Africa by Toto (1982) opens with one of the most immediately recognisable chord progressions in pop rock: F#m, D, A, E. That sequence does something quietly sophisticated — it begins in minor territory before pivoting through major chords that feel increasingly bright and resolved, arriving at the E with a sense of gentle inevitability. For guitarists and keyboardists alike, the progression has a satisfying logic to it, each chord pulling naturally toward the next while the minor opening gives the whole passage an air of wistful longing that suits the song's exotic, atmospheric character perfectly. Rooted in the polished studio rock of the early eighties, the track pairs that harmonic warmth with layered production that became emblematic of the era.