Hold the Line was released in 1978 as the debut single from Toto's self-titled first album, written by keyboardist David Paich. It climbed into the top five of the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the band's signature songs. Decades of classic rock radio, film placements and sports broadcasts kept the riff instantly recognisable, and short clips of the hook now circulate online as intro stings and hype cues for edits, trailers and highlight reels.