Elvis Presley revolutionized the music world with his unmistakable sound and legendary hip swing. In Germany, too, the King of Rock ’n’ Roll captivated countless fans—and his music lives on to this day, as seen in classic tribute concerts featuring his most iconic hits. But what many people don’t know is that one of his recordings once sparked a major controversy in West Berlin.
And all because of a German folk song, of all things! In the early 1960s, two Berlin radio stations refused to play a song by the global superstar. But what was behind this unusual decision?
Why Elvis Presley ended up on the banned list on West Berlin radio
In 1960, the musical film *Café Europa* (originally titled *G.I. Blues*) was released, in which Elvis played a U.S. soldier stationed in Germany. In one scene, he sang an unusual version of the Swabian folk song “Muss i denn zum Städtele hinaus,” which combined German lyrics with English lines. Under the title “Wooden Heart,” the song became an international hit and even reached number two on the charts in West Germany.
But while numerous fans were thrilled, the interpretation met with little enthusiasm from some German broadcasters. The West Berlin stations RIAS and SFB promptly removed the song from their schedules. They criticized Elvis’s version as a “deliberate sentimentalization of German folk songs.” Bayerischer Rundfunk also refused to air it.
Although there was no official ban, the reactions show just how controversially the fusion of American pop music with German traditions was received at the time. Ultimately, the criticism did nothing to dampen the song’s success.
“Viva Las Vegas,” “Jailhouse Rock,” and more at Berlin’s historic Meistersaal
More than six decades later, the music of the King of Rock ’n’ Roll still thrills generations of fans. On November 28, you can experience his greatest hits in a whole new way at “Candlelight: Tribute to Elvis Presley” in Berlin’s historic Meistersaal.
A string quartet will perform classics such as “Hound Dog,” “Love Me Tender,” and “Suspicious Minds” in instrumental arrangements, while countless candles create a very special atmosphere.
28 November 2026 16:00
Meistersaal
