Africa (Toto song)
1982 single by Toto / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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"Africa" is a song by American rock band Toto, appearing as the tenth and final track on their fourth studio album Toto IV (1982). It was released as the second single from the album in Europe in June 1982 and the third single in the United States in October 1982 through Columbia Records. The song was written by band members David Paich and Jeff Porcaro, produced by the band, and mixed by Grammy-winning engineer Elliot Scheiner.
"Africa" | ||||
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Single by Toto | ||||
from the album Toto IV | ||||
B-side |
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Released | ||||
Recorded | October 1981 – January 1982 | |||
Studio | Sunset Sound (Hollywood)[3] | |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
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Label | Columbia | |||
Composer(s) | ||||
Lyricist(s) | David Paich | |||
Producer(s) | Toto | |||
Toto singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Africa" on YouTube | ||||
Audio sample | ||||
Critics praised 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.[8]
The song was accompanied by a music video, which premiered in 1983, and was directed by Steve Barron, who collaborated previously with the group for "Rosanna". The video features Toto in a library, as they perform and showcase various aspects of African culture. While popular in the 1980s and 1990s, with the song being certified gold by the RIAA in 1991, "Africa" saw a resurgence in popularity via social media during the mid- to late 2010s, inspiring numerous Internet memes as well as a fan-requested cover by American rock band Weezer which peaked at number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100.[10][11][12][13][14] It has since been certified eight times platinum.[15]