"Rosanna" by Toto

Top 10 Alert!

Gold Record Alert!

Grammy Alert!

Song#:  0998
Date:  04/17/1982
Debut:  81
Peak:  2
Weeks:  23
Genre:  Soft Rock



Pop Bits:  Successful session musicians David Paitch and Jeff Porcaro decided to give it a go with their own band. Recruiting other session players, Toto was formed and they issued a self-titled debut in 1978. The LP was highly successful reaching the Top 10 and spawning the #5 hit "Hold the Line." Their next two albums were not nearly as successful and the band was feeling a lot of pressure to produce a hit. "Toto IV" not only revived the group, but far exceeded expectations by going triple platinum and scoring six Grammys including Album of the Year. This first single spent 5 weeks in the #2 spot and would nab the Grammy for Record of the Year. Oddly, "Toto IV" would end up peaking at #4, which would end up as their best showing on the album chart.

ReduxReview:  I consider the "Toto IV" album to be the apex of 80s California cool studio soft rock. Oddly, this sound's mastermind, David Foster, did not work on this project, so it makes this accomplishment even more pronounced. They hit a sweet spot with this track and never looked back. Some folks didn't like the excessive sheen emitted by Toto's polished music, but I don't mind. If it's done right, as this was, the results can be awesome. A classic from the time period that still sounds pretty sweet.

ReduxRating:  9/10

Trivia:  Popular music-lore has it that this song was about actress Rosanna Arquette. She was dating band member Steve Porcaro around this time. But that is not fully the case. The song's writer, David Paitch, has said that the song was based on few different women and having met Arquette via Porcaro, he just liked her name and ended up using it for the song.

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