Cell phone ringtones Song in your heart can be the song in everybody's ears, thanks to
By JACOB BENNETT

Crank Dat Soulja Boy

now watch me YOOOUUUU

Crank Dat Soulja Boy

now watch me YOOOUUUU

"Sorry, I gotta take this. It's my mom calling."

That has probably been happening a lot lately, since Soulja Boy's "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" is now the best-selling cell phone ringtone in the country.

Millions of people each week download music snippets that play as ringers when their cell phones are called.

Ringtones come in two styles: "Realtones," which are taken from the album version of songs; or polyphonics, which are digital remakes of the melody.

People download some of these ringtone snippets, which cost $2 or more, but more often they get the 99-cent complete versions that can be played anywhere.

Hip-hop dominates the charts. Akon's "Smack That" was last year's best-seller, with nearly 1.6 million sales. But you can get almost anything — "Pancho & Lefty" by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, to the piano music from "The Incredible Hulk" TV series.

The themes from the video game "Super Mario Bros." and the movie "Halloween" are perennial best-sellers.

The songs you pick say a lot about you. So we asked some folks with visible jobs around town what you would hear if someone called them.

Alfred Savia, music director, Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra

My answers will probably be fairly disappointing, because I have my phone currently set to its default ring tone — just a standard phone ring. It seems like the newer the phone the more difficult to get varieties of ring tones — and I never bother downloading anything like that.

However, on my former cell phone, there was actually a wide variety of musical choices (mostly classical) and I would change them depending on what I was involved in performing at the time. For example, when the philharmonic was in rehearsals for Bizet's "Carmen," I had my phone programmed to the "Toreador Song" from "Carmen." Our singers would get a kick out of hearing that when my phone rang.

Of course, for orchestra rehearsals it is de rigeur to have your phone's ringer off, which segues to my most embarrassing cell phone incident. I was conducting the Butler University Symphony a few seasons ago, and we were in rehearsals for a performance of the Beethoven 9th Symphony that fall. Of course, I made a point of telling those student musicians that it is totally unprofessional to have one's phone on in a rehearsal, and they were all very good about adhering to that. Unfortunately, one rehearsal I had forgotten to turn my phone off, and in the middle of rehearsal of the 9th, it rang and rang — and the ring tone was, of course, the "Ode to Joy" from the Beethoven 9th. After a while everyone was looking around to see whose phone was ringing and I sheepishly had to fess up — but, I added "At least it's set to the Beethoven 9th!"

Randa Gatling, assistant women's basketball coach, University of Southern Indiana

I've got "Ice Box" by Omarion. It's a hip-hop song ... "I got an ice box where my heart used to be." I loved the chorus. A lot of the girls on the team have them. We'll hear them in passing, or their phone will ring when they're in the office talking to us.

Brad Hill, Evansville police chief

My ring tone is Old Phone, which came with the phone. My daughter helped me download some songs...Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Avalon, Mark Schultz, Nicole Nordeman. I always have my phone on vibrate, however, to eliminate those embarrasing moments. Only time I have it audible is on the counter at home.

Diana M. Barber, edcation curator, Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden

I have several tones depending on who's calling. Zoo-related calls have their own tone — a howler monkey calling. I recorded it from the howlers at the zoo. If you've ever been at the zoo when they call, then you know it can be very, very dramatic and loud. It's quieter on my phone because the speaker is not as big as a howler's throat.

Mike "Sandman" Sanders, disc jockey for WGBF-103.1FM:

I have Metallica's "Enter Sandman" because ... that's me! (My most embarrassing moment) is when it went off in church. But God made rock and roll, so I'm sure he didn't mind too terribly.

Dan McDonnell, assistant sports information director, University of Southern Indiana

The "Imperial March" from "Star Wars." I stole the idea from my roommate. We're both huge "Star Wars" fans. Now he's got that and the University of Nebraska fight song, which drives me nuts because I'm a Colorado fan.

The Rev. Jeff Stratton, pastor of American Baptist East in Evansville

I have "Heaven" by Los Lonely Boys. I got it a year and a half ago after we used the song as a lead-in and theme song for a series (of sermons) at church. Now, when it rings in a restaurant, I always tell the person I'm with, "Just a minute, I need to get that. It might be God."