Rosanna

Toto came together in Los Angeles in 1977, founded by David Paich and Jeff Porcaro, who had worked alongside each other as session musicians. With David Hungate on bass, Steve Lukather on guitar, Steve Porcaro on keyboards, and Bobby Kimball handling vocals, the band released its debut album in 1978 and reached the top 5 with "Hold the Line". By 1982 they were readying their fourth record, Toto IV, and "Rosanna", written by Paich, became its opening track and first single.

The song climbed to number two on the Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for five consecutive weeks behind the Human League's "Don't You Want Me" and Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger". In Britain it peaked at number 12 and spent eight weeks on the chart. At the 1983 Grammy ceremony it won Record of the Year and was nominated for Song of the Year. Jeff Porcaro built the drum part, a half-time shuffle with ghost notes and a definite jazz influence, drawing on the Purdie shuffle, John Bonham's pattern on "Fool in the Rain", and the Bo Diddley beat. He pointed to Steely Dan's "Home at Last" as an influence.

Paich said the lyrics drew on numerous girls he had known, though the band joked that it was about Rosanna Arquette, who was dating Steve Porcaro at the time. Arquette played along, claiming in an interview she brought the band juice and beer at 4 a.m. during their sessions. The closing instrumental section began as a spontaneous jam; Lukather recalled that the song was supposed to end but Jeff carried on and Dave started playing honky-tonk piano, with everyone following.