In high school, Neil formed a doo-wop group, the Tokens, and they recorded two singles that became regional hits. Soon to follow was Neil's introduction to Howard Greenfield. Together they began a successful songwriting partnership. As Neil has noted, "for a long period of time, we wrote a song a day." In the four years between 1959 and 1963, the songwriting team sold over twenty-five million records and their collaboration was to last for thirty years.

In 1958, at the age of eighteen, Neil was catapulted into stardom after Connie Francis recorded his "Stupid Cupid." She then sang the theme song Neil and Howard had written for the 1960 MGM spring break classic, "Where The Boys Are," which would be her biggest hit. As a result, Neil signed a contract with RCA as a writer and performer and recorded his own material. Neil recorded chart toppers like "The Diary," "Oh, Carol," "Stairway to Heaven," "Calendar Girl," "Little Devil," "Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen," "Next Door To An Angel" and "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do."

Following the British Invasion: by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones in the United States, Neil continued to develop his gift for songwriting. He wrote for other performers such as Tom Jones with "Puppet Man," The Fifth Dimension with "Workin' on a Groovy Thing," and the Monkees with "When Love Comes Knocking At Your Door." Neil also achieved success in international markets by recording albums in Spanish, Germany, Italian and Japanese.

Neil was reintroduced to American audiences by recording two albums, "Sedaka's Back" and "The Hungry Years," and both became top selling albums around the world. His comeback was further heralded by two of his songs, "Bad Blood" and the timeless "Laughter in the Rain." Both singles reached the #1 position on the music charts.

Neil's single "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" was released as a ballad in 1975, and made music history when it reached #1 on the charts, becoming the first song recorded in two different versions by the same artist to reach the Top Ten. During this time, Neil also helped to launch the career of the Captain and Tennille with their version of his "Love Will Keep Up Together," which won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year.

In 1976, Neil was seen by millions when his television special "Neil Sedaka Steppin' Out," was aired on NBC, with a guest appearance by Bette Midler. Two more songs of Neil's, "Solitaire" and "The Hungry Years," became top hits, helping to cement his reputation as a songwriting force. In 1980, Neil had a Top Ten hit with "Should've Never Let You Go," which he recorded with his daughter Dara. His release in the 1990's, "Timeless - The Very Best of Neil Sedaka," which includes both old and new songs, sold over 500,000 copies and earned Neil yet another Platinum Album.