Steve Lukather, Toto’s founding guitarist and a long-time fixture in rock’s elite, is riding high on a resurgence that’s taken him, and the band, by surprise. In an interview with Kyle Meredith, Lukather, promoting his autobiography The Gospel According to Luke, discusses how Toto’s music has found a new audience, thanks in no small part to Weezer’s viral cover of their classic hit “Africa.” Despite the unexpected revival, Lukather’s relationship with the media, especially with publications like Rolling Stone, remains strained. “They’ve been creaming us for 43 years,” he says bluntly. “Now they want to make nice, so I said no thanks.”
While Lukather admits that being “dismissed” by critics stung, he takes solace in the loyalty of the fans, both old and new. “We sell out arenas, our albums are moving again, and now, we’re seeing these young Millennials show up at the shows,” he beams. The band, who dominated rock radio in the late ‘70s and ‘80s, had long been a punchline for those critics who couldn’t square their studio-musician chops with the DIY ethos of punk. But, as Lukather points out, those chops have powered some of the biggest records in history. “Between all of us, we’ve played on 5,000 albums,” he boasts, name-checking Thriller, Hotel California, and Silk Degrees as just a few of the records that bear Toto’s musical DNA.
It’s not just the critics who failed to understand Toto’s depth. For years, audiences viewed the band as radio-friendly hitmakers rather than musical innovators. Lukather recalls how their fusion of rock, R&B, and jazz was met with confusion. “We weren’t trying to be one thing. Hold the Line, Georgy Porgy, and Africa are all different, but we loved that variety.” Now, with streaming platforms giving younger listeners access to deep cuts from their catalog, Toto is being rediscovered for their musicianship. “Kids come up to me after shows and go, ‘I didn’t know you had 17 albums out,’” Lukather laughs. “It’s like they’re finding us for the first time.”
Weezer’s cover of “Africa” may have been a joke to start, but for Lukather, the result has been anything but laughable. “I guess they never expected it to blow up the way it did,” he says of the track that became a viral sensation. “It’s been great for them and great for us. Now they’re gonna have to play it for the rest of their lives too.” Lukather is clearly amused, but the gravity of Toto’s sudden popularity isn’t lost on him. “This is the first hit Weezer’s had in a while,” he says, half-smirking.
Even as Toto enjoys its second life, Lukather isn’t looking to rest on the band’s laurels. Alongside remastered albums and a 5.1 mix of Toto IV, he’s also deep into his work with Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band, where he’s played since 2012. “Man, playing with Ringo, that’s a dream,” Lukather says. “He’s the coolest, wittiest guy. He’s got this energy around him, and you just feel good being in the same room with him.”
And while Lukather has come to terms with critics’ disdain for Toto, he remains unapologetic about the band’s enduring ambition. “We never wanted to be mainstream, and that probably confused people back then. But look at us now—we’re still here, still playing our asses off,” he says. “We were never in style, so we can’t be out of style.”
For Lukather, there’s a kind of poetic justice in Toto’s late-career renaissance. “You can’t plan something like this,” he says. “But when it happens, it feels pretty sweet.” At 64, with 47 years of rock ‘n’ roll behind him, Lukather is embracing every moment. “This ride, man—it’s been insane. But we’re loving it.”
Listen to the interview above and then check out the videos below!
