Seasonal songs aren’t limited to Christmas; Halloween also has its share of popular tunes. This is clear this week with a classic Halloween song making a comeback. While many spooky songs gain popularity in October thanks to playlists, one particular hit is currently leading the charge.
Sorry for the playful clues! That song was “Monster Mash” by Bobby Pickett and the Crypt Kickers. Originally released in the early 1960s, it’s surprisingly popular again, currently ranking in the top 20 on iTunes in the US. If you’re going to any Halloween parties this year, you’re likely to hear it!
The song was originally released quite early, in late August of 1962. Pickett was performing a cover of The Diamonds’ “Little Darlin” on stage, and he was also experimenting with a spoken-word piece inspired by horror actor Boris Karloff. It’s unusual to think about what connected him to Karloff and that particular song.
Classic Halloween anthem comes back to life
The performance was well-received and inspired ideas for expanding the Boris Karloff impression. Pickett, along with Lenny Capizzi from his band, The Cordials, continued to refine it. Together, they recorded the song and created a narrative about a mad scientist, a monster coming to life, and a wild dance.
Adding a wild, Halloween-themed party to the plot is a good way to describe it. The core idea wasn’t groundbreaking, but it seemed to resonate with people.
Things got tricky when they tried to officially release the song. It’s yet another instance of them defying expectations from record companies. Their producer, Gary Paxton, shopped the song around to many labels, but nobody was interested. Just before giving up on it completely, Paxton decided to make one final effort to get it heard.
He made 500 copies of his song and personally delivered them to radio stations across California, giving them to DJs. They started playing the song, and soon Paxton received calls wanting to know more. This led to a record deal with London Records, finally allowing his song to be widely released.
This song has proven its popularity time and time again. It originally hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1962 and has continued to reappear on the charts in the years since, including a recent listing on iTunes. While the way we listen to music has changed with streaming and downloads, it’s great that these classic songs can find new audiences and enjoy renewed success.
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2025-10-21 13:00