TOTO

Toto shaped the polished and fluid sonic identity tied to Southern California during the final years of the 1970s and the opening stretch of the 1980s. That description does not reduce their output strictly to soft rock, even though they supplied numerous adult-contemporary staples both under their own name and through studio work for Steely Dan, Boz Scaggs, George Benson, and Michael Jackson. Seasoned veterans of upscale Los Angeles recording facilities, guitarist Steve Lukather, keyboardists David Paich and Steve Porcaro, drummer Jeff Porcaro, and bassist David Hungate proved capable across soul and hard rock, styles they explored on the group’s earliest releases. Success arrived immediately upon their 1978 debut when “Hold the Line” surged to number five, yet the 1982 album Toto IV cemented their reputation as an impeccably crafted pop-rock set that yielded three Billboard Top Ten singles—“Rosanna,” “Africa,” and “I Won’t Hold You Back”—while collecting five Grammys. The commercial dominance of Toto IV cast a long shadow over subsequent efforts, but the ensemble endured four decades of lineup shifts and one extended break, remaining active in studios and on stages while cultivating a devoted audience and introducing later listeners to catalog highlights, most notably “Africa.”

Before the 1976 formation, the majority of Toto’s members already belonged to the inner circle of Los Angeles session players. Several had entered the industry by birthright. David Paich, son of acclaimed arranger Marty Paich who contributed to Ray Charles’ landmark 1962 album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, and Jeff Porcaro, whose father performed on multiple Lalo Schifrin soundtracks and recorded with Nancy Sinatra and the Monkees, crossed paths at Van Nuys’ Grant High School. There they performed together in Rural Still Life. Following graduation both became in-demand session musicians, appearing on projects by Steely Dan, Cher, and Seals & Crofts. Paich co-wrote more than half of Boz Scaggs’ 1976 breakthrough Silk Degrees, including the hits “Lowdown” and “Lido Shuffle,” elevating his profile with record companies. He and Porcaro, who also performed on Silk Degrees, assembled Toto by recruiting bassist David Hungate from Scaggs’ ensemble, keyboardist Steve Porcaro, and guitarist Steve Lukather, another Scaggs alumnus. Vocalist Bobby Kimball completed the lineup, and the band signed with Columbia in 1976.

Issued in October 1978, the self-titled debut quickly achieved commercial traction when its opening single “Hold the Line” ascended to number five on Billboard’s Hot 100. The album itself reached number nine and earned gold certification by year’s end, followed by platinum status in January. Two Grammy nominations arrived in 1979: Best New Artist, awarded instead to disco group A Taste of Honey, and Producer of the Year, which Toto won. Hydra followed in October 1979 yet climbed no higher than number 37, its single “99” stalling at number 26, although the record still received gold certification in March 1980. The more aggressive Turn Back surfaced in 1981, peaking at number 41 without producing a charting single.

Positioned as a decisive release, Toto IV arrived in 1982 and indeed secured the band’s stature. Crafted as a meticulously produced mainstream pop statement, the album rose to number four on the Billboard chart, attained three platinum certifications (two during its initial run and another in 1991), and captured five Grammy Awards encompassing Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Album of the Year. Those song-specific honors went to “Rosanna,” the first single, which peaked at number two, but the follow-up “Africa” proved larger, topping the chart in early 1983. A third single, “I Won’t Hold You Back,” reached number ten later that year, coinciding with the chart presence of “Human Nature,” a Michael Jackson track co-written with Steve Porcaro. Drawn from Jackson’s 1982 blockbuster Thriller, which also featured both Porcaro brothers, Steve Lukather, and David Paich, the single underscored Toto’s concurrent visibility as a performing unit and as studio collaborators.

Despite peak popularity, internal tensions mounted. David Hungate departed after Toto IV, moving to Nashville for session and production work; Michael Porcaro, brother of Jeff and Steve, assumed the bass chair. Bobby Kimball was dismissed in 1984 following the resolution of 1981 drug charges he had contested through much of 1983. The group regrouped by scoring David Lynch’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune, delivering the soundtrack in December 1984 alongside the album Isolation. Recorded with vocalist Fergie Frederiksen, previously of Trillion and Le Roux, the arena-rock-oriented Isolation reached number 42 and earned gold status in February 1985, its single “Stranger in Town” peaking at number 30. Frederiksen exited after the tour.

Joseph Williams joined as lead singer, and Toto recorded Fahrenheit, which retained the pop sensibility of Toto IV while incorporating a guest appearance by Miles Davis. Released in August 1986, the album climbed to number 40 and spawned the number-11 single “I’ll Be Over You,” featuring backing vocals from Michael McDonald. Steve Porcaro departed at the conclusion of the supporting tour yet appeared on select dates promoting 1988’s The Seventh One, which yielded the Top 40 single “Pamela” at number 22.

After that cycle, further instability ensued. Joseph Williams exited and was briefly succeeded by Jean-Michel Byron, who contributed new tracks to the 1990 compilation Past to Present 1977-1990 before his dismissal following the accompanying tour. Steve Lukather assumed lead vocals for Kingdom of Desire, issued in Europe in 1992 and the United States in 1993. Prior to that initial release, Jeff Porcaro suffered a fatal heart attack while gardening on August 5, 1992. Simon Phillips, who had performed with Lukather on a 1986 tour alongside Jeff Beck and Carlos Santana, replaced the founding drummer. The revised lineup appeared on the 1993 live album Absolutely Live, recorded two months after Porcaro’s passing, and issued its first studio effort, Tambu, in 1996.

Marking their 20th anniversary in 1998, Toto issued Toto XX, a set of rarities, outtakes, and demos. Original vocalist Bobby Kimball rejoined that year, and the band released Mindfields in March 1999, supporting it with a reunion-branded tour documented on Livefields. Through the Looking Glass, a covers collection, followed in 2002, succeeded by a 25th-anniversary tour preserved on 2003’s Live in Amsterdam.

Subsequent years brought personnel adjustments. David Paich missed multiple shows between 2003 and 2005; Greg Phillinganes served as substitute and became full-time touring keyboardist in 2005 while Paich continued studio participation. Falling in Between, the first original-material album since Mindfields, appeared in 2006. Bassist Mike Porcaro sat out 2007 dates, with Leland Sklar substituting and appearing on Falling in Between Live. On June 5, 2008, Steve Lukather posted that “there is no more Toto,” yet the group instead entered a two-year hiatus. A February 2010 reunion benefited Mike Porcaro, recently diagnosed with ALS; Nathan East assumed bass duties and Joseph Williams returned as vocalist. Successful tours followed in 2011 and 2012, along with a 35th-anniversary run in 2013. Simon Phillips departed in January 2014, replaced by Keith Carlock, previously associated with Steely Dan, John Mayer, and Sting. Nathan East soon exited, yielding to original bassist David Hungate.

Toto XIV, featuring Hungate on select tracks and Paich throughout, emerged in March 2015. Shortly before release, Mike Porcaro died from ALS complications. The band toured through 2015, including co-headlining dates with Yes. By then Shannon Forrest had replaced Carlock, and percussionist Lenny Castro, an ’80s collaborator, rejoined the touring configuration. Hungate departed once more, succeeded briefly by Leland Sklar before Shem von Schroeck took over in 2017.

Planning 2018 as a 40th-anniversary observance, Toto issued the compilation 40 Trips Around the Sun and mounted a supporting tour. Renewed attention for the 1982 number-one hit “Africa” generated a surge in popularity when younger listeners propelled the track to viral status online. Mainstream crossover occurred when Weezer recorded a cover after a 14-year-old fan’s Twitter request. Weezer’s version reached number one on Billboard’s alternative rock chart and number 54 on the Hot 100, prompting Toto to record “Hash Pipe” in return. The refreshed lineup—John Pierce, Steve Maggiora, and Robert “Sput” Searight—debuted via a livestreamed Los Angeles concert later released as 2021’s With a Little Help from My Friends.