Africa (song)

"Africa" is a song by American rock band Toto, the tenth and final track on their fourth studio album, Toto IV (1982). It was the second single from the album released in Europe in June 1982 and the third 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 engineer Greg Ladanyi.

Critics praised its composition and gentle production; the song continues to receive critical acclaim, and was ranked number 452 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

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. In June 2024, the music video reached the one billion view milestone on YouTube. 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. The original recording has since been certified Diamond and is one of the best-selling songs of all time.

Background

The initial idea and lyrics for the song came from David Paich. Paich was playing around with a new keyboard, the CS-80, and found the brassy sound that became the opening riff. He completed the melody and lyrics for the chorus in about ten minutes, much to Paich's surprise. "I sang the chorus out as you hear it. It was like God channeling it. I thought, 'I'm talented, but I'm not that talented. Something just happened here!'" Paich refined the lyrics for six months before showing the song to the rest of the band.