Rosanna (song)

This article is about the song by Toto. For the song by Gordon Lightfoot, see The Way I Feel (Gordon Lightfoot album).

"Rosanna"
Single by Toto
from the album Toto IV
B-side"It's a Feeling"
Released
  • March 31, 1982 (U.S.)[1]
  • April 16, 1982 (U.K.)[2]
Recorded1981
Studio
Genre
Length
  • 5:31 (album and video version)
  • 3:59 (single version)
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)David Paich
Producer(s)Toto
Toto singles chronology
"Live for Today"
(1981) 		"Rosanna"
(1982) 		"Africa"
(1982)
Music video
"Rosanna" on YouTube

"Rosanna" is a song written by David Paich and performed by the American rock band Toto, the opening track and the first single from their 1982 album Toto IV. This song won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year at the 1983 ceremony. "Rosanna" was also nominated for the Song of the Year award. It is regarded for the half-time shuffle which drummer Jeff Porcaro developed for the song, and for its production, which is generally seen as being one of the best mastered songs of all time.[6][7] The groove has become an important staple of drum repertoire and is commonly known as the "Rosanna shuffle".

The song reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks, behind "Don't You Want Me" by the Human League and "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor.[8] It was also one of the band's most successful singles in the UK, peaking at No. 12 on the UK Singles Chart and remaining on the chart for eight weeks.[9]

  1. ^ "RIAA certifications". Recording Industry Association of America.
  2. ^ "Rosanna discography".
  3. ^ Schmitt, Al; Droney, Maureen (2018). Al Schmitt - On the Record: The Magic Behind the Music. Lanham, Maryland, USA: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 118. ISBN 9781538137666.
  4. ^ "VH1's 40 Most Softsational Soft-Rock Songs". Stereogum. SpinMedia. May 31, 2007. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
  5. ^ Molanphy, Chris (July 31, 2021). "What a Fool Believes Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  6. ^ Roberts, Becky (May 5, 2024). "12 of the best songs to test your speakers". What Hi-Fi. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
  7. ^ Stone, Mary (December 19, 2022). "15 of the best-produced recordings of all time to test your hi-fi speakers". What Hi-Fi. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
  8. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications)
  9. ^ David Roberts British Hit Singles & Albums, Guinness World Records Limited