yacht rock jd ryznar

Sail Away: The Oral History of ‘Yacht Rock’

By Drew Toal

This story was originally published on June 26, 2015

I n the late 1970s and early 1980s, musical artists like Kenny Loggins , Michael McDonald , Steely Dan , Toto , Hall and Oates , and dozens of others regularly popped up on each other’s records, creating a golden era of smooth-music collaboration.

And on June 26th, 2005, an internet phenomenon was born. In 12 short but memorable episodes — first via the the short-film series Channel 101 and then online — JD Ryznar, Hunter Stair, Dave Lyons, Lane Farnham and their friends redefined an era and coined a term for the sultry croonings of McDonald, Fagen, et al.: “yacht rock.”

As “Hollywood” Steve might say, these guys docked a fleet of remarkable hits. This is the story of Yacht Rock, told from stem to stern — a reimagining of a bygone soft-rock renaissance, courtesy of hipsters with fake mustaches, impeccable record collections and a love of smoothness. Long may it sail.

The Michigan Connection JD Ryznar (Director, “Michael McDonald”): I moved from Ann Arbor to L.A., and ended up making friends with all these other guys from Michigan, like “Hollywood” Steve Huey, Hunter Stair, and David Lyons. Pretty much every weekend I’d have “Chinese Thanksgiving” at my apartment — we’d eat BBQ chicken and burgers, drink beer and listen to records of what I called “yacht rock.” You know, like Michael McDonald is singing background vocals and like there’s guys on boats on the covers; it feels like you’re on a yacht listening to it. And the guys were like, oh, we know this music.

Dave Lyons (“Koko”): You know how, in the Seventies, these big bands started playing arena rock? We liked the idea of these smooth bands playing “Marina Rock.” I thought it was a better name.

“Hollywood” Steve Huey (“Hollywood Steve”): What I mostly remember is JD playing Journey records all the time. He was so into Journey that he had photocopied a photo of Steve Perry and pasted it onto his liquid soap dispenser. He wrote “Steve Perry Soap: Clean as all fuck” on it.

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Lane Farnham (editor, “Jimmy Messina”): JD and I had talked about Journey for a year before we did Yacht Rock. In the third episode, that whole “you need to fly like a pilot” bit? Those are direct lines from Steve Perry in this crazy documentary we found. He’s coked to the gills, in the Eighties, just blabbering about who knows what. We got a kick out of that stuff. 

Sail Away: The Oral History of ‘Yacht Rock’ , Page 1 of 12

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That '70s Week: Yacht Rock

Talia Schlanger

Donald Fagen (left) and Walter Becker of Steely Dan. Danny Clinch/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Donald Fagen (left) and Walter Becker of Steely Dan.

• The Doobie Brothers, "What A Fool Believes"
• Christopher Cross, "Sailing"
• Sade, "Smooth Operator"
• Nielsen/Pearson, "If You Should Sail"
• Ned Doheny, "Get It Up For Love"
• Iron & Wine, "Desert Babbler"
• Young Gun Silver Fox, "You Can Feel It"

What's the best way to become the unchallenged expert on a particular genre of music? Invent it. Enter JD Ryznar, Hunter Stair, David B. Lyons and Steve Huey: coiners of the description "yacht rock," creators of a hilarious web series of the same name and now de facto captains of the genre. Broadly speaking, yacht rock is an ocean of smooth, soft-listening music made in the late '70s and early '80s by artists like Toto, Hall & Oates and Kenny Loggins — music you can sail to. But as David and Talia learn in this conversation with the arbiters of Yacht Rock , the waters are much murkier than that.

For example, according to Ryznar, "There's also a common misconception that just because it's about a boat, or the ocean, or sailing, that it's yacht rock. That is most definitely nyacht true." Thankfully, on their Beyond Yacht Rock podcast, our guests have developed a sound system of logical criteria to define what is "Yacht" and what is "Nyacht." They employ their patented "Yachtzee scale" to examine a song's "Yachtness" based on a number of factors, including its personnel (is there a Doobie Brother in there?), amount of jazz and R&B influence, geographic origin (Southern California is a plus) and lyrical obtuseness.

Listen as Ryznar and Lyons steer us towards the musical marina with a buoyant "Yacht or Nyacht" debate that includes Michael McDonald, Christopher Cross, Sade and the most serious discussion you can have about the proper soundtrack for standing shirtless on a deck wearing boat shoes and a sailor cap. Dive on in --the water's great.

Listen: JD Ryznar's Yacht Rock Primer

Episode playlist.

• Hall & Oates
• Michael McDonald

• Entertainment

Finally, a name for that music: “Yacht Rock”

A few little-known facts about singer/songwriter Michael McDonald: Aside from topping the charts in the 1980s, he was a tireless defender and advocate of smooth music. His best friend ...

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A few little-known facts about singer/songwriter Michael McDonald: Aside from topping the charts in the 1980s, he was a tireless defender and advocate of smooth music. His best friend died in a back-alley songwriting contest, and he feuded with one-time songwriting partner Kenny Loggins. Actor Vincent Price, however, forced the two to make amends so they could conjure a spirit to help with the recording of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” Sound a bit far-fetched? Rockin’ on the yacht JD Ryznar offers a curated selection of his favorite less-obvious songs of the era “Any World (That I’m Welcome To)” by Steely Dan “Aside from being totally awesome and beautiful, this is one of the first Dan songs to feature Michael McDonald’s huge background vocal power. The presence of McDonald’s voice pretty much legitimizes any song’s Yacht Rock status.” “It Keeps You Runnin’ ” by Carly Simon “This is not only a cover of the Doobie Brothers’ hit, but also actually features the Doobies as the backing band. Still, it’s a totally original take on the song, and a rare example of Yacht Rock female empowerment.” Kenny Loggins’ alternate versions “If you hear a song on a Doobie or Michael McDonald album that was co-written by Kenny Loggins, chances are, Loggins has a version of that song with a classic Loggins twist. Check out Loggin’s versions of the Doobies ‘What a Fool Believes’ and Michael McDonald’s ‘I Gotta Try’ & ‘No Lookin’ Back’ to see what I mean.”

Not to JD Ryznar, the Los Angeles based writer, actor and director who portrays the man with the beard in his series of short films called “Yacht Rock.” The shorts, which have garnered a cult following thanks to their success as part of the Web site Channel 101’s monthly film contests (and subsequent downloads and blog shout-outs), take a look behind the scenes at the creation of the ultra-creamy hits that made folks like McDonald, Loggins and Toto pop stars in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Ryznar coined the term “Yacht Rock” after he noticed a series of connections and similarities between Steely Dan and groups like the Doobie Brothers and Toto. Such as:

All of them seemed to share members and collaborate frequently with each other and people like Kenny Loggins. A lot of the music of the era featured albums with guys on boats on the cover and songs about sailing. This music sounds really good on boats because it’s good for relaxing, sitting back and drinking. And so “Yacht Rock” was born. The show (see the full episodes here: www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=152 offers surreal backstories for singles known more for their gentle grooves than any underlying drama. But the series doesn’t attempt to satirize the musicians themselves. Instead, Ryznar takes aim at the songwriting process. “When people want to sit down and write a hit record, they get together and it’s trial and error — not so much fun,” he says. “But if you infuse it with some sort of completely made up fairy tale story, suddenly it becomes a lot more interesting.” This sly reverence for the subject matter gives the show an added nuance. After all, taking potshots at yesterday’s hit makers would be just too easy. But much of the humor also comes from inverting the stereotypical images people have of the musicians in question. “When artists like Hall & Oates and Michael Jackson have such huge personas, you don’t want to just see another impersonation,” says Ryznar. Thus, Hall & Oates become two thuggish trash-talkers from the hard streets of Philadelphia always looking for a fight and Michael Jackson gets portrayed as a brute womanizer. Even Journey front man Steve Perry gets the treatment, showing up in a couple of episodes as a motivational rocker who persuades Kenny Loggins to turn to the hard side. Ryznar’s show has gotten him some notice and even an agent. The moderate success he’s achieved underscores the growing impact that Channel 101 ( www.channel101.com ) has as an important outlet for up and coming talent to showcase material that ordinarily wouldn’t get a cursory glance at major Hollywood studios. Started by Dan Harmon and Rob Schrab in 2003, Channel 101 allows anyone to submit a pilot, the best of which are selected and shown at monthly screenings held in Los Angeles. A sister site, www.channel102.net , recently opened up shop in New York. The top five vote-getters each month are added to a category called Primetime and are then allowed to make another episode. This constant influx of submissions means everyone has to keep upping the ante from month to month. While Yacht Rock’s subject matter might make it seem like a strange candidate for such a word-of-mouth following, Ryznar’s idea ended up in the right place at the right time.

Defining yacht rock once and for all with the genre's originators

• 12 months ago
• Duration 13:32

JD Ryznar and Dave Lyons, co-creators of the mid-2000s comedic web-series Yacht Rock, stop by Commotion to talk about how the joke genre they coined led to a legitimate smooth-music renaissance in pop culture — and how that’s led to a distorted definition of what yacht rock is all about. They tell Elamin about the launch of their podcast Yacht or Nyacht, where they’ll adjudicate which songs belong to the yacht rock canon based on a scientific scoring system.

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What the Hell is Yacht Rock?

Smooth never goes out of style..

Back in the late 70s, there was a smooth and sultry sound pouring out of Southern California. Artists like Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald were all over the airways, and it seemed like every other week, there was a new hit. Like all gilded eras, it wasn't sustainable, and within a decade, Hall and Oates , Toto , and the rest's popularity dried up. Their time in the spotlight was over.

Flash forward to 2005: JD Ryznar, a Michiganite with Hollywood aspirations moved to L.A., and made friends with a number of like-minded music fans, including "Hollywood" Steve Huey, Hunter Stair, and David Lyons. Bonding over their love of retro soft rock, the group eventually created a show/web series called Yacht Rock , inadvertently coining the term that would define a generation captain's hat-wearing musicians. The show poked fun at all the major stars from that late 70s era, while simultaneously educating its viewers on the finer points of the genre. Here's a clip:

Following the show's success, Ryznar and his friends have "kept the fire alive" with their podcast Beyond Yacht Rock , and continue to be the leading voices of the yacht rock movement. At some point along the way, other disc jockeys got the memo and throwback stations started cropping up all over the place. Whether it's playing on the Yacht Rock Show on 89.1 FM (in NYC), or Sirius XM's Yacht Rock station, this music clearly still resonates with people.

While a lot of this music can be found on various oldies stations around the country, it wasn't until Yacht Rock (the series) came out that the genre's parameters were codified. In fact, the show actually has a scale called Yachtski , in which they determine how well a song fits the genre. Apparently, according to the chart, "What a Fool Believes" by The Doobie Brothers is the purest iteration of yacht rock ever released. Give it a listen. Can you handle the smoothness?

Following the success of these programs, and the slow but steady growth of yacht rock's fanbase, bands are popping up all over the place, trying to capitalize on this retro music trend. Cover artists like Yacht Rock Revue are so big now, that they play at relatively large venues. Yacht Rock Revue is headlining the Playstation Theater in a few weeks, and is probably the most solid evidence that this musical movement is more than just a fad. Still, they're only playing covers, coasting on old standards.

There are other bands, like Foxygen who are playing tunes that are so heavily influenced by that 70s sound, that it's made folks wonder if we're in the middle of a yacht rock revival . The music ushers in that familiar feeling of sipping cool rum drinks in the middle of the summer, and not needing to take life so seriously. It serves as proof of the cyclical nature of most music trends and how the good stuff always seems to stick around.

While Foxygen is an indie juggernaut, the genre of yacht rock hasn't been relegated to one-off pop singles by major artists. There are plenty of new bands popping up that are solely focused on capturing that bright, synth-y sound. One example is Bad Business , a new group out of New York that's trying redefine the yacht rock game. They aren't a tribute band. They're actively trying to add to the repertoire, and, in their own words, are at "the vanguard of modern yacht rock, pioneering the lost art of smooth music."

With an eclectic fanbase and plenty of emerging artists, this niche–and sort of goofy–genre of music is beginning to look like a bit like a trend. All of a sudden, retro is cool, down is up, and I've started wearing unbuttoned Hawaiian T-shirts everywhere. Sure, yacht rock sort of sounds like the music your parents were listening to back when they were still single, and that may seem lame, but according to reports, millennials have way less sex than Baby Boomers and Gen Xers. If that isn't a good enough reason to start basking in the dulcet tones of Steely Dan and Christopher Cross , I don't know what is.

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Matt Clibanoff is a writer and editor based in New York City who covers music, politics, sports and pop culture. His editorial work can be found on PopDust, The Liberty Project, and All Things Go. His fiction has been published in Forth Magazine. Website: https://matthewdclibanoff.journoportfolio.com/ Twitter: @mattclibanoff

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This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here .

LAist Interview: "Yacht Rock" Creator J.D. Ryznar

J.D. Ryznar is so freaking amazing. Seriously. Just watch his cult Channel 101 Internet television show, " Yacht Rock ." By popular demand, the definitive final and twelfth episode of Yacht Rock will be premiered tonight in Downtown LA at the new home of Channel 101, the Downtown Independent Theater . This ends a saga created from 2005 to 2006, followed by a "Footloose"-themed sequel starring Jason Lee as Kevin Bacon in 2008.

" Yacht Rock " is a music-themed cult smash episodic comedy about the imaginary backstories behind the making of Seventies smooth music hits such as the Doobie Brothers' "What a Fool Believes," the Steely Dan-Eagles musical rivalry "Hotel California" and "FM," and Toto's "Rosanna." The plot revolves around fictionalized versions of ubiquitous Seventies background vocalist and smooth music champion Michael McDonald (portrayed by writer and creator J.D. Ryznar) and eventual rocker and traitor to smooth music, Kenny Loggins (portrayed by Hunter Stair).

Channel 101 is a crowd-sourced web tv network which uses a live audience to vote on which pilots get picked up and can continue as series from month to month. You can be one of the Channel 101 deciders at tonight's free screening at the Downtown Independent. The new Downtown LA venue looks freaking cool, too.

LAist: What do you want to say about the new Yacht Rock ? It's been a couple years since the "Footloose" Episode 11. J.D. Ryznar: We had to do a final episode to put a button on the whole thing. We have lot of great fans out there that deserve a good, worthwhile ending to the show. It just made me feel antsy that it it's open ended. I just had to end it. LAist: Ambrosia played at the screening of the Yacht Rock finale in NY. Ryznar: That was fun. But this is going to be more fun, showing it at Channel 101's home base. It's going to be a typical Channel 101 screening with all the returning shows, the new shows, and then Yacht Rock. Kind of a bonus to get people into the new venue.

LAist: How did you know it was time to move from Cinespace to Downtown LA?

Ryznar: The Cinespace experience was kind of like, have dinner, watch the Channel 101 shows. This new place is more of a movie theater, with a bar open to midnight or 2. This will be the place for Channel 101, the hangout for the people who make the shows, and kind of party all night. Also we're doing it on a Saturday night instead of Sunday. People can come to screenings, vote on screenings, and stay and hang out and chat with the creators of shows. You'll see the same people work on the shows, collaborate on the shows. It's a really awesome family of artists to get to know.

LAist: Can you tell me anything about the new episode? You've done a good job keeping it off the Internet in advance of the premiere.

Ryznar: It takes place in 1985. Yacht Rock has sailed off into the sunset and everybody's struggling for relevance. There's a scene that takes place at the "We are the World" recording. It's in the middle or toward the beginning to move the story along. But it was an incredible shoot. All sorts of people came out dressed like the people they were supposed to be, in sometimes ambiguous home made outfits. We have 90% of actual participants.

John Konesky as Giorgio Moroder and Hunter Stair as Kenny Loggins on the set of the "Yacht Rock" finale. Photo: K. Goldstein. LAist: Yacht Rock is relatively retro. [June 2005 to June 2006] Nowadays, many people are short form web television producers. How did VH1's Acceptable TV come about? Was it the plan to use Channel 101 to get a deal to be on a network?

Ryznar: Honestly, I believe Channel 101 was founded just so that creative people with time on their hands could get together and make things. Channel 101 never had a commercial plan or a plan to become anything bigger. It's been pretty self-sustaining for 7 or 8 years of its existence. People come in and make new things.

LAist: Does Channel 101 have any revenues?

Ryznar: No. Dan Harmon pays any expenses that come up. He pays for the website, which might be a couple grand a year. He supports it out of the goodness of his heart. The venues generally have us for free. We try not to charge admission. When we do the Awards show [the "Channys"], that's where the expenses come up.

LAist: How do you get invited to the Channys?

Ryznar: Anyone can come. If you've made a show that's been in Prime Time in the last year you have nomination rights. Then it opens to a wider pool for the voting, to all people who have made a Prime Time show ever. Sort of an academy deal. If you get into the club, then you can vote.

LAist: You are from Michigan. How did you come to LA and start working with Dan Harmon and the people at Channel 101?

Ryznar: Friends of mine told me about it. They lived in NY and they had written a pilot and they wanted it shot. I rewrote it with them and we put together a crew and we shot it and submitted it, just like anyone else who gets into Channel 101. It's open to anybody. Anybody can submit a 5-minute pilot to Channel 101.

LAist: Was that "The New McGuyver?"

Ryznar: The first one was " Kicking Asteroid ." It got screened on our first attempt, which was awesome. At the time, I think they were getting about 30 submissions a month, so it was really awesome to get screened right away. A lot of people submit, submit, submit, and learn and learn and learn, and it takes them the 4th or 5th try to get screened. Then they get into a rhythym and before you know it, it's getting into the Channel 101 Prime Time and then they're selling the show to Cartoon Network.

LAist: How did you know it was time to move to LA?

Ryznar: I was a year out of college. I always intended, after living in New York City and back in Michigan for a little bit, that I would go to LA to try to write movies.

LAist: You're writing for "Blue Mountain State" and you wrote something called Krater . What is that?

Ryznar: Krater was my first big thing. That is a movie I wrote for Warner Brothers for Jason Lee. It is about a real hard rock band in the 70s that hires a new lead singer so they can get signed. The singer turns out to be a pussy who loves to write mushy ballads and they become really popular because of that. The original guys in the band become miserable and they are rich. It's a fabulous script! We are just waiting for the stars to align.

LAist: Is it a comedy?

Ryznar: Yes.

LAist: Tell us about " Blue Mountain State ."

Ryznar: "Blue Mountain State" is a show on Spike TV. It's a raunchy football show. I got hired as a staff writer last year. The guys who created the show, Eric Falconer and Chris Romano , are also from Channel 101. They did "Shitbusters" and " Terence vs. Reuben ." Then they sold a show to Spike and hired a couple of Channel 101 dudes to write on it. That is one of the benefits of participating in Channel 101. You might get a job one day.

Hunter Stair as Kenny Loggins and J.D. Ryznar as Michael McDonald. Photo: K. Goldstein. LAist: Have you met Michael McDonald?

Ryznar: I have not met him, nor do I want to. I think he's freaking great, but I kind of have a rule against meeting my idols. Michael McDonald has seen it and mentioned it in interviews. He generally has a pretty flattering take on it, which is nice. I think he said it's weird, it's like you have a stalker who happens to know a little too much about you, and how unusually insightful it was coming from people who know nothing about what really happened.

LAist: How did you discover Michael McDonald?

Ryznar: It was a slow burn in high school. I remember friends talking about Michael McDonald, pointing out to me how often he shows up in background vocals of songs of the 70s, and how unique his voice is. Then I got into Steely Dan in college and realized, oh man, this is full of Michael McDonald, and how this guy's reach spread out. Then, just before I made Yacht Rock, he did the Austin City Limits Show. I watched that obsessively. I watched his mannerisms and thought, this guy is great. This guy is wonderful. And I love the song "Sweet Freedom. Love it. It is a solo song, the theme song to "Running Scared," starring Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines.

LAist: Is that your favorite kind of music in general?

Ryznar: No. It's nice. Now that I've made Yacht Rock, I feel self-conscious listening to it too much.

LAist: What do you like listening to?

Ryznar: Whatever. Good music. I just got really into Guided by Voices. I've been catching up on their catalog.

LAist: Besides your own, what other Channel 101 shows do you recommend?

Ryznar: " Laser Fart ." That's Dan Harmon's original great Channel 101 show. Drew Hancock who plays Oates did a show called " Cautionary Tales of Swords ." That show's hilarious. There's been so many great Channel 101 shows over the years, I can't even begin to list them all. It's a great website to so go through and just dig through the history . A lot of great stuff on the web is totally undiscovered.

LAist: You guys do not pimp it out at all, especially compared to many other web series.

Ryznar: Channel 101's been around since since before Youtube. It used to be the only way to get your stuff seen on the Internet as far as Internet shorts go. And now even with Youtube and "Funny or Die," I think Channel 101 is still the best way to hone your skills, because of the selection process. And the fact that you get to show it in front of a live audience in LA. For free. I mean it's incredible. It's a great way to discover talent and to grow your own talent.

Channel 101 screening at the Downtown Independent Theater, 251 S. Main St. Los Angeles, 90012 (near Civic Center Red Line Metro Stop). Doors, 7:00 p.m., Screening, 8:00 p.m. Free.

Photos by K. Goldstein.

• Hunter D Stair
• Cancelled Shows
• Brenan Campbell
• Doug Benson
• Kevin Bacon
• Justin Roiland
• James Adomian
• Peter Cetera
• Tom Savarese
• Vincent Price
• Steve Porcaro
• Kenny Loggins
• Michael McDonald
• Hall & Oates
• David B Lyons
• Lane Farnham

By Zettai on Flickr

Yacht Rock is an 12-part series following the fictionalized lives and careers of American smooth rock stars of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Created by JD Ryznar , Hunter D Stair and Lane Farnham , it is one of the most successful projects to come out of Channel 101 .

J. D. Ryznar and Hunter D. Stair devised the series after noticing the incestuous recording careers of such bands as Steely Dan , Toto , and The Doobie Brothers and the singer-songwriters Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald . For example, McDonald co-wrote Loggins' "This Is It" and Loggins co-wrote McDonald's band The Doobie Brothers' "What a Fool Believes" and also performed backing vocals for several other 'yacht rock' artists, including Steely Dan and Christopher Cross. Yacht Rock's episodes were "hosted" by "Hollywood" Steve Huey , a legitimate music critic for Allmusic. It should be noted that the term "Yacht Rock" is never used throughout the series by any characters except for by Huey during his introductions, instead it is always referred to as "Smooth Music". The look of the series was the responsibility of the show's editor Lane Farnham.

• 1 Channel101.com Summary
• 3 Music in the show
• 4 Artist Acknowledgment
• 5 Real people portrayed in Yacht Rock
• 6 Episode & Song List
• 7 Best Episode
• 8 Production
• 9 Fun Facts
• 10 See also
• 11 External links
• 12 References

Channel101.com Summary [ ]

JD and Hunter having won Channy Awards for Yacht Rock.

What can be said about Yacht Rock that hasn't been said by various magazines, newspapers and disc jockeys across the country? J.D. Ryznar and Hunter Stair's saga detailing the unknown mythical origins of a previously obscure genre of music struck the audience like a lightning bolt on its first episode, much like fellow 101 breakout House of Cosbys. Unlike HoC, however, Yacht Rock was never sued by its iconic characters' real life counterparts. In fact, it is said that at one time or another, just about every musician lovingly portrayed in the series has witnessed and enjoyed it behind closed doors. Yacht Rock enjoyed success on levels and in ways previously unattained by 101 shows, its title becoming a household phrase at radio stations, a bin at your local record store and a category on iTunes. But beneath its pop cultural triumph was an artistic one that often went undescribed: Yacht Rock's stories were always clever and sometimes downright genius in their assembly, weaving trivia, common knowledge, exaggerations and fabrications into a rope strong enough to hold it at the #1 position for an unbelievable number of non-consecutive months, setting audience share records at Channel 101 that are unlikely to be broken any time soon and sweeping the 2005 Channy Awards. Ironically, Channel 101's most memorable show came to its end quietly and unremarkably, not unlike some of the careers it saluted with a smirk. Instead of choking on its vomit in a Paris bathtub or overdosing on a Hollywood sidewalk, Yacht Rock simply told us one last story about Steely Dan, then hoisted its sails and drifted away while a satisfied crowd waved goodbye from the docks, exactly one incredible year after its historical debut. Bye, Yacht Rock. We loved you.

Synopsis [ ]

Ryznar admits to having a fascination with the music of the period. Ryznar explains, "Getting into Steely Dan really started this for me. As did the ability to buy dollar records at Amoeba and put them on tapes for my car. Kenny Loggins has made his way into all the pilots I've been involved with except one. [1] " As Ryznar told Reuters contributor Andy Sullivan, "I'm making fun of the songwriting process, but the music is generally treated pretty lovingly." [2]

The series depicts some realistic aspects of the music, but builds exaggerated storylines around them. For example, main protagonists Loggins and McDonald receive inspiration from a fictional Yacht Rock impresario named Koko Goldstein, whose death in Episode 2 ultimately leads them to go their separate ways musically. Another example is the series' presentation of several real-life characters. McDonald is an idealistic and earnest singer/songwriter, but takes both Smooth Music and himself far too seriously. Loggins is his easygoing friend and frequent collaborator who eventually abandons Smooth Music in favor of commercial rock and roll in the 80s, which strains their friendship. The portrayal of John Oates as the abusive, foulmouthed leader of Hall & Oates , exerting sometimes violent control over the milquetoast Daryl Hall , is clearly different from reality, in which Hall is the main lead vocalist and songwriter with no hint of a rivalry. Christopher Cross is depicted as a wide-eyed, timid newbie whose song "Sailing" is lauded as the "smoothest song ever". Loggins' former partner Jim Messina is a bitter wino who hates Loggins for his success and perceived betrayal. Michael Jackson is depicted as a hard-rock enthusiast who believes his partnership with guitarist Eddie Van Halen will lead to an endless parade of female sexual conquests. Jeff Baxter , the Doobie Brothers' lead guitarist, is seen threatening to kick McDonald "out of the Doobies" if he doesn't write them another hit. The real Baxter did bring McDonald into the band but, as they achieved their greatest commercial success, Baxter left the Doobie Brothers because of his displeasure with their new commercial sound and attitude. The Eagles (portrayed here as jock-like meatheads) and Steely Dan (portrayed as snarky nerds, with Donald Fagen speaking in an incoherent babble of Scat) really did insert lyrical references to each other in their music, as depicted in the show, but these were actually friendly in nature, not part of a longtime grudge involving baseball bats and lunch-money shakedowns. [3]

The series was written, directed, and produced by Ryznar, co-produced by David B Lyons and Hunter Stair, and edited by Lane Farnham. The production has a "bad-on-purpose aesthetic". [4] Ryznar credits lots of people here.

Yacht Rock 2 Behind the Smooth

Yacht Rock debuted on Channel 101 at the June 26, 2005 screening. It placed in the top five at subsequent screenings until the June 25, 2006 screening, where it placed seventh and was canceled.

However, the show remained a popular download on Channel 101, convincing the creators to make an 11th episode independently. This episode, featuring Jason Lee as Kevin Bacon , debuted during a screening at the Knitting Factory in New York City on December 27, 2007. A month later, Channel 101 themselves included it in a screening, and hosted it on their website along with the other episodes on January 28, 2008. [5]

Of the episode, Abed Gheith had this to say:

"Truly a great and wonderful episode in all ways. From the blood bath Footloose scene to the Me-L.T. There were moments in this that restored those awesome memories from what seemed like ages ago. I think Sevan said something that he heard Hunter say that was pretty crazy, about seeing the show up there was like ghosts on the screen. It was a wonderful ride down memory lane of Channel 101's best days."

A 12th and final episode premiered in April 2010.

Music in the show [ ]

"Yacht rock" is a name [6] [7] for the popular soft rock that peaked between the years of 1975 and 1984. Significant "yacht rockers" include Michael McDonald , Kenny Loggins , Christopher Cross , and Toto . In the musical sense, yacht rock refers to the highly polished brand of soft rock that emanated from Southern California] during the late 1970s and early 1980s. In part, the term relates to the stereotype of the yuppie yacht owner, enjoying cocaine and smooth music while out for a sail. Additionally, since sailing was a popular leisure activity in Southern California, many "yacht rockers" made nautical references in their lyrics, videos, and album artwork, particularly the anthemic track "Sailing" by Christopher Cross.

Yacht Rock music is commonly described as, "A little bit better than elevator music!"

The foundation of the yacht rock scene was a local pool of versatile session musicians who frequently played on each other's records. This professionalism often gave yacht rock recordings a high level of sophistication in composition, arrangement, and instrumental skill.

The most popular yacht rock artists enjoyed considerable commercial success. During its peak years, yacht rock dominated the Grammy Awards, with Christopher Cross and Toto sweeping the major awards in 1981 and 1983 respectively, feats consistently derided by Grammy prognosticators. [8] However, yacht rock was not a hit with most rock critics at the time, who dismissed it as being corporate rock that was overproduced, generic, and middle of the road, instead favoring punk and new wave acts such as The Clash , Blondie , Patti Smith , and Elvis Costello . [9]

In developing the show Yacht Rock , creator J. D. Ryznar commented that the term was intended to describe the "more elite studio artists" of the period, such as Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins. [10] David B. Lyons , who co-produced the show and played Koko Goldstein, noted that a friend of his devised the term "marina rock" in college to describe a more "working-class" group of artists that didn't achieve the same high profile, such as Seals and Crofts, Rupert Holmes, and Looking Glass. [11] However, despite the show's intentions, music journalists have begun using the term yacht rock to describe all of the similar-sounding music of the period, including bands such as Ambrosia, 10cc, Pablo Cruise, Firefall, England Dan & John Ford Coley, Orleans, Ace, and Player. [12]

While Ryznar and the show popularized the term "yacht rock," it's alleged to have existed previously, according to Wikipedia, which states its earliest-known appearance came in 1990 from Dave Larsen, popular music critic for the Dayton Daily News, describing an upcoming Jimmy Buffett concert in Cincinnati.

Artist Acknowledgment [ ]

Hunter D Stair with Steve Porcaro .

John Oates credited Yacht Rock in 2007 with rekindling interest in Hall & Oates and lowering the demographic age of the group's fans. He wrote:

I think Yacht Rock was the beginning of this whole Hall & Oates resurrection...They were the first ones to start to parody us and put us out there again, and a lot of things have happened because of Yacht Rock. [13]

Daryl Hall and John Oates with Wade Randolph and Drew Hancock .

Michael McDonald acknowledged Yacht Rock in 2008:

Have you ever owned a yacht? No, but I thought Yacht Rock was hilarious. And uncannily, you know, those things always have a little bit of truth to them. It’s kind of like when you get a letter from a stalker who’s never met you. They somehow hit on something, and you have to admit they’re pretty intuitive.

Okay. So what’s the craziest thing you ever did with Kenny Loggins? We mostly worked a lot when we would get together. Kenny, he’s one of those guys who was a more serious artist; I was just a schlub. He was like, "C’mon, let’s get this right," and I was like, "Got any beer?" [14]

Real people portrayed in Yacht Rock [ ]

• Ian Anderson
• Michael Anthony (referred to as 'the other guy' in Van Halen)
• Rosanna Arquette
• Jeff "Skunk" Baxter
• Walter Becker
• Jimmy Buffett
• Christopher Cross
• Daryl Dragon
• Donald Fagen
• David Hungate
• James Ingram
• Michael Jackson
• Steve Lukather
• Jim Messina
• Jaye P. Morgan
• David Paich
• Steve Perry
• Jeff Porcaro
• Harold Ramis
• Tanya Roberts
• David Lee Roth
• David Sanborn
• Patrick Simmons
• Ted Templeman
• Toni Tennille
• Charles, Lord Townshend
• Jethro Tull
• Alex Van Halen
• Eddie Van Halen
• Lindsey Buckingham

Episode & Song List [ ]

SPOILERS in the Episode Summaries!

1. " What a Fool Believes "

• SCREENING DATE Sunday, June 26th - 2005
• AUDIENCE SHARE 70.2% (1st at screening with 194 votes)

In the pilot episode, Kenny Loggins, under the guidance of Koko Goldstein, reaches out to a struggling Michael McDonald, who's having trouble writing a smooth hit for his band the Doobie Brothers.

• Michael McDonald-Sweet Freedom
• George Benson-Breezin'
• Loggins & Messina-Sailin the wind
• Kenny Loggins-Whenever I call You Friend
• Doobie Brothers-What a Fool Believes
• Doobie Brothers-Sweet Feelin'
• Doobie Brothers-You Never Change
• Hall and Oates-Alley Katz
• Kenny Loggins - What a fool Believes

2. " Keep the Fire "

• SCREENING DATE Sunday, July 24th - 2005
• AUDIENCE SHARE 95.0% (1st at screening with 233 votes)

Loggins and McDonald pair up against the duo Hall & Oates for a songwriting competition. Koko is accidentally impaled by his lucky harpoon during the ensuing melee, but is at peace before his death by hearing the smoothest song ever sung by a young Christopher Cross.

• Steely Dan: Peg
• Doobie Brothers - What a fool believes
• Hall and Oates-Sara Smile
• Hall and Oates-Portable Radio
• Kenny Loggins-This is It
• Kenny Loggins-Love has come of age
• Also featured in S.O.S. Fantome episode two.

3. " I'm Alright "

• SCREENING DATE Sunday, August 28th - 2005
• AUDIENCE SHARE 68.9% (2nd at screening with 234 votes)

As everyone grieves Koko's death, Loggins lashes out at McDonald and "smooth music" as a whole, causing a rift between the two. An entertainment executive behind the movie Caddyshack demands that the movie's director, Harold Ramis, obtain Loggins' talents to write the movie's theme song. Ramis takes advantage of an angry and confused Loggins and gets him to write and record the hard rock song "I'm Alright" much to McDonald's dismay.

• Bad Caddyshack Theme - Rick Johnson
• Steely Dan-King of the World
• Kenny Loggins- This is it (Live)
• Steely Dan-Time Out of Mind
• Kenny Loggins - Keep the Fire
• Doobie Brothers-How do the Fools Survive
• Journey - Lights
• Journey - Anyway you want it
• Steely Dan - Kid Charlamagne
• Kenny Loggins-I'm Alright

4. " Rosanna "

• SCREENING DATE Sunday, September 25th - 2005
• AUDIENCE SHARE 87.7% (1st at screening with 274 votes)

Steve Porcaro ( Steve Agee ), the keyboard player of the band Toto, is asked by his girlfriend, Rosanna Arquette, to write a song about her, and she wants him to have Michael McDonald sing on the track. Discouraged by McDonald's disdain for his band, Porcaro devises a three-step plan to make it happen.

• Something by Benetictine Monks
• Toto-Hold the Line
• Toto-I Won't Hold You Back
• Toto-Make Believe
• Doobie Brothers - What a Fool Believes
• Doobie Brothers - You Never Change
• Christopher Cross-Ride the Wind
• Loggins & Messina - Sailing the wind
• Kenny Loggins/Steve Perry-Don't Fight it
• Michael McDonald-Love Lies
• Toto-I'll supply the Love
• Toto-Rosanna

5. " Believe in It "

• SCREENING DATE Sunday, October 30th - 2005
• AUDIENCE SHARE 78.6% (1st at screening with 268 votes)

Toto has been commissioned to write a smooth song for Michael Jackson's Thriller, but Jackson rejects the band, believing after working with Eddie Van Halen on Beat It that such material is in his past. Fearing that Jackson will destroy "smooth music" for a decade, Porcaro turns to McDonald, Loggins, Skunk Baxter, Cross, and Vincent Price ( James Adomian ), to summon up Koko's ghost for help writing Human Nature.

• Samuel Barber- Adagio for Strings
• Michael McDonald - Believe in It
• Michael Jackson - Beat it
• Michael Jackson - Thriller
• Kenny Loggins - I Gotta Try
• Michael McDonald - I Gotta Try
• Christopher Cross - Sailing
• Kenny Loggins - This is it
• Van Halen - Eruption
• Michael Jackson - Human Nature

6. " The Seed Drill "

• SCREENING DATE Sunday, January 29th - 2006
• AUDIENCE SHARE 62.1% (2nd at screening with 315 votes)

"Hollywood" Steve's father demands that Steve stop wasting his time on Yacht Rock, and regales a historic tale of Jethro Tull, which is very similar to episode one.

• Michael McDonald - Sweet Freedom
• Jethro Tull - Velvet Green
• Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick
• Jethro Tull - Witch's Promise
• Jethro Tull - Flute Solo (Live)
• Jethro Tull - Aqualung
• Jethro Tull - Teacher
• Jethro Tull - Jack-In-The-Green
• Jethro Tull - Cold Wind to Vallhalla
• Jethro Tull - Too Old to Rock and Roll, Too Young to Die
• Jethro Tull - Living in the Past
• Jethro Tull - Reasons for Wait
• Jethro Tull - The Whistler

7. " I Keep Forgettin' "

• SCREENING DATE Sunday, February 26th - 2006
• AUDIENCE SHARE 89.1% (1st at screening with 318 votes)

McDonald and Loggins make a bet about McDonald's new song, "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)", that takes a decade to resolve. Ten years later, Long Beach-based rappers Warren G and Nate Dogg struggle with creating smooth rap (yacht rap), and only when they kidnap McDonald, is there a solution to everyone's problems.

• Michael McDonald - I Keep Forgetting
• Kenny Loggins - Swear Your Love
• Michael McDonald - Love Lies
• Dr. Dre - Nothin' but a G Thang
• Dr. Dre - Dre Day
• Snoop Doggy Dogg - G's and Hustlaz
• Dr. Dre - Let Me Ride
• Christoper Cross - Words of Wisdom
• Snoop Doggy Dogg - Who am I (What's My Name?)
• Doobie Brothers - What a Food Believes
• Warren G - Regulate

8. " Gino (the Manager) "

• SCREENING DATE Sunday, March 26th - 2006
• AUDIENCE SHARE 70.9% (2nd at screening with 251 votes)

"Hollywood" Steve returns to the very beginning, where Doobie Brothers producer Ted Templeman explains his dream about the origin of "the smoothest rock [he's] ever heard" to Skunk Baxter over lunch. Baxter suggests seeing Koko about it, and Templeman starts seeing his dream come into fruition as he meets a young McDonald, then a background singer for Steely Dan, being talked into joining the Doobie Brothers by Steely Dan and Koko, Loggins showing signs of his imminent break from Messina and solo stardom, and an effeminate Hall and Oates with a very familiar looking manager named Gino, who tries to bully McDonald and Loggins into employing him as a manager. When they refuse, he plots revenge.

• Steely Dan - Your Gold Teeth II
• Doobie Brothers - Takin It to the Streets
• Hall & Oates - Gino (The Manager)
• Captain & Tennille - Love Will Keep Us Together
• Steely Dan - Any World (That I'm Welcomed To)
• Loggins & Messina - Watching the River Run
• Loggins & Messina - Your Mama Don't Dance
• Kenny Loggins - Love Has Come of Age
• Kenny Loggins - Danger Zone

9. " Runnin' with the Devil "

• SCREENING DATE Sunday, May 28th - 2006
• AUDIENCE SHARE 66.9% (4th at screening with 216 votes)

Van Halen puts a curse on Ted Templeman to force him to produce their hard rock song. In a subplot, Loggins loses his car keys and has everyone in the studio helping him look. Comedian Drew Carey makes a cameo appearance.

• Limewire tricked JD into thinking this was a Cheap Trick song. The original version was from an Ian Hunter (Mott the Hoople) solo album. The one used in the Drew Carey Show was the Presidents of the USA version. His intention for Yacht Rock was to use the classic version, but he messed up. NEVER trust Limewire. Buy your music from the store.
• Michael McDonald "Sweet Freedom"
• Kenny Loggins "Only a Miracle"
• Van Halen "Atomic Punk"
• Van Halen "Runnin' with the Devil"
• Doobie Brothers "Echoes of Love"
• Van Halen "I'm The One"
• Michael McDonald "Playin by the Rules"
• SCREENING DATE Sunday, June 25th - 2006
• AUDIENCE SHARE 44.4% (7th at screening with 155 votes)

Steely Dan and the Eagles settle a long-time, childish feud with a hit song.

• Tori Amos - "Winter"
• Michael MacDonald - "Sweet Freedom"
• Kenny Loggins - "I Believe In Love"
• Eagles - "Life In The Fast Lane"
• Steely Dan- "Everything You Did"
• Steely Dan - "Do It Again"
• Steely Dan - "Peg"
• The Eagles - "Hotel California"
• Steely Dan - "FM"
• Kenny Loggins - "Danger Zone"

11. " Footloose "

• SCREENING DATE Sunday, January 27th - 2008

Jimmy Buffett is convinced by Kevin Bacon and Gene Balboa to trick Loggins into making yet another movie song. He is subsequently kidnapped by Buffett and psychotic "Parrot Heads" and its up to McDonald and James Ingram to rescue him. Jason Lee makes a guest appearance as Bacon.

• Cheeseburger in Paradise - Jimmy Buffet
• I Need a Hero - Bonnie Tyler
• If it's Not What You're Looking For - Kenny Loggins
• Yah Mo Be There - James Ingram & Michael McDonald
• Margaritaville - Jimmy Buffett
• Changes in Latitude - Jimmy Buffett
• I'm Free (Heaven Helps the Man) - Kenny Loggins
• There's No Easy Way to Break Someone's Heart - James Ingram
• Pencil Thin Mustache - Jimmy Buffett
• Why Don't We Get Drunk - Jimmy Buffett
• Footloose - Kenny Loggins
• Boat Drinks - Jimmy Buffett
• Danger Zone - Kenny Loggins

12. "Dangerzone"

Premiered at the Bell House in Brooklyn, New York. Screened at Channel 101 April 24th.

Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald must fight Hall and Oates to destroy a Black Hole with Smooth Music.

• Sweet Freedom - Michael McDonald * No Lookin' Back - Kenny Loggins * Chase - Giorgio Moroder * No Lookin' Back - Michael McDonald * We are the World - USA for Africa * Adult Education - Hall & Oates * Charm The Snake - Christopher Cross * Out of Touch - Hall & Oates * From Here to eternity - Giorgio Moroder * Danger Zone - Kenny Loggins * Playing With The Boys - Kenny Loggins * Method of Modern Love - Hall & Oates * Sailing - Christopher Cross

Best Episode [ ]

Production [ ].

When asked by Will Hines on the Channel 101:NY forums about how good the production and editing values were on Yacht Rock, Ryznar replied:

"Its just the blessing of living in LA. I work for a company who lets us borrow their 24p and the office itself on the weekend. My next door neighbor is an editor. In LA, EVERYONE's next door neighbor is an editor, although I'm one of the few creators that doesnt do his own editing. Plus channel 101 is just an amazing wealth of acting talent. Yet, everyone is a writer... but everyone can act. Its weird and awesome. The studio is courtesy of Ryan Elder who emailed me after the first Yacht Rock and said "I'm a fan of Yacht Rock. I work at a recording studio wink wink." Its amazing. Someone on Yacht Rock is working on a big movie (MI:3) so we used this huge HOLLYWOOD BLOCKBUSTER greenscreen that they had THROWN AWAY (it was 20 by 20 and scraped!) to shoot the Koko ghost stuff, which we set up in the DV room of my office, lit with the company's lights, etc, etc.

Everyone loves making movies here, and not everyone wants to be in front of the camera or behind a typewriter. Some people just like to work on projects that actually get finished. This town is awesome.

We shot two days on this one, each about 6 hour days. I'm not sure how long the editing took. Lane picks at it here and there while he works on other things. Then I come in after the rough cut and we tighten the shit out of it, usually about 2 4-6 hour sessions with him gets it done.

But really, the secret is the Panasonic dvx100a camera. They're coming out with new models now, so maybe the older, but still awesome, ones will get cheaper. I want to own one soon. Fingers crossed."

Fun Facts [ ]

• Became the second show to make it a year, after The 'Bu , (June to May) with 3 months off. Only to be canceled the next show.

See also [ ]

• Yacht Rock/Quotes

External links [ ]

• The AV Club looks back on Yacht Rock in 2013
• Channel 101 Show Page
• Official Website
• Wikipedia article
• Facebook Page
• Have You Heard About The Lonesome Losers?
• Really Smooth Music
• Knights of Monte Carlo
• A Yacht Rock party how-to.
• Interview with JD about series.
• Yacht Rock Myspace
• The true story of the song "What a Fool Believes"
• Mention at Panopticist.

References [ ]

• ↑ http://channel101.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=54719#54719
• ↑ http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,178467,00.html
• ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20080531045840/http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/chi-hall-oates-0527may27,0,6549277.story
• ↑ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/02/AR2007020200358_pf.html
• ↑ http://archive.is/20120913063143/www.spinner.com/2008/05/28/yacht-rock-docks-in-sea-of-musical-spoofs/
• ↑ http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/entertainment/2002726917_yachtfix09.html
• ↑ http://www.observer.com/node/52629
• ↑ http://archives.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/Music/02/23/grammy.albums/index.html
• ↑ http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_popmachine/2006/02/u2_vs_kanye_rev.html
• ↑ http://www.seattleweekly.com/music/0549/051207_music_talktalk.php
• ↑ http://channel101.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=69553#69553
• ↑ http://music.ign.com/articles/710/710545p1.html
• ↑ http://www.seattleweekly.com/2007-08-22/music/hall-oats-are-living-harmonizing-proof-that-there-s-no-such-thing-as-ironic-hipster-kryptonite.php
• ↑ http://www.timeout.com/newyork/articles/hot-seat/26823/michael-mcdonald

• 1 Story Structure 101: Super Basic Shit
• 2 Story Structure 104: The Juicy Details
• 3 Story Structure 102: Pure, Boring Theory

Beyond Yacht Rock

From the guys who brought you Yacht Rock comes a deeper dive into the ocean of arbitrary genres. Hosts Steve Huey, JD Ryznar, David B Lyons, and Hunter Stair invent a new musical genre and count down its top ten songs. Plus, each episode features a bonus Yacht Rock Bone Throw track.

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;} NEW Podcast Alert!

David, JD, Hollywood Steve, and Hunter have 2 new podcasts: Billion Dollar Record Club and The Yacht Or Nyacht Podcast. Subscribe now!

.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;} 2021 Rock N Roll Hall of Fame Voters' Guide

Dave, Steve, and JD give you yet another final episode of Beyond Yacht Rock. 

www.yachtrock.com

https://www.patreon.com/yachtrock

2020 Rock N Roll Hall of Fame Voters' Guide

JD, Steve and Dave tell you who to vote for to get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The Eugeniuz Yachtski Memorial Society Awards for Excellence in Smooth Music!

Centennial nyacht, blasting a duke, o's a poppin’, low batteries, sax education, peppers and buttholes, seals and crap, misters on backgrounds, major dude calibration, more hearts, to heart, et tu, yachtson, no easy feelin', no bread story, sorry, bread story 2: bread harder, bread story, popular podcasts.

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• Cast & crew
• Episode aired Sep 25, 2005

Toto's Steve Porcaro (Steve Agee) writes a song to impress his girlfriend Rosanna Arquette (Morgan Murphy) embarking on a plan to convince McDonald (JD Riznar) to sing backup on the song. Toto's Steve Porcaro (Steve Agee) writes a song to impress his girlfriend Rosanna Arquette (Morgan Murphy) embarking on a plan to convince McDonald (JD Riznar) to sing backup on the song. Toto's Steve Porcaro (Steve Agee) writes a song to impress his girlfriend Rosanna Arquette (Morgan Murphy) embarking on a plan to convince McDonald (JD Riznar) to sing backup on the song.

• J.D. Ryznar
• Lane Farnham
• Hunter Stair
• 'Hollywood' Steve Huey

• Michael McDonald
• Kenny Loggins

• Steve Porcaro
• Steve Perry

• Rosanna Arquette

• Christopher Cross
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Did you know

Steve Porcaro : Now, in the unlikely even that this plan should fail, I will turn to you, my brothers in Toto, to help me write a song so smooth and awesome that Rosanna Arquette will have no choice but to fuck my brains out.

User reviews

• September 25, 2005 (United States)
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

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Beyond Yacht Rock

Jd ryznar, david b lyons, steve huey, hunter stair, feral audio.

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Podcast Overview

From the guys who coined the term Yacht Rock (and brought you the Internet show of the same name) comes a deeper dive into the ocean of arbitrary genres. Every week, J.D. Ryznar, Hunter Stair, "Hollywood" Steve Huey, and David "Koko" Lyons choose a captain to invent a new arbitrary musical genre, and count down the Top Ten songs that define it. And for Yacht Rock fans, every episode also spotlights a bonus Yacht Rock Bone Throw track. Set sail with this crew of music obsessives...there are treasures to be found!

JD Ryznar is a Hollywood writer. He knows very little about music, but enjoys imagining elaborate scenarios inspired by popular songs.

David B Lyons is a Hollywood Location Manager. He knows a little about music, but feels the need to compartmentalize genres, then rank them.

Hollywood Steve Huey is a former staff writer for Allmusic.com, a former talking head for VH1, and currently the only unmarried man on this podcast.

Hunter Stair has a mouth that words come out of.

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Rostov Oblast, Russia

The capital city of Rostov oblast: Rostov-on-Don .

Rostov Oblast - Overview

Rostov Oblast is a federal subject of Russia located in the south of the European part of the country, part of the Southern Federal District. Rostov-on-Don is the capital city of the region.

The population of Rostov Oblast is about 4,154,000 (2022), the area - 100,967 sq. km.

Rostov oblast flag

Rostov oblast coat of arms.

Rostov oblast map, Russia

Rostov oblast latest news and posts from our blog:.

4 December, 2017 / Stadiums and Matches of the World Cup 2018 in Russia .

2 July, 2017 / Rostov-on-Don - the view from above .

13 March, 2016 / Official Look of Host Cities of World Cup 2018 in Russia .

1 February, 2014 / Snow apocalypse in Rostov region .

12 January, 2011 / The most beautiful staircase of Rostov-on-Don city .

History of Rostov Oblast

In ancient times, the territory around the Don River was part of the region called Scythia (the Greeks), Stsitiya or Tanais named after the Tanais River, the present Don River (the Romans), Sarmatia (the Roman historians of the 1st century). In Russian chronicles of the 14th and 15th centuries, this land was called “Field” or “Wild Field”. Since the second half of the 16th century, the Moscow tsars, starting with Ivan the Terrible, already called all Cossack land simply “Don”.

The ancient people settled in the lands along the Don River since the Stone Age. In the 8th-7th centuries B.C., the Scythians began to settle in the steppes to the north of the Black Sea, between the Don and the Danube. Settlements on the territory of the present Rostov region were first mentioned by Herodotus. A lot of archaeological finds were found in numerous Scythian burial mounds: iron swords, daggers, special items of horse decoration, golden and silver items.

In the 6th-5th centuries B.C., the Greeks began colonization of coastal areas of the Black Sea. In 480 B.C., their largest towns (Olvia, Tira, Hersonissos) united in the kingdom of Bosporus with the capital in Panticapaeum (present Kerch). It was engaged in active trade with the Mediterranean towns.

After long and turbulent history with periods of prosperity and decline, the Greek towns fell under the blows of nomadic peoples migrating through the Don steppes from East to West. For several centuries, this flourishing region turned into a wasteland.

More Historical Facts…

In the 4th century, the Avars settled on the Don land. After them the Khazars came here, who founded their settlements and built a fortress called Sarkel. Constantly raiding the southern lands of Kievan Rus, they were a serious threat to the Old Russian state.

Later, the Pechenegs came here and the Polovtsian tribes after them. The Polovtsi captured the steppe areas of the Don, Kuban, the Azov Sea and ravaged the outskirts of Kievan Rus for decades reaching Pereyaslavl, Chernihiv and even Kiev.

In the early 13th century, the first wave of the Mongol invasion reached the Russian land. In 1223, the combined forces of the Russian princes and the Polovtsi clashed with the Mongols in the Battle of the Kalka River (the tributary of the Kalmius, which flows into the Azov Sea to the north of the Don). Due to poor coordination Russian and Polovtsian troops suffered a complete defeat.

It was the beginning of the period of Russian history known as the Mongol yoke, which lasted until 1480. In the 1470s, the Azov steppes were occupied by the Turks of the Ottoman Empire and became a constant threat on the south-eastern borders of Russia.

In the mid-16th century, runaway serfs began to settle in the area of the Don River. Later, they became known as the Don Cossacks. In 1560, the Cossack town of Cherkassk was founded. Gradually, from the late 16th - early 17th centuries, the Cossacks began to cooperate with the Russian military, economic and political systems.

In the 18th century, the land of the Don Cossacks became part of the Russian Empire and lost its autonomy. The Cossacks actively opposed this fact, which led to the peasant wars and uprisings headed by Stepan Razin, Kondrat Bulavin, Emelyan Pugachev. The Cossacks were included in the Russian army as irregular troops. They had special rights and privileges. The Cossacks were good soldiers and participated in all military campaigns conducted by the Russian Empire.

By the end of the 18th century, about 225 thousand people lived in the Don region, half a century later - 775 thousand. By the middle of the 19th century, two centers formed on the Don: Novocherkassk (military and administrative center) and Rostov-on-Don (industrial and commercial center). In 1859, the population of the region was about 900 thousand.

During the Russian Civil War, this region was one of the centers of the White movement and became the scene of bloody battles. The final blow to the Don Cossacks, who survived in the Soviet Union after the Civil War, was decossackization, dispossession and famine of 1932-1933. Rostov Oblast was established in 1937.

The shooting of a peaceful demonstration in Novocherkassk became the blackest page in the history of the 1960s. On June 2, 1962, employees of the local electric locomotive plant with their families came to the rally with demands for higher wages. In response, the troops were deployed in the city. When people tried to break through to the building of the city executive committee, the troops opened fire. According to official figures, 26 people were killed and 87 wounded.

Pictures of Rostov Oblast

Rostov Oblast - the land of the Cossacks

Author: Igor Tartanov

Paved road in the Rostov region

Author: Eugeny Gromenko

Rostov Oblast landscape

Author: Poluyan Sergey

Rostov Oblast - Features

Rostov Oblast is located in the southern part of the East European Plain and partly in the North Caucasus region, occupying a vast area in the river basin of the Lower Don. The region stretches for 470 km from north to south and 455 km from west to east.

The climate is temperate continental. The average temperature in January is minus 3 degrees Celsius, in July - plus 23.4 degrees Celsius. The nature of the region is diverse. Steppes, forests, the Don River, the coast of the Azov Sea are inhabited by more than 100 species of animals and fish.

Rostov Oblast lies mainly in the steppe zone with semi-deserts in the south-east. About 6% of the territory is covered by forests and bushes, most part of the region is occupied by farms engaged in agriculture on the fertile black soil. The largest cities are Rostov-on-Don (1,135,000), Taganrog (245,600), Shahty (226,300), Volgodonsk (168,200), Novocherkassk (163,700), Bataisk (126,800), Novoshahtinsk (103,400).

Rostov Oblast is rich in various mineral resources. The most important among them are fuel resources. Coal deposits of eastern Donbass are well-known. About 90% of coal is anthracite, which has the highest calorific content of all types of coal except for graphite. There are deposits of natural gas and oil, phosphorites.

Development of the region’s economy is based on such factors as favorable economic and geographical position (connecting the center of Russia with the North Caucasus and Transcaucasia), the availability of natural resources, high availability of labor resources, well-developed transport infrastructure.

Rostov Oblast is one of the leading regions of Russia in the level of development and variety of industries. The region’s economy is based on agricultural industry, food-processing industry, heavy and agricultural machinery, coal mining, automotive industry. Rostov Nuclear Power Plant is located about 12 km from the city of Volgodonsk.

The main treasure of the region is its fertile black soil occupying almost 65% of the territory, the fertile layer can be up to 1.5 meters. Rostov Oblast is the second largest producer of agricultural products in Russia (wheat, maize, rice, millet, buckwheat, soybeans, vegetables, fruits, and berries).

Sunflower is the main industrial crop. This region produces more than 20% of all sunflower seeds in Russia. Milk producing, cattle-breeding, sheep-breeding, horse-breeding and poultry farming are the most developed.

The federal highways E115 - M4 “Moscow - Novorossiysk”, E50 - M19, E58 - M23 “Kishinev - Rostov”, E40 - M21 “Volgograd - Kishinev” pass through the territory of the Rostov region. The railway routes to the south of Russia pass through the province - to Krasnodar krai (the Azov and Black Seas) and Ukraine. The main waterways are the Don and Seversky Donets. Taganrog, Azov and Rostov-on-Don are large sea ports.

Tourism in Rostov Oblast

Rostov Oblast attracts tourists by its rich history, charming nature, unique Cossack culture. The Don River, one of the largest rivers in Europe, with its branches and tributaries; Taganrog Bay of the Azov Sea; Tsimlyansk reservoir; Don and Azov steppes create a memorable image of the Rostov region.

In total, there are more than 8,000 objects of archaeological heritage of federal importance in this region. The cities of Rostov-on-Don, Taganrog, Azov, Novocherkassk are the main tourist centers.

Unique collections of Scythian gold are exhibited in regional museums as well as excellent ethnographic collections representing variety of national cultures of the Don region, items of everyday life of the Cossacks, pictures made by famous painters of the 18th-20th centuries.

The history of the region is closely linked to the famous Don Cossacks of the 16th-18th centuries (Yermak Timofeyevich, Stepan Razin, Kondraty Bulavin, Yemelyan Pugachev, Matvey Platov), as well as Emperors Peter I and Alexander I. Anton Chekhov, one of the greatest writers of short fiction in history, was born here. The Don River area is described in the works of Alexander Pushkin and Mikhail Sholokhov.

Numerous Orthodox churches and monasteries are visited by thousands of pilgrims every year. The climatic conditions of Taganrog Bay create favorable conditions for the development of sanatorium and resort industry.

The main places of interest located outside Rostov-on-Don and Taganrog include:

• Azov Historical-Archaeological and Paleontological Museum-Reserve,
• Azov Museum of Local Lore,
• Gunpowder Cellar in Azov,
• Archaeological Museum-Reserve Tanais with the excavation of an ancient town and necropolis,
• Aksai Museum of Military History,
• Museum of the History of the Don Cossacks and the monument to Yermak in Novocherkassk,
• State Natural Reserve “Rostovsky”,
• Manych-Gudilo - the largest lake in the Rostov region.

Rostov oblast of Russia photos

Rostov Oblast scenery

Stud farm named after Kirov in Rostov Oblast

Author: Alena Amplieva

Traveling on the roads of the Rostov region

Author: Nikolay Sevastyanov

Churches in Rostov Oblast

Church of the Don Icon of Mother of God in Novoshakhtinsk

Church in Rostov Oblast

Author: Vlad Rost

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<a href=\"https://tools.wmflabs.org/wikivoyage/w/poi2gpx.php?print=gpx&amp;lang=en&amp;name=Rostov_Oblast\" title=\"Download GPX file for this article\" data-parsoid=\"{}\"><img alt=\"Download GPX file for this article\" resource=\"./File:GPX_Document_rev3-20x20.png\" src=\"//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/GPX_Document_rev3-20x20.png\" decoding=\"async\" data-file-width=\"20\" data-file-height=\"20\" data-file-type=\"bitmap\" height=\"20\" width=\"20\" class=\"mw-file-element\" data-parsoid='{\"a\":{\"resource\":\"./File:GPX_Document_rev3-20x20.png\",\"height\":\"20\",\"width\":\"20\"},\"sa\":{\"resource\":\"File:GPX Document rev3-20x20.png\"}}'/></a></span>"}'/> Rostov Oblast is a region in Southern Russia , which borders Krasnodar Krai in the southwest, Ukraine in the northwest, Voronezh Oblast in the north, Volgograd Oblast in the northeast, Kalmykia in the east, and Stavropol Krai in the south.

• 47.2225 39.71 1 Rostov-on-Don — one of Russia 's largest cities and the capital of both Rostov Oblast and all of Southern Russia
• 47.233333 38.9 7 Taganrog — Anton Chekhov's hometown is a well preserved monument to his childhood and youth containing several museums and palaces; Rostov Oblast's second largest city

Other destinations

Rostov Oblast is one of Russia's most populous regions and is the economic and cultural center of Southern Russia. The region is especially notable for being the center of the Don Cossack culture and contains the world's most important Cossack cultural monuments and museums, primarily in Novocherkassk and Starocherkassk. The region was also a major center of anti-Soviet resistance during the Russian Civil War (1918 – 21).

You will most likely only encounter Russian .In Rostov-on-Don and surrounding villages there is a numerous Armenian population, so you may hear Armenian speech too. All of Rostov Armenians speak Russian, however.

There are domestic flights from virtually any large airport in Russia to Rostov-on-Don ( ROV   IATA ). Rostov also serves as the principal transit junction for the region, trains coming here will come through Voronezh from Moscow .

• Cossack cuisine

The Don River region is a principal wine region for Russia — not that Russian wine is the world's most renowned, but a Russian winery makes for an interesting visit. The town of Tsimlyansk is famous for its Tsimlanskaya champaigne.

As of 2024, ecause of the ongoing Russian war against Ukraine, the border areas are dangerous. See the warning on the Russia article for information on the security situation.

Rostov-on-Don is the principal rail hub for trains heading south to Krasnodar Krai and all destinations in the North Caucasus . Trains also head west into Ukraine , going as far as Kyiv .

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