recorded another version of the song in 1967, titled "The Purple People Eater #2" and credited to his alter ego Ben Colder, on the MGM label. A cover version recorded by British comedian Barry Cryer reached No. 1 in the Finnish chart after contractual reasons prevented Wooley's version being released in Scandinavia. Wooley re-recorded the song in 1979 under the title "Purple People Eater", which Gusto Records released through its King Records subsidiary. Popularity The enduring popularity of the song led to the nicknaming of the highly effective "Purple People Eaters", the Minnesota Vikings defensive line of the 1970s, whose team colors include purple. From 1982, major British toy manufacturer Waddingtons marketed a children's game inspired by the song. Players competed to remove tiny "people" from the rubber Purple People Eater shell, using tweezers on a wire loop which activated an alarm if coming into contact with its metal jaws. In the 1984 post-apocalyptic novel Brother in the Land, cannibals are nicknamed "Purples," from the song. The 2022 film Nope features a cinematographer, Antlers Holst, who is hired to capture an alien on camera. While preparing to capture camera footage of the alien creature, Holst recites the lyrics from "The Purple People Eater". References External links Singles listings on RCS Song Titles Index Hagen-Renaker ceramics 1958 singles Sheb Wooley songs Billboard Top 100 number-one singles Cashbox number-one singles Halloween songs Number-one singles in Australia Novelty songs 1958 songs MGM Records singles Songs written by Sheb Wooley Comedy rock songs Songs about extraterrestrial life Songs about monsters