In 1974, Paul Anka staged one of the more unlikely comebacks in pop music history with a song that became both a massive hit and a magnet for criticism.
“(You’re) Having My Baby,” Anka’s duet with Odia Coates, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on the chart ending Aug. 24, 1974. It remained there for three weeks, 52 years ago today.
The accomplishment was particularly remarkable for Anka. The former teen idol hadn’t topped the Hot 100 since “Lonely Boy” in 1959, making “(You’re) Having My Baby” his first No. 1 in 15 years and two weeks. At the time, according to music historian Fred Bronson’s “Billboard Book of Number One Hits,” it was the widest gap between No. 1 singles by an artist, a record Anka held until 1999 when Cher’s “Believe” topped the Hot 100.
But while record buyers loved “(You’re) Having My Baby,” plenty of other people decidedly did not.
‘(You’re) Having My Baby’ Was Controversial From the Start
Anka wrote the song for his then-wife Anne de Zogheb while appearing in Lake Tahoe. It was initially intended to be a solo recording, but United Artists executive Bob Skaff suggested turning it into a duet. Coates, then a relatively unknown singer, joined Anka on the recording.
The controversy centered largely on lyrics critics considered sexist, particularly Anka’s use of “my baby” rather than “our baby,” as well as a reference to the woman’s choice to end her pregnancy.
The backlash wasn’t a surprise.
Bronson recounts that Anka said they had tested the song before its release and knew they would get “flak.” He nevertheless defended the song and insisted he wasn’t portraying women as subservient. The National Organization for Women disagreed, giving Anka a sarcastic “Keep Her in Her Place” award.
According to “The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll,” Anka eventually changed “my baby” to “our baby” when performing the song in concert.
Yet none of the controversy stopped people from buying it. “(You’re) Having My Baby” knocked Paper Lace’s “The Night Chicago Died” out of the top spot and held off songs including Rufus’ “Tell Me Something Good” and Eric Clapton’s “I Shot the Sheriff.”
Related: 1962 Hit, Finished at Midnight the Night Before It Was Recorded, Went to No. 1 Twice for Neil Sedaka
The No. 1 Hit Was Later Named One of the Worst Songs Ever
Time wasn’t necessarily kinder to the song.
When humorist Dave Barry asked readers to nominate the worst songs ever for the survey that became “Dave Barry’s Book of Bad Songs,” “(You’re) Having My Baby” received enough votes to finish third overall, trailing only Richard Harris’ “MacArthur Park” and Ohio Express’ “Yummy Yummy Yummy.”
Barry singled out the song’s lyrics while discussing why readers had voted for it, writing, “Many people, in voting ‘(You’re) Having My Baby,’ cited these touching and very tasteful lyrics:”
You could have swept it from your lifeBut you wouldn’t do it
Decades later, the reaction hadn’t softened much. Stereogum gave “(You’re) Having My Baby” an extraordinary 1 out of 10 while revisiting every No. 1 in Hot 100 history. Writer Tom Breihan acknowledged the awe that can surround impending parenthood, but argued that Anka had transformed that feeling into something self-centered and unpleasant.
The song has nevertheless endured as one of Anka’s most recognizable recordings. It also revived his chart career: He and Coates followed it with three more Top 20 duets, including the No. 7 “One Man Woman/One Woman Man” and No. 8 “I Don’t Like to Sleep Alone.”
So, 52 years after “(You’re) Having My Baby” sat atop the Hot 100 for its third and final week, its peculiar legacy remains intact: one of the most disliked songs of its era was also, unquestionably, one of its biggest hits.
Related: 1965 Hit, Sung by a 19-Year-Old in Response to Bob Dylan, Began Its 3-Week Run at No. 1 61 Years Ago Today
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