| Getting ringtones for your cell phone has | | | | ringtone heaven on earth. Several portions |
| become one of the hottest ways to set | | | | of this song have been made into ringtones, |
| yourself apart on today's scene. If you want | | | | but the tone depicting the song's |
| to stand out in a crowd, the ringtone you | | | | introduction is truly a classic. |
| choose can be a big step in the right | | | | |
| direction. | | | | 3. "Sweet Home Alabama" Lynyrd Skynyrd |
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| So you want a great ringtone, but have no | | | | Music fans of all ages get a smile on their |
| idea what makes one great? Follow the advice | | | | face at the first sound of this southern-rock |
| below and learn where the bar has been raised | | | | classic. Change a party's atmosphere from |
| by the top 10 list below, dubbed the first | | | | get together to jamboree by a simple |
| class of the ringtone Hall of Fame. | | | | "ring-ring." The MP3 version is a required |
| | | | tone for country and classic rock fans. |
| Separating great ringtones from the rest of | | | | |
| the bunch requires a series of judging | | | | 4. "Super Mario Brothers" Game Theme |
| criteria. First and foremost, a great | | | | |
| ringtone must come from a great song. While | | | | The essential ringtone for gamers. The |
| it is possible for great songs to yield | | | | polyphonic tone is an exact replication of |
| disappointing ringtones, the opposite is | | | | the track from 16-bit Nintendo. |
| impossible. The ringtone must also be easily | | | | |
| recognizable to many people. Everyone wants | | | | 5. "Halloween" Movie Theme |
| that ringtone that makes people smile and | | | | |
| say, "I love that song" when your phone | | | | Perfect custom tone for friends named Michael |
| rings. | | | | Myers. One of the most popular ringtones of |
| | | | all time that can outsell pop hits year |
| From a musical standpoint, the ringtone must | | | | round. |
| be created from one of three song portions: | | | | |
| the intro, the hook, or the solo. The | | | | 6. "The Next Episode" Dr. Dre |
| success of these three parts to the musical | | | | |
| equation are make or break for hit songs, | | | | While many hip-hop ringtones sound poor due |
| making them essential to the success of a | | | | to the overuse of dull bass lines, "The Next |
| ringtone. Because of the technology format, | | | | Episode" features thumping bass and a |
| songs that make great ringtones also need to | | | | pulsating G-funk guitar lick, creating the |
| have simple layers. Songs with dueling drums | | | | bench mark for multi layered ringtones. |
| or guitars cause a ringtone to sound | | | | |
| cluttered, making it difficult to identify by | | | | 7. "Mission Impossible" Theme Song |
| ear. The intros to songs like "Stairway to | | | | |
| Heaven" and "A Thousand Miles" make great | | | | Another incredibly popular ringtone despite |
| ringtones because they are catchy and easy on | | | | its age that will only get more popular after |
| the ear. | | | | the fourth installment of the movie franchise |
| | | | begins filming. Perfect as a custom tone for |
| In addition to coming from a particular | | | | those over-demanding bosses in the workplace. |
| section of a song, great ringtones must also | | | | |
| feature a strong, repetitious percussion | | | | 8. "Sandstorm" DaRude |
| line. Whether that persistent pulse comes | | | | |
| from the bass line of "Drop It Like It's Hot" | | | | Like "Super Mario Brothers," a distinct song |
| or from the synthesizers in "Take On Me," the | | | | replica is created by the polyphonic |
| ability for many people to recognize a | | | | ringtone. A must for fans of techno music |
| specific song comes from that repetition. | | | | and another, sure fire, party-starter tone. |
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| While the final keystones are being cemented | | | | 9. "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" Theme Song |
| into the ringtone shrine, here are the first | | | | |
| ten inductees into the Ringtone Hall of Fame: | | | | The only hip-hop song your father can rap |
| | | | over is one of the most recognizable |
| 1. "In Da Club" 50 Cent | | | | ringtones available. The beat is so |
| | | | contagious that setting it as your default |
| Besides being Billboard's inaugural Ringtone | | | | ringer in a public place will cause a room to |
| of the Year in 2004, 50's first #1 hit has a | | | | begin rhyming along as if they were Will |
| bass line built for making heads bob. The | | | | Smith. |
| strings section adds suspense to the song and | | | | |
| puts high notes on top of the gutter base | | | | 10. "The Jetsons" Theme Song |
| line. Having "In Da Club" as a ringtone | | | | |
| means the party is never farther away than | | | | While the Jetsons had a lot of great things |
| your phone. | | | | in their future world, one thing they don't |
| | | | have is their own song as a phone ringer. We |
| 2. "Stairway to Heaven" Led Zeppelin | | | | don't have flying automobiles yet, but show |
| | | | off the evolution of cell phone technology |
| The calming woodwind that accompanies Page's | | | | with the upbeat polyphonic ditty. |
| slow guitar picking makes for rock and | | | | |