"Africa" | ||||
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![]() US 7-inch (180 mm) shaped picture disc edition | ||||
Single by Toto | ||||
from the album Toto IV | ||||
B-side |
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Released | ||||
Recorded | June 5, 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 | ||||
"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 Grammy-winning engineer Elliot Scheiner.
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 and is one of the Best Selling Songs of all time[15]
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