Have you ever wondered how Monster Mash became a graveyard smash? Join Holly and Hilary as they kick off this four part Halloween Series by attempting to answer that question! They explore Monster Mash’s timelessness and universal appeal by breaking down its context and cinematic and musical influences. Was Bobby Pickett just at the right place at the right time? You decide.

Works Cited:
Buck, David. “Doin’ the Mash”: https://tedium.co/2018/10/25/monster-mash-history

Cowie, Colleen. What is Halloween music - and why does it scare us? https://blog.thecurrent.org/2018/10/what-is-halloween-music-and-why-does-it-scare-us/

Grant, Barry Keith. Monster Cinema. Rutgers University Press, 2018.

Jedeikin, Desi.‘MONSTER MASH’ WAS A NOVELTY JOKE. IT’S ALSO A PERFECT SONG. https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/monster-mash-lyrics-dance-history-songwriters

LeDonne, Rob. ‘Monster Mash’: Bob Pickett’s Daughter, Darlene Love, Reflects on the ‘Ridiculous’ Songs Success: https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/8015114/monster-mash-bobby-boris-pickett-halloween-history

Reyes, Xavier Aldana. “Gothic and Cinema: The Development of an Aesthetic Filmic Mode.” The Edinburgh Companion to Gothic and the Arts, edited by David Punter, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 2019, pp. 395–405. JSTOR.

Zaragoza, Alex. “This Halloween, Please Remember That 'Monster Mash' Still Slaps”: https://www.vice.com/en/article/43k83b/this-halloween-please-remember-that-monster-mash-still-slaps

Music:
A ghost Waltz by Loyalty Freak Music is licensed under a CC0, From the Free Music Archive.
Monster Parade by Loyalty Freak Music is licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License. From the Free Music Archive.