Autumn in Tucson: Halloween tune treats

"I was working in the lab late one night

"When my eyes beheld an eerie sight

"For my monster from his slab began to rise

"And suddenly to my surprise"

Come on, sing along. You know the words.

"He did the mash

"He did the monster mash

"The monster mash

"It was a graveyard smash

"He did the mash

"It caught on in a flash

"He did the mash

"He did the monster mash"

The Frankenstein-esque party tune by Bobby "Boris" Pickett & the Crypt-Kickers' "Monster Mash" came to life in the No. 1 slot on the Hot 100 in 1962, and has been must-listen-to Halloween party tune ever since.

Add Ray Parker Jr.'s "Ghostbusters" ("If there's somethin' strange in your neighborhood / Who ya gonna call?") and Michael Jackson's "Thriller" ("'Cause this is thriller, thriller night") and you have our top three Halloween tune treats. 

Before Arizona resident Alice Cooper was golfing around the state, he a monster rocker. Jon Wiederhorn in a Yahoo Music article last week said "Cooper's style of horror has always been akin to a carnival ride or a monster movie. The thrills are real, but the terror is not, which makes Cooper the ultimate character for Halloween tricks and treats."

Here is Cooper's 10 favorite Halloween songs from Yahoo music, 30 percent of which are his. "I'm going to have a lot of songs in this top 10," he explained in the article, "because I'm the only one that really writes scary songs."

1. Alice Cooper, "Wind Up Toy"

2. Ozzy Osbourne, "Mr. Crowley"

3. The Doors, "The End"

4. Alice Cooper, "Feed My Frankenstein

5. Pink Floyd, "Careful With That Axe Eugene"

6. The Rolling Stones, "Midnight Rambler"

7. Arthur Brown, "I Put a Spell on You" (originally by Screamin' Jay Hawkins)

8. Alice Cooper, "Dangerous Tonight"

9. Warren Zevon, "Werewolves of London"

10. The Misfits, "Monster Mash" (originally by Bobby "Boris" Pickett)

"I'm going to throw this in only because you can't have Halloween without Bobby 'Boris' Pickett, Cooper said in the Yahoo Music article.

Billboard has a different perspective and agrees with us on the top three. Here's the countdown of Billboard Top Halloween Songs from 2012.

10. "Dragula" - Rob Zombie

9. "A Nightmare on My Street" - D.J. Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince

8. "Somebody's Watching Me" - Rockwell

7. "Runnin' With the Devil" - Van Halen

6. "Don't Fear the Reaper" - Blue Oyster Cult

5. "Highway to Hell" - AC/DC

4. "Werewolves of London" - Warren Zevon

3. "Ghostbusters" - Ray Parker Jr.

2. "Monster Mash" - Bobby "Boris" Pickett & the Crypt-Kickers

1. "Thriller" - Michael Jackson