Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” may have taken the top slot on Billboard’s Top 10 Halloween Songs based on cumulative downloads and airplay, but it was another, much earlier graveyard smash that bested his song’s 1984 #4 peak on the Hot 100.

Released in August 1962, “Monster Mash” by Bobby “Boris” Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers caught on in a flash, reaching #1 by Halloween and becoming a perennial party favorite ever since. Inspired by Pickett’s spot-on impersonation of English actor Boris Karloff and one of the countless ’60s dance crazes, the Mashed Potato, “Monster Mash” was originally banned by the BBC, which declared the U.S. novelty hit too morbid for airplay. However, upon its re-release in 1973, “Monster Mash” reached #3 in the UK, while climbing to #10 here on the Hot 100.

Now, nearly 50 years after “Monster Mash” was first introduced to popular culture (and had Pickett hearing cash registers), two very different groups spent some time working in their labs to concoct covers of Pickett’s 1962 hit. Both are available as free downloads, and there’s some visual accompaniment too.

Up first, Allstar Weekend, the polished pop-punk outfit that has yet to completely shake their Disney Channel/Radio Disney associations. Still signed to Hollywood Records, the California trio just wrapped a tour with Selena Gomez & the Scene last month. It’s like the guys aren’t even trying. If only there was a male version of Maxim…

Kidding! But, not surprisingly, Allstar Weekend doesn’t get too crazy on their cover of “Monster Mash.” A lite hip-hop flow updates the verses for modern-day tastes, but when the Beach Boys-style harmonies come in, there’s no doubt that this party is suitable for for all ages.

Free download of Allstar Weekend – “Monster Mash” (Bobby “Boris” Pickett cover) via Tweet For A Track.

Brooklyn-based Selebrities (also a trio) serve up a synth-and-guitars cover of “Monster Mash” that sounds unearthed from the early-to-mid ’80s in the best possible way — slightly detached, somewhat melancholic, but still so very catchy. And hearing a rare female vocal on “Monster Mash” makes Selebrities’ take quite the Transylvania twist.

The music video was created in cooperation with purveyor-of-cool-threads Opening Ceremony, which packed up some skateboards, some Halloween masks, and took the track to Brooklyn’s COUNT-inental Plaza. It should be noted that the spooky spoken-word intro doesn’t appear on Selebrities’ cover (skip to 1:11 for the start of “Monster Mash”):

Free download of Selebrities – “Monster Mash” (Bobby “Boris” Pickett cover) via SoundCloud.

In addition to being credited with the top Halloween songs of all-time, Michael Jackson and Bobby “Boris” Pickett share something else in common. Actor Vincent Price, who famously contributed a voice-over “rap” to “Thriller,” recorded his own version of “Monster Mash” in 1977.