That Time the 'Monster Mash' Monsters Tried to Rob Santa Claus

Every October, like clockwork, a specific spooky bassline rises from the graveyard to dominate Halloween playlists everywhere. We all know "Monster Mash." It is the ultimate graveyard smash, a perennial autumn anthem, and a song that convincingly sells you on a dance craze without ever actually explaining what the dance steps are.

But what you might not know is that just four months after the original hit the top of the charts, the monsters came back. And this time, they had their eyes on Santa’s sleigh.

From Banned Hit to Christmas Heist

When Bobby "Boris" Pickett and his band, the Crypt-Kickers, first recorded "Monster Mash" in 1962, the music industry was not convinced. Multiple record labels flat-out rejected it, and across the pond, the BBC banned it for more than a decade for being far too morbid. Listeners, however, felt differently. The track rocketed straight to the top of the music charts in October 1962.

Capitalizing on the craze, Pickett decided Halloween shouldn't hog all the spooky fun. Just four months later, in December 1962, he released a festive follow-up titled "Monster's Holiday."

Instead of coming up with a brand-new tune, Pickett did what any savvy musician would do: he took the exact same melody, kept his signature Boris Karloff impression, and swapped out the eerie sound effects. Out went the creaking coffin lids and bubbling cauldrons, and in came ringing sleigh bells.

The Wholesome North Pole Shakedown

The plot of "Monster's Holiday" reads like a classic holiday heist movie. On Christmas Eve, Dracula, the Wolfman, and the rest of the graveyard crew hatch a plan to ambush Santa Claus as he flies over the rooftop. Their goal? Hijack the sleigh and pocket all the goodies for themselves.

Except things do not go according to plan. When Saint Nick lands, he isn't intimidated by the ghoulish muggers at all. Instead of fighting back or speeding off, Santa simply chuckles and hand-delivers every single toy and treat the monsters wanted in the first place. Dracula gets his wish, the monsters get their Christmas cheer, and the entire festive robbery is derailed by pure North Pole generosity.

The Monster Cinematic Universe

Pickett didn't stop at Christmas, either. Having struck gold with his monster formula, he went on to produce several other themed spin-offs using the exact same graveyard schtick, including dance tracks like "Monster Motion" and "Monster Swim."

While none of the sequels quite reached the mega-stardom of the original October anthem, "Monster's Holiday" remains a wonderfully wacky time capsule of the 1960s novelty song era.

The Otterly Interesting Part

It is kind of hilarious to realize that "Monster Mash" built its entire legacy on a dance that nobody actually knows how to do. The lyrics constantly insist that the mash is "the hit of the land" and that everyone is doing it, yet Pickett never dropped a single instruction. Did you twist? Did you stomp? Did you wave your arms like a mummy? Nobody knows! We’ve all just been winging it in costume for over sixty years, and honestly, that feels entirely appropriate.

So, as the holiday season rolls around, why not give your festive playlist a little graveyard flavor? After all, even Frankenstein's monster deserves a present under the tree.

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