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Yacht rock isn’t exactly a genre. it’s more a state of mind..
Yacht Rock is the musical equivalent of a mid-afternoon mimosa nap in a nautical location—a balmy lite-FM breeze with the substance of a romance novel and the machismo of a Burt Reynolds mustache comb.
Yacht Rock is ‘70s soft schlock about boats, love affairs, and one-night stands.
Typified by artists like Christopher Cross, Rupert Holmes, and Pablo Cruise, Yacht Rock is not just easy to mock. It’s also deserving of the abuse. There’s a sensitive-male brand of chauvinism that permeates this material—like somehow because you could schnarf an 8-ball of cocaine and sail a boat into the sunset, your indulgences and marital infidelity were actually kind of sexy. Cheap pickup lines and beardly come-ons abound.
And yet, this stuff is irresistible on a slow summer day. It reeks of sunshine and laziness, and couldn’t we all use a little of both?
These are the 25 Best Yacht Rock Songs, in order. Zero suspense. (Sorry if that's less fun for you).
If you would like to learn more about Yacht Rock without getting a sailing license, read on...
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So Yacht Rock refers to a type of soft rock, right? But there’s a ton of soft rock out there that doesn’t fit the bill. There’s no room on my boat for Barry Manilow. At the Copa? Sure. But not so much on my boat. So what makes a great yacht rock song exactly?
Ideally, one or more of these themes will be present:
Finding the love of your life;
Having a memorable one-night stand; or
These features pretty much capture everything that’s great about this milieu. But there's also an important cheese factor at play here. While Steely Dan, Hall & Oates, CSN, and the Doobie Brothers all made songs that might qualify for inclusion here, the artists themselves are--let's just say it--too good to be considered Yacht Rock.
We'll make sure to include them in our deluxe playlist at the article's conclusion.
But in order for a song to be considered for our list, it must be at least slightly embarrassing. Case in point, the top song on our list...
"The Pina Colada Song" is arguably the most perfect embodiment of yacht rock, fulfilling, as it does, all three of the qualifications cited above. Holmes sings about making love in the dunes, attempts to cheat on his wife, then ultimately, rediscovers that his "old lady" is actually the love he's been searching for all along. That's the holy trinity of Yacht Rock themes, all wrapped up in a breezy story of casual adultery.
And at the turn of a new decade, listeners were feeling it. Released as a single in 1979, "Escape" stood at the top of the charts during the last week of the year. Falling to #2 in the new year, it returned to the top spot in the second week of 1980. This made it the first song to top the charts in two separate, consecutive decades. Fun fact: Rupert Holmes never drank a Pina Colada in his life. He just thought the lyric sounded right. Hard to argue that point.
Formed at Rutgers University in 1969, Looking Glass topped the charts in 1972 with the tale of a lovelorn barmaid in a harbor town haunted by lonely sailors. It would be the band's only hit. Lead singer Elliot Lurie would go on to a brief solo career before becoming head of the music department for the 20th Century Fox movie studio in the '80s and '90s.
That means he was the musical supervisor for the soundtrack to Night at the Roxbury . Do with that information what you will. And with respect to "Brandy," see the film Guardians of the Galaxy 2 for Kurt Russell's surprisingly detailed treatise on its lyrical genius.
The title track from the soft-rock duo's breakout 1972 record, "Summer Breeze" is an incurable earworm, a bittersweet twilight dream that captures everything that's right about Lite FM. From an album inhabited by Wrecking Crew vets and studio aces, "Summer Breeze" curls like smoke drifting lazily through an open window.
Toto singer David Paich had never been to Africa. The melody and refrain for this #1 hit from 1982 came to him fully formed as he watched a late night documentary about the plight of the African continent. The lyrics touch on missionary work and describe the landscape, as inspired by images from National Geographic , according to Paich's own recollection. Putting aside its self-aware inauthenticity, "Africa" is an infectious, 8x platinum AOR monster.
Released in the summer of 1978 and reaching up to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, "Reminiscing" was guitarist Graeham Goble 's nostalgic take on the swing band era. Not only is it the only Australian song ever to reach five million radio plays in the U.S., but rumor is that it was among the late John Lennon's favorite songs.
Originally recorded by a country-swamp rocker named Jeffrey Kurtz, Dobie's 1973 cover became his biggest hit, reaching #5 on the charts. Though not explicitly nautical, "Drift Away" captures the distinct sensation of cruising at sunset.
Pablo Cruise may have the most "yachty" of all band names on our list. And "Love Will Find a Way" is sort of the musical equivalent of a ketch skipping along a glassy surface on a crisp summer dawn. Pablo Cruise was formed in San Francisco by expats from various mildly successful bands including Stoneground and It's a Beautiful Day.
And there is a certain slick professionalism to the proceedings here. Of course, Pablo Cruise was never a critic's darling. Homer Simpson once accurately classified them as wuss rock. Still, they perfectly captured the white-folks-vacationing-in-the-Caribbean energy that was all the rage at the time. Love found a way to reach #6 on the Billboard charts, remaining in constant radio rotation during the red-hot summer of '78.
Blues Image emerged from South Florida in the late '60s and served as the house band for Miami's vaunted Thee Image music venue upon its inception in 1968. This gave Blues Image the opportunity to open for ascendant headliners like Cream and the Grateful Dead. The association landed them a contract with Atco Records. Their sophomore record, Open , yielded their one and only hit. The Blues Image reach #4 on the charts in 1970 with a tune about a bunch of men who disappear into the mists of the San Francisco Bay while searching for a hippie utopia.
This #3 hit from 1982 has nothing to do with sailing. But it's infectiously smooth production sheen, layered synth, and dreamy vocals make it a perfect Lite FM gem--one cut from the stone that gave us yacht rock. The "Project" was actually a British duo--studio wizard Alan Parsons and singer Eric Woolfson.
The title track from their sixth studio album is their very best recording. It's also often paired with the instrumental lead-in "Sirius," a song famous in its own right for blaring over unnumbered sporting arena PA systems.
If that tune doesn't make you think of Michael Jordan, you probably didn't live through the late 80s.
Marty Balin was a pioneer of the San Francisco scene, founding Jefferson Airplane in 1965 as the house band for his own legendary club--The Matrix. But in 1971, deeply shaken by the death of Janis Joplin, Balin quit his own band. Four years later, he was invited to rejoin his old mates on the already-launched Jefferson Starship.
He immediately contributed what would become the biggest hit by any Jeffersonian vessel. "Miracles" reached #3 in 1975. Gorgeous, elegant, and open, this is a complete anomaly in the Airplane-Starship catalogue. Listen closely for the NSFW lyrics that have often flown under the radar of some adorably innocent censors.
In 1972, Robert John had a #3 hit with his cover of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." And yet, just before recording "Sad Eyes", the Brooklyn-born singer was employed as a construction worker in Long Branch, New Jersey.
In the summer of '79, he would again climb the charts, this time to the top spot. In fact, the charting success of "Sad Eyes" was part of a cultural backlash against the reign of disco. A wave of pop hits swept on to the charts, including this slick soft rock throwback. With his sweet falsetto and doo wop sensibility, Robert John knocked The Knack's "My Sharona" from its 6-week stand atop the charts.
Before launching headlong into his music career, Walter Egan was one of the very first students to earn a fine arts degree from Georgetown, where he studied sculpture. The subject would figure into his biggest hit, a #8 easy listening smash from 1978.
Featured on his second solo record, "Magnet and Steel" enjoys the presence of some heavy friends. Lindsey Buckingham produced, played guitar and sang backup harmonies with Stevie Nicks. By most accounts, Nicks was also a primary source of inspiration for the song.
Of course, not all yacht rock songs are about sailing on boats. Some are about missing boats. Boz Scaggs looks dejected on the cover of 1977's Silk Degrees , but things turned out pretty well for him. This bouncy #11 hit is a classic rock mainstay today.
The band you hear backing Boz--David Paich, Jeff Porcaro, and David Hungate--would go on to form the nucleus of Toto that very same year. Toto, as it happens, is essentially a recurring theme of the genre. Before rising to massive success in their own right, the members of Toto absolutely permeated rock radio in the 70s, laying down studio tracks with Steely Dan, Seals and Crofts, Michael McDonald, and more.
This smooth-as-silk tune reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 upon its 1978 release. It also reached #6 on the Hot Selling Soul Singles Chart. This is significant only because of Caldwell's complexion. He was a white man signed to TK Records, a label most closely associated with disco acts like KC and the Sunshine Band.
Catering to a largely Black audience, the label went to minor lengths to hide their new singer's identity--dig the silhouetted figure on the cover of his own debut. Suffice it to say, once Caldwell hit the road, audiences discovered he was white. By then, they were already hooked on this perfect groove, which you might also recognize as a sample in 2Pac's posthumous 1998 release, "Do For Love."
Technically, Michael McDonald's "I Keep Forgettin'" is an adaptation of an earlier tune by the same name. In fact, the original "I Keep Forgettin" was conceived by the legendary songwriting duo Leiber and Stoller--best known for iconic staples like "Hound Dog", "Kansas City", "Poison Ivy" and much, much more.
The original recording is by Chuck Jackson and dates to 1962. But McDonald's 1982 take is definitive. If that wasn't already true upon its release and #4 peak position on the charts, certainly Warren G. and Nate Dogg cemented its status when they sampled McDonald on "Regulate". Get the whole history on that brilliant 1994 time capsule here .
Oh and by the way, this tune also features most of the guys from Toto. I know, right? These dudes were everywhere.
To the casual listener, Gerry Rafferty's name should sound vaguely familiar. Indeed, you may remember hearing it uttered in passing in the film Reservoir Dogs . In a key scene, a radio DJ (deadpan comedian Steven Wright) mentions that Rafferty formed half the duo known as Stealers Wheel, which recorded a "Dylanesque, pop, bubble-gum favorite from April of 1974" called "Stuck in the Middle With You." In the same scene, Mr. Blonde (portrayed with sadistic glee by Michael Madsen), slices off a policeman's ear.
At any rate, this is a totally different song, and is actually Rafferty's biggest hit. "Baker Street" is a tune that reeks of late nights, cocaine, and regret. Peaking at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, "Baker Street" soared on the wings of the decade's most memorable sax riff. Raphael Ravenscroft's performance would, in fact, lead to a mainstream revitalization of interest in the saxophone writ large.
There are several interesting things about Silver that have almost nothing to do with this song. First, bass guitarist and singer Tom Leadon was both the brother of Bernie Leadon from the Eagles and a member of Tom Petty's pre-fame band, Mudcrutch. Second, the band's keyboardist was Brent Mydland, who would go on to become the Grateful Dead's longest-tenured piano guy. Third, Silver put out their only record in 1976, and future Saturday Night Live standout Phil Harman designed the cover art.
With all of that said, Arista executives felt that their first album lacked a single so they had country songwriter Rick Giles cook up this ridiculous, gooey concoction that I kind of love. Let's say this one falls into the "so bad it's good" category. Anyway, the song peaked at #16 on the charts. The band broke up in '78, leading Mydland to accept the deadliest job in rock music. He defied the odds by playing with the Grateful Dead until an accidental drug overdose claimed his life in 1990.
I admit, I'm kind of hard-pressed to make Ambrosia interesting. In fact, they were extremely prolific, and earned high regard in early '70s prog rock circles. And in the 1990s, lead singer David Pack would actually be the musical director for both of Bill Clinton's presidential inauguration concerts.
But this Southern California combo is much better known to mainstream audiences for their top-down, hair-blowing-in-the-wind soft rock from the decade in between. Peaking at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1980, "Biggest Part of Me" is the group's best-known tune--a seafoamy bit of blue-eyed soul served over a raw bar of smooth jazz and lite funk.
Player released their self-titled debut album in 1977 and immediately shot up to #1 with "Baby Come Back." Bandmates Peter Beckett and J.C. Crowley had both recently broken up with their girlfriends. They channeled their shared angst into this composition, a self-sorry guilty pleasure featuring former Steppenwolf member Wayne Cook on keys.
Granted, Steppenwolf's edgy disposition is nowhere to be found on this record, but it is pretty infectious in a late-summer-night, slightly-buzzed, clenched-fist sort of way. Player endured various lineup changes, but never returned to the heights of their first hit.
Remember that scene in National Lampoon's Animal House (1978) where there's this dude in a turtleneck singing a super cloying folks song before John Belushi mercifully snatches away his guitar and smashes it to smithereens? That guy was Stephen Bishop, who was actually in the middle of enjoying considerable success with his 1976 debut album, Careless .
"On and On" was the album's biggest hit, a vaguely Caribbean soft-rocker that reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in '77. The gentle electric riffs you hear there are supplied by guitarist Andrew Gold--who wrote the theme song for the Golden Girls . (I freakin' know you're singing it right now).
The classic tale of boy-meets-girls, bangs-her-in-his-van, and brags-to-his-buds, all with backing from the world famous Wrecking Crew studio team. In 1975, a lot of people super related to it. It sold over a million copies and reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. I can't tell you this song is good. But I also can't tell you I don't like it.
Firefall's lead guitarist Jock Bartley perfectly captures this song's impact, calling the band's biggest hit "a singing version of [a] Hallmark card." That feels right. The second single from Firefall's 1976 self-titled debut was only a regional hit at first. But it was driven all the way to #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 on the strength of radio requests.
As Bartley explained, "Every female between the ages of 18 and 24 wanted to be the woman portrayed in the song, and that caused their boyfriends and spouses to call radio stations and subsequently flood the airwaves with dedications of the song and the sentiment."
Arguably, "Sailing" is the single most emblematic song of the Yacht Rock genre. Its thematic relevance requires no explanation. But it's worth noting that the song is inspired by true events. During a tough time in his youth, Cross was befriended by Al Glasscock. Serving as something of an older brother to Cross, Glasscock would take him sailing.
He recalls in his biggest hit that this was a time of escape from the harsh realities of his real life. In 1979, Cross released his self-titled debut. In early 1980, "Sailing" became a #1 hit, landing Cross a hat-trick of Grammys--including recognition as best new artist. Though Cross and Glasscock would lose touch for more than 20 years, they were reunited during a 1995 episode of The Howard Stern Show . Cross subsequently mailed a copy of his platinum record to Glasscock.
Apparently, this song was perceived as so blatant a ripoff of Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins' "What a Fool Believes" that legal action was actually threatened.
It never formulated. Instead, Robbie Dupree landed a #6 Billboard Hot 100 hit with the lead single from his self-titled 1980 debut. Critics hated it, but it was a dominant presence in the summer of 1980. It even earned Dupree a Grammy nomination for best new artist. He ultimately lost to the man listed just above--Christopher Cross.
You didn't think we'd get through this whole list without an actual Kenny Loggins tune. This song has the perfect pedigree, teaming Loggins and Michael McDonald on a 1979 composition that became the lead single off of Kenny Loggins' Keep the Fire.
Coming on the tail end of the '70s, "This is It" felt positively omnipresent in the '80s. I may be biased here. I grew up in Philadelphia, where a local television show by the same name adopted "This is It" as its theme song. But then, it did also reach #11 on the Billboard Hot 100.
And in that spirit...this is it, the end of our list.
But as usual, here's a bonus playlist--an expanded voyage through the breezy, AOR waters of the mid-'70s to early '80s.
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27 July 2022, 17:50
By Tom Eames
We can picture it now: lounging on a swish boat as it bobs along the water, sipping cocktails and improving our tan. Oh, and it's the 1980s.
There's only one style of music that goes with this image: Yacht rock.
Also known as the West Coast Sound or adult-oriented rock, it's a style of soft rock from between the late 1970s and early 1980s that featured elements of smooth soul, smooth jazz, R&B, funk, rock and disco.
Although its name has been used in a negative way, to us it's an amazing genre that makes us feel like we're in an episode of Miami Vice wearing shoulder pads and massive sunglasses.
Here are the very best songs that could be placed in this genre:
Player - Baby Come Back
Not the reggae classic of the same name, this 1977 track was Player's biggest hit.
After Player disbanded, singer Peter Beckett joined Australia's Little River Band, and he also wrote 'Twist of Fate' for Olivia Newton-John and 'After All This Time' for Kenny Rogers.
It's tough just choosing one Steely Dan song for this list, but we've gone for this banger.
Used as the theme tune for the 1978 movie of the same name, the song is jazz-rock track, though its lyrics took a disapproving look at the genre as a whole, which was in total contrast to the film's celebration of it. Still, sounds great guys!
Bobby Goldsboro - Summer (The First Time)
A bit of a questionable subject matter, this ballad was about a 17-year-old boy’s first sexual experience with a 31-year-old woman at the beach.
But using a repeating piano riff, 12-string guitar, and an orchestral string arrangement, this song just screams yacht rock and all that is great about it.
Kenny Loggins - Heart To Heart (Official Music Video)
If Michael McDonald is the king of yacht rock, then Kenny Loggins is his trusted advisor and heir to the throne.
This track was co-written with Michael, and also features him on backing vocals. The song is about how most relationships do not stand the test of time, yet some are able to do so.
Nothin' You Can Do About It
You might not remember US band Airplay, but they did have their moment on the yacht.
Consisting of David Foster (who also co-wrote the Kenny Loggins song above), Jay Graydon and the brilliantly-named Tommy Funderburk, this tune was a cover of a Manhattan Transfer song, and was a minor hit in 1981.
Boz Scaggs - Lowdown (Official Audio)
We've moved slightly into smooth jazz territory with this track, which is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
The song was co-written by David Paich, who would go on to form Toto along with the song's keyboardist David Paich, session bassist David Hungate, and drummer Jeff Porcaro.
Steve Winwood - Valerie (Official Video)
This song is probably as far as you can get into pop rock without totally leaving the yacht rock dock.
Legendary singer-songwriter Winwood recorded this gong about a man reminiscing about a lost love he hopes to find again someday.
Eric Prydz later sampled it in 2004 for the house number one track ‘Call on Me’, and presented it to Winwood, who was so impressed he re-recorded the vocals to better fit the track.
Toto - Rosanna (Official HD Video)
We almost picked 'Africa' , but we reckon this tune just about pips it in the yacht rock game.
Written by David Paich, he has said that the song is based on numerous girls he had known.
As a joke, the band members initially played along with the common assumption that the song was based on actress Rosanna Arquette, who was dating Toto keyboard player Steve Porcaro at the time and coincidentally had the same name.
Chicago - Hard To Say I'm Sorry (Official Music Video)
Chicago began moving away from their horn-driven soft rock sound with their early 1980s output, including this synthesizer-filled power ballad.
The album version segued into a more traditional Chicago upbeat track titled ‘Get Away’, but most radio stations at the time opted to fade out the song before it kicked in. Three members of Toto played on the track. Those guys are yacht rock kings!
Michael Jackson - Human Nature (Audio)
A few non-rock artists almost made this list ( George Michael 's 'Careless Whisper' and Spandau Ballet 's 'True' are almost examples, but not quite), yet a big chunk of Thriller heavily relied on the yacht rock sound.
Michael Jackson proved just how popular the genre could get with several songs on the album, but 'Human Nature' is the finest example.
The Doobie Brothers - What A Fool Believes (Official Music Video)
Possibly THE ultimate yacht rock song on the rock end of the spectrum, and it's that man Michael McDonald.
Written by McDonald and Kenny Loggins, this was one of the few non-disco hits in America in the first eight months of 1979.
The song tells the story of a man who is reunited with an old love interest and attempts to rekindle a romantic relationship with her before discovering that one never really existed.
Michael Jackson once claimed he contributed at least one backing track to the original recording, but was not credited for having done so. This was later denied by the band.
Christopher Cross - Sailing (Official Audio)
We're not putting this in here just because it's called 'Sailing', it's also one of the ultimate examples of the genre.
Christopher Cross reached number one in the US in 1980, and VH1 later named it the most "softsational soft rock" song of all time.
The Boys Of Summer DON HENLEY(1984) OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO
Mike Campbell wrote the music to this track while working on Tom Petty’s Southern Accents album, but later gave it to Eagles singer Don Henley, who wrote the lyrics.
The song is about the passing of youth and entering middle age, and of a past relationship. It was covered twice in the early 2000s: as a trance track by DJ Sammy in 2002, and as a pop punk hit by The Ataris in 2003.
England Dan & John Ford Coley - I'd Really Love To See You Tonight.avi
A big hit for this duo in 1976, it showcases the very best of the sock rock/AOR/yacht rock sound that the 1970s could offer.
Dan Seals is the younger brother of Jim Seals of Seals and Crofts fame. Which leads to...
Summer Breeze - Seals & Croft #1 Hit(1972)
Before The Isley Brothers recorded a slick cover, 'Summer Breeze' was an irresistible folk pop song by Seals & Crofts.
While mostly a folk song, its summer vibes and gorgeous melody make for a perfect yacht rock number.
Ride Like The Wind Promo Video 1980 Christopher Cross
If Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins are in charge of the yacht rock ship, then Christopher Cross has to be captain, right? Cabin boy? Something anyway.
The singer was arguably the biggest success story of the relatively short-lived yacht rock era, and this one still sounds incredible.
The eagles - I can't tell you why (AUDIO VINYL)
Many Eagles tunes could be classed as yacht rock, but we reckon their finest example comes from this track from their The Long Run album in 1979.
Don Henley described the song as "straight Al Green", and that Glenn Frey, an R&B fan, was responsible for the R&B feel of the song. Frey said to co-writer Timothy B Schmit: "You could sing like Smokey Robinson . Let’s not do a Richie Furay, Poco-sounding song. Let’s do an R&B song."
Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street (Official Video)
Gerry Rafferty probably didn't realise he was creating one of the greatest yacht rock songs of all time when he wrote this, but boy did he.
With the right blend of rock and pop and the use of the iconic saxophone solo, you can't not call this yacht rock at its finest.
Michael McDonald - Sweet Freedom (1986)
If you wanted to name the king of yacht rock, you'd have to pick Michael McDonald . He could sing the phone book and it would sound silky smooth.
Possibly his greatest solo tune, it was used in the movie Running Scared , and its music video featured actors Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines.
Daryl Hall & John Oates - I Can't Go For That (No Can Do) (Official Video)
This duo knew how to make catchy hit after catchy hit. This R&B-tinged pop tune was co-written with Sara Allen (also the influence for their song 'Sara Smile').
John Oates has said that the song is actually about the music business. "That song is really about not being pushed around by big labels, managers, and agents and being told what to do, and being true to yourself creatively."
Not only was the song sampled in De La Soul's 'Say No Go' and Simply Red 's 'Home', but Michael Jackson also admitted that he lifted the bass line for 'Billie Jean'!
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The term yacht rock wasn’t coined when the genre took the radio by storm in the 1970s and ’80s. The calmer soft rock gained its name 30 to 40 years later when Channel 101, an LA website, had a comedy web series called Yacht Rock .
The web series imagined the lives of the stars of the genre with made-up plots. For instance, imagine if The Doobie Brothers and Hall & Oates were rivals and Kenny Loggins was a good friend of Boz Scaggs. Pretty amusing stuff, but thank God it brought a name to the genre, especially because it really is all-encompassing. You can’t describe yacht rock, you just know it when you hear it.
So, are you already “ Reelin’ In The Years ?” Picture this: it’s summer, you are on a sailboat or yacht with all of your closest friends, and you have the soft rock of the 1970s, with breezy vocals, glossy production, and bouncy rhythms playing. This could be you, and we are here to help you out. We have compiled the 10 best songs for your imagined boating adventure this summer.
Let’s check them out.
9. “how long” by ace, 8. “summer breeze” by seals and crofts, 7. “reminiscing” by little river band, 6. “sarah smile” by daryl & john oates, 5. “escape (the pina colada song)” by rupert holmes, 4. “lowdown” by boz scaggs, 3. “ventura highway” by america and george martin, 2. “listen to the music” by the doobie brothers, 1. “peg” by steely dan.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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70s + 80s Soft Rock for a day on the boat. Island tunes, chill summer hits + nothing but smooth sailing while jamming to hits from TOTO, Looking Glass, Billy Joel, Hall & Oates + more.
98 Songs, 6 hours, 38 minutes
Featured artists, looking glass, the doobie brothers, rick springfield, daryl hall & john oates, bill withers, seals & crofts, bobby caldwell, africa, middle east, and india.
Each week we’re featuring a playlist to get your mind going and help you assemble your favorites. This week we take a deep dive into the soft rock hits of the late ’70s and early ’80s, which have come to be known in some circles as Yacht Rock. The term Yacht Rock generally refers to music in the era where yuppies enjoyed sipping champaign on their yachts — a concept explored in the original web series Yacht Rock, which debuted in 2005 and has developed a cult following. Artists most commonly thought of in the Yacht Rock era include Michael McDonald, Ambrosia, 10cc, Toto, Kenny Loggins, Boz Scaggs, and Christopher Cross. Yacht Rock has become the muse of a great number of tribute bands, and is the current subject of a short-run channel on Sirius XM.
Here is a stab at the Top 100 Songs of Yacht Rock — not necessarily in rank order, with a few more added for honorable mention. We welcome your comments. What songs are ranked too high? What songs are ranked too low? What songs are missing? Make your case. Also, please let us know concepts for playlists you’d like to see — or share a favorite list of your own.
Artist | Title | |
---|---|---|
1 | Steely Dan | Hey Nineteen |
2 | Herb Alpert | Route 101 |
3 | Robbie Dupree | Steal Away |
4 | Jan Hammer Group | Don't You Know |
5 | Blues Image | Ride Captain Ride |
6 | Toto/Cheryl Lynn | Georgy Porgy |
7 | Gerry Rafferty | Right Down The Line |
8 | Paul Young | Every Time You Go Away |
9 | Boz Scaggs | Jojo |
10 | Johnny Nash | I Can See Clearly Now |
11 | Daryl Hall/John Oates | Sara Smile |
12 | Orleans | Dance With Me |
13 | Olivia Newton John | Magic |
14 | Seals & Crofts | Summer Breeze |
15 | Lionel Richie | All Night Long |
16 | Fleetwood Mac | You Make Loving Fun |
17 | Steely Dan | Deacon Blues |
18 | Christopher Cross | Ride Like The Wind |
19 | Little River Band | Cool Change |
20 | Jackson Browne | Somebody's Baby |
21 | 10cc | Dreadlock Holiday |
22 | Dr. Hook | When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman |
23 | Boz Scaggs | Lowdown |
24 | Player | This Time I'm In It For Love |
25 | Fleetwood Mac | Everywhere |
26 | Steely Dan | Peg |
27 | Todd Rundgren | I Saw The Light |
28 | Gerry Rafferty | Baker Street |
29 | Eagles | One Of These Nights |
30 | James Ingram | Yah-Mo Be There |
31 | 10cc | I'm Not In Love |
32 | Ambrosia | Biggest Part Of Me |
33 | Terri Gibbs | Somebody's Knockin' |
34 | Atlanta Rhythm Section | So In To You |
35 | Boz Scaggs | Lido Shuffle |
36 | Steve Miller Band | Wild Mountain Honey |
37 | Michael McDonald | I Gotta Try |
38 | Matthew Wilder | Break My Stride |
39 | England Dan & John Ford Coley | I'd Really Love To See You Tonight |
40 | Player | Baby Come Back |
41 | Kenny Loggins | This Is It |
42 | Michael McDonald | I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near) |
43 | Toto | Rosanna |
44 | Daryl Hall/John Oates | Kiss On My List |
45 | The Doobie Brothers | What A Fool Believes |
46 | Christopher Cross | Sailing |
47 | Loggins & Messina | Watching The River Run |
48 | Eagles | The Long Run |
49 | Looking Glass | Brandy (You're A Fine Girl) |
50 | Bread | Everything I Own |
51 | Steely Dan | Reelin' in the Years |
52 | Joe Jackson | Steppin' Out |
53 | Jackson Browne | Doctor My Eyes |
54 | Sanford & Townsend | Smoke from a Distant Fire |
55 | Bobby Caldwell | What You Won't Do For Love |
56 | Fleetwood Mac | Rhiannon |
57 | Ace | How Long |
58 | Daryl Hall/John Oates | Rich Girl |
59 | Toto | Africa |
60 | Steely Dan | Do It Again |
61 | Bertie Higgins | Key Largo |
62 | Rupert Holmes | Escape (The Pina Colada Song) |
63 | Little River Band | Reminiscing |
64 | Jimmy Buffett | Margaritaville |
65 | Fleetwood Mac | Dreams |
66 | Firefall | Just Remember I Love You |
67 | Eagles | I Can't Tell You Why |
68 | Eagles | The Best Of My Love |
69 | Eagles | Take It To The Limit |
70 | Eagles | Tequila Sunrise |
71 | Chicago | Saturday In The Park |
72 | Bob Welch | Sentimental Lady |
73 | America | Sister Golden Hair |
74 | America | A Horse With No Name |
75 | Ambrosia | How Much I Feel |
76 | Alan Parsons | Eye In The Sky |
77 | Air Supply | Lost In Love |
78 | Steely Dan | Dirty Work |
79 | Steely Dan | Only A Fool Would Say That |
80 | Orleans | Still The One |
81 | Stephen Bishop | Sinking In An Ocean Of Tears |
82 | 10cc | The Things We Do For Love |
83 | America | Ventura Highway |
84 | Al Stewart | Year Of The Cat |
85 | Bread | Baby I'm A Want You |
86 | Firefall | You Are The Woman |
87 | George Benson | Gimme The Night |
88 | Barbara Streisand/Barry Gibb | Guilty |
89 | Christopher Cross | Arthur's Theme |
90 | Marty Balin | Hearts |
91 | Poco | Barbados |
92 | Daryl Hall/John Oates | I Can't Go For That (No Can Do) |
93 | Al Stewart | Time Passages |
94 | Jay Ferguson | Thunder Island |
95 | Dr. Hook | Sexy Eyes |
96 | Donald Fagen | I.G.Y. |
97 | Michael McDonald | Gotta Try |
98 | Bread | Make It With You |
99 | Pablo Cruise | Whatcha Gonna Do |
100 | Doobie Brothers | Dependin' On You |
101 | Ozark Mountain Daredevils | Jackie Blue |
102 | Pablo Cruise | Love Will Find A Way |
103 | Starbuck | Moonlight Feels Right |
104 | Billy Ocean | Caribbean Queen |
105 | Linda Ronstadt | Ooh Baby Baby |
106 | Hues Corporation | Rock The Boat |
107 | Loggins & Messina | Danny's Song |
108 | Rupert Holmes | Answering Machine |
109 | Stephen Bishop | On And On |
110 | Bread | The Guitar Man |
111 | Seals & Crofts | Diamond Girl |
112 | Air Supply | Even The Nights Are Better |
113 | Ambrosia | You're The Only Woman |
114 | George Benson | Breezin' |
115 | Daryl Hall/John Oates | She's Gone |
116 | Dave Loggins | Please Come To Boston |
117 | Rickie Lee Jones | Chuck E.'s In Love |
118 | Captain/Tennille | Love Will Keep Us Together |
119 | Dr. Hook | Better Love Next Time |
120 | Chilliwack | I Believe |
121 | Crosby, Stills & Nash | Southern Cross |
122 | Climax Blues Band | Couldn't Get It Right |
123 | Gilbert O'Sullivan | Alone Again (Naturally) |
124 | America | Daisy Jane |
125 | Beach Boys | Sail On, Sailor |
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Yacht Rock Definitive Playlist | |
Jazz has Smooth Jazz. Rock and Roll has Yacht Rock. It’s nostalgic music, if you are of the right demographic, or like to pretend you are. The phrase was started by J.D. Ryznar, who created a series of Yacht Rock videos in 2005/6. A mix of 70s and 80s ‘Adult Contemporary’ pop, and some accidental grooves from the past, Yacht Rock is a mix of the expected, and unexpected. Add some soft and you’re ready to sail. #yuppiemusic #hipstermusic #noedge | |
1. | I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do) – Hall and Oates |
2. | Ride Like The Wind – Christopher Cross |
3. | Africa – Toto |
4. | Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes – Jimmy Buffett |
5. | Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl) – Looking Glass |
6. | Breezin – George Benson. |
7. | Yah Mo Be There – James Ingram & Michael McDonald |
8. | Summer Breeze – Seals and Crofts |
9. | Escape (The Pina Colada Song) – Rupert Holmes |
10. | All Night Long – Lionel Ritchie |
11. | Kokomo – The Beach Boys |
12. | Margaritaville – Jimmy Buffet |
13. | What A Fool Believes – Doobie Brothers |
14. | Moondance – Van Morrison |
15. | Lido Shuffle – Boz Scaggs |
16. | Summertime – DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince |
17. | Regulate – Warren G Featuring Nate Dogg |
18. | Maneater – Hally and Oates |
19. | Key Largo – Bertie Higgins |
20. | Lovely Day – Bill Withers |
21. | Baby Come Back – Player |
22. | Heart of Rock and Roll – Huey Lewis and The News |
23. | Human Nature – Michael Jackson |
24. | Rosanna – Toto |
25. | Boys of Summer – Don Henley |
26. | FM (No Static At All) – Steely Dan |
27. | Sweet Freedom – Michael McDonald |
28. | Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run) – Billy Ocean |
29. | Dancing in the Moonlight – King Harvest |
30. | Let Your Love Flow – The Bellamy Brothers |
31. | Dreams – Fleetwood Mac |
32. | Southern Cross – Crosby, Stills & Nash |
33. | Give Me The Night – George Benson |
34. | So Into You – Atlanta Rhythm Section |
35. | Baby I’m-A Want You – Bread |
36. | Lowdown – Boz Scaggs |
37. | Dancing In The Moonlight – Thin Lizzie |
38. | I Can See Clearly Now – Johnny Cash |
39. | Sentimental Lady – Bob Welch |
40. | Hold The Line – Toto |
41. | Sail On, Sailor – The Beach Boys |
42. | Hey Nineteen – Steely Dan |
43. | Steal Away – Robbie Dupree |
44. | Reminiscing – Little River Band |
45. | Time Passages – Al Stewart |
46. | Right On Down The Line – Gerry Rafferty |
47. | I Can’t Tell You Why – The Eagles |
48. | Something About You – Level 42 |
49. | Ride Captain Ride – Blues Image |
50. | Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Grows) – Edison Lighthouse |
51. | It’s Too Late To Turn Back Now – Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose |
52. | Moonlight Feels Right – Starbuck |
53. | Groovin’ – The Young Rascals |
54. | Baker Street – Gerry Rafferty |
55. | JoJo – Boz Scaggs |
56. | How Long – Ace |
57. | Don’t You Know – Jan Hammer Group |
58. | I’m Not In Love – 10CC |
59. | Lost In Love – Air Supply |
60. | Do It Again – Steely Dan |
61. | Horse With No Name – America |
62. | White Bird – It’s a Beautiful Day |
63. | Lowdown – Boz Scaggs |
64. | Everytime You Go Away – Paul Young |
65. | Year of the Cat – Al Stewart |
66. | Tupelo Honey – Van Morrison |
67. | Guilty – Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb |
68. | Sexy Eyes – Dr. Hook |
69. | Kiss on My List – Hall and Oates |
70. | Eye In The Sky – Alan Parsons Project |
71. | On and On – Stephen Bishop |
72. | Deacon Blues – Steely Dan |
73. | Graceland – Paul Simon |
74. | This Is It – Kenny Loggins |
75. | Hypnotized – Fleetwood Mac |
76. | Thunder Island – Jay Ferguson |
77. | I Keep Forgettin’ – Michael McDonald |
78. | What You Won’t Do For Love – Bobby Caldwell |
79. | Cherish – Kool and the Gang |
80. | Hearts – Marty Balin |
81. | With Me – Orleans |
82. | Peg – Steely Dan |
83. | Diamond Girl – Seals and Crofts |
84. | Couldn’t Get It Right – Climax Blues Band |
85. | Heart To Heart – Kenny Loggins |
86. | Somebody’s Baby – Jackson Brown |
87. | Don’t Worry, Be Happy – Bobby McFerrin |
88. | Walkin’ in Memphis – Marc Cohn |
89. | If You Could Read My Mind – Gordon Lightfoot |
90. | Rhiannon – Fleetwood Mac |
91. | Smoke From A Distant Fire – Sanford Townsend Band |
92. | – Olivia Newton-John |
93. | Biggest Part of Me – Ambrosia |
94. | Fooled Around And Fell In Love – Elvin Bishop |
95. | If – Bread |
96. | When You’re In Love With A Beautiful Woman – Dr. Hook |
97. | You’re The Only Woman – Ambrosia |
98. | This Time I’m In It For Love – Player |
99. | Make It With You – Bread |
100. | Cool Change – Little River Band |
We’ve had some amazing summer music lists so far this season, and I have to thank Greg Byrnes, Kevin Downey, Jr., Robert Spencer, and Stephen Green for their contributions. There’s more good stuff to come, too!
Today I want to add a list that covers a genre that’s perfect for summertime relaxation. Okay, so the term “Yacht Rock” didn’t enter the vernacular until around 2005, but we all know what it is: that sophisticated strain of soft rock that hit the airwaves from the late ‘70s through the early ‘80s. (Okay, not all of us. I had dinner with a friend of mine over the weekend, and my friend had never heard the term.)
Because it’s just nebulous enough to defy definition, yacht rock purists will debate the specifics of the genre until they’re blue in the face. Often, yacht rock radio stations will infuriate me by placing too much emphasis on obscure songs or minor hits. Sometimes, radio programmers will limit their playlists to a small circle of artists.
Since this is my list, it’s my rules. So there. But I think you’ll enjoy my yacht rock summer songs. These songs may not specifically mention summertime — most of them don't at all — but for people of a certain generation (or two), they'll conjure up images of long days by the pool, beach, or lake, living the good life.
I’m going to start with a song that the two biggest titans of yacht rock wrote and recorded. We’re all familiar with the Doobie Brothers’ version of “What a Fool Believes,” which lead singer Michael McDonald co-wrote. His smooth vocals and that weird synth sound drive the song, which hit #1 and won Record of the Year at the Grammys.
Before the Doobies made it a hit, McDonald’s co-writer Kenny Loggins recorded “What a Fool Believes.” While it’s not the masterpiece that the Doobie Brothers’ version is, it’s still a terrific record — and since I’ve discovered it, I’ve been able to discern which of McDonald’s vocal parts is the melody and which is the harmony.
McDonald — both as a solo artist and with the Doobie Brothers — and Loggins are the kings of yacht rock, and there are tons of examples of why:
Christopher Cross is another one of those titans of yacht rock, and he parlayed a soft rock sound into a couple of years of massive success.
Another band whose name is synonymous with yacht rock is Toto, a band that formed from some of the top names among studio musicians:
The nucleus of Toto had a hand in another yacht rock classic: Boz Scaggs’ “Lowdown,” which became his biggest hit and won him a Grammy for Best R&B Song.
Some of the early hits by Hall & Oates fit squarely among the yacht rock greats:
Atlanta Rhythm Section contributed an essential yacht rock hit with “So Into You”:
And the band hosted a music festival for two years in the ‘70s based on their single “Champagne Jam.”
Singer-songwriter Stephen Bishop was one of the more cerebral yacht rock artists:
We even have examples of yacht rock from the UK with hits by Ace, 10cc, and Gerry Rafferty.
Peter Beckett of Player is also originally from the UK.
I had the pleasure of meeting Ambrosia’s David Pack when he visited my church in the early ‘90s as the guest of my friend Kerry Livgren. He’s one of the smoothest vocalists in yacht rock.
Duo England Dan & John Ford Coley created smooth sounds that were perfect for yacht rock.
Unfortunately, there aren’t many women in yacht rock. We saw Stevie Nicks duetting with Kenny Loggins earlier, and purists debate on whether to include Fleetwood Mac in the genre. (I do.)
The late Nicolette Larson had a single hit that is forever part of the yacht rock pantheon with her cover of Neil Young’s “Lotta Love.”
There are so many other yacht rock greats that I could include, but I’ll leave you with my all-time favorite yacht rock song by the late, great Paul Davis :
Raise a glass with me to a smooth summer!
Chris Queen is an Editor and Columnist at PJ Media, where he has written for over 10 years. He has also written for The Resurgent, NewsReal Blog, and Celebrations Magazine.
Chris is a fan of anything involving his beloved Georgia Bulldogs and is a Disney aficionado. He is the author of the book Neon Crosses .
You can subscribe to his Substack page to read his musings on faith, Southern culture, and more. Find him on Twitter , Truth Social , and Gettr . For media inquiries, please contact [email protected] .
Yacht Rock has made a big splash in the music world.
Here in Asbury Park, fans set sail quite a few years ago for Yacht Rock. Five years ago, to be exact, when DJ Atom Worth started hosting his multimedia Yacht Rock Night at the then-named Asbury Park Yacht Club.
It's now called Low Dive and DJ Atom Worth and Yacht Rock return Friday, Aug. 25.
Yacht Rock is the term, first used in a 2005 online music parody, for the Southern California soft rock of the late ‘70 and early ‘80s. Call it a grand repackaging with polyester shirts and bell bottom jeans. Dance, hang or watch the Yacht Rock videos at Low Dive on Friday.
It's a night of soft rock and hard partying.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
“Seventies sleaziness (in dress) is encouraged,” said Worth previously to the USA Today Network NJ. “We usually get a few people who show up in captain’s hats.”
In honor of the event, we present the Top 6 Yacht Rock songs, as enjoyed by Asbury Park fans, with the help of Low Dive entertainment director Peter Mantas.
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The chimes, background synths and arpeggio guitar chords on “Sailing” does indeed make one feel that one is sailing. Or, perhaps, the feeling is more like floating. Cross was floating on air after the year's Grammy awards. The song won Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Arrangement of the Year, while Cross picked up the Best New Artist award.
Loggin's gamboling free-spirit anthem has plenty of hooks, nooks and production tricks that will make you smile on the first listen or two. After that, frankly, it becomes annoying. The track is from the hit movie comedy “Caddyshack,” and it predates an even bigger movie-related '80s smash for Loggins, the similarly cloying “Footloose.”
One can argue that after a promising blue-eyed soul start (“Sara Smile”) in the '70s, Philly's Hall and Oates lost their artistic way in the '80s. Yet, they did find their way to the bank for plenty of withdrawals in the decade, thanks to pop-lite hits like “I Can't Go For That (No Can Do).” To be fair, it's not a terrible song, but the tempo needed to be slowed and the production needed to be reined in to make it a high-quality work.
The irony of “Baby Come Back” is that it sounds eerily like Hall and Oates' 1973 smash “She's Gone,” which is a great song. Yet, the Yacht Rock crew seems partial the sub-standard '80s Hall and Oates material, rather than their superior '70s sounds. Still, “Baby Come Back,” by the British and American group Player, was a No. 1 hit in 1977 and it’s a great song.
“Rio,” the 1982 MTV hit by Duran Duran, is not quite Yacht Rock, but the video was filmed on a boat in a tropical setting so it makes the list.
The classic story song tells of a couple who “had fallen into the same old dull routine” and both place personal ads in the newspaper — this was way before Tinder, folks. Imagine the surprise when they both show up at O'Malley's to find each other — again. Pina Colada on the house!
Go: DJ Atom Worth's Yacht Rock Night, 9:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 25, Low Dive, 1000 Ocean Ave., Asbury Park. Free. www.lowdiveap.com.
Subscribe to app.com for the latest on the New Jersey music scene.
Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at @chrisfhjordan; [email protected]
Pop’s leading ladies — Beyoncé and Taylor Swift — seemed poised to run the world yet again in summer 2024.
With Swift’s Eras Tour and Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” World Tour having broken the Internet — and many a fan’s bank account — last summer, the stage was set for the two divas to rule again this season after Bey released “Cowboy Carter” in March and Tay dropped “The Tortured Poets Department” in April.
But after both superstars topped the charts earlier this year — Beyoncé with “Texas Hold ‘Em” and Swift with “Fortnight” — it was a season of change, as we count down the 10 hottest songs of summer 2024.
“They say ‘teamwork makes the dream work,’” sings the power pair behind this twangy, chart-topping duet. The first single from Post Malone’s move from “Rockstar” to country star on his sixth studio album, “F-1 Trillion” — which just debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — is all easy-on-the ears summer breeziness.
Beyoncé may have gone country in 2024, but Tinashe stepped into her stilettos with the kind of R&B-pop bop that we’re used to from Queen B. Flipping the script on Janet Jackson’s 1986 classic of the same name, she’s the one who wants you to “match my freak.”
This British singer turned it from a Barbie summer in 2023 to a Brat summer in 2024 with her sixth studio album, “Brat.” And she gets a girl-power boost from “Barbie” princess Eilish on this electro-house banger from the LP’s deluxe edition, “Brat and It’s the Same But There’s Three More Songs So It’s Not.”
Ten years after first starring in “Girl Meets World,” the former Disney Channel darling finally graduated to bona fide pop stardom — with a little help from opening for Swift on her Eras Tour. In fact, it’s ace Swift producer Jack Antonoff who turned “Please Please Please” — the second single from Carpenter’s new album “Short n’ Sweet” — into yacht-rock bliss.
In a diva season where the likes of Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa and Eilish — as well as the aforementioned Bey and Tay — were coming in hot from spring releases, Roan emerged as pop’s unlikely “It Girl” this summer, thanks to the sleeper success of slow-burning single “Hot to Go!” and this even sweeter synth-pop delight.
Big ballads aren’t typically the stuff of summer, but you take this kind of superstar statement — featuring the dynamic duo that we didn’t know we needed — any season that you can get it. Starting out as a guitar-strumming “Shallow” ditty — quickly making you forget all about Bradley Cooper — it becomes a balls-to-the-wall wailer, with great singers doing the damn thing on a great song.
After coming on hard with “Lunch” — the first single off her third studio album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft” — Eilish killed us softly with “Birds of a Feather,” a flight of fancy that glides through the airiest of grooves. And never seems to touch the ground.
Setting off Carpenter’s summer to remember in spring, “Espresso” was the triple shot that gave her career a much-needed jolt. A frothy, creamy confection that goes down more like a Mocha Frappuccino — sprinkled with pure sunshine — it finds the 25-year-old songbird cooing the immortal words “I’m working late, ’cause I’m a singer” with a wink and a sexy shimmy.
First, Beyoncé broke new ground as an African-American artist, topping both the pop and country charts with “Texas Hold ‘Em” in 2024. Then Shaboozey — one of the black country artists showcased on Bey’s “Cowboy Carter” opus — repeated the same feat, taking it to the floor with his own hand-clapping hoedown. Having just notched its seventh week at No. 1 on the Hot 100, it’s now the longest-running chart-topper of 2024, never failing to get our giddy up.
What started as a Drake diss track — Lamar’s fifth in rap’s biggest beef of 2024 — became something else, something bigger, after all the dust from their dustup settled (in K-Dot’s favor). Hitting No. 1 in May and then again in July, “Not Like Us” became a hip-hop anthem for the ages — a rousing rallying call that was even played during last week’s Democratic National Convention. Whereas Lamar told us to be “Humble” on his only other chart-topper as a solo artist, this is the fiercest of flexes.
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F un and flirty, with a frothy hook and bitter little kick, Sabrina Carpenter ’s single “Espresso” was widely hailed as the Song of the Summer. Its follow-up “Please Please Please” delivered an equally bittersweet umami, as the 25-year-old Disney graduate slipped from her sugariest tone to a menacing growl, warning her liability of an actor-boyfriend: “Don’t embarrass me, motherf*****.”
Given the astounding commercial success of its two lead singles , this record has a lot riding on it. I’m happy to report that those punchy little song-shots aren’t the only cool moments on an album that confidently hair-flips its way between TikTok pop, yacht rock, country and R&B without breaking stride or losing identity.
The aptly named record – Carpenter is shy of 5ft tall and the tracklist is only 12 songs long – is actually the singer’s sixth album. She was just 10 years old when she began posting videos of herself online covering tracks by Adele and Taylor Swift (whom she opened for earlier this year) and only 15 when she released her debut EP, Can’t Blame a Girl for Trying , while also starring in the Disney TV series Girl Meets World . There followed a range of teen bop and some experimental ukulele jams before Carpenter left Disney’s Hollywood Record for Island, on which she released her first “grown up” album Emails I Can’t Send in 2022.
That album saw Carpenter make sharp, fizzy lemonade from the lemons of a tabloid kerfuffle around her personal life involving fellow Disney alum Olivia Rodrigo . It was rumoured that the “blonde girl” referred to on Rodrigo’s 2022 smash hit “Driver’s License” was Carpenter, for whom Rodrigo’s boyfriend allegedly left her. Carpenter played slickly into the drama with her own 2022 single “because i liked a boy” on which she called out the slut-shaming by fans and the media: “Now, I’m a homewrecker, I’m a slut/ I got death threats filling up semi-trucks.” In the music video, she winked wittily into the scarlet woman image, scorching in a cherry red dress.
Short n’ Sweet finds Carpenter pressing harder into that man-eating sizzle with lyrics in which she apologises for showing her lover’s private photos to friends (“Juno”) and pouts “Come right on me… where art thou? Why not uponeth me?” on “Bad Chem”. The singer is believed to be dating Saltburn star Barry Keoghan , though rumours of a breakup are floating about and gossip fans are bound to be looking for clues into her relationship with the hard-partying thesp – a tendency she’s somewhat encouraged by casting him as a gangster opposite her in the video for “Please Please Please”.
The album opens with its best song “Taste”: a terrifically glossy slice of FM rock on which Carpenter cautions an ex-paramour’s new girlfriend that every time she kisses him, she’ll also be tasting her. Low-slung electric guitar chords slice through the melody with the casual efficiency of a state-of-the-art, fibreglass rudder. The track dials up the sultry pout without losing the sense of heartbreak in the undertow. Triumphantly nonchalant, Carpenter sounds like she’s singing the blunt lines with her sunglasses on, as Eighties drum pad effects catch the light like sun on a calm sea. It’s the lack of friction that creates exhilaration and melancholy.
First mined at the beginning of the decade by the likes of Florence + The Machine and Maggie Rogers, this kind of late Seventies, early Eighties yacht rock is having a moment. Carpenter also plucks the strings of the current country revival with the snappy “Slim Pickins” on which she scrolls through “all the douchebags on my phone” to the skippy finger-pickin’ of a yee-haw guitar.
Though the Nineties R&B of “Good Graces” is a little forgettable, the savvy snark she puts into ballads like “Dumb and Poetic” and “Lie to Girls” are wincingly memorable. Although their fans originally divided into two camps, Carpenter and Rodrigo share a similarly unapologetic style. Rodrigo stans would find much to love in all the sour sucker-punching here if they can get past the alleged feud between the two stars.
Short n’ Sweet ends with the unexpectedly Laurel Canyon-y strum-along of “Coincidence”. Imagine a 21st-century version of Crosby Stills Nash and Young with Joni Mitchell singing along around a beach fire and you’re there. The whole thing is delightfully caffeinated: Short n’ Sweet is full of hiss and steam, grinding gears and deep kicks beneath the shining chrome surfaces.
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After Blake Shelton crashed wife Gwen Stefani’s St. Paul show in July, she didn’t return the favor Sunday at the Minnesota State Fair.
By Jon Bream
Where was she? Where was Gwen Stefani? She wasn’t at the Minnesota State Fair grandstand where her hubby Blake Shelton sounded excited to draw 11,156 country music fans on a Sunday night. In July, he crashed her Minnesota Yacht Club gig at Harriet Island in St. Paul. Why didn’t she return the favor?
Instead, grandstand fans witnessed Stefani on a video screen, duetting on the power ballad “Nobody But You” midway through the show. Too bad her voice wasn’t louder in the sound mix. At least dedicated Shelton followers got to experience Stefani’s surprise appearance at his Twin Cities Summer Jam gig in 2022.
But that was then. This is now. “I don’t do that many concerts anymore,” said Shelton, who has headlined only one other show this summer. “I’m honored to be here tonight.”
The scene: With Shelton, it’s always about drinking. Or at least talking about drinking. Concertgoers seemed to have as many fans-on-a-stick in their hands as beers. This was an older crowd, especially compared to masses of sloppy 20-something revelers at Zach Bryan on Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium.
When Shelton left muggy Oklahoma on Sunday morning, he was hoping for cooler weather in Minnesota, he said. Not so. The husky 6-foot-5 singer was drenched in sweat by his third song.
The music: Even though he’s landed 28 tunes at No. 1 in Nashville, it was really Shelton’s irresistible, 23-season stint on NBC’s “The Voice” that transformed him into a country superstar and household name. He retired from that gig last year and, as he acknowledged Sunday, doesn’t have much new music except for his new Post Malone collab, “Pour Me a Drink,” which landed late in Sunday’s 80-minute set.
Biggest takeaways: BS aren’t just Shelton’s initials. The letters also describe his playful patter. He lays it on thicker than the smoked sauce at the fair’s BBQ Baked Potato booth. But he spreads BS in a good way.
Like him dissing Luke Bryan, his “rival” on “American Idol,” for asking fans to sing choruses at his concert because “he’s so drunk and high he doesn’t remember the words to his own songs.” Shelton is joking, of course.
The 48-year-old is a charmer, who sold himself with a genuine smile, casual sincerity and straightforward romanticism. “My songs aren’t brain surgery,” he explained. He used his glib, self-deprecating tongue to spice up a repertoire that was heavy on ballads and medium-tempo tunes and mostly devoid of rousing party pieces.
Coolest moments: The standout was 2019′s “God’s Country,” a moody southern-rock declaration with a Native American musical undercurrent. And how can you argue with dog songs? Namely, 2017′s sweet “I’ll Name the Dogs” (“you name the babies”) and 2002′s story-song “Ol’ Red,” his swampy treatment of the old George Jones hit.
Low points: “Boys Round Here” is a bro-country styled anthem from 2013 that didn’t arouse and similarly “Pour Me a Drink,” the Post Malone new entry, was upbeat but not rowdy enough for its title.
Best banter: “Deep fried ranch dressing?” he said of a new State Fair food item. “I ate it and it’s awesome. What is wrong with me? I loved it.”
Opening act: Coached by Shelton, Emily Ann Roberts finished second in 2015 on “The Voice,” which she called an “itty bitty TV show.” In 30 minutes Sunday, Roberts, 25, of Knoxville, Tenn., offered a homey presence and an appealingly twangy voice on original material that has yet to make ripples in Nashville.
Jon Bream has been a music critic at the Star Tribune since 1975, making him the longest tenured pop critic at a U.S. daily newspaper. He has attended more than 8,000 concerts and written four books (on Prince, Led Zeppelin, Neil Diamond and Bob Dylan). Thus far, he has ignored readers’ suggestions that he take a music-appreciation class.
Oasis reunites for tour, ending a 15-year hiatus driven by gallagher brothers' feud.
Oasis, the Britpop band known for timeless hits like ''Wonderwall'' and ''Don't Look Back in Anger,'' is reuniting for a tour of the British Isles next summer, ending a 15-year hiatus and, presumably, the long-held feud between brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher.
Also now a Sirius XM host, Marky Ramone plays his old group’s songs at the Leinie Lodge Bandshell on Wednesday and Thursday with a new crew.
Critics’ picks for entertainment in the week ahead.
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20. "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)," Looking Glass (1972) Like "Summer Breeze" (found later in our list of Top 50 Yacht Rock Songs), Looking Glass' tale of an alluring barmaid in a busy harbor town ...
Furthermore, Aja, the album that houses Peg, is one of the most impressive American albums of all time, beyond its Yacht Rock appeal. 3. Brandy (You're a Fine Girl) - Looking Glass. Released in 1972, the one-hit wonder by Looking Glass, Brandy, established a much bigger name for itself than the band ever managed to achieve on its own.
Officially, to be considered Yacht Rock, the song must have been released between 1976 and 1984, and I adhere to this rule for the 101. That means no songs that are proto-Yacht Rock, such as Seals ...
Listen to the YACHT ROCK | TOP 100 SONGS playlist by Filtr on Apple Music. 101 Songs. Duration: 6 hours, 52 minutes. ... Island tunes, chill summer hits + nothing but smooth sailing while jamming to hits from TOTO, Looking Glass, Billy Joel, Hall & Oates + more. 101 Songs, 6 hours, 52 minutes.
Putting aside its self-aware inauthenticity, "Africa" is an infectious, 8x platinum AOR monster. 5. "Reminiscing" by Little River Band. Released in the summer of 1978 and reaching up to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, "Reminiscing" was guitarist Graeham Goble 's nostalgic take on the swing band era.
Seals & Crofts - 'Summer Breeze'. Summer Breeze - Seals & Croft #1 Hit (1972) Before The Isley Brothers recorded a slick cover, 'Summer Breeze' was an irresistible folk pop song by Seals & Crofts. While mostly a folk song, its summer vibes and gorgeous melody make for a perfect yacht rock number.
Playlist · Summertime Beach Playlist 🌴 80s Yacht Rock · 221 songs · 2.9K likes.
Playlist · Yacht Rock · 130 songs · 1.6M likes. Playlist · Spotify · 130 songs · 1.6M likes ... Playlist · Yacht Rock · 130 songs · 1.6M likes. Playlist · Spotify · 130 songs · 1.6M likes. Home; Search; Your Library. English. Resize main navigation. Preview of Spotify. Sign up to get unlimited songs and podcasts with occasional ads ...
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70s 80s Soft Rock for a day on the boat. Island tunes, chill summer hits smooth sailing while jamming to hits from Earth, Wind & Fire, TOTO, Looking Glass, B...
Best Yacht Rock Songs - Ultimate Yacht Rock Music (Playlist Updated in 2024) If you liked this playlist, we recommend you also listen to these music lists: 1...
Tie a sweater around your neck and set sail for the high seas with these smoother than smooth yacht rock classics.
3. "Ventura Highway" by America and George Martin. 2. "Listen to the Music" by The Doobie Brothers. 1. "Peg" by Steely Dan. Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images. Kelly Clarkson ...
Listen to the Yacht Rock | Top 100 Songs playlist by Filtr Global on Apple Music. 98 Songs. Duration: 6 hours, 38 minutes. Playlist · 98 Songs. ... UPDATED LAST WEEK . Preview. 70s + 80s Soft Rock for a day on the boat. Island tunes, chill summer hits + nothing but smooth sailing while jamming to hits from TOTO, Looking Glass, Billy Joel, Hall ...
The rest are all ear candy. The yacht rock playlist includes over 30 songs to rock the boat. Here is just a sample of what I thik are the best yacht rock songs. (Or scroll up see the full song list). Drift Away | Dobie Gray. You Make Loving Fun | Fleetwood Mac. Afternoon Delight | Starland Vocal Band.
Playlist · Yacht Rock - 100 Best Ever - Top Yacht Rock Songs · 113 songs · 2.2K likes.
Brandy (You're a Fine Girl) - Looking Glass. Written by the band's lead guitarist Elliot Lurie, pop-rock band Looking Glass is a one-hit wonder thanks to their popular single 'Brandy (You're a Fine Girl).'. The song tells the story of a young "barmaid" in a bustling seaport who brushes off endless propositions as she longs for ...
This week we take a deep dive into the soft rock hits of the late '70s and early '80s, which have come to be known in some circles as Yacht Rock. The term Yacht Rock generally refers to music in the era where yuppies enjoyed sipping champaign on their yachts — a concept explored in the original web series Yacht Rock, which debuted in 2005 ...
Yacht Rock Definitive PlaylistJazz has Smooth Jazz. Rock and Roll has Yacht Rock. It's nostalgic music, if you are of the right demographic, or like to pretend you are. The phrase was started by J.D. Ryznar, who created a series of Yacht Rock videos in 2005/6. A mix of 70s and 80s 'Adult Contemporary' pop,… Read More
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Often, yacht rock radio stations will infuriate me by placing too much emphasis on obscure songs or minor hits. Sometimes, radio programmers will limit their playlists to a small circle of artists ...
Yacht Rock is the term, first used in a 2005 online music parody, for the Southern California soft rock of the late '70 and early '80s. Call it a grand repackaging with polyester shirts and ...
First, Beyoncé broke new ground as an African-American artist, topping both the pop and country charts with "Texas Hold 'Em" in 2024. Then Shaboozey — one of the black country artists ...
Sabrina Carpenter review, Short n' Sweet: Confidently hair-flips its way between TikTok pop, yacht rock, and country - 4/5 'Espresso' and 'Please Please Please' are far from the only ...
Life's a beach! So string up a hammock and make it a smooth summer with these easy-breezy, outdoors-lovin', globe-trottin' pop & rock songs from the (mostly)...
Short n' Sweet is Carpenter's sixth album at the age of 25 Reviewers for US pop star Sabrina Carpenter's hotly-anticipated new album have described it as "smart pop underneath the froth" at one ...
Playlist · YACHT ROCK | TOP 100 SONGS · 153 songs · 52.9K likes
After Blake Shelton crashed wife Gwen Stefani's St. Paul show in July, she didn't return the favor Sunday at the Minnesota State Fair.