It was the first single released from that album, reaching the top 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1984.[ "Stranger in Town" USA chart history], Billboard.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011. The song was the band's highest-ever charting Mainstream Rock track, eventually peaking at number 7. It was also a top 40 single in Australia, where it remains the fourth highest charting single by Toto, behind only "Hold the Line", "Rosanna", and "Africa". The song was written by David Paich and Jeff Porcaro, and features Paich on lead vocals. Though Bobby Kimball is officially credited as a guest musician on the album, having been fired from Toto, "Stranger in Town" was recorded while he was still a member of the group.
