collection, first issued in 1960, captures that whirlwind in one place, from a time when a pop singer writing his own material was still something of a rarity.

The songs are short, sweet and built around big feelings. "Diana" bounces along on a Latin-tinged beat, "Lonely Boy" aches with adolescent longing, and "Put Your Head on My Shoulder" remains one of the great slow-dance ballads, all tender pleading and soft harmonies. "Puppy Love" and "You Are My Destiny" round out a run of songs that soundtracked countless school dances and drive-in dates.

Listening now, you can already hear the craftsman who would later give Frank Sinatra the words to "My Way", a songwriter with a rare gift for melody and sentiment.

For fans of fifties pop, this is the essential snapshot of Anka at his most irresistibly youthful, fifteen hits on a single LP.