Hold The Line – Toto | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#5); 1979
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
The core members of Toto were all seasoned studio veterans by the mid-1970’s having played on records by artists such as Aretha Franklin, Steely Dan, Jackson Browne, and numerous others.
Just prior to Toto’s formation, David Paich, David Hungate, and Jeff Porcaro contributed songs and instruments to Boz Scagg’s fabulously successful Silk Degrees .Silk Degree‘ slick melding of soul, rock, and pop elements laid the groundwork for similar explorations by album rock artists.
With the addition of several other long-time players and friends, they were perfectly poised to take advantage of this latest turn in popular music.
Now they needed a name. Other stories to the contrary, according to guitarist Steve Lukather, Toto was simply a name David P. and Jeff scrawled on the tape box of the band’s original demos.
Name notwithstanding, the new group’s take on pop music struck home with radio, giving Toto a hit in Hold The Line right out of the box.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Toto
Lyrics Written by:
- David Paich
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).