Monster Mash

Britain's BBC banned the single Monster Mash by Bobby 'Boris' Pickett. It was banned under a catch-all regulation prohibiting the broadcast of anything deemed "offensive". The song was written in about two hours. This is a dance song based on the "Mashed Potato" dance craze, which is where The "Mash" in the title comes in. Pickett is narrating the story as Dr. Frankenstein. Response was overwhelming, as California radio stations saw their phone banks lighting up with requests for the song. The original title was "Monster Twist" in an attempt to jump on the Twist craze, but that fad was fading so they tried calling it "Monster Mashed Potato," then settled on "Monster Mash." 

This is arguably the most successful novelty song of all time. Bobby Pickett accomplished the rare feat of reaching the top 100 music chart three times with the same song. On October 20, 1962, the original release hit #1 in the US. The song re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 on August 29, 1970 peaking at #91, and then again on May 5, 1972 when it went all the way to #10. The song has sold over four million copies and continues to be a Halloween favorite. The song made little impact in the UK until it was re-released there in 1973 and reached #3 on the Singles chart. By this time Boris Pickett was a 32-year-old part time New York cab driver.