Introducing the Toto ‘Africa’ Meme

Watch out in the new year for our meme of covers of Toto’s “Africa.” We’ve been wanting to start this for a while. It’s bad music. The best deconstruction of the song’s musical quality is by humorist Steve Almond. But you can’t stop tapping your feet or humming to it. We’re amazed by the wide variety of bands, and genres who have covered this song. And we can attest to its resilience as a piece of media about Africa — including the video. Type “Africa” into Youtube and see what comes up near the top. Here’s a taste of what’s to come. Minnesota indie rock band Low does a cover for the A.V. Club. This version may be the high point of the meme.

Further Reading