Fri. 10/07 - When Novelty Halloween Songs Ruled The Billboard Charts

What the heck is a flying purple people eater and why did that song about one stick around for so long? Plus, remember the Ice Bucket Challenge? Eight years later, we’ve got a look at just how big a difference it made. But is the new ALS treatment the challenge helped fund as great as it seems? Sponsors: BetterHelp, Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/COOLSTUFF I Am Bio, Subscribe at bio.org/podcast Links: ‘The Purple People Eater’: Sheb Wooley’s Hit Novelty Song (UDiscover Music) Purple People Eater History: A Dumb Joke Turned Into a Cultural Icon (Tedium) Sheb Wooley Is Dead at 82; Sang of Purple People Eater (NY Times) Jack's recommended starter pack of Halloween oldies from the best oldies curator on the web (Jake Westbrook, YouTube) Remember the Ice Bucket Challenge? It Ended Up Funding a New ALS Drug (Futurism) ALS drug's approval draws cheers from patients, questions from skeptics (NPR) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices