Iconic '60s Ballad Frank Sinatra Hated Became One of His Biggest Hits—And It Became One of the Most-Requested Funeral Songs Worldwide

One of the biggest decisions anyone can make is how to best represent their loved ones when it’s time to say goodbye.

No pun intended, but Frank Sinatra wanted to ‘say goodbye’ to one of his top hits after performing it night after night, once ranting to a Caesars Palace crowd, “I hate this song — you sing it for eight years, you would hate it too!”

His fans, however, never fell out of love with it. That song, of course, is “My Way,” which now ranks ahead of “Amazing Grace” as one of the most requested funeral songs in 2026, according to public data across the UK, US, Australia, Ireland, and Canada.

Of course, there may be a little tongue-in-cheek humor behind the choice. “My Way” celebrates someone who marched to the beat of their own drum, whether anyone else liked it or not, making it a fitting sendoff for those who truly lived life on their own terms — or a playful farewell from loved ones who’d probably agree they always did things their way.

The powerful ballad was written in 1968, becoming a major hit the following year. It has unquestionably stood the test of time.

Its origin story is just as memorable.

Originally composed as the French song “Comme d’habitude,” Paul Anka gave it an entirely new identity after Sinatra casually mentioned over dinner that he was thinking about retiring. Anka later rewrote the lyrics as though they were Sinatra’s own life story.

Long story short, it’s been estimated to have been performed well over 4 million times since its 1969 release, per CBS News.

That later became somewhat ironic, as Sinatra eventually grew tired of performing it. Even so, it became one of his biggest hits, reaching No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 despite the charts shifting toward rock and soul, and holds the most weeks ever spent on the UK singles chart, at 124 weeks.

Still popular more than five decades later, it’s now the second most requested song played at funerals, sitting behind “Abide with Me,” an 1800s hymn, and ahead of “Amazing Grace,” the beloved 18th-century hymn written by John Newton.

Sinatra last played “My Way” live in 1994 in Japan, which can been enjoyed in full below: