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Africa (Toto song)

December 31, 2022

"Africa" is a song by American rock band Toto, the tenth and final track on their fourth studio album Toto IV (1982). It was released as a single in the US through Columbia Records in October 1982, the album's third single overall and second in Europe. 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"
US 7-inch (180 mm) shaped picture disc edition
Single by Toto
from the album Toto IV
B-side
  • "Good for You"
  • "We Made It"
Released
  • June 25, 1982 (UK)[1]
  • October 1982 (US)
Recorded1981 (1981)
StudioSunset Sound (Hollywood)[2]
GenreSoft rock[3][4]
Length
  • 4:55 (album version)
  • 4:21 (radio and video edit)
LabelColumbia
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s)David Paich
Producer(s)Toto
Toto singles chronology
"Make Believe"
(1982) 		"Africa"
(1982) 		"I Won't Hold You Back"
(1982)
Music video
"Africa" on YouTube
Audio sample

Critics praised its composition and Toto's performances. The song reached number one on the United States' Billboard Hot 100 chart, the band's only Billboard number one, and number one on the Canadian charts. It also peaked in the top ten in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, and Switzerland.

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,[5][6][7] including a fan-requested cover by American rock band Weezer which peaked at number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100.[8] It has since been certified eight times platinum.[9]

Background

The initial idea and lyrics for the song came from David Paich. Paich was playing around with a new keyboard, the CS-80,[10] 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!'"[11] Paich reckons that he refined the lyrics for six months before showing the song to the rest of the band.[11]

In 2015, Paich explained that the song is about a man's love of a continent, Africa, rather than just a personal romance.[12] He based the lyrics on a late night documentary with depictions of African plight and suffering. The viewing experience made a lasting impact on Paich: "It both moved and appalled me, and the pictures just wouldn't leave my head. I tried to imagine how I'd feel about it if I was there and what I'd do."[13] 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."[14]

Some additional lyrics relate to a person flying in to meet a lonely missionary, as Paich described in 2018.[15] As a child, Paich attended a Catholic school; several of his teachers had done missionary work in Africa. Their missionary work became the inspiration behind the line: "I bless the rains down in Africa." Paich, who at the time had never set foot in Africa, based the song's landscape descriptions from an article in National Geographic.[15]

During an appearance on the radio station KROQ-FM, Steve Porcaro and Steve Lukather described the song as "dumb" and "an experiment" and some of the lyrics as "goofy" that were just placeholders, particularly the line about the Serengeti.[16] Engineer Al Schmitt stated that "Africa" was the second song written for Toto IV and had been worked on extensively in the studio.[11] Eventually, the band grew tired of the song and considered cutting it from the album entirely.[16] Jeff Porcaro considered saving "Africa" for a solo record but decided against it.[17]

Composition

Musically, the song took some time to assemble. Steve Porcaro, the band's synth player, introduced Paich to the Yamaha CS-80, a polyphonic analog synthesizer, and instructed him to write a song specifically with the keyboard in mind. Paich gravitated towards a brassy flute sound, which he found to be a unique alternative to the piano.[10] Porcaro programmed six tracks of a Yamaha GS 1 digital piano to emulate the sound of a kalimba.[10] Each track featured a one-three note gamelan phrase with different musical parameters.[10] Steve Porcaro's brother, Jeff, played his parts live without a click track.

So when we were doing "Africa" I set up a bass drum, snare drum and a hi-hat, and Lenny Castro set up right in front of me with a conga. We looked at each other and just started playing the basic groove. [...] The backbeat is on 3, so it's a half-time feel, and it's 16th notes on the hi-hat. [...] We played for five minutes on tape, no click, no nothing. We just played. And I was singing the bass line for 'Africa' in my mind, so we had a relative tempo. Lenny and I went into the booth and listened back to the five minutes of that same boring pattern. We picked out the best two bars that we thought were grooving, and we marked those two bars on tape. [...] Maybe it would have taken two minutes to program that in the Linn, and it took about half an hour to do this. But a Linn machine doesn't feel like that!

Jeff Porcaro also acknowledged that he was influenced by the sounds created by fellow Los Angeles session musicians Milt Holland and Emil Richards. He also described the significance of the African pavilion drummers at the 1964 New York World's Fair and a National Geographic Special. To recreate those sounds, he and his father Joe Porcaro made percussion loops on bottle caps and marimba respectively.[11][18]

I was about 11 when the New York World's Fair took place, and I went to the African pavilion with my family. I saw the real thing ... It was the first time I witnessed somebody playing one beat and not straying from it, like a religious experience, where it gets loud, and everyone goes into a trance.

Music video

The music video used the radio edit and was directed by Steve Barron.[19] It features Mike Porcaro on bass, replacing David Hungate, who had already left the band before the video was made. Lenny Castro is also featured in the video on percussion. As of December 2021, the music video has over 773 million views on YouTube.[20]

In the video, a researcher in a library (portrayed by band member David Paich) tries to match a scrap of a picture of a shield to the book from which it was torn out. As he continues his search, a female librarian working at a nearby desk takes occasional notice of him, while a native carrying a shield that matches the picture begins to close in on the library from the surrounding jungle. When the researcher finds a book titled Africa, the native throws a spear at a bookshelf, toppling stacks of books. Africa falls open to the page from which the scrap was torn, but a lantern lands on it and sets it on fire, after which the librarian's eyeglasses are shown falling to the floor. The scenes are intercut with shots of a spinning globe and the band performing atop a stack of giant hardcover books, in which Africa is the topmost.[20]

Legacy

The song was popular upon its release, hitting number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1983, and the song has continued to be a popular soft-rock classic up to the 21st century. Cash Box called it an "image-filled package of pop exotica with its gently tropical synth and marimba."[21] The song has been utilized in many internet memes,[22] has appeared in television shows, such as Stranger Things, Family Guy, Chuck, and South Park, and was used by CBS during their 2013 coverage of the funeral of former South African President Nelson Mandela, albeit not without controversy.[23][24] It was also included in the 2002 video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City as part of the fictional Emotion 98.3 radio station.[25]

In 2012, "Africa" was listed by music magazine NME in 32nd place on its list of "50 Most Explosive Choruses."[26] In January 2019, a sound installation was set up in an undisclosed location in the Namib Desert to play the song on a constant loop. The installation is powered by solar batteries, allowing the song to be played indefinitely.[27] Two years later, the song reached 1 billion plays on the streaming site Spotify. In 2021, it was listed at No. 452 on Rolling Stone's "Top 500 Best Songs of All Time".[28]

In 2022, the song was revealed as the third most streamed song of the 1970s, 80s and 90s in the UK (behind Oasis's Wonderwall and Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody).[29]

Personnel

Guest musicians

Charts

Certifications and sales

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[48] 11× Platinum 770,000 
Canada (Music Canada)[49] Gold 50,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[50] 2× Platinum 180,000 
Germany (BVMI)[51] Platinum 500,000 
Italy (FIMI)[52] 2× Platinum 140,000 
New Zealand (RMNZ)[53] Gold 10,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[54] 3× Platinum 1,800,000 
United States (RIAA)[55] 8× Platinum 8,000,000 

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
  Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Weezer cover

Main article: Africa (Weezer cover)

In December 2017, Twitter user "@WeezerAfrica," run by 14-year-old Cleveland, Ohio resident Mary Klym,[56] tweeted, "@RiversCuomo it's about time you bless the rains down in Africa." The band released a cover of "Rosanna", a different Toto song (also part of the album Toto IV), in order to troll Klym and those clamoring for a version of "Africa".[57]

Weezer finally released "Africa" on May 29, 2018. It was the band's first Hot 100 hit since "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" in 2009.[58] "Africa" reached number 51 on the Hot 100 and peaked at number one on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart in August 2018, becoming the band's first number-one single since "Pork and Beans" in 2008.[59]

Weezer included the cover on their surprise release of the all-covers "Teal Album" in January 2019.[60]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Africa discography".
  2. ^ Schmitt, Al; Droney, Maureen (2018). Al Schmitt - On the Record: The Magic Behind the Music. Lanham, Maryland, USA: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 118. ISBN 9781538137666.
  3. ^ Deggans, Eric (August 20, 2014). . Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on September 9, 2017. Retrieved September 15, 2017.
  4. ^ Monger, James Christopher. "Toto – Hold the Line: The Best of Toto". AllMusic. Retrieved September 15, 2017.
  5. ^ Annie Zaleski (August 13, 2017). "35 years after its release, Toto's "Africa" is more popular than ever". Salon.
  6. ^ ZEYNEP YENISEY (November 22, 2017). "HERE'S WHY 'AFRICA' BY TOTO IS THE INTERNET'S FAVORITE SONG, 35 YEARS AFTER IT TOPPED THE POP CHARTS". Maxim.
  7. ^ Kayla Song & Jill Riley (October 1, 2019). "Interview: Steve Lukather of Toto talks about the enduring legacy of 'Africa'". The Current.
  8. ^ Zellner, Xander (June 13, 2018). "Weezer Returns to Hot 100 With Fan-Inspired Cover of Toto's 'Africa'". Billboard. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  9. ^ "Gold & Platinum". Recording Industry Association of America.
  10. ^ a b c d Kovarsky, Jerry (July 13, 2015). "TOTO: The Synth Statesmen of Progressive Pop Return". Keyboard. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  11. ^ a b c d "Classic Tracks: Toto's "Africa"". August 2005. from the original on July 1, 2015. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
  12. ^ Melissa Locker (May 5, 2015). "Q&'80s: Toto's Dave Paich on Writing and Recording 'Africa'". Grantland.com. (end paragraph 2 and 8). from the original on June 25, 2016. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  13. ^ . www.toto99.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved November 3, 2011.
  14. ^ "Africa". Official TOTO Website. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  15. ^ a b Simpson, Dave (January 30, 2018). "Toto: how we made Africa". the Guardian.
  16. ^ a b "Stryker Chats with Toto About Weezer 'Hash Pipe' Cover". Omny Studio (Podcast). KROQFM: On-Demand. July 28, 2018. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  17. ^ . www.toto99.com. April 18, 2007. Archived from the original on July 14, 2012. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  18. ^ Flans, Robyn (November 1988). . Modern Drummer. Archived from the original on March 31, 2020. Alt URL February 10, 2020, at the Wayback Machine
  19. ^ "Toto - "Africa"". mvdbase.com. from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved November 3, 2011.
  20. ^ a b "Toto - Africa (Official Music Video)". YouTube. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  21. ^ "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. October 23, 1982. p. 8. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  22. ^ "Toto's 'Africa': The mother of all memes is waiting there for you". Boston Globe. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  23. ^ "How Toto's 'Africa' Became the New 'Don't Stop Believin". Rolling Stone. October 31, 2018. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  24. ^ McFarland, Kevin. "Family Guy: "Viewer Mail #2"/"Internal Affairs"". TV Club. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  25. ^ "Song- GTA: Vice City Wiki Guide - IGN". IGN. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
  26. ^ "50 Most Explosive Choruses - #32 Toto - Africa". NME. from the original on April 2, 2015.
  27. ^ "Africa by Toto to play on eternal loop 'down in Africa'". BBC News. January 14, 2019. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  28. ^ "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. September 15, 2021. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  29. ^ "The Official Top 300 Most Streamed Songs from the 70s 80s 90s". Planet Radio. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  30. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  31. ^ "Toto – Africa" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  32. ^ "Toto – Africa" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  33. ^ "Toto – Africa" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  34. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Africa". Irish Singles Chart.
  35. ^ "Toto – Africa" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  36. ^ "Toto – Africa". Top 40 Singles.
  37. ^ "Toto – Africa". Swiss Singles Chart.
  38. ^ "Toto: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  39. ^ "Toto Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  40. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2014). Cash Box Pop Hits 1952-1996. Sheridan Books, Inc. ISBN 978-0-89820-209-0.
  41. ^ "Toto Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  42. ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart - 20 May 2013". Official New Zealand Music Chart. Recorded Music New Zealand. May 20, 2013. from the original on May 7, 2017. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
  43. ^ "SloTop50: Slovenian official singles weekly chart" (in Slovenian). SloTop50. Retrieved May 12, 2013.
  44. ^ "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  45. ^ "Toto Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  46. ^ "Talent Almanac 1984" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 95, no. 52. December 24, 1983. p. TA-18. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  47. ^ "The Cashbox Year End Charts:1983". Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  48. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2022 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  49. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Toto – Africa". Music Canada.
  50. ^ "Danish single certifications". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  51. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Toto; 'Africa')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  52. ^ "Italian single certifications – Toto – Africa" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved November 22, 2021. Select "2021" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Africa" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  53. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Toto – Africa". Recorded Music NZ.
  54. ^ "British single certifications – Toto – Africa". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  55. ^ "American single certifications – Toto – Africa". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  56. ^ McKinstry, Lee. "Teen Tweets Weezer Into Covering "Africa"". Cleveland Magazine. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  57. ^ Monroe, Jazz (May 24, 2018). "Weezer Cover Toto's "Rosanna," Trolling Viral Campaign for "Africa" Cover". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  58. ^ Goldberg, Benjamin. "Weezer's Toto cover is the band's biggest hit in a decade". The A.V. Club. Onion, Inc. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  59. ^ "Alternative Songs: Top Alternative Songs Chart". Billboard. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  60. ^ "Weezer Surprise-Releases Covers Album". Variety. January 23, 2019. Retrieved January 24, 2019.

Further reading

  • Jeff Porcaro reminisces about how the song's percussion tracks took shape at Mix

External links

  • Billboard Chart Listing - Allmusic.com
  • Africa official video on YouTube

December 31, 2022
africa, toto, song, africa, song, american, rock, band, toto, tenth, final, track, their, fourth, studio, album, toto, 1982, released, single, through, columbia, records, october, 1982, album, third, single, overall, second, europe, song, written, band, member. Africa is a song by American rock band Toto the tenth and final track on their fourth studio album Toto IV 1982 It was released as a single in the US through Columbia Records in October 1982 the album s third single overall and second in Europe 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 US 7 inch 180 mm shaped picture disc editionSingle by Totofrom the album Toto IVB side Good for You We Made It ReleasedJune 25 1982 UK 1 October 1982 US Recorded1981 1981 StudioSunset Sound Hollywood 2 GenreSoft rock 3 4 Length4 55 album version 4 21 radio and video edit LabelColumbiaComposer s David PaichJeff PorcaroLyricist s David PaichProducer s TotoToto singles chronology Make Believe 1982 Africa 1982 I Won t Hold You Back 1982 Music video Africa on YouTubeAudio sample source source track filehelpCritics praised its composition and Toto s performances The song reached number one on the United States Billboard Hot 100 chart the band s only Billboard number one and number one on the Canadian charts It also peaked in the top ten in the United Kingdom Ireland Netherlands Australia New Zealand and Switzerland 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 5 6 7 including a fan requested cover by American rock band Weezer which peaked at number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100 8 It has since been certified eight times platinum 9 Contents 1 Background 2 Composition 3 Music video 4 Legacy 5 Personnel 5 1 Guest musicians 6 Charts 6 1 Weekly charts 6 2 Year end charts 7 Certifications and sales 8 Weezer cover 9 See also 10 References 11 Further reading 12 External linksBackground EditThe initial idea and lyrics for the song came from David Paich Paich was playing around with a new keyboard the CS 80 10 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 11 Paich reckons that he refined the lyrics for six months before showing the song to the rest of the band 11 In 2015 Paich explained that the song is about a man s love of a continent Africa rather than just a personal romance 12 He based the lyrics on a late night documentary with depictions of African plight and suffering The viewing experience made a lasting impact on Paich It both moved and appalled me and the pictures just wouldn t leave my head I tried to imagine how I d feel about it if I was there and what I d do 13 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 14 Some additional lyrics relate to a person flying in to meet a lonely missionary as Paich described in 2018 15 As a child Paich attended a Catholic school several of his teachers had done missionary work in Africa Their missionary work became the inspiration behind the line I bless the rains down in Africa Paich who at the time had never set foot in Africa based the song s landscape descriptions from an article in National Geographic 15 During an appearance on the radio station KROQ FM Steve Porcaro and Steve Lukather described the song as dumb and an experiment and some of the lyrics as goofy that were just placeholders particularly the line about the Serengeti 16 Engineer Al Schmitt stated that Africa was the second song written for Toto IV and had been worked on extensively in the studio 11 Eventually the band grew tired of the song and considered cutting it from the album entirely 16 Jeff Porcaro considered saving Africa for a solo record but decided against it 17 Composition EditMusically the song took some time to assemble Steve Porcaro the band s synth player introduced Paich to the Yamaha CS 80 a polyphonic analog synthesizer and instructed him to write a song specifically with the keyboard in mind Paich gravitated towards a brassy flute sound which he found to be a unique alternative to the piano 10 Porcaro programmed six tracks of a Yamaha GS 1 digital piano to emulate the sound of a kalimba 10 Each track featured a one three note gamelan phrase with different musical parameters 10 Steve Porcaro s brother Jeff played his parts live without a click track So when we were doing Africa I set up a bass drum snare drum and a hi hat and Lenny Castro set up right in front of me with a conga We looked at each other and just started playing the basic groove The backbeat is on 3 so it s a half time feel and it s 16th notes on the hi hat We played for five minutes on tape no click no nothing We just played And I was singing the bass line for Africa in my mind so we had a relative tempo Lenny and I went into the booth and listened back to the five minutes of that same boring pattern We picked out the best two bars that we thought were grooving and we marked those two bars on tape Maybe it would have taken two minutes to program that in the Linn and it took about half an hour to do this But a Linn machine doesn t feel like that Jeff Porcaro also acknowledged that he was influenced by the sounds created by fellow Los Angeles session musicians Milt Holland and Emil Richards He also described the significance of the African pavilion drummers at the 1964 New York World s Fair and a National Geographic Special To recreate those sounds he and his father Joe Porcaro made percussion loops on bottle caps and marimba respectively 11 18 I was about 11 when the New York World s Fair took place and I went to the African pavilion with my family I saw the real thing It was the first time I witnessed somebody playing one beat and not straying from it like a religious experience where it gets loud and everyone goes into a trance Music video EditThe music video used the radio edit and was directed by Steve Barron 19 It features Mike Porcaro on bass replacing David Hungate who had already left the band before the video was made Lenny Castro is also featured in the video on percussion As of December 2021 the music video has over 773 million views on YouTube 20 In the video a researcher in a library portrayed by band member David Paich tries to match a scrap of a picture of a shield to the book from which it was torn out As he continues his search a female librarian working at a nearby desk takes occasional notice of him while a native carrying a shield that matches the picture begins to close in on the library from the surrounding jungle When the researcher finds a book titled Africa the native throws a spear at a bookshelf toppling stacks of books Africa falls open to the page from which the scrap was torn but a lantern lands on it and sets it on fire after which the librarian s eyeglasses are shown falling to the floor The scenes are intercut with shots of a spinning globe and the band performing atop a stack of giant hardcover books in which Africa is the topmost 20 Legacy EditThe song was popular upon its release hitting number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1983 and the song has continued to be a popular soft rock classic up to the 21st century Cash Box called it an image filled package of pop exotica with its gently tropical synth and marimba 21 The song has been utilized in many internet memes 22 has appeared in television shows such as Stranger Things Family Guy Chuck and South Park and was used by CBS during their 2013 coverage of the funeral of former South African President Nelson Mandela albeit not without controversy 23 24 It was also included in the 2002 video game Grand Theft Auto Vice City as part of the fictional Emotion 98 3 radio station 25 In 2012 Africa was listed by music magazine NME in 32nd place on its list of 50 Most Explosive Choruses 26 In January 2019 a sound installation was set up in an undisclosed location in the Namib Desert to play the song on a constant loop The installation is powered by solar batteries allowing the song to be played indefinitely 27 Two years later the song reached 1 billion plays on the streaming site Spotify In 2021 it was listed at No 452 on Rolling Stone s Top 500 Best Songs of All Time 28 In 2022 the song was revealed as the third most streamed song of the 1970s 80s and 90s in the UK behind Oasis s Wonderwall and Queen s Bohemian Rhapsody 29 Personnel EditDavid Paich lead and backing vocals synthesizer piano Bobby Kimball lead and backing vocals percussion Steve Lukather electric guitar backing vocals Steve Porcaro synthesizers David Hungate bass guitar Jeff Porcaro drums cowbell gong additional percussionGuest musicians Edit Lenny Castro congas shakers additional percussion Timothy B Schmit 12 string acoustic guitar backing vocals Joe Porcaro percussion marimba Jim Horn recordersCharts EditWeekly charts Edit Chart 1982 1983 PeakpositionAustralia Kent Music Report 30 5Austria O3 Austria Top 40 31 7Belgium Ultratop 50 Flanders 32 8Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks 8Canadian RPM Top Singles 1Europarade 17Finnish Singles Chart 18French Singles Chart 27Germany Official German Charts 33 14Ireland IRMA 34 2Italian Singles Chart 22Netherlands Single Top 100 35 4New Zealand Recorded Music NZ 36 5South African Singles Chart 18Spanish Radio Chart 18Switzerland Schweizer Hitparade 37 6UK Singles OCC 38 3US Billboard Hot 100 39 1U S Cashbox 40 3US Adult Contemporary Billboard 41 5Chart 2013 PeakpositionNew Zealand RMNZ Singles Chart 42 5Slovenia SloTop50 43 16Chart 2018 PeakpositionPoland Polish Airplay Top 100 44 75Chart 2022 PeakpositionGlobal 200 Billboard 45 188 Year end charts Edit Chart 1982 RankBelgian VRT Top 30 85Dutch Top 40 18German Media Control Chart 88Chart 1983 RankAustralian Kent Music Report 25Canadian RPM Top Singles 16Italian Singles Chart 75UK Singles Chart 38US Billboard Hot 100 46 24US Cash Box Top 100 47 29Certifications and sales EditRegion Certification Certified units salesAustralia ARIA 48 11 Platinum 770 000 Canada Music Canada 49 Gold 50 000 Denmark IFPI Danmark 50 2 Platinum 180 000 Germany BVMI 51 Platinum 500 000 Italy FIMI 52 2 Platinum 140 000 New Zealand RMNZ 53 Gold 10 000 United Kingdom BPI 54 3 Platinum 1 800 000 United States RIAA 55 8 Platinum 8 000 000 Sales figures based on certification alone Shipments figures based on certification alone Sales streaming figures based on certification alone Weezer cover EditMain article Africa Weezer cover In December 2017 Twitter user WeezerAfrica run by 14 year old Cleveland Ohio resident Mary Klym 56 tweeted RiversCuomo it s about time you bless the rains down in Africa The band released a cover of Rosanna a different Toto song also part of the album Toto IV in order to troll Klym and those clamoring for a version of Africa 57 Weezer finally released Africa on May 29 2018 It was the band s first Hot 100 hit since If You re Wondering If I Want You To I Want You To in 2009 58 Africa reached number 51 on the Hot 100 and peaked at number one on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart in August 2018 becoming the band s first number one single since Pork and Beans in 2008 59 Weezer included the cover on their surprise release of the all covers Teal Album in January 2019 60 See also EditList of best selling singles in Australia List of RPM number one singles of 1983 List of Billboard Hot 100 number one singles of 1983 Africa Karl Wolf song References Edit Africa discography Schmitt Al Droney Maureen 2018 Al Schmitt On the Record The Magic Behind the Music Lanham Maryland USA Rowman amp Littlefield p 118 ISBN 9781538137666 Deggans Eric August 20 2014 Review Toto Michael McDonald showcase stellar 70s chops at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater Tampa Bay Times Archived from the original on September 9 2017 Retrieved September 15 2017 Monger James Christopher Toto Hold the Line The Best of Toto AllMusic Retrieved September 15 2017 Annie Zaleski August 13 2017 35 years after its release Toto s Africa is more popular than ever Salon ZEYNEP YENISEY November 22 2017 HERE S WHY AFRICA BY TOTO IS THE INTERNET S FAVORITE SONG 35 YEARS AFTER IT TOPPED THE POP CHARTS Maxim Kayla Song amp Jill Riley October 1 2019 Interview Steve Lukather of Toto talks about the enduring legacy of Africa The Current Zellner Xander June 13 2018 Weezer Returns to Hot 100 With Fan Inspired Cover of Toto s Africa Billboard Retrieved June 15 2018 Gold amp Platinum Recording Industry Association of America a b c d Kovarsky Jerry July 13 2015 TOTO The Synth Statesmen of Progressive Pop Return Keyboard Retrieved April 18 2018 a b c d Classic Tracks Toto s Africa August 2005 Archived from the original on July 1 2015 Retrieved July 1 2015 Melissa Locker May 5 2015 Q amp 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 Official TOTO Website Releases www toto99 com Archived from the original on September 28 2011 Retrieved November 3 2011 Africa Official TOTO Website Retrieved February 6 2021 a b Simpson Dave January 30 2018 Toto how we made Africa the Guardian a b Stryker Chats with Toto About Weezer Hash Pipe Cover Omny Studio Podcast KROQFM On Demand July 28 2018 Retrieved August 9 2018 Official TOTO Website Encyclopedia www toto99 com April 18 2007 Archived from the original on July 14 2012 Retrieved December 2 2015 Flans Robyn November 1988 Jeff Porcaro the feel of the music Modern Drummer Archived from the original on March 31 2020 Alt URL Archived February 10 2020 at the Wayback Machine Toto Africa mvdbase com Archived from the original on June 6 2011 Retrieved November 3 2011 a b Toto Africa Official Music Video YouTube Retrieved August 8 2021 Reviews PDF Cash Box October 23 1982 p 8 Retrieved July 7 2022 Toto s Africa The mother of all memes is waiting there for you Boston Globe Retrieved November 1 2018 How Toto s Africa Became the New Don t Stop Believin Rolling Stone October 31 2018 Retrieved November 1 2018 McFarland Kevin Family Guy Viewer Mail 2 Internal Affairs TV Club Retrieved April 22 2019 Song GTA Vice City Wiki Guide IGN IGN Retrieved November 28 2021 50 Most Explosive Choruses 32 Toto Africa NME Archived from the original on April 2 2015 Africa by Toto to play on eternal loop down in Africa BBC News January 14 2019 Retrieved January 14 2019 The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time Rolling Stone September 15 2021 Retrieved July 3 2022 The Official Top 300 Most Streamed Songs from the 70s 80s 90s Planet Radio Retrieved December 22 2022 Kent David 1993 Australian Chart Book 1970 1992 Australian Chart Book ISBN 0 646 11917 6 Toto Africa in German O3 Austria Top 40 Toto Africa in Dutch Ultratop 50 Toto Africa in German GfK Entertainment charts The Irish Charts Search Results Africa Irish Singles Chart Toto Africa in Dutch Single Top 100 Toto Africa Top 40 Singles Toto Africa Swiss Singles Chart Toto Artist Chart History Official Charts Company Toto Chart History Hot 100 Billboard Whitburn Joel 2014 Cash Box Pop Hits 1952 1996 Sheridan Books Inc ISBN 978 0 89820 209 0 Toto Chart History Adult Contemporary Billboard NZ Top 40 Singles Chart 20 May 2013 Official New Zealand Music Chart Recorded Music New Zealand May 20 2013 Archived from the original on May 7 2017 Retrieved October 25 2016 SloTop50 Slovenian official singles weekly chart in Slovenian SloTop50 Retrieved May 12 2013 Listy bestsellerow wyroznienia Zwiazek Producentow Audio Video Polish Airplay Top 100 Retrieved December 11 2018 Toto Chart History Global 200 Billboard Retrieved July 12 2022 Talent Almanac 1984 PDF Billboard Vol 95 no 52 December 24 1983 p TA 18 ISSN 0006 2510 Retrieved February 25 2017 The Cashbox Year End Charts 1983 Retrieved June 16 2022 ARIA Charts Accreditations 2022 Singles PDF Australian Recording Industry Association Retrieved July 7 2022 Canadian single certifications Toto Africa Music Canada Danish single certifications IFPI Danmark Retrieved May 3 2022 Gold Platin Datenbank Toto Africa in German Bundesverband Musikindustrie Retrieved December 23 2022 Italian single certifications Toto Africa in Italian Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana Retrieved November 22 2021 Select 2021 in the Anno drop down menu Select Africa in the Filtra field Select Singoli under Sezione New Zealand single certifications Toto Africa Recorded Music NZ British single certifications Toto Africa British Phonographic Industry Retrieved June 18 2021 American single certifications Toto Africa Recording Industry Association of America Retrieved July 20 2022 McKinstry Lee Teen Tweets Weezer Into Covering Africa Cleveland Magazine Retrieved August 13 2018 Monroe Jazz May 24 2018 Weezer Cover Toto s Rosanna Trolling Viral Campaign for Africa Cover Pitchfork Retrieved June 2 2018 Goldberg Benjamin Weezer s Toto cover is the band s biggest hit in a decade The A V Club Onion Inc Retrieved August 10 2018 Alternative Songs Top Alternative Songs Chart Billboard Retrieved August 11 2018 Weezer Surprise Releases Covers Album Variety January 23 2019 Retrieved January 24 2019 Further reading EditJeff Porcaro reminisces about how the song s percussion tracks took shape at MixExternal links EditBillboard Chart Listing Allmusic com Africa official video on YouTube Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Africa Toto song amp oldid 1129057643, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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