Wiesn hits rely on catchiness, rhythm and crowd dynamics

Successful Oktoberfest beer-tent hits combine catchy melodies, strong rhythms, Bavarian-Alpine dialect and a gradual build from quiet verses to explosive choruses, BR reports. Munich’s Oktoberfest begins on Saturday, when millions of visitors will once again test their drinking tolerance and their ability to sing along.

The German collecting society GEMA has published its list of the most-played Oktoberfest songs of 2025. At the top is a song whose lyrics can be difficult to sing or even understand while sober: “Brenna tuats guad” by Hubert von Goisern.

The song criticises the darker sides of capitalism, the sale of local traditions and the exploitation of nature. Its message includes the line: “Everyone knows that money does not grow in the meadow, and you cannot eat it either. But it burns well.” Despite the subject matter, its catchy rhythm and Bavarian-Alpine character make it work in beer tents.

Why “Sweet Caroline” gets people singing

Dynamics may be the most important ingredient in an Oktoberfest hit: a quiet verse that builds into a chorus loud enough to hear even at 5.3 parts per thousand.

Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” uses that formula particularly effectively. Its chorus builds like a visitor riding the Toboggan, one of the Oktoberfest’s oldest attractions, where a conveyor belt carries people upwards and many fall around humorously.

The chorus is easy to sing, with repetitive moments in which the crowd becomes a call-and-response choir shouting “So good, so good, so good!” The low language barrier and shared nostalgia soon lead to swaying across the beer benches and loud group singing.

Other long-standing Oktoberfest favourites, including Robbie Williams’s “Angels”, STS’s “Fürstenfeld” and “Sex on Fire” by Kings of Leon, follow the same pattern. They have held regular places on GEMA’s Oktoberfest hit list.

“Wackelkontakt” adds originality

Only two new songs have reached the top 10: “Bella Napoli” by the Augsburg schlager duo Roy Bianco & Die Abbrunzati Boys, and “Wackelkontakt” by Oimara.

“Wackelkontakt” is immediately memorable, with its repeated “Wackel-wackel-wackel-wackel-Wackelkontakt” refrain. The opening of both the verse and chorus is also highly catchy: “If I were a piece of furniture … then I would be a 1970s lamp.”

The song first became a hit at the Cologne Carnival before returning to Bavaria for Oktoberfest. Its originality is part of its appeal. The lyrics encourage people to dress up, the lamp metaphor is coherent, and the techno-heavy chorus draws younger people onto the dance floor or the beer benches.

“Major Tom” rises again

Peter Schilling’s “Major Tom” has become even more closely associated with Oktoberfest in recent years, partly because it is the official goal celebration song of Germany’s men’s national football team.

Its refrain about being completely detached from Earth also offers an escape from the troubles of the world, whether in a beer tent or everyday life.