Toto

About Toto

The 80's rockers Toto are a perfect example of what happens when usually-anonymous, highly talented session musicians decide to set off on their own. The guys in Toto are all amazing technical musicians in their own right, and their methodically crafted rock songs were almost guaranteed to be Top 40 radio staples. Toto are basically the engineering students of the rock world, and they know how to build a hit. During their early 1980's prime, Toto were filling up arenas with soaring power ballads like "Africa", "Rosanna" and "Hold the Line." Today, Toto may be a guilty pleasure for many, but the songs still rock as hard as they ever did, and there's really nothing wrong with a little pop along with your serious rock anthems. And, while Toto may no longer be able to sell out stadiums in the USA, their popularity is still going strong throughout Europe and Asia, where they frequently play their laser-studded shows in front of sold out crowds. Toto began life in 1977, when the various band members decided to try and record something as good as the work they were currently doing for other music stars. Members of Toto had been working together throughout the 70's, and before starting the band various Toto alums played on albums by everyone from Sonny & Cher and Boz Scaggs to Steely Dan and Seals and Croft. This meant that they already knew each other pretty well and had a musical rapport. How Toto came up with their name is still a source of some debate among both the band members and their fans, but the most popular theory is that TOTO was a random word that drummer Jeff Porcaro wrote on the band's studio tapes since they hadn't decided on a name before recording their debut album. However the name came about, their debut self-titled album TOTO was an instant smash, and singles "I'll Supply the Love" and "Hold the Line" got the band immediate airplay. The band's fourth album, Toto IV, was one of the most commercially successful recordings of the 80's, winning 6 Grammy awards including the coveted "Album of the Year." Toto also performed the music for Dune: the Motion Picture.