Lights Out: Chicken Heart (1937) | The Most Famous Horror Radio Episode
The most famous horror episode in radio history. A chicken heart kept beating after death — and it will not stop growing. Arch Oboler’s masterpiece of biological dread originally aired March 10, 1937 and overwhelmed NBC switchboards with listener complaints. The heart expands without limit. Immortalized by Bill Cosby, studied by film students, and still disturbing 89 years later. Maximum volume. Lights off. This recording is in the Public Domain in the United States. Vintage Chills • Classic Serials • AI-Generated Terror
| Series | Lights Out |
| Episode | Chicken Heart |
| Original Air Date | 1937-03-10 |
| Network | NBC Radio |
| Genre | Horror, supernatural, psychological terror |
| Series Run | 1934–1947 |
About Lights Out
Lights Out was one of radio’s first and most daring horror programs, premiering on NBC Radio in 1934. Created by Wyllis Cooper and later shaped by Arch Oboler, the show ran until 1947 and became infamous for episodes so disturbing NBC received thousands of complaints — and renewed it anyway. The sound design pushed the medium to its absolute limits.
“It is later than you think.”
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