# How an actor’s Boris Karloff impression turned into the biggest Halloween hit of all time

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/how-an-actors-boris-karloff-impression-turned-into-the-biggest-halloween-hit-of-all-time/
- Published: 2026-10-31T11:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-31T12:04:10+00:00
- Original publisher: Louder
- Original article: https://www.loudersound.com/music/tracks-singles/bobby-pickett-the-crypt-kickers-monster-mash
- Topics: Celebrity, Entertainment, Horror, Music

## Key points

- Bobby Pickett turned a Boris Karloff impression into “Monster Mash”.
- The 1962 song became a recurring Halloween favourite.
- Its theatrical horror theme helped it endure.

## Summary

The article traces the making of Bobby “Boris” Pickett’s “Monster Mash”, a novelty song built around his impression of horror actor Boris Karloff. Its enduring popularity has made it a recurring Halloween favourite and a major part of the season’s popular music.

Pickett developed the idea while performing with the Cordials, and recorded the song with the Crypt-Kickers in 1962. The track reached number one in the US and returned to the charts in later years, helped by its theatrical narration and horror-film theme.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.