# The 1980s hit that will be played until the end of time

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-1980s-hit-that-will-be-played-until-the-end-of-time/
- Published: 2026-07-23T01:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-23T02:05:12+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-1980s-hit-that-will-be-played-until-the-end-of-time/
- Topics: Music

## Key points

- Artist Max Siedentopf built a solar-powered installation in the Namibian Desert programmed to play Toto's 1982 hit 'Africa' on infinite loop for eternity
- Designed to withstand harsh conditions for 55 million years as artistic homage, the installation was destroyed by the desert environment within several years

## Summary

The Voyager Golden Records' concept of permanent space-bound music inspired Namibian-German artist Max Siedentopf to conceive his own eternal musical artwork. Devoted to Toto's 1982 track 'Africa'—one of the most-streamed songs of its era—Siedentopf decided the song deserved permanent exhibition in the continent it celebrates. He selected the Namibian Desert, Earth's oldest at 55 million years, to house a solar-powered installation engineered to replay the track endlessly.

Constructed from durable materials and powered by perpetual solar batteries, the sculpture represented an ambitious fusion of music, art, and timelessness. However, the relentless desert climate ultimately prevailed; by 2025, when an explorer set out to locate the installation, the harsh environment had already dismantled it, returning Siedentopf's tribute to the natural world it inhabited.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.