Music-themed slots are a popular category within online gaming, designed to resonate with regular players and music lovers alike. These games draw inspiration from various musical genres, artists, and bands, incorporating elements that sync with fans, such as iconic songs, band imagery, and concert-style graphics. These online slots can make gameplay more interesting and exciting. With a vast selection of music-themed slots, players can choose from many genres that suit many musical tastes. This article will explore five of the most popular music-themed slot games.
Jimi Hendrix
To celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2016, NetEnt partnered with Universal Music to create a memorable collection of music-themed slots known as the NetEnt Rocks series. Among the standout releases was the Jimi Hendrix slot, a tribute to the legendary guitarist. The game features vibrant, 70s-inspired graphics with a psychedelic flair, capturing the essence of Hendrix’s iconic style while a soundtrack of his timeless hits plays. It is a straightforward five-reel slot with three rows and twenty fixed paylines.
The symbols featured in the Jimi Hendrix music-themed slot game include representations of Hendrix himself, two guitars (one red and one white), a peace sign, a heart, a vinyl record, a flower, and an eye. Standard playing card symbols complement these, all designed to align with the game’s vibrant, 70s-inspired theme. There are a variety of features designed to develop the overall gameplay experience. In the base game, players can encounter two key features: the Red Guitar Re-Spins, which are activated when four or more red guitar symbols appear on the reels, and the Purple Haze feature, triggered by the Purple Haze symbol landing on the first reel, which turns all playing card symbols into Wilds for that spin. Jimi Hendrix himself serves as the Wild symbol in the main game, substituting for all symbols except the Scatter. Wild combinations can yield returns, such as 400x a player’s stake for five Wilds or 2x a player’s stake for two.
There is also a Pick and Click feature, triggered by landing three scatters on the middle three reels. This feature offers four possible outcomes: a Coin Win, Crosstown Traffic Free Spins, Purple Haze Free Spins, or Little Wing Free Spins, each with the potential for multipliers.
Guns N’ Roses
Another of NetEnt Rocks music-themed slots is Guns N’ Roses, released in 2016 in collaboration with Bravado International Group. The backdrop of the Guns N’ Roses slot is designed to replicate a live concert, complete with vibrant lights, a cloudy yet summer-like sky, and an enthusiastic crowd, creating an immersive rock atmosphere. The game’s soundtrack, featuring five of the band’s iconic songs, is seamlessly integrated, allowing players to choose their favourite track to accompany the gameplay in the bottom left corner. The first song, “Welcome to the Jungle,” automatically plays, but players can select any song from the setlist in the bottom left corner of the screen. This music-themed slot features a 5-reel, 3-row layout with 20 paylines and interesting features that add to its appeal.
Regular card symbols are adorned with roses, while higher-paying symbols feature band members. The game includes several themed features: the Legends Spins, Solo Multiplier, Appetite for Destruction Wild, Encore Free Spins, and the Crowd-Pleaser Bonus game. Legends Spins offer two respins with Stacked Wilds, and the Solo Multiplier can boost a return on a player’s stake by 4x-10x. These features trigger randomly during the base game. The Bonus Wheel, activated by the record player symbol, can trigger coin rewards, Free Spins, or the Crowd-Pleaser Bonus. In the Crowd-Pleaser Bonus, a pick-and-win game offers Free Spins, cash rewards, and additional picks across three levels, with increasing rewards as a player progresses. If the Encore Free Spins feature is triggered, 10 spins will be activated, with one band member symbol becoming a Stacked Wild on reels two, three, and four.
Elvis: The King Lives
Elvis: The King Lives is a music-themed slot released by Williams Interactive – WMS Gaming in 2013, dedicated to celebrating the legacy of Elvis Presley, the iconic “King of Rock and Roll.” The game captures the essence of Elvis’ music and persona, making it a favourite among online gaming and rock music fans. Elvis’s legendary career heavily influences the slot’s design, featuring images of the singer, musical instruments, and memorabilia that reflect his era. There are 80 paylines in play here, with unique 2×2 and 3×6 reel sets. The play table is set among a Las Vegas backdrop, while a jukebox functions as a control panel to the left of the reel, which can be used to adjust the bet stake and paylines.
This slot features a variety of themed symbols, including high-value icons like images of Elvis, his guitar, and a microphone, while traditional playing card icons represent lower-value symbols. Bonus features like the Jukebox Feature, where players select songs to unlock rewards like free spins, multipliers, and wild symbols that substitute for others to form symbol combinations, are included in the game. Scatter symbols are key to triggering bonuses, including free spins with additional wilds or multipliers.
Michael Jackson: King of Pop
Michael Jackson: King of Pop was developed by Bally Technologies; it was released in 2016 and features a 5-reel, 3-row, 25-payline setup. The game showcases top-notch graphics and animations that vividly bring the King of Pop to life on the reels. The backdrop and design elements are all inspired by Michael Jackson’s iconic music videos and imagery. The reels are red and are set on a stage with disco lights, while classic tracks like “Beat It,” “Billie Jean,” “Bad,” “Dirty Diana,” and “Smooth Criminal” can be heard in the gameplay.
All returns are given as multipliers; the highest base game return could reach 500x for matching five wild or glove symbols on a payline. The jackpot offers a maximum 2,500x multiplier on a line bet, which can range from 40p to £80 per line. Symbols on reels include items associated with Michael Jackson, such as his signature hat, glove, sunglasses, shoes, and standard playing card symbols. The game’s bonus features include Moonwalk Wilds, where symbols can randomly turn into wilds as Michael Jackson moonwalks across the screen. The Wheel Bonus occurs by landing three bonus symbols, allowing players to spin for cash prizes, multipliers, or additional bonus games. The Beat It Free Games feature offers free spins with sticky wilds, while the Smooth Criminal Bonus provides free spins with expanding wilds, offering additional opportunities to return various values.
Testament
Based on the 1980s thrash metal band of the same name, Testament was developed by Play’n GO and released in 2020. The design of the 5-reel, 3-row, music-themed slot is dark and gothic, aligning seamlessly with the band’s aesthetic and an eerie nature as it takes place in a haunted mansion setting. High-quality visuals bring the symbols and themes to life, while the animations amplify the game’s intensity coupled with several of the band’s most renowned songs featured as the background music. The base game starts with 243 ways to land symbol combinations in play, but it can open up to 2,400 ways for combinations to be formed in the bonus feature.
The standard symbols are playing cards styled in a Gothic font. The premium symbols feature a horned skull, a werewolf, a vampire, and a menacing creature seated on a throne. The horned skull transforms into a wild symbol, and the album cover from Dark Roots of Earth represents the scatter symbol. Landing two scatters activates the Song Feature, awarding three spins where the music dictates the rewards. Two modifiers are implemented into the experience when wilds appear: Dark Roots of Earth turns additional symbols into wilds, while Cold Embrace makes wilds sticky for the free spins. The Throne of Thorns feature expands the reels to a 4-5-6-5-4 layout, increasing the number of ways to achieve combinations to 2,400. Landing three scatters unlocks the Rise Up Free Spins bonus, providing nine spins with initially blocked expanded reels. Additional scatters will remove these blockers, further expanding the reels and increasing opportunities. Removing all blockers upgrades the bonus, adding three extra spins and activating the Song Feature with all three modifiers for the rest of the round.
Summary
Music-themed slots offer players a dynamic and interesting experience, blending iconic tunes and band imagery into their gameplay. From the psychedelic vibes of Jimi Hendrix and the rock concert atmosphere of Guns N’ Roses to the legendary presence of Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson, these music-themed slots cater to various musical tastes. Testament’s dark, gothic design adds an alternative twist for metal fans. While these games provide entertaining and interesting experiences, it’s important for players to gamble responsibly.
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