On October 20, 1962 “Monster Mash” hit No. 1 on the Billboard
Hot 100 chart, just in time for Halloween
       
The self-described “graveyard smash” become a literal smash
hit, spending the last two weeks of October at the top of the
charts and remaining a beloved Halloween classic decades
later.      

“Monster Mash” hit the Billboard charts three times, starting
with its original debut in 1962. It re-charted in August 1970,
and then again in May 1973.       

       
Then, Pickett released two more songs that were sequels of
sorts: “Monster’s Holiday,” which hit No. 30 in December
1962, and “Graduation Day,” which hit No. 80 in June 1963.

Robert George Pickett (February 11, 1938 – April 25, 2007)

On October 14, 1957, the Everly Brothers, one of the most important
and influential groups in the history of rock and roll, scored their
first #1 song: "Wake Up Little Susie."

                                      Phil and Don Everly

    
    
    
    
   
On September 15, 1962, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons’
"Sherry" hits the top of the pop music charts. It was the
start of a remarkable run of hits.

"Sherry" was written by Bob Gaudio who said the song took
about 15 minutes to write and was originally titled "Jackie
Baby” (in honor of then-First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy).

Gaudio stated the song was inspired by the 1961 Bruce
Channel hit …"Hey! Baby."

At the studio, the name was changed to "Terri Baby", and
eventually to "Sherry", the name of the daughter of Gaudio’s
best friend, New York DJ Jack Spector.

Jack Spector
(September 15, 1928 – March 8, 1994)

Singer Frankie Valli is 91 now.

Dave "Baby" Cortez (86) (David Cortez Clowney) is a pop and R&B
organist and pianist, best known for his 1959 hit, "The Happy
Organ.” He is the oldest living performer to have a solo #1 hit
on the Billboard Hot 100.

Cortez had another Top Ten hit in 1962 with "Rinky Dink" on Chess Records. This record became well known in the UK as the signature
tune of the Saturday afternoon program Professional Wrestling.
(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

In 2011, after a 38-year hiatus from recording, Cortez
returned with a album on Norton Records backed by
Lonnie Youngblood and His Bloodhounds, including underground luminary Mick Collins of the Dirtbombs
and the Gories.

Singer-songwriter Neil Diamond has sold more than 130 million
records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians
of all time. He has written and recorded ten singles that reached
No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.