As Halloween approaches, everyone seems to be watching spooky movies and listening to Halloween classics. Some songs stand out more than others, such as Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Bobby “Boris” Pickett’s Monster Mash, and Ray Parker Jr.’s Ghostbusters. But there is one Halloween music mystery that has always puzzled me:
What were the monsters actually listening to while dancing to “Monster Mash”?
Here at NR92, we love both Halloween and music, so I decided to do a little investigating.
The first clue is the release date. Monster Mash was released in 1962, so the song the monsters were dancing to would have had to exist before then. That narrows our search considerably.
One possible candidate is Bert Convy’s The Monsters Hop, released in 1958. The title certainly suggests a gathering of monsters, and it’s easy to imagine Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster, and the Wolfman dancing along. However, there’s a problem: if the monsters were already dancing to The Monsters Hop, why would they suddenly need a brand-new dance called the Monster Mash?
Another possibility is that the monsters were listening to one of the many rock-and-roll hits that dominated the late 1950s and early 1960s. Maybe they were doing their own monster version of the Twist, the Stroll, or another dance craze of the era. After all, the lyrics tell us that when they got together, “they did the mash.” Perhaps the Monster Mash wasn’t the song at all. Maybe it was simply the dance.
That’s where things get interesting. Many people assume Monster Mash is referring to the song itself, but if you listen carefully, Bobby “Boris” Pickett describes a party where the monsters invent a new dance. The Mash becomes an overnight sensation, and only afterward does it become a hit.
So, what were they listening to before the Monster Mash took over? We may never know for certain. My vote is still The Monsters Hop, simply because it sounds like the kind of record monsters would put on at a Halloween party. But until Dracula releases his playlist, the mystery remains unsolved.
What do you think the monsters were dancing to before they invented the Monster Mash? Let us know your theory!
Credits for photos: Thomas McPherson, Brian Jiz
