is there a yacht rock station on siriusxm

Thurston Howell Band: Your Premier Yacht Rock Spectacular

Set Sail with SiriusXM’s Yacht Rock: Tune to 14 & 311

Embark on a Smooth-Sailing Musical Voyage with Yacht Rock Radio

Welcome aboard the musical cruise of Yacht Rock Radio on Sirius XM! If you’ve been searching for “what channel is yacht rock on Sirius XM?”, you’ve just found your smooth-sailing destination. Yacht Rock Radio, also known as Yacht Rock 311, offers a commercial-free haven where the soft rock songs of the late ’70s and early ’80s come to life.

Your Port of Call for Classic Soft Rock

Yacht Rock Radio celebrates the very best of ’70s/’80s smooth-sailing soft rock. It’s where the iconic voices of Michael McDonald, Christopher Cross, Hall & Oates, and other titans of this mellow musical era’ll serenade you. This station encapsulates the essence of what was once known as the West-Coast sound or adult-orientated rock (AOR), now lovingly termed ‘Yacht Rock’, thanks to the 2005 online video series that coined this term.

Where to Tune In

Find your musical getaway on Sirius XM Radio 14 during the summer months, and on Sirius XM Radio 311 for the rest of the year. Yacht Rock Radio ensures that your listening experience is always top-notch, whether you’re basking in the summer sun or cozying up during the cooler months.

Why Choose Yacht Rock Radio on Sirius XM?

• Non-Stop Music: Immerse yourself in hours of uninterrupted soft rock classics.
• Expertly Curated: Each song is a handpicked gem, ensuring the finest listening experience.
• Seasonal Variations: Two channels for year-round enjoyment – Channel 14 in summer and 311 otherwise.

Set Sail with Sirius XM’s Yacht Rock Radio

Join the legion of yacht rock enthusiasts who’ve made Sirius XM’s Yacht Rock Radio their go-to station for smooth tunes. Whether you’re a die-hard fan of this genre or exploring it for the first time, channels 14 and 311 are your gateways to an era of music that soothes the soul and lifts the spirits.

Stay Connected with Thurston Howell

Keep in tune with the latest from Yacht Rock Radio and other yacht rock news by staying connected with us here at Thurston Howell. We’re your guide in the world of yacht rock, bringing you closer to the music that makes life a smooth sail.

First Listen: SiriusXM’s Yacht Soul

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Each year SiriusXM’s Yacht Rock Radio reignites some ongoing, mostly playful skirmishes among radio people and music fans. Is “Yacht Rock” what the term’s creators define it as — ’70s/early-’80s soft rock with some element of R&B/jazz/disco fusion? Is it what SXM plays — a wider version of soft pop from the late ’70s/early ’80s? Why are we canonizing this music from pop music’s doldrums in the first place?

But if you’re eager to play along with that discussion, SXM has just launched Yacht Soul, as a pop-up format currently appearing on SiriusXM’s channel 105 through July 8, after which time it will remain available on the SXM app. The channel is hosted by George Benson, whose reminiscences about songs and artists are interspersed several times an hour.

The new channel is a reminder of R&B’s place at the center of yacht rock. However much weight you want to put on them at a fraught time for pop music, I’d rather hear Benson’s “Give Me the Night” or “Turn Your Love Around” than a lot of other hits from the same period. In turn, Benson, Quincy Jones, Al Jarreau, and George Duke & Stanley Clarke were chief among the artists who were able to cross over during the worst moments of the “disco backlash” that kept other great things happening in R&B away from pop radio in 1980-82.

Like SXM’s Yacht Rock Radio, Yacht Soul is a broad mix of mellow R&B from the same era. The hook promos include some things that seem defining (Dennis Edwards’ “Don’t Look Any Further,” Bobby Caldwell’s “What You Won’t Do for Love,” Chaka Khan’s “Through the Fire”) and others that feel less likely (Evelyn King’s “Love Come Down,” Diana Ross’ “Love Hangover,” Natalie Cole’s “Sophisticated Lady”). Chances are you just disagreed with at least one of my characterizations. Such is the discussion.

Here’s Yacht Soul at 9:30 a.m. on July 3:

• Fourplay, “101 Eastbound” — early ’90s instrumental that seems like more of a fit for Smooth Jazz
• Brothers Johnson, “Strawberry Letter 23”
• Quincy Jones f/Patti Austin, “Something Special”  
• Kool & the Gang, “Too Hot” — preceded by a vignette of George Benson talking about witnessing the band’s ascent
• Brenda Russell, “New York Bars” — her hits (“So Good So Right” and “Piano in the Dark”) were nearly a decade apart, in 1979 and 1988; this is from a 1983 album
• Bill Withers, “Lovely Day”
• Patti Labelle, “New Attitude”
• Manhattans, “Shining Star”
• Average White Band, “School Boy Crush”
• L.T.D., “Love Ballad” — Benson talks about hearing the original for the first time: “One of the best songs I ever heard.” Later, he would have a 1979 hit with his own uptempo version
• Atlanta Rhythm Section, “So Into You” — It did crack the R&B chart (No. 93) in 1977. Not the hit single, but what sounded like a longer album version
• William DeVaughn, “Be Thankful for What You Got” — 1974 hit that seems prescient in this context
• Bee Gees, “How Deep Is Your Love”
• Lionel Richie, “All Night Long (All Night)”
• El DeBarge, “Someone”
• George Benson, “This Masquerade” — Benson talks about not knowing the Leon Russell original, or Russell, when the song was brought to him, and his initial reluctance to cover it, or include a vocal on the Breezin’ album

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Hey Sean, Checking out Yacht Soul a bit. A little surprised to hear some cover versions (Everbody Plays The Fool – Aaron Neville and I Never Can Say Goodbye – Issac Hayes), but they are smooth and the channel is inyeresting and easy to listen to. JH

Caught Yacht Rock Radio for the first time, today. Channel 311, had to go looking. In 45 minutes’ time, listening….never heard a single female singer.

I like the mix mainly because it stretches about 25 years, more than double the approximate 10 years of traditional yacht rock. My only complaint so far is “Caravan of Love” being listed as by the Isley Bros.

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Sean Ross is a radio business researcher, programming consultant, conference speaker, and a veteran of radio trade journalism at Billboard, Radio & Records, M Street Journal, and others. For more than a decade, his weekly writings have been collected in the Ross On Radio newsletter; subscribe for free here. https://tinyurl.com/mhcnx4u

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Yacht Rock 311

'70s/'80s Smooth-Sailing Soft Rock

Channel 311

SiriusXM's tribute to Yacht Rock celebrates the smooth-sailing soft rock from the late '70s and early '80s. You'll hear artists like Michael McDonald, Christopher Cross, Hall & Oates and other titans of smooth music. It's the kind of rock that doesn't rock the boat!

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Vote For the Top '80s Yacht-Rock Hits, Then Hear the Countdown Labor Day Weekend | SiriusXM

From soft-rock songs by Hall and Oates to 1980s hits by Olivia Newton-John, select your favorites for the 'Yacht Rock of the ’80s Countdown.'

Yacht Rock Radio

SiriusXM’s tribute to Yacht Rock celebrates the smooth-sailing soft rock from the late 70s and early 80s. You’ll hear artists like Michael McDonald, Christopher Cross, Hall & Oates and other titans of smooth music. It’s the kind of rock that doesn’t rock the boat!

I'm The Captain Now

Each week, we let a new celebrity takes the yacht for a spin around the marina and pick out their favorite Yacht Rock songs. Because ... they're the captain now!

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Yacht Rock Radio Ch. 17 rock

Yacht Rock Radio celebrates the smooth-sailing soft rock from the late '70s and early '80s. You'll hear artists like Michael McDonald, Christopher Cross, Steely Dan and other titans of smooth music. It's the kind of rock that doesn't rock the boat!

Times Played: 98

Times Played: 97

So In To You

• Atlanta Rhythm Section  

Times Played: 96

Morning Dance

• Spyro Gyra  

Times Played: 95

• Paul Davis  

Times Played: 94

Show and Tell

• Al Wilson  

Kiss You All Over

Times Played: 92

Make a Little Magic

• Nitty Gritty Dirt Band  
• Nicolette Larson  

Escape (The Pina Colada Song)

• Rupert Holmes  

Smooth Operator

Times Played: 91

• John Stewart  

Times Played: 90

• Bill Withers  

Times Played: 89

That Girl Could Sing

• Jackson Browne  

Times Played: 88

After The Love Has Gone

• Earth, Wind & Fire  

Reminiscing

• Little River Band  

Times Played: 87

Leather And Lace

• Stevie Nicks  
• Don Henley  

Laughter In The Rain

• NEIL SEDAKA  

What Cha' Gonna Do For Me

• Chaka Khan  

I Love a Rainy Night

• Eddie Rabbitt  

Still The One

Diamond Girl

Times Played: 86

Goodbye Stranger

• Supertramp  

Times Played: 85

Baby Come Back

Biggest Part Of Me

• Boz Scaggs  

Times Played: 84

Brandy (You're A Fine Girl)

• Looking Glass  

Lido Shuffle

Times Played: 83

Baker Street

• Gerry Rafferty  

Times Played: 82

• Kim Carnes  

• Samantha Sang  

What You Won't Do For Love

• Bobby Caldwell  

Feels So Good

• Chuck Mangione  

Times Played: 81

Never Too Much

• Luther Vandross  

We're In This Love Together

• Al Jarreau  

Make It With You

• Robbie Dupree  

Times Played: 80

Turn Your Love Around

• George Benson  

I Just Want to Be Your Everything

• Andy Gibb  

• Bob Welch  

You’re Only Lonely

• J.D. Souther  

Times Played: 79

Summer Breeze

I Just Wanna Stop

• Gino Vanelli  

Times Played: 78

I'd Really Love To See You Tonight

• J.F.Coley  

Times Played: 77

Keep a Light On

• Bertie Higgins  

Times Played: 76

Fool (If You Think It's Over)

• Chris Rea  

• Andrew Gold  

Times Played: 75

• Kool & The Gang  

• Kenny Loggins  

Heart To Heart

Nobody Does It Better

• Carly Simon  

Times Played: 74

Let Your Love Flow

• Bellamy Brothers  

Whatcha Gonna Do

• Pablo Cruise  

Cool Change

Searchin' So Long

Times Played: 73

It Never Rains In Southern California

• Albert Hammond  

Times Played: 72

Fooled Around And Fell In Love

• Elvin Bishop  

Thunder Island

• Jay Ferguson  

Love Will Find A Way

You're The Only Woman

I Believe In Love

Times Played: 71

You Are The Woman

Times Played: 70

Give Me the Night

Into The Night

• Benny Mardones  

HOLD THE LINE

Times Played: 69

How 'Bout Us

• Champaign  

Couldn't Get It Right

• Climax Blues Band  

Times Played: 68

Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight

• James Taylor  

Times Played: 67

Running On Empty

• Dobie Gray  

• Michael Martin Murphey  

Times Played: 66

You Can Do Magic

Sentimental Lady

Shower The People

Times Played: 65

• Pure Prairie League  

Times Played: 64

Moonlight Feels Right

Wishing You Were Here

Ride Like The Wind

• Christopher Cross  

Times Played: 63

Sister Golden Hair

Times Played: 62

Stumblin' In

• Chris Norman, Suzi Quatro  

Ride Captain Ride

• Blues Image  

How Much I Feel

Show And Tell

Dream Weaver

• Gary Wright  

Times Played: 61

Silly Love Songs (Remastered)

Magnet And Steel

• Walter Egan  

Listen To The Music

• Doobie Brothers  

Times Played: 60

I Really Don't Know Anymore

Times Played: 59

Arthur's Theme

Times Played: 58

Every Kinda People

• Robert Palmer  

Just Remember I Love You

Afternoon Delight

• Starland Vocal Band  

Times Played: 57

Save It For A Rainy Day

• Stephen Bishop  

One Of These Nights

Times Played: 56

The Things We Do For Love

I Keep Forgettin' (82)

• Michael McDonald  

© 2024 xmplaylist.com All rights reserved.

Not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with Sirius XM Radio Inc. The official SiriusXM website can be found at siriusxm.com . The channel names, marks, emblems and images are registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Vote For the Top ’80s Yacht-Rock Hits, Then Hear the Countdown Labor Day Weekend

From hits by Hall and Oates to classics by Olivia Newton-John, select your favorites for the ‘Yacht Rock of the ’80s Countdown.’

Make your end-of-summer dreams come true with a special fan-voted countdown of the top yacht-rock songs of the ’80s for Labor Day weekend!

Before setting sail during the three-day weekend, we need your votes to create the “ Yacht Rock of the ’80s Countdown .” From favorites by Hall & Oates and Olivia Newton-John to classics by Kenny Loggins and Christopher Cross, select up to five smooth-sailing songs from the list below now. Then, tune in to Yacht Rock Radio (Ch. 14 through September 8) or Yacht Rock 311 (Ch. 311 all year round) from September 2 through September 5 to hear the entire countdown. The full special will also be available on the SXM App after its premiere.

This poll closed on   September 1 at 11:59pm ET .

Yacht Rock Radio is available on Channel 14 and on the SXM App through September 8. To hear your favorite smooth-sailing songs from the ’70s and ’80s anytime, stream Yacht Rock 311 all year round on the SXM App. Check out more information about Yacht Rock 311 here .

In addition to the “Yacht Rock of the ’80s Countdown,” SiriusXM will air a number of other fan-voted countdowns — featuring genre- and era-spanning music — throughout Labor Day weekend. See more of our Labor Day polls here .

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