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Africa (Toto song)

"Africa" is a song recorded by the American rock band Toto in 1981. The song was for their fourth studio album Toto IV, and released as the album's third single on September 30, 1982, through Columbia Records.

"Africa"
Single by Toto
from Toto IV"
B-side
Released
  • June 25, 1982 (1982-06-25) (Europe)
  • October 30, 1982 (1982-10-30) (US)
RecordedJune 1981
StudioSunset Sound (Hollywood)
Genre
Length
  • 4:55 (album version)
  • 4:21 (radio edit)
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Toto
Toto singles chronology
""Make Believe"
(1982) 		Africa ""I Won't Hold You Back"
(1983)
"Africa" at YouTube

Background

The song was written by band members David Paich and Jeff Porcaro. The soft rock song lyrically talks about the themes of love and location. The initial idea and lyrics for the song came from David Paich. Paich was playing around with a new keyboard,[4] and accidentally created brassy sound that became the opening riff.[4] He finished the melody and lyrics for the chorus in about ten minutes, much to his surprise.[5] Paich fixed the lyrics for six months before showing the song to the rest of the band.[5]

In 2015, Paich said that the song is about a man's love of a continent, Africa, instead of a personal romance.[6] He based the lyrics on a late night documentary that showed people in Africa suffering.[7] Jeff Porcaro elaborates further, explaining: "A white boy is trying to write a song on Africa, but since he's never been there, he can only tell what he's seen on TV or remembers in the past."[8]

Reviews and impact

Critics gave the song good reviews for its composition and gentle production. The song continues to receive critical acclaim, and was listed at 492 on Rolling Stone's 500 greatest songs of all time.[9]

The song became an Internet meme in the mid-2010s.[10] A fan-requested cover of the song by American rock band Weezer peaked at number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100.[11][12][13][14] It has since been certified eight times platinum and is one of the Best Selling Songs of all time.[15]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Toto - Africa at Discogs. [ONLINE]". Discogs. Archived from the original on October 27, 2016. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  2. ↑ Deggans, Eric (August 20, 2014). Review: Toto, Michael McDonald showcase stellar '70s chops at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater. http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/soundcheck/review-toto-michael-mcdonald-showcase-stellar-70s-chops-at-ruth-eckerd/2193781. Retrieved September 15, 2017. 
  3. ↑ Monger, James Christopher. "Toto – Hold the Line: The Best of Toto". AllMusic. Retrieved September 15, 2017.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Kovarsky, Jerry (July 13, 2015). "TOTO: The Synth Statesmen of Progressive Pop Return". Keyboard. Archived from the original on April 18, 2019. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Classic Tracks: Toto's "Africa"". August 2005. Archived from the original on July 1, 2015. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
  6. ↑ Locker, Melissa (May 5, 2015). "Q&'80s: Toto's Dave Paich on Writing and Recording 'Africa'". Grantland.com. (end paragraph 2 and 8). Archived from the original on June 25, 2016. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Official TOTO Website – Releases". www.toto99.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved November 3, 2011.
  8. ↑ "Africa". Official TOTO Website. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  9. ↑ "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" (in en-US). Rolling Stone. 2021-09-15. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-songs-of-all-time-1224767/. Retrieved 2022-07-03. 
  10. ↑ Sullivan, James. "Toto's 'Africa': The mother of all memes is waiting there for you – The Boston Globe". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  11. ↑ Zaleski, Annie (2017-08-13). "35 years after its release, Toto's "Africa" is more popular than ever". Salon. https://www.salon.com/2017/08/13/toto-africa-lyrics/. 
  12. ↑ Yenisey, Zeynep (2017-11-22). "Here's Why 'Africa' by Toto is the Internet's Favorite Song, 35 Years After It Topped the Pop Charts". Maxim. https://www.maxim.com/entertainment/why-we-love-africa-by-toto-so-much-2017-11. 
  13. ↑ Song, Kayla; Riley, Jill (2019-10-01). "Interview: Steve Lukather of Toto talks about the enduring legacy of 'Africa'". The Current.
  14. ↑ Zellner, Xander (June 13, 2018). "Weezer Returns to Hot 100 With Fan-Inspired Cover of Toto's 'Africa'" (in en). Billboard. https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8460758/weezer-africa-no-89-hot-100. Retrieved June 15, 2018. 
  15. ↑ "Gold & Platinum". Recording Industry Association of America.


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