It’s that time of year again!
The weather and the leaves may finally be changing… but the content of my blog on Mondays will forever remain the same. That’s the day The Nest becomes The Music Man… and right now, we’re knee deep in our Top 30 Novelty Songs of All Time countdown! Unlike a few weeks ago when the sounds of sleigh bells could be heard here, this time the countdown is a bit more seasonally correct. DJ Scratchy’s stirring up the next quirky tune in her cauldron of classic rock witchcraft, while the Sponkies practice their zombie paintball skills…
#12. “Monster Mash” – Bobby “Boris” Pickett & The Crypt-Kickers
Although Christmas has long been the holiday with the most traditional songs associated with it… Halloween is generally the king when it comes to music you can find on the pop charts that can perfectly set the mood. It’s not a Halloween party unless the DJ’s playing “Ghostbusters,” “Thriller,” “Werewolves of London,” and “Somebody’s Watching Me.”
That’s it… I’m calling Huey Lewis and reporting you!
But the ultimate All Hallow’s Eve party hit came early on in the rock and roll era… and is a novelty song in every sense of the word. In 1962, Bobby Pickett donned his best Boris Karloff accent and introduced the then-dance crazed world to some new moves called “The Monster Mash”….
A musical tribute to just about every classic horror film from its golden age, “Monster Mash” has helped bridge the gap between the classic monster tales of yore and our traditional celebration of Halloween. I’m sure Bram Stoker and Mary Shelley had no idea their creations would become the iconic mascots of future Halloweens, or that we would be so obsessed by their monsters that scenes like this were possible…
Who says you couldn’t have a mixed family in the early 60’s?
Bobby Pickett also engaged in that all American philosophy of milking a successful enterprise until it was completely dry and the udders hopelessly chapped. “Monster Mash” was re-released numerous times, oddly remaining on the pop charts for the majority of 1973, not just at Halloween. But Pickett also created numerous less successful and thankfully less known spinoffs of the original Mash… such as the Christmas themed “Monsters’ Holiday” in December 1962, “Transylvania Twist” which was only mentioned in “Monster Mash” became a full fledged song, and yes… in the 80’s Bobby was still at it writing “Monster Rap.” I’m not making that up, yo…
Word to your mother!
Please come back next Monday for the next spooky tune in our Novelty Song countdown…
Evil Squirrel's Nest 
Call me corny (or Pam) but I have always gotten a big kick out of Monster Mash. I thought Pickett had a credible Boris accent going too which just made it all the more funny. The re-dos and re-makes couldn’t touch the original!
Pam
This is classic! I left a few of the old rock comedy favorites out of this countdown, but not only left Monster Mash in, but rated it high because it’s just too perfect. I didn’t dare look up some of those remakes… Monster Rap sounds scary in a not good way!
it was a dance floor filler (or killer?) as I was a child… the only really bad thing was, that is way performed by my grampy and the worst polka band of the world … and played by this half-plastered guys it was a super scary song ;O)
LOL! That does sound awful. Maybe the drunk, off key band should have stuck with German drinking songs…
Ok, Monster Mash AND the Munsters? Now you’re talking my era! 💀
That would be the Jurassic era, right? 😉
Pre-Jurassic. 🦕LOL
monster mash total lee rocked…as did the munsters and addams family; never could pick
between those two which was a fave !! 🙂 ♥♥
They also had two of the best TV show themes ever!
I can still sing the Monster Mash.
It’s very easy to get stuck your head. I don’t think I’d heard it in over 20 years before playing the video, and I was singing along to most of it…
I’m like Marilyn, I can still sing the Monster Mash. It was a graveyard smash, you know!
I’ll bet you recalled the lyrics in a flash…
This song just makes me happy.
Best Halloween mood song ever…
Bless him. One monster-themed hit and he tries to make a career of it…
Great song – but I thought Boris Karloff WAS the voice. Saw it somewhere in a trivia contest.
Nope, it’s definitely an impersonation done by Bobby Pickett. As a trivia hound myself, I know there’s a lot of bad questions out there…