On Dr. Demento April 18, 1982

40 years ago today, "Pac-Man Fever" was #4 on the local (KMET, Los Angeles), live Dr. Demento Show Top Ten. Thanks to Jeff Morris and his site for the information!

On Dr. Demento March 7, 1982

40 years ago today, "Pac-Man Fever" was #3 on the nationally syndicated Dr. Demento Show's weekly Funny Five. Thanks to Jeff Morris and his site for the information!

Off-topic Tuesday: "Pac-Man" by "Weird Al" Yankovic

Actually not too off-topic! Weird Al released this parody of the Beatles' "Taxman" about the same time as Buckner & Garcia released "Pac-Man Fever". Imagine what might have been if it had caught on instead! Both songs even debuted together on The Dr. Demento Show, both local (12/20/1981) and national (1/3/1982).

Weird Al's song didn't become available on physical media until Dr. Demento's Basement Tapes No. 4 (1995/96), which was issued on both CD and cassette. The Basement Tapes were only available to Dr. Demento Society members.

Scan courtesy MadMusic.com

The song finally became more widely available as part of the Squeeze Box box set in 2017, although it, too, is now out of print. It was on a new disc/record in that set that was a compilation of mostly previously unreleased cuts called Medium Rarities.

Scan courtesy MadMusic.com

Amusing aside: There was a Pac-Man clone released for the Apple II that was called Taxman! Presumably this is just a coincidence.

Scan courtesy video-games-museum.com.

Screenshot courtesy MobyGames.com.

Screenshot courtesy MobyGames.com.

On Dr. Demento February 21, 1982

40 years ago today, "Pac-Man Fever" was #1 on the nationally syndicated Dr. Demento Show's weekly Funny Five. Thanks to Jeff Morris and his site for the information!

On Dr. Demtento January 17, 1982

40 years ago today, the song "Pac-Man Fever" was #9 on the local (KMET, Los Angeles) Dr. Demento Show weekly Top Ten  Thanks to Jeff Morris and his site, the Demented Music Database, for the information!

National Dr. Demento debut

On January 3, the song "Pac-Man Fever" made its debut on the nationally syndicated version of The Dr. Demento Show. (It's debut on the local show was a couple weeks earlier.) Thanks to Jeff Morris and his site, the Demented Music Database, for the information!

Local Dr. Demento debut

On December 20, 1981, the song "Pac-Man Fever" made its debut on the local version of the Doctor was first played on the local, live version of The Dr. Demento Show on KMET in Los Angeles. (It's national debut was a couple weeks later.) Thanks to Jeff Morris and his site, the Demented Music Database, for the information!