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Toto is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1977. The group blends elements of pop, rock, soul, funk, hard rock, R&B, blues, and jazz. They have released 14 studio albums and sold over 50 million records worldwide, receiving several Grammy Awards and an induction into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2009.
Keyboardist and vocalist David Paich and drummer Jeff Porcaro, both experienced session musicians, founded the band and were joined by bassist David Hungate, guitarist and vocalist Steve Lukather, keyboardist and vocalist Steve Porcaro, and vocalist Bobby Kimball before the release of their self-titled debut album in 1978. Led by the Top 5 single "Hold the Line", the album brought the band initial mainstream success. Their fourth album, "Toto IV" (1982), achieved global recognition, with "Africa" topping the Billboard Hot 100 and "Rosanna" reaching number 2, establishing Toto as one of the best-selling music groups of the era.
After "Toto IV", Hungate and Kimball left the band. Hungate was replaced on bass by Mike Porcaro, and Kimball was succeeded by a series of vocalists, the longest-serving being Joseph Williams. Following Jeff Porcaro’s death in 1992, Simon Phillips became the band’s drummer. Although Toto did not repeat their peak U.S. radio success after the early 1980s, they continued to release albums and tour, achieving additional top-ten albums and singles in countries such as Japan and those in Scandinavia.
Steve Lukather remains the only original member who continues to record and tour with the band, while David Paich remains an official member but has largely retired from touring. Since the 2010s, Toto has relied on contracted touring musicians to maintain live performances. As of 2023, the band has released fourteen studio albums, eight live albums, one movie soundtrack—1984’s "Dune"—and several compilation albums. Their most recent studio release was "Old Is New" in 2018, after which they decided against recording further studio albums. In 2024 they launched the "Dogz of Oz" Tour, beginning in Red Bank, New Jersey.
Studio albums
Toto (1978)
Hydra (1979)
Turn Back (1981)
Toto IV (1982)
Isolation (1984)
Fahrenheit (1986)
The Seventh One (1988)
Kingdom of Desire (1992)
Tambu (1995)
Mindfields (1999)
Through the Looking Glass (2002)
Falling In Between (2006)
Toto XIV (2015)
Old Is New (2018)
Soundtrack albums
Dune (1984)
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