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!
