What Are American Pop Rock Band Toto’s 5 Biggest US Hits?

Even though their sensibilities as studio technicians were honed in the 70s, Toto managed to extend their run of chart excellence in the 80s. In fact, Toto IV, released in 1982, became one of the decade’s biggest LPs. Toto also enjoyed plenty of singles’ success in their heyday. Here are the five songs that did the best for them on the US pop charts.

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5. “I’ll Be Over You” – No. 11 in 1986

Toto stands out among bands of the era in that the instrumentalists took center stage. Lead singers came and went over the course of the band’s most successful years. By the time they reached the album Fahrenheit, Joseph Williams had taken over for Fergie Fredriksen. But “I’ll Be Over You”, the big hit ballad from the album, was sung by Steve Lukather, who wrote the song with Randy Woodrum. Meanwhile, Michael McDonald helps out as a special guest with his inimitable backing vocals.

4. “I Won’t Hold You Back” – No. 10 in 1983

Many of their arena rock peers specialized in power ballads when they slowed things down. But Toto chose to keep things tender and soulful when they changed the pace. “I Won’t Hold Back Now” is a good indication of that. Yes, there’s a guitar solo by Steve Lukather, but it’s far more atmospheric than rocking. Lukather wrote the song, which was the fifth single released from Toto IV. The third and fourth singles didn’t do much, but this one put the band back in the Top 10.

3. “Hold The Line” – No. 5 in 1978

Toto came together when some of the best session men in the LA area decided that they wanted to try and record their own stuff. You can hear their instrumental dexterity right off the bat on “Hold The Line”, their first single. David Paich, who wrote the song, gets things rolling with the funky piano triplets. Jeff Porcaro adds an unorthodox drum pattern around Steve Lukather’s crushing guitars. Give credit as well to original Toto lead singer Bobby Kimball for his powerhouse lead vocal.

2. “Rosanna” – No. 2 in 1982

We might never get to the bottom of whether David Paich was referencing actress Rosanna Arquette, who was dating Steve Lukather, in these lyrics. The words are pretty much secondary anyway to the thrilling music, which gives us twists and hooks aplenty. How cool is that dueling synthesizer solo section with Paich and Steve Porcaro? Jeff Porcaro’s unique, rolling drum cadence keeps everything moving with a funky strut. Even the jazzy outro, which usually gets cut when the song is played on the radio, stands tall.

1. “Africa” – No. 1 in 1982

This is another case where it’s probably better not to focus too closely on the lyrics, which get insanely polysyllabic. It’s also hard to hear “Africa”, one of the most heavily played songs on 80s playlists and stations, with fresh ears. (Not to mention the Weezer cover.) You do have to applaud the song for its originality, as it certainly stood out from the pack in terms of its sound and topic. Maybe that’s why even Toto at first thought it was way too odd. Good thing that they stuck with it, because it turned out to be their lone No. 1.

Photo by Rob Verhorst/Redferns