The most famous phone number of the '80s - one of the most famous in music or pop culture history for that matter - was undoubtedly the one that the band Tommy Tutone had much of the country singing in 1982..."867-5309" and we all knew to whom it belonged (some of us even tried to reach her). Although it was the group's only major hit song, twenty-five years later, a lot of people could still dial it from memory.

There was no Tommy Tutone. Instead, the group was lead by singer Tommy Heath and guitarist Jim Keller who had formed the power pop act in San Francisco during the late '70s. Their self-titled, 1980 debut netted them their first hit, albeit a minor one, when "Angel Say No" settled into the US Top 40 at a lowly #38. There sophomore effort, unimaginatively titled Tutone 2 would find inspiration for its breakthrough hit on a bathroom wall."867-5309/Jenny" entered the Top 40 in mid-March of 1982 and, six weeks later, cracked the Top Ten.

With an unforgettable hook, muscular guitar riffs, and a driving, accessible groove, the song fused traditional power pop with a clean, high-gloss sheen. As the song climbed the charts, people all across the country who shared Jenny's seven digits found themselves caught up in its wake as curious listeners tried to reach the number. By the time the song peaked, spending three weeks at #4 in June, numerous people had to change their phone number to escape the deluge of calls.

It would be Tommy Tutone's final hit. Tutone 2 failed to even spawn a successful follow-up single. They released one more album the follwoing year and quickly disbanded, but "867-5309/Jenny" remains one of the more fondly remembered songs of the period and still sounds fresh more than two decades later.

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