Which music duo recorded the novelty single Pac-Man Fever?

Buckner & Garcia recorded the novelty single “Pac-Man Fever.” The duo—Jerry Buckner and Gary Garcia—released the song in 1981, during the early-1980s arcade boom, turning enthusiasm for the maze game into a pop record.

The idea began after the pair encountered a Pac-Man machine at a restaurant near Marietta, Georgia. They played the game for an extended session and wrote a novelty song about the experience. The recording incorporated arcade-inspired sound effects and lyrics about chasing high scores, reflecting how quickly video games were entering popular music and youth culture.

A local Atlanta radio station helped create momentum by playing the record after larger stations initially showed little interest. Listener requests attracted attention from CBS Records, which issued the single nationally. It became the duo’s signature recording and led to a full album built around different arcade games.

The song is sometimes confused with later video-game novelty records or with music by other comedy duos. Cheech & Chong, Jan & Dean, and Hall & Oates did not record “Pac-Man Fever.” Buckner & Garcia’s recording was a genuine commercial hit, not simply a local novelty release, and it remains one of the best-known songs inspired by an arcade game.