Toto’s band members were professional musicians who, in a studio environment, were able and willing to take on everyone. They played on Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” They had numerous 1980s hits of their own. And, despite some critics’ complaints, Toto is one of the greatest rock bands of all time.

Since most of the world’s listeners are only likely to know “Africa,” I’ve taken on the task of showing more of Toto’s discography. These are the group’s 10 finest songs.

Greatest 10 Songs by Toto

10. “I’ll Supply the Love”

Bobby Kimball does not get enough respect for his singing. Perhaps that’s because early Toto was all but a faceless band of excellent studio musicians.

“I’ll Supply the Love” was a minor hit off of Toto’s debut and features Kimball’s excellent and underrated singing. It was, certainly, a nice way to begin the band’s story and hinted at the musicians’ great potential.

9. “99”

Toto’s sophomore record suffered from the market being oversaturated with polished soft-rock acts. Furthermore, the band who had already scored a hit with “Hold the Line” struggled to zero in on one single style.

“99” was the attempt to get a new chart-topper. It failed commercially. Still, years later, it’s something of a late 1970s gem pop track.

8. “Prophecy Theme”

Toto’s involvement in David Lynch’s “Dune” movie project is undoubtedly one of the oddest pairings of the 1980s. The fact that “Prophecy Theme” also features the talents of ambient music guru Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois, and Roger Eno makes this all the more enigmatic.

But Toto’s “Dune” soundtrack is an excellent collection of cinematic material. I think you should seek this one out right now. It’s too bad the film’s poor box office showing also sunk this project.

7. “I Will Remember”

Toto wasn’t a corporate rock band as some accused them of being. When the hits dried out, and corporate backing became flimsy, the band kept going.

The “Tambu” record, made during the alt-rock glory days of the 1990s, is proof of that resilience.

The record didn’t do much commercially, and certainly critics hated it. But “I Will Remember” was a strong adult pop outing that displayed what Toto did best.

6. “I’ll Be Over You”

Maybe the critics and their usually harsh words did get to Jeff Porcaro and the rest of Toto. The band had followed its pop success of the early 80s with hard-rock and ambient experiments.

“I’ll Be Over You” was the warmly melancholy song that longtime supporters really needed. It meant that bands like Journey, Boston and REO Speedwagon wouldn’t be without one of their greatest rivals in the mellow-rock war on the charts.

5. “Georgy Porgy”

Early on, Toto was prog-rock for 1970s pop audiences. It’s maybe not a coincidence that during the 1980s, bands like Genesis, Yes, or Asia continued their careers based on a similar approach.

“Georgy Porgy” is one of Toto’s finest songs and, really, one of the greatest grooves ever constructed. It kept the band on the charts and made those looking for just a bit more sophistication from their pop records pay notice.

4. “Stop Loving You”

It was generally other musicians who appreciated Toto, but rarely the critics. That’s maybe why “Stop Loving You” features backing vocals by  Jon Anderson of Yes, or why Eddie van Halen or Michael Jackson swore by the musicians’ collective abilities.

“Stop Loving You” was released in 1988. Yes, it’s very much of its time. But if you listen closely, you’ll be met with warm, tight, and, despite the topic of the song, pleasant pop-rock sound. That sound was the calling card of Toto.

3. “Hold the Line”

Yeah, Toto could rock! The band just chose to do it at the appropriate time. That was usually, after the audience had been supplied with some hopeful and romantic soft-rock material.

It’s a perfectly polished rock tune! The verses are sophisticated, schmaltzy pop. The choruses are crushing. And Steve Lukather’s guitar solo is one for the ages!

Most importantly, Toto didn’t have to wait long to get an actual hit. This was the centrepiece of the band’s debut album.

There are 3-4 Toto songs that will never disappear from rock radio playlists for as long as those exist. “Hold the Line” is certainly one of them.

2. “Rosanna”

There was a simple reason why Toto’s members were highly in-demand studio musicians during the 1980s—they were the best musicians money could buy.

But it wasn’t just their ability to play complex pieces of music seamlessly that helped their careers. They were also strong songwriters with a great ear for melody.

“Rosanna” is a highly complex pop composition and an absolute earworm. It gave the band a number 2 single, an ode to actress Rosanna Arquette, and made Toto one of the most commercially successful bands of the era.

1. “Africa”

The internet had to decide on one anthem to rule them all. And, by unanimous vote, “Africa” became that song. At least, that sounds like a realistic version of what happened.

“Africa” is a song about a young man finding love in a foreign world. It’s quintessentially 1980s, all down to the music video.

Decades later, its soaring choruses and fancy grooves caught the attention of a new generation of listeners. It’s literally been streamed billions of times.

Frankly, it couldn’t have happened to a harder-working group of musicians. Yes, “Africa” is Toto’s finest hour and one of the greatest rock songs of all time.