53

Africa
Toto
1982

Another one that I didn’t love right away!  There’s just something about 80s music that gives me instant nausea when I first hear it, and there’s a slow burn (very slow) for me to get into it. I’ve come around on a lot of 80s stuff; for other artists, it’s still a hard pass. 

But it didn’t take me as long to come around to this one like Don’t Stop Believin’. This is one that has always just seemed to be around, you know?  It’s a classic, and you can’t quite remember it not being there. Look at how many views on that video -- almost one BILLION!  That's nuts!  The vocals in this song are particularly great (the harmonies are crazy good), but there’s nothing else that sticks out other than it’s just a bop. Timeless. 

I would be remiss if I didn’t share my favorite story attached to this one. By the time Max was around 8 years old, this song was a staple in the family playlists. Apparently, though, it wasn’t Max’s favorite, as he told his sister on one occasion in the back seat (at 8 years old), in the way only Max can, “this song is bad as hell.”  That has become lore in the family canon, and I think Max is slowly coming around. Another plug for never giving up on songs!

Other Songs Considered:
Nope. Don’t think for one moment that their other two hits even entered my mind.