Pac-Man Fever (song)

For the game of the same name, see Pac-Man Fever (video game).
"Pac-Man Fever"
Single by Buckner & Garcia
from the album Pac-Man Fever
B-side "Pac-Man Fever" (Instrumental)
Released December 1981
Recorded 1981
Genre Pop, pop rock
Length 3:43
5:51 (extended 12-inch version)
Label Columbia/CBS Records
18-02673 (7-inch single)
44-02762 (12-inch single)
Writer(s) Jerry Buckner
Gary Garcia
Producer(s) Buckner & Garcia
Certification Gold (RIAA)

"Pac-Man Fever" is a hit single by Buckner & Garcia. Capitalizing on the video game craze of the early 1980s, the song, about the classic video game Pac-Man, peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States in March 1982.[1]

That same month, it was certified Gold by the RIAA for over 1,000,000 units shipped to retailers;[2] the single sold 1.2 million copies by the end of 1982,[3] and 2.5 million copies in total as of 2008.[4] VH1 ranked it at #98 on their list of 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s.

A follow-up release in May 1982, "Do the Donkey Kong", just missed the Billboard chart, ranking #103.


Chart performance

Weekly singles charts

Chart (1982) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 9
U.S. Cashbox Top 100 [5] 7
Canada RPM [6] 9
WLS survey (Chicago) [7] 3

Year-end charts

Chart (1982) Rank
US Billboard Hot 100 42
US Cash Box Top 100 [8] 47
WLS survey (Chicago) [9] 86
Canada [10] 92

References

  1. ↑ "Pac-Man Fever". Time Magazine. 1982-04-05. Retrieved 2009-10-15.
  2. ↑ RIAA Gold & Platinum Searchable Database - Pac-Man Fever. RIAA.com. Retrieved 2009-11-01.
  3. ↑ "Ode to Joystick". SPIN (SPIN Media) 20 (9): 86. September 2004. ISSN 0886-3032.
  4. ↑ Turow, Joseph (2008). Media Today: An Introduction to Mass Communication (3rd ed. ed.). Taylor & Francis. p. 554. ISBN 0-415-96058-4. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  5. ↑ http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/1982.html
  6. ↑ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.4342&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=rjo970kvsbhn92a07euvsc1d71
  7. ↑ http://www.oldiesloon.com/il/wls820410.htm
  8. ↑ http://50.6.195.142/archives/80s_files/1982YESP.html
  9. ↑ http://www.oldiesloon.com/il/wls89of82.htm
  10. ↑ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.6167&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=b17s8k5407s3v9f3ta7prqk392