Billboard #1 Hits: #487: ‘Coming Up [Live At Glasgow]- Paul McCartney. June 28, 1980. #1 for 3 weeks in Billboard Hot 100.
- Single: ‘Coming Up [Live At Glasgow]- Paul McCartney
- Record Company- Columbia
- Genre: Funk Rock
- Written by Paul McCartney
- Time: 3:49
- B side: ‘Lunch Box/ Odd Sox’
- Album- McCartney II
- Grade: B+
- Peaked at #1 3 weeks in Billboard Hot 100. #2 in UK Singles Chart, #1 in Canada.
It’s hard to believe how time passes by so quickly. ‘Coming Up’ was the last #1 solo single by Paul McCartney- 41 years ago… he would have to more in the early 80’s- duets with Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson but the big hit singles were starting to dry up. Someone who did hear ‘Coming Up’ and was impressed was John Lennon who called “Coming Up’ a ‘good piece of work’ and according to Paul it helped to get John back in the recording studio in 1980. Lennon would go on- “I thought that Coming Up was great and I like the freak version that he made in his barn better than that live Glasgow one. If I’d have been with him I would’ve said ‘that’s the one’ too. And I thought that the record company had a nerve changing it round on him, and I know what they mean, they want to hear the real guy singing, but I like the freaky one.”
slicethelife 
I’m with John on this one…I like the studio version. Once I saw the video on some show…maybe SNL I went out and bought the single.
Here’s the ‘Live At Glasgow’ version that was actually the one that became a hit. So much more dynamic done live. https://youtu.be/otPfqLe4ToU
While “Coming Up” is my favorite from “McCartney II” (an album I never warmed to), I can’t say it’s one of my favorite McCartney tunes. Though the video, which believe it or not I had not seen until now, is kind of funny.
“Take it Away” (from “Tug of War”) and “My Brave Face” (from “Flowers in the Dirt”) are much better ’80s singles by Paul, IMHO, yet they “only” reached no. 10 and no. 25, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100.
I totally agree with you.. “Coming Up’ didn’t crack my Top 60 Solo Beatles Songs list- wasn’t even close.
Well, I’m glad I finally watched the video. My parents didn’t have cable while I was growing up, so no MTV. I mostly knew about MTV because of Dire Straits’ “Money For Nothing.”
the live version is so much better than the album cut. not much else on the album, it was just a throw away in my book