For decades, people across the U.S. and Canada with the misfortune of having that number (or a close variation) were inundated with calls asking for "Jenny." Some embraced it, changing their voicemail greeting to a singing message. Others sued. It remains the most notorious wrong number in history.
In an age of speed dial and WhatsApp, the act of memorizing a phone number feels almost archaic. Yet, certain sequences of digits have become lodged in our collective consciousness. They are the "números de teléfono famosos"—numbers that transcend their function to become cultural touchstones. numeros de telefono famosos
Unfortunately for a man in Denver named Mike Stack, that was his real home number. After the film’s release, he received over 500 calls per day from people asking to speak to God. The phone company eventually had to permanently disconnect his line. It is a cautionary tale: never put a real number in a blockbuster. In the Spanish-speaking world, the most famous "número de teléfono" isn't from a song—it's from a craving. 01-800-DOMINOS (or its numerical equivalent) is a masterclass in marketing. For decades, people across the U
It has since been reused in The Office (Jim’s voicemail) and Die Hard 2 . It is the patron saint of fictional phone numbers. In 1981, Tommy Tutone released a song that would cause chaos for thousands of innocent strangers. "867-5309/Jenny" turned a random girl's number into a national prank. It remains the most notorious wrong number in history
That was the number for the Ghostbusters in the 1984 blockbuster. "Who ya gonna call?" That number became so famous that when the real 555 exchange was largely non-functional, fans would still try to dial it, hoping to hear Bill Murray's deadpan voicemail.
Have you ever dialed a famous number? Did you get a song, a pizza, or a ghost? Share your story (but please, don’t actually call 867-5309).