Released January 4, 1980 Recorded 1979 Label Columbia | Format 7" single Genre Soft rock | |
Length 3:28 (single release)
5:16 (album release) | ||
"99" is a song by the American rock band Toto. The song appeared on the Hydra album in 1979. When released as a single, it reached number 26 on the Billboard charts.
Contents
The song was written as a tribute to George Lucas' film THX 1138 and the music video resembles a scene in the movie. In the video, as in the movie scene where the main character (named "THX-1138") is imprisoned, the room is completely white and everyone is wearing a white jumpsuit. Toto Legend, the former official International Toto Fan Club newsletter, reviewed the video:
'99' was predominantly a performance video, though the set design was rather conceptual. Following David Paich's intention regarding the lyrics, about a sterile society in which names are forgotten and love forbidden, the set was sterile white, with various sized sculptured 99's hanging and standing about, and the band was clad in futuristic white jumpsuits. There were some notable shots in this one — keyboard close-ups and an artistic view of Jeff through a transparent drum head, a technique that several popular videos have copied since.
Guitarist Steve Lukather has since admitted that despite the song's popularity, it's one of his least favorite compositions, and has even said he downright hated it. He called the lyrics "obtuse."
Toto
Track listing
- "99" - (3:28)
- "Hydra" - (5:04)