On this day in 1980: Paul McCartney & Wings were enjoying their second week at #1 on the U.S. singles chart with ‘Coming Up.’ The song would spend a total of three weeks in the top spot.

In a Rolling Stone interview, McCartney explained how the song came about:

“I originally cut it on my farm in Scotland. I went into the studio each day and just started with a drum track. Then I built it up bit by bit without any idea of how the song was going to turn out. After laying down the drum track, I added guitars and bass, building up the backing track.

Then I thought, ‘Well, OK, what am I going to do for the voice?’ I was working with a vari-speed machine with which you can speed up your voice, or take it down a little bit. That’s how the voice sound came about.” Paul McCartney

John Lennon described “Coming Up” as “a good piece of work” and, according to McCartney, it prompted Lennon to return to recording in 1980.

Let’s take a look at the Top 10 on the U.S. singles chart on this day back in 1980:

1 1 COMING UP / COMING UP (Live At Glasgow) –•– Paul McCartney and Wings (Columbia)-11 (2 weeks at #1) (1)
2 2 FUNKYTOWN –•– Lipps, Inc. (Casablanca)-15 (1)
3 3 THE ROSE –•– Bette Midler (Atlantic)-16 (3)
4 4 IT’S STILL ROCK AND ROLL TO ME –•– Billy Joel (Columbia)-7 (4)
5 6 LITTLE JEANNIE –•– Elton John (MCA)-10 (5)
6 5 AGAINST THE WIND– Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band (Capitol)-10 (5)
7 7 STEAL AWAY –•– Robbie Dupree (Elektra)-13 (7)
8 9 CUPID / I’VE LOVED YOU FOR A LONG TIME (Medley) –•– The Spinners (Atlantic)-8 (8)
9 8 BIGGEST PART OF ME –•– Ambrosia (Warner Brothers)-14 (3)
10 11 LET’S GET SERIOUS –•– Jermaine Jackson (Motown)-15 (10)