H&S Magazine's Best Artist Of The Week: Toto. When Toto first formed in Los Angeles circa 1977, the band was comprised of session musicians who played on significant projects by Sonny & Cher, Steely Dan, and Boz Scaggs, among others. As a result, the players were nothing short of prodigious and brought a slick brand of pop with touches of jazz and progressive rock to their personally penned material. Perhaps it's no surprise the group's eponymous 1978 debut exploded commercially, while Toto IV took home six GRAMMY®s, featured four major singles, and netted international superstardom that continues today.