Barry Hansen, mostly known by his D.J. name, said he’d end his show’s run after 55 years of playing parody songs. His syndicated show was once heard on more than 150 radio stations.

Before he first put on a top hat and called himself Dr. Demento, Hansen was a regular contributor to Rolling Stone. In August 1968, he reviewed the Sly and the Family Stone album Life.

Dr. Demento’s full archive will continue to be available for streaming on his website, allowing fans to revisit decades of musical mayhem long after the show signs off.

Dr. Demento, the cult comedy DJ whose radio show became a landmark for novelty music and underground satire, will retire this fall after more than five decades behind the mic. His final program will ...