Why It Matters

You can’t have a telethon without a telephone. Well, I guess you can these days, provided we loosen up the definition of “telephone,” but hardware aside the spirit remains. The whole point of a telethon is to involve people, after all, and that means not only the donor but the volunteer willing to sit down for a few hours and take pledges.

These days we occasionally see the celebrity telethon, usually in the wake of a big disaster. Call in now and you might talk to Tom Cruise or Coolio! But the old fashioned, Jerry Lewis-style telethon is long gone.

Anyway, phone songs:

“The Phone Call,” The Pretenders.

“One Phone Call/Street Scenes,” Miles Davis.

“Telephone,” Erykah Badu.

“Telephone Call From Istanbul,” Tom Waits.

“The Telephone Song,” Charles Bradley.

“The Phone’s Off the Hook, But You’re Not,” X.

“Cellphone’s Dead,” Beck.

“Can’t Keep Checking My Phone,” Unknown Mortal Orchestra.

There you have it: Eight songs to ring-a-ding what you ring-a-ding-want. What did I miss? I’m listening.