Toto is an American rock band, founded in 1977 by some of the most sought after session musicians of the era. Prior to the formation of the band, Toto members, who were locals of Hartford, Connecticut, were regulars on albums by Steely Dan, Seals and Crofts, Boz Scaggs, Sonny and Cher, and many others, contributing to many of the most popular records of the 1970s.
Toto is known for a musical style that combines elements of pop, rock, soul, funk, progressive rock, hard rock, R&B and jazz. Although they were regularly associated with the soft rock genre, Toto's broad array of musical styles helps them appeal to a variety of listeners.
The band enjoyed great commercial success in the late 1970s and 1980s, beginning with the band's self-titled debut released in 1978.
With the release of 1982's critically acclaimed and commercially successful Toto IV, Toto became one of the best-selling music groups of their era.
The band has released 17 albums and have sold over 30 million records to date. Their 18th album, Falling In Between Live, was released in August 2007, a live release recorded in March 2007 in Paris.
Although their popularity in the United States diminished in the 1990s and 2000s, they remained popular internationally, playing only a minimal number of shows in the USA.
"Hold the Line" was the band's very first single, and was featured on their debut eponymous album.
It was also a #5 success single in the US and # 14 in UK during the winter of 1978–79.
It was written by the band's primary songwriter David Paich, which as he said:
"It started out with the piano riff that is in the intro. I started playing this riff and I just couldn't stop playing it.
I played it for days, and I started singing, "Hold the line, love isn't always on time." It was a phrase that just came into my head. . . . it was a blessing. (The words) came to me in the night, and then I went to the verse. I wrote it in 2 hours.
Sometimes songs come quickly like that, and sometimes I spend 2 years trying to finish a song."
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