View source for Africa (Toto song)

{{Infobox song
| name       = Africa
| cover      =
| alt        =
| border     = yes
| caption    = US {{convert|7|in|mm|adj=on}} shaped [[picture disc]] edition
| type       = single
| artist     = [[Toto (band)|Toto]]
| album      = [[Toto IV]]
| B-side     = {{Unbulleted list|"Good for You" {{small|([[Americas|The Americas]])}}<ref name="Discogs01">{{cite web |title=Toto - Africa at Discogs. [ONLINE] |website=[[Discogs]] |url=https://www.discogs.com/Toto-Africa/master/30689 |access-date=May 1, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161027135734/https://www.discogs.com/Toto-Africa/master/30689 |archive-date=October 27, 2016  }}</ref>|"We Made It" {{small|(international)}}<ref name=Discogs01 />}}
| released   = {{Unbulleted list|{{start date|1982|06|25}} {{small|(Europe)}}|{{start date|1982|10|30}} {{small|(US)}}}}
| recorded   = June 1981
| studio     = [[Sunset Sound]] (Hollywood)
| venue      =
| genre      = {{hlist|[[Pop music|Pop]]|[[synth-pop]]|[[soft rock]]<ref>{{cite news|first=Eric|last=Deggans|title=Review: Toto, Michael McDonald showcase stellar '70s chops at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater|date=August 20, 2014|newspaper=[[Tampa Bay Times]]|access-date=September 15, 2017|url=http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/soundcheck/review-toto-michael-mcdonald-showcase-stellar-70s-chops-at-ruth-eckerd/2193781|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170909233724/http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/soundcheck/review-toto-michael-mcdonald-showcase-stellar-70s-chops-at-ruth-eckerd/2193781|archive-date=September 9, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=James Christopher|last=Monger|title=Toto – Hold the Line: The Best of Toto|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=September 15, 2017|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/hold-the-line-the-best-of-toto-mw0000711266}}</ref>|[[yacht rock]]}}
| length     = {{Unbulleted list|4:55 {{small|(album version)}}|4:21 {{small|(radio edit)}}}}
| label      = [[Columbia Records|Columbia]]
| writer     = {{hlist|[[David Paich]]|[[Jeff Porcaro]]}}
| producer   = [[Toto (band)|Toto]]
| prev_title = [[Make Believe (Toto song)|Make Believe]]
| prev_year  = 1982
|year=1982| next_title = [[I Won't Hold You Back]]
| next_year  = 1983
| misc       = {{External music video
  | 1 = {{YouTube|FTQbiNvZqaY|"Africa"}}
  }}
}}
"'''Africa'''" is a song recorded by the American rock band [[Toto (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]].

==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,<ref name="Piano">{{Cite web|url=https://www.keyboardmag.com/artists/toto-the-synth-statesmen-of-progressive-pop-return|title=TOTO: The Synth Statesmen of Progressive Pop Return|last=Kovarsky|first=Jerry|date=July 13, 2015|website=Keyboard|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190418183723/https://www.keyboardmag.com/artists/toto-the-synth-statesmen-of-progressive-pop-return|archive-date=April 18, 2019|access-date=October 30, 2023}}</ref> and accidentally created brassy sound that became the opening [[riff]].<ref name="Piano"/> He finished the melody and lyrics for the chorus in about ten minutes, much to his surprise.<ref name="Classic Tracks">{{cite web |url=http://www.mixonline.com/news/profiles/classic-tracks-totos-africa/375305 |title=Classic Tracks: Toto's "Africa" |date=August 2005 |access-date=July 1, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150701111032/http://www.mixonline.com/news/profiles/classic-tracks-totos-africa/375305 |archive-date=July 1, 2015}}</ref> Paich fixed the lyrics for six months before showing the song to the rest of the band.<ref name="Classic Tracks"/>

In 2015, Paich said that the song is about a man's love of a continent, [[Africa]], instead of a personal romance.<ref name="Grant">{{cite web |title= Q&'80s: Toto's Dave Paich on Writing and Recording 'Africa' |first= Melissa |last= Locker |date= May 5, 2015 |website= Grantland.com |url= http://grantland.com/hollywood-prospectus/q80s-totos-dave-paich-on-writing-and-recording-africa/ |at= (end paragraph 2 and 8) |access-date= June 4, 2016 |url-status= live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160625035656/http://grantland.com/hollywood-prospectus/q80s-totos-dave-paich-on-writing-and-recording-africa/ |archive-date= June 25, 2016 |df= mdy-all}}</ref> He based the lyrics on a late night documentary that showed people in Africa suffering.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.toto99.com/releases/toto/balladsrelease.shtml |title=Official TOTO Website – Releases |publisher=www.toto99.com |access-date=November 3, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928151620/http://www.toto99.com/releases/toto/balladsrelease.shtml |archive-date=September 28, 2011}}</ref> [[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."<ref>{{cite web |title=Africa |url=http://www.toto99.com/blog2010/index.php?/archives/682-AFRICA.html |website=Official TOTO Website |access-date=6 February 2021}}</ref>

==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 [[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time|greatest songs of all time]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite magazine |date=2021-09-15 |title=The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-songs-of-all-time-1224767/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US |access-date=2022-07-03}}</ref>

The song became an [[Internet meme]] in the mid-2010s.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sullivan |first1=James |title=Toto's 'Africa': The mother of all memes is waiting there for you – The Boston Globe |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/music/2018/10/18/the-mother-all-memes-waiting-there-for-you/6XXXUBqFtAhnnNj0VNozGJ/story.html |website=The Boston Globe |access-date=23 January 2023}}</ref>  A [[Africa (Weezer cover)|fan-requested cover]] of the song by American rock band [[Weezer]] peaked at number 51 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.salon.com/2017/08/13/toto-africa-lyrics/|title=35 years after its release, Toto's "Africa" is more popular than ever|first=Annie|last=Zaleski|date=2017-08-13|work=Salon}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.maxim.com/entertainment/why-we-love-africa-by-toto-so-much-2017-11|title=Here's Why 'Africa' by Toto is the Internet's Favorite Song, 35 Years After It Topped the Pop Charts|first=Zeynep|last=Yenisey|date=2017-11-22|work=Maxim}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thecurrent.org/feature/2019/09/29/interview-steve-lukather-from-toto-talks-about-the-enduring-legacy-of-africa|title=Interview: Steve Lukather of Toto talks about the enduring legacy of 'Africa'|first1=Kayla|last1=Song|first2=Jill|last2=Riley|date=2019-10-01|publisher=The Current}}</ref><ref name=Weezer>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8460758/weezer-africa-no-89-hot-100 |title=Weezer Returns to Hot 100 With Fan-Inspired Cover of Toto's 'Africa' |last=Zellner |first=Xander |magazine=Billboard |date=June 13, 2018 |access-date=June 15, 2018 |language=en}}</ref> It has since been certified eight times platinum and is one of the [[List of best-selling singles#Highest-certified singles|Best Selling Songs of all time]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Gold & Platinum|website = [[Recording Industry Association of America]]|url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=toto#search_section}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Toto}}
{{Weezer}}

[[Category:1982 songs]]
[[Category:Toto (band) songs]]
[[Category:Weezer songs]]
[[Category:Soft rock songs]]


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