Back when phones clicked, clacked, and had cords that doubled as tripwires, musicians were already onto something—phones weren’t just for calling your crush. They were emotional conduits. Songs with phone numbers were direct lines to heartbreak, hookups, nostalgia, or pure chaos. Sometimes the numbers were real. Sometimes they were lies. But every one of them had one thing in common: they made us want to dial in and listen again.
Here are 36 of the greatest songs about phones, phone numbers, and the messy, glorious act of trying to reach someone on the other end.
1. “867-5309/Jenny” – Tommy Tutone (1981)
The gold standard. The number that launched a thousand prank calls. Tommy Tutone’s power-pop classic made 867-5309 the most famous seven digits in music history.
2. “Beechwood 4-5789” – The Marvelettes (1962)
Motown + teenage longing = phone number magic. This one came with harmonies so smooth, you wanted to call even if you had nothing to say.
3. “634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)” – Wilson Pickett (1966)
Need some loving? Wilson’s got the hotline. With a brass section that grooves like no other, this number connected straight to soul heaven.
4. “Pennsylvania 6-5000” – Glenn Miller Orchestra (1940)
Jazz, swing, and the actual phone number for the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York. It’s the earliest phone jam in pop culture.
5. “Memphis, Tennessee” – Chuck Berry (1959)
Chuck Berry’s tearjerker about trying to reconnect with a girl named Marie hits even harder when you realize she’s his daughter. Operator, we’ve got a plot twist.
6. “Party Line” – The Kinks (1966)
Remember when phones were shared? This jangly tune turns eavesdropping and missed connections into a British Invasion bop.
7. “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” – Steely Dan (1974)
Smooth jazz, cryptic lyrics, and the most laid-back plea ever recorded. If someone gave you a number and told you not to lose it, this is the soundtrack.
8. “Telephone Line” – Electric Light Orchestra (1976)
Jeff Lynne took a heartbreak and added strings, harmonies, and an actual phone ring. The result? One of the most beautiful missed calls in history.
9. “Operator (That’s Not the Way It Feels)” – Jim Croce (1972)
A phone booth, a dime, and a broken heart. Croce turned post-breakup desperation into one of the most human songs ever written.
10. “Kiss Me Thru the Phone” – Soulja Boy ft. Sammie (2008)
Teen romance, ringtone culture, and a real number that thousands called. Soulja Boy had the whole world trying to leave voicemails.
11. “Your Call Is Very Important to Us. Please Hold.” – Sparks (2006)
Leave it to Sparks to make hold music into high art. It’s theatrical, satirical, and more accurate than your last two customer service calls.
12. “Telephone” – Lady Gaga ft. Beyoncé (2010)
Two icons dodging your call, killing your ego, and turning pop into a crime scene. The music video alone deserves its own hotline.
13. “Call Me” – Blondie (1980)
Giorgio Moroder made it disco, Debbie Harry made it immortal. You don’t need a number—just an attitude.
14. “Answering Machine” – The Replacements (1984)
Paul Westerberg screams into the void and gets a beep. This is what loneliness sounded like before text bubbles existed.
15. “Mr. Telephone Man” – New Edition (1984)
Smooth vocals, teenage confusion, and an extremely polite tech support call. Who knew fixing a line could sound this catchy?
16. “I’ll Shoot the Moon” – Tom Waits (1993)
From The Black Rider, it features a surreal monologue involving a number (392-7704), a missile launcher, and a heartbroken lunatic. Only Waits could make a missed connection sound like nuclear fallout.
17. “54-46 That’s My Number” – Toots & The Maytals (1974)
Spoiler: it’s not a phone number, it’s a prison number. But it’s been misdialed by listeners for decades, proving once again that reggae lies sometimes slap.
18. “0898 Beautiful South” – The Beautiful South (1992)
Not a song, but a whole album named after a now-defunct British premium rate code. Don’t call it. Just listen to the lush, sardonic pop inside.
19. “Don’t Push” – Sublime (1992)
Bradley Nowell drops 439-0116 like a burned-out love letter with a zip code. It’s SoCal ska-punk meets chaotic voicemail energy.
20. “Winter Warz” – Ghostface Killah (1996)
Ghostface casually throws out a 10-digit number (917-160-49311?) in the middle of a verse. No context, all style. Classic Wu-Tang mystery.
21. “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” – AC/DC (1976)
Need revenge? Call 362-436. Angus and Bon Scott turned a fake number into the scuzziest hotline in rock.
22. “6060-842” – The B-52’s (1979)
A bathroom wall number leads to nowhere. Disconnected lines, dimes in the slot, and Tina waiting forever. It’s punk, weird, and pure B-52’s.
23. “5.7.0.5” – City Boy (1978)
Proof that even in the ’70s, Britain knew how to make a catchy phone number hit. It’s glam, clever, and somehow still rings today.
24. “Beechwood 4-5789” – Carpenters (1982)
Yes, they covered it. And yes, Karen Carpenter made it sound even more heartbreaking. It’s like calling your ex in three-part harmony.
25. “Long Tall Shorty” – The Kinks (1964)
More phone digits (4-2-4-6-8-9), more innuendo. If you’re squeamish, maybe skip this one—unless you’re into vintage scandal.
26. “Skandal im Sperrbezirk” – Spider Murphy Gang (1981)
Rosie has a phone and business is booming. German rock meets late-night calls in the red light district. Fantastisch!
27. “Bow E3” – Wiley (2007)
Grime legend Wiley drops a real UK mobile number and sets his voicemail to “wasteman suck ya mum, starr.” Instant legend status.
28. “Red Frame/White Light” – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (1980)
A tribute to a red telephone box and the band’s early days. 632-3003 was the number, and yes, fans have tried calling it.
29. “1-800-273-8255” – Logic ft. Alessia Cara & Khalid (2017)
The most important number on this list. A life-saving anthem that turned a suicide prevention hotline into a Billboard hit.
30. “I Got You / 634-5789” – Stu Gardner (1968)
A solid cover of the Pickett classic. Same number, different voice, all soul.
31. “634-5789 / Help” – Tina Turner (1988)
Tina brought her powerhouse voice to this number and gave it a whole new life. Even the operator had to stop and listen.
32. “(This Ain’t) No Thinkin’ Thing / 634-5789” – Trace Adkins (1997)
Country meets soul. Trace brings baritone swagger to the soul standard in a surprise double A-side.
33. “54-46 Was My Number / The Man” – Toots & The Maytals (1972)
Revisiting the same legendary digits. Toots can sing that number 100 times and it’ll still be a jam.
34. “I’ll Shoot the Moon” – Tom Waits (1993)
We’re repeating this one because frankly, it’s unhinged genius. Tom Waits answers the phone and chaos ensues.
35. “0898 Beautiful South” – The Beautiful South (1992)
Yes, again. It’s not a real number, but the band is so sarcastic, it feels like they meant to crash a telecom system.
36. “Skandal im Sperrbezirk” – Spider Murphy Gang (1981)
Worth repeating. It’s the German “867-5309” with way more edge and an economy that apparently prevails through the night.