“Everyone absolutely loved it. People were pointing out how they were surprised how much they all learned about each other.”
Drop the Needle - The Game That Connects Music to Memories
Available now
Drop the Needle is now available
The game that connects music to memories is ready to order.
What Is Drop the Needle?
Whether with a group of friends for a game night, party, or reunion — or even in one-on-one situations where you want to learn more about the person you're sharing time with — this fun, addictive, and endlessly replayable deck of cards will inspire countless moments of sharing and discovery.
Players take turns reading from the deck of 150 question prompt cards to share their own intimate and personal stories with one another. The answers are focused on how and why certain songs directly connect to our deepest life moments and memories.
2-10 Players
16+ Ages
150 Cards
How to Play
1
Draw a Card
Pull a prompt that'll make you dig deep into your musical memory vault.
2
Share Your Story
Tell the tale behind the song that answers the prompt.
3
Connect & Discover
Learn something new about the people you thought you knew.
Sample Cards
From Our Players Game night, delivered
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“Drop The Needle! Just played it! Such a cool game! It opens up your brain, introduces your current self to a former self, brings back the times of your past and you hear other people's stories about their pasts. It's one of the most binding, beautiful games I've ever played! Get it now!”
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“The power of music can transport you to moments, feelings & memories - & Kyle's DROP THE NEEDLE GAME delivers the prompts to do so & share with your party. Though it can be played competitively, it feels more like a dynamic playlist of stories & songs; where both touching & hilarious moments ensue.”
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“Drop the needle is a little bit of everything good in this life - music, friends, family, memories, laughter and time spent together. It is so rare that we take the time to sit down with our people and connect over the one universal truth we all share - a love for music. This game is perfect.”
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“We had an absolute blast playing Drop The Needle! We joined a group of people we didn't even know, and before long, we were all laughing, sharing stories, and having a genuinely great time together. The game has a really fun way of bringing back memories and songs you haven't thought about in years. It's a great icebreaker, a fun way to connect with people, or simply an excuse to sit around, laugh, and enjoy some music related stories. What I loved most was getting a little glimpse into everyone's own musical journey. Every song seemed to come with a memory, a story, or a "Oh my God, I haven't heard this song in YEARS!" moment. Highly recommend Drop The Needle if you're looking for a fun way to bring people together, spark some memories, and have a lot of laughs along the way!”
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“Playing Drop The Needle was such a blast — my wife & I played it with both close friends & people we'd just met - & it sparked laughs each time. What I love most is how it doubles as a window into everyone's musical history & you end up learning things about people's taste & life soundtrack that never really come up in normal conversations. It's a rare game that works equally well as both an icebreaker with strangers & a fun night in with old friends. Kyle nailed it with this one — highly recommend for any group that loves music.”
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“Drop The Needle is a super cool game full of conversation prompts about music and music memories. It's played like cards against humanity, but for music lovers! A great idea for a gift. We got one for us to use as conversation prompts for an upcoming family road trip!”
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“I thought this game great. I actually played it with a bunch of people I had never met before. I just thought it was a great way to meet people for the first time, and I feel like, right away you start clicking with different people, you start learning about new songs, and you really start to get some good conversations going. Absolute blast playing it! Drop The Needle!”
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“Just played Drop The Needle - a really fun game! Everybody loves music, so it's really just a perfect game. If you're playing with strangers, or if you're playing with your best friends - everyone opens up and blossoms. I also think if you were on a first date, it would be a good game to play because you'd get to know each other. And what's better than that?”
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“I just played Drop The Needle, and it was really fun. I think what's great about this game is that you can really play it anywhere. You sit at a bar, you could sit in your living room, and you can really play it with anyone! The genre doesn't matter and the ages of each of you doesn't matter. I definitely recommend it and it's something I will definitely play again!”
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“Had a lot of fun playing this! I definitely came into it knowing it would be a fun game to play, but also feeling a little bit apprehensive. I have to admit that, I am the kind of person when put on the spot, sometimes my mind goes blank. But that was not the case at all with Drop The Needle. I was really pleasantly surprised that my answers came to me pretty quickly, and I did not feel pressured to have to respond in a way that was competitive - which was really nice. It was more just speaking from the heart. Great uniting game!”
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“I played this great new game Drop The Needle with 4 other people that I had never met before, and it flowed so organically. We had each other laughing - we were thinking really hard and deep about our pasts and our history with music amongst us all. I'm really interested to watch how this game gets shared out as more people play it with groups of mixed ages and multiple cultures. I think there is really no limit to how amazing this game could possibly be!”
From the podcast 3SOME
The Origin Story Just how was this game created?
2 years ago, I started producing a music discussion podcast based on this concept...
Have you ever wondered why certain songs have such deep-seated connections to our memories?
Musical melodies can serve as auditory “post-it notes”, helping us remember significant events or moments. Music engages & activates various areas of the brain, including those associated with memories & emotions. Studies have shown that “music doesn't just help us retrieve stored memories, it also helps generate new ones.” Songs can connect to events or moments in time, forming an embedded soundtrack of sorts. And, when re-played, can immediately spark strong recollections. With all of this in mind, my show 3SOME is where I dive into discussions with each of my special guests to explore the way that 3 specific songs hold deeply emotional & reminiscent connections that transport them directly to specific times, places, memories, or moments from their pasts... in other words, these discussions explore just how & why we find music & certain songs emotionally & exquisitely evocative.
Well... one evening I was discussing just how much listeners were emotionally connecting to these amazing song stories with my sister Stephanie Larsen (& how the podcast episodes were inspiring similar thoughts & memories within them all). It was then that she said this:
“It would be really cool if you could somehow turn this into a game.”And now... we have! Thanks to that comment, I am so proud to bring DROP THE NEEDLE to you all to play & enjoy in your homes with your friends, families & loved ones!
About the Creator
Hello. My name is Kyle Thompson
(also known as DJ Fattie B.) from Bristol, Vermont.
I have been a DJ, MC, artist, author & producer for over 35 years. For 22 years, I DJ'd a weekly club dance party celebrating the hits of the 70's & 80's called RETRONOME. I then wrote & published a book titled “I WAS A 400 POUND '80s DJ” (which tells the true stories of events I experienced then). I also owned a clothing boutique in Burlington, Vermont called STEEZ.
As a musical artist, from my solo work & projects with Belizbeha & Eye Oh You, (& as a DJ as well), I have been blessed to share the stage with many amazing musical acts that include: THE ROOTS, KRS-ONE, A TRIBE CALLED QUEST, MACEO PARKER, BLACK EYED PEAS, MORRIS DAY & THE TIME, BUSTA RHYMES, ZIGGY MARLEY, KOOL & THE GANG, SLICK RICK, AFRICA BAMBAATA, PHARCYDE, TALIB KWELI, JURASSIC 5, COMMON, REDMAN, DIGITAL UNDERGROUND & BIG DADDY KANE.
Music has always played a major role in my life. I love how we (as humans) connect so deeply to certain songs & attach them to our impactful life moments & memories. DROP THE NEEDLE is my way of sharing these connections with you & your loved ones.
Our Partnership with Musicians On Call
MOC has worked directly with world-class musicians like:
Noah Kahan, Dolly Parton, Barry Manilow, Kelly Clarkson, Darius Rucker, Katy Perry, Jason Derulo, Ed Sheeran,
The War And Treaty, Reba McEntire, Camila Cabello, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Pharrell, Kelsea Ballerini,
Luke Bryan, Menudo and many more.
10% from every game sold will go directly to help them achieve their music sharing goals!
We here at DROP THE NEEDLE are beyond excited to be working with Musicians On Call (MOC).
This amazing organization is a national nonprofit with the vision of a world filled with the healing power of music. Since 1999, MOC volunteers have brought live and recorded music directly to the bedsides of patients, families and caregivers in healthcare environments through the MOC Bedside and Virtual programs.
Hospitals in cities from coast to coast experience the uplifting impact of MOC's programs, making the organization the nation's leading provider of live music in hospitals. MOC believes that everyone should have access to and benefit from the healing power of live music.
Learn More About Musicians On Call