Why the BBC Banned the Monster Mash
In 1962 Bobby Pickett and his band “The Crypt-Kickers” released an instant holiday classic, one that would reach number 1 in the charts multiple times since its release.
You can probably tell by the fact his band is called the Crypt-Kickers that the holiday in question was Halloween and you can also tell by the title of this article that the song was called “The Monster Mash”.
Not everyone was a fan of the mash though, the British Broadcasting Corporation, better known as the BBC, felt the song was too morbid to be played on the radio and banned the song for 11 years.
If you haven’t listened to the Monster Mash you’re probably thinking “oh wow what kind of atrocities and horrible details could they be singing about that would cause a decade-long ban?”
Well let me tell you, the song involves a meet-up of fiction’s most notorious and dangerous monsters, ghouls, and fiends! You had zombies, vampires, Dracula and his son, the wolfman too. Worst still they were all gathered at a graveyard!
“Sounds like a party to me.”
What filthy, vile, and horrible thing were the monsters planning? Only something that would make Reverend Shaw Moore tremble… it was dancing!
Yep, the monster mash was the name of a dance and the monsters were all gathered at a graveyard to dance. Here are some of the lyrics that were deemed morbid by the BBC:
They did the monster mash
(The monster mash) It was a graveyard smash
(They did the mash) It caught on in a flash
(They did the mash) They did the monster mash
The zombies were having fun (Wa hoo, tennis shoe)
The party had just begun (Wa hoo, tennis shoe)
The guests included Wolfman, Dracula and his son
The scene was rockin', all were digging the sounds
Igor on chains, backed by his baying hounds
The coffin-bangers were about to arrive
With their vocal group, 'The Crypt-Kicker Five'
They played the monster mash
(The monster mash) It was a graveyard smash
(They played the mash) It caught on in a flash
(They played the mash) They played the monster mash
Unfortunately, Kevin Bacon wasn’t around to help overturn the ban but 11 years later in 1973 someone high up in the BBC food chain probably said “why the hell is this banned?” and unbanned it. The Monster Mash then went on to reach number 3 in the UK charts that year.
Related Article: The Time the BBC Banned “Deep in the Heart of Texas”
Quick Facts
Bobby Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers had other monster songs in the following years including “Monsters’ Holiday” and “Monster Rap”
Though the monster that is referenced in the song appears to be Frankenstein’s monster there is no reference to the name Frankenstein in the song
