On October 20, 1962, the quirky and spooky song “Monster Mash” hits No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, just in time for Halloween. The self-described “graveyard smash” becomes a literal smash hit, spending the last two weeks of October at the top of the charts—and remaining a beloved Halloween classic decades later.
The song was a toss-off idea by Bobby “Boris” Pickett, a lifelong fan of legendary horror film actor Boris Karloff, who started doing Karloff impersonations at talent competitions. After deciding to pursue an acting career in California, he teamed up with a friend, singer Leonard Capizzi, to make a novelty song featuring Pickett’s Karloff voice. In less than an hour, Pickett and Capizzi recorded “Monster Mash” with a band they called The Crypt-Kickers.
Pickett brought the recording to a record producer, who took it to four labels—and was rejected at each. Then, a radio station played the song, and “Monster Mash” became a hit. London Records gave Pickett a deal after an initial rejection, but the song proved controversial. BBC Radio banned it, saying it was “too morbid” to play on the air.
“Monster Mash” hit the Billboard charts three times, starting with its original debut in 1962. It re-charted in August 1970, and then again in May 1973. Then, Pickett released two more songs that were sequels of sorts: “Monster’s Holiday,” which hit No. 30 in December 1962, and “Graduation Day,” which hit No. 80 in June 1963.