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The Count Five was a 1960s garage rock band from San Jose, California, best known for their Top 10 single "Psychotic Reaction".

The band was founded in 1964 by John "Mouse" Michalski (lead guitar) and Kenn Ellner (harmonica, vocals), two high school friends who had previously played in several short-lived outfits. After going shortly under the name The Squires, and several line-up changes later, the Count Five were born. Roy Chaney took over bass duties, Irish-born John "Sean" Byrne played rhythm guitar and lead vocals, and Craig "Butch" Atkinson played drums. The Count Five gained distinction for their habit of wearing Count Dracula-style capes when playing live.

"Psychotic Reaction", an acknowledged cornerstone of garage rock, was initially devised by Byrne, with the group refining it and turning it into the highlight of their live sets. The song was influenced by the style of contemporary musicians such as The Standells and The Yardbirds. The band members were rejected by several record labels before they got signed to the Los Angeles-based Double Shot Records. "Psychotic Reaction" was released as a single, and found immediate popularity in the protopunk scene, peaking at #5 in the U.S. charts in late 1966. The band got along for about another year, but dropped out of view altogether when their only hit had fallen from public memory. Another setback to a potential career in the music business was the decision of the five members (who were between the ages of 17 and 19) to pursue college degrees.

By 1969, the Count Five had broken up, but their memory was immortalized in a 1972 essay by rock journalist Lester Bangs, entitled "Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung." In the essay, Bangs credited the band for having released several albums — Carburetor Dung, Cartesian Jetstream, Ancient Lace and Wrought-Iron Railings, and Snowflakes Falling On the International Dateline — that displayed an increasing sense of artistry and refinement. However, none of these albums actually existed, except in Bangs' own imagination.

The original lineup has reunited only once, in 1987. This performance has been released as Psychotic Reaction Live. Craig Atkinson died in 1999. Roy Chaney formed a new band in the 1990s called The Count (with Byrne and drummer Rocco Astrella, who played in the last version of the original group). The Count released their debut CD, Can't Sleep, in 2002.

• Information about The Count Five

The Count Five performed their reunion concert in 1987 at a club in Santa Clara, California called "One Step Beyond".

The Count Five continues to rehearse on a regular basis, rehearsing new material and perfecting what they already own. Since 1987, they have been inaugurated as one of the very first, into the San Jose Rock Hall of Fame. "If we could all top the charts by age 19, make it into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame and THEN complete our education by graduation..we'd be The Count Five.