As host of KEZK’s “Yacht Rock Saturday Night” and unabashed fan of this little, eclectic corner of the pop music world, I decided to try as best I could, to come up with the 50 songs that best represent this glorious genre of music.
First, what exactly is yacht rock? I get this question all the time and the best answer I can give you is that for me--- I just know it when I hear it. Some refer to it as “soft rock” or "70’s pop” and while there may be elements of both within yacht rock, they’re hardly the defining characteristics.
They’re songs that rock...just not too hard. One definition online that resonated for me described it as “music, primarily created between 1976 and '84, that can be characterized as smooth and melodic, and typically combines elements of jazz, rhythm and blues, and rock. You'll hear very little acoustic guitar but a lot of Fender Rhodes electric piano.
So, Michael McDonald....yacht rock.
Dan Fogelberg, NOT yacht rock
Christopher Cross...yacht rock
Boston....NOT yacht rock
So that being said, here are my Top 50 Yacht Rock songs of all time:
1.) Michael McDonald-“I Keep Forgetting” (If there was a Yacht Rock Hall of Fame—and there should be, Michael McDonald would have to be a charter member. He and his work as lead singer of the Doobie Brothers (not to mention that prolific beard) define the true essence of yacht rock).
2.) Bertie Higgins-“Key Largo” (Three & a half minutes of yacht rock heaven).
3.) Kenny Loggins “This Is It” (He cranked out yacht rock at the same rate he cranked out 80's movie soundtracks).
4.) Christopher Cross -“Sailing” (Just because a song has the word “sail “or “sailing” in the title doesn’t necessarily mean it’s yacht rock (see Styx’s “Come Sail Away), but in this case, if the boat fits...).
5.) Steely Dan “FM” (This was the title track from one of the great, if not only movies ever made about the radio business. I could just as easily have put a few of their other songs at this spot as well. Another defining artist within yacht rock).
6.) Ambrosia-“Biggest Part of Me” (David Pack is one of the great, underrated vocalists of his era, hence their inclusion with multiple songs on this list)
7.) Doobie Brothers-“What A Fool Believes” (Michael McDonald is said to have hated this and every song on the album “Minute By Minute” when it was first released. His tune changed very quickly when this song hit #1 on the charts and the album would become the band’s most popular to date)
8.) Christopher Cross-“Ride Like The Wind” (You got me with the first 30 seconds of this one).
9.) Robbie Dupree-“Steal Away” (One critic unfairly described this song as "a blatant, wimpy rip-off of the Doobie Brothers “What A Fool Believes”. No wonder why they’re both signature yacht rock songs!
10.) Player “Baby Come Back” (There are a fair number of one-hit-wonders on this list and while the band never achieved the success this song indicated it might, this is one we turn up whenever we hear that bass line intro).
11---Gino Vanelli “I Just Wanna Stop”
12---Boz Scaggs “Lowdown”
13---Paul Davis “Cool Night”
14---Seals & Crofts “Summer Breeze”
15---Kenny Loggins “Heart To Heart”
16---Firefall “You Are The Woman”
17---Doobie Brothers “Minute By Minute”
18—Nicollete Larson “Lotta Love”
19--Steely Dan “Peg”
20---England Dan & John Ford Coley “I’d Really Love To See You Tonight”
21---George Benson “Turn Your Love Around”
22---Bobby Caldwell “What You Won’t Do For Love”
23--- Little River Band “Cool Change”
24---Pablo Cruise “Love Will find A Way”
25---Rupert Holmes “Eacape (The Pina Colada Song)
26---Ambrosia “How Much I Feel”
27---Carly Simon “You Belong To Me”
28---America ”You Can Do Magic"
29---Hall & Oates “Sara Smile”
30---Pure Prairie League “Let Me Love You Tonight”
31--- Toto “Hold The Line”
32---Atlanta Rhythm Section “So Into You”
33---Steely Dan "Hey Nineteen"
34---Chuck Mangione “Feels So Good”
35---Bob Welch “Sentimental Lady”
36---Andrew Gold “Lonely Boy”
37---Paul Davis "I Go Crazy"
38---George Benson “Breezin”
39---Herb Albert “Rise”
40---Gerry Rafferty “Baker Street”
41--- Poco “Crazy Love”
42---Olivia Newton John “Magic”
43---Pablo Cruise “Whatcha Gonna Do”
44---Orleans “Still The One”
45---Greg Guidry "Going Down"
46---Grover Washington Jr/Bill Withers "Just The Two Of Us"
47---King Harvest ”Dancing In The Moonlight"
48---Elvin Bishop “Fooled Around And Fell In Love”
49---Crosby, Stills & Nash “Southern Cross”
50---Eddie Rabbit “Suspicions”