yacht rock record

Yacht Rock: Album Guide

By David Browne

David Browne

Summer’s here and time is right for dancing … on the deck of a large nautical vessel. During the late Seventies and early Eighties, the radio was dominated by silver-tongued white-dude crooners with names like Rupert and Gerry, emoting over balmy R&B beats, swaying saxes, and dishwasher-clean arrangements. Though it didn’t have a name, the genre — soft rock you could dance to — was dismissed by serious rock fans as fluffy and lame. But thanks to a web series in the mid-2000s, the style — belatedly named “ yacht rock ” — has since spawned a satellite-radio channel, tribute bands, and a Weezer cover of Toto’s “Africa.” Is the modern love of the music ironic or sincere? Hard to say, yet there’s no denying yacht rock is a legit sound with a vibe all its own that produced a surprising amount of enduring music perfectly at home in summer. (John Mayer even tips his own sailor’s hat to the genre on his new “Last Train Home” single, and even the aqua-blue cover of his upcoming Sob Rock album.) The resumption of the Doobie Brothers’ 50th anniversary tour, postponed last year due to COVID-19 but scheduled to restart in August, is the cherry atop the Pina colada.

Boz Scaggs, Silk Degrees (1976)

Before yacht rock was an identifiable genre, Scaggs (no fan of the term, as he told Rolling Stone in 2018) set the standard for what was to come: sharp-dressed white soul, burnished ballads that evoked wine with a quiet dinner, and splashes of Me Decade decadence (the narrator of the pumped “Lido Shuffle” is setting up one more score before leaving the country). Add in the Philly Soul homage “What Can I Say,” the burbling life-on-the-streets homage “Lowdown,” and the lush sway of “Georgia,” and Silk Degrees , internationally or not, set a new high bar for Seventies smoothness.

Steely Dan, Aja (1977)

The sophisticated high-water mark of yacht, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker’s masterpiece is the midway point between jazz and pop, with tricky tempo shifts, interlocking horn and keyboard parts, and pristine solos. Not settling for easygoing period clichés, these love songs, so to speak, are populated by a sleazy movie director (the gorgeous rush of “Peg”), a loser who still hopes to be a jazzman even if the odds are against him (the heart-tugging “Deacon Blues”), and a guy whose nodding-out girlfriend is probably a junkie (“Black Cow”). The most subversive cruise you’ll ever take.

The Doobie Brothers, Minute by Minute (1978)

The Doobies got their start as a biker-y boogie band, but they smoothed things out for Minute by Minute . Highlighted by “What a Fool Believes,” the unstoppable Michael McDonald-Kenny Loggins co-write, the LP piles on romantic turmoil, falsetto harmonies, and plenty of spongy electric piano. But it also proves how much personality and muscle the Doobies could bring to what could be a generic sound. McDonald’s husky, sensitive-guy delivery shrouds the unexpectedly bitter title song (“You will stay just to watch me, darlin’/Wilt away on lies from you”)  and honoring their biker roots, “Don’t Stop to Watch the Wheels” is about taking a lady friend for a ride on your hog.

Editor’s picks

The 100 best tv episodes of all time, the 250 greatest guitarists of all time, the 500 greatest albums of all time, 25 most influential creators of 2024.

Further Listening

Seals & crofts, get closer (1976).

The Dylan-goes-electric moment of yacht, “Get Closer” validated the idea that folkie singer-songwriters could put aside their guitars (and mandolin), tap into their R&B side and cross over in ways they never imagined. In addition to the surprising seductiveness of the title hit, Get Closer has plenty of yacht-rock pleasures. In “Goodbye Old Buddies,” the narrator informs his pals that he can’t hang out anymore now that he’s met “a certain young lady,” but in the next song, “Baby Blue,” another woman is told, “There’s an old friend in me/Tellin’ me I gotta be free.” A good captain follows the tide where it takes him.

Christopher Cross, Christopher Cross  (1979)

Cross’ debut swept the 1981 Grammys for a reason: It’s that rare yacht-rock album that’s graceful, earnest, and utterly lacking in smarm. Songs like the politely seductive “Say You’ll Be Mine” and the forlorn “Never Be the Same” have an elegant pop classicism, and the yacht anthem “Sailing” could be called a powered-down ballad. Fueled by a McDonald cameo expertly parodied on SCTV , the propulsive “Ride Like the Wind” sneaks raw outlaw lyrics (“Lived nine lives/Gunned down ten”) into its breezy groove, perfecting the short-lived gangster-yacht subgenre.

Rupert Holmes, Partners in Crime (1979)

The album that made Holmes a soft-rock star is known for “Escape (The Piña Colada Song),” which sports a made-for-karaoke chorus and a plot twist worthy of a wide-collar O. Henry. But what distinguishes the album is the Steely Dan-level musicianship and Holmes’ ambitious story songs, each sung with Manilow-esque exuberance. The title track equates a hooker and her john to co-workers at a department store, “Lunch Hour” ventures into afternoon-delight territory, and “Answering Machine” finds a conflicted couple trading messages but continually being cut off by those old-school devices.

Steely Dan, Gaucho (1980)

The Dan’s last studio album before a lengthy hiatus doesn’t have the consistency of Aja, but Gaucho cleverly matches their most vacuum-sealed music with their most sordid and pathetic cast of characters. A seedy older guy tries to pick up younger women in “Hey Nineteen,” another loser goes in search of a ménage à trois in “Babylon Sisters,” a coke dealer delivers to a basketball star in “Glamour Profession,” and the narrator of “Time Out of Mind” just wants another heroin high. It’s the dark side of the yacht.

Going Deeper

Michael mcdonald, if that’s what it takes  (1982).

Imagine a Doobie Brothers album entirely comprised of McDonald songs and shorn of pesky guitar solos or Patrick Simmons rockers, and you have a sense of McDonald’s first and best post-Doobs album. If That’s What it Takes builds on the approach he nailed on “What a Fool Believes” but amps up the sullen-R&B side of Mac’s music. His brooding remake of Lieber and Stoller’s “I Keep Forgettin’” is peak McDonald and the title track approaches the propulsion of Christopher Cross’ “Ride Like the Wind.” With his sad-sack intensity, McDonald sounds like guy at a seaside resort chewing over his mistakes and regrets – with, naturally, the aid of an electric piano.

Related Stories

Yacht rock babylon, bright eyes cancel upcoming shows days before record release.

Kenny Loggins, Keep the Fire (1979)

Loggins’ journey from granola folk rocker to pleasure-boat captain embodies the way rock grew more polished as the Seventies wore on. Anchored by the percolating-coffeemaker rhythms and modestly aggro delivery of “This Is It,” another McDonald collaboration, Keep the Fire sets Loggins’ feathery voice to smooth-jazz saxes and R&B beats, and Michael Jackson harmonies beef up the soul quotient in “Who’s Right, Who’s Wrong.” The secret highlight is “Will It Last,” one of the sneakiest yacht tracks ever, fading to a finish after four minutes, then revving back up with some sweet George Harrison-style slide guitar.

Dr. Hook, Sometimes You Win  (1979)

Earlier in the Seventies, these jokesters established themselves with novelty hits like “The Cover of ‘Rolling Stone,’’ but they soon paddled over to unabashed disco-yacht. Sometimes You Win features three of their oiliest ear worms: “Sexy Eyes,” “When You’re in Love with a Beautiful Woman” and “Better Love Next Time,” all oozing suburban pickup bars and the somewhat desperate dudes who hang out there. The album, alas, does not include “Sharing the Night Together,” recently reborn by way of its sardonic use in last year’s Breaking Bad spinoff El Camino .

Carly Simon, Boys in the Trees  (1978)

As a trailblazing female singer-songwriter, Simon was already a star by the time yacht launched. Boys in the Trees features her beguiling contribution to the genre, “You Belong to Me,” a collaboration with the ubiquitous Michael McDonald. The Doobies cut it first, but Simon’s version adds an air of yearning and hushed desperation that makes it definitive. The album also packs in a yacht-soul cover of James Taylor’s “One Man Woman” and a “lullaby for a wide-eyed guy” called “Tranquillo (Melt My Heart),” all proving that men didn’t have a stranglehold on this style.

Anchors Aweigh

More smooth hits for your next high-seas adventure.

“BREEZIN’”

George Benson, 1976

The guitarist and Jehovah’s Witness made the leap from midlevel jazz act to crossover pop star with a windswept instrumental that conveys the yacht spirit as much as any vocal performance.

“WHATCHA GONNA DO?”

Pablo Cruise, 1976

Carefree bounce from a San Francisco band with the best name ever for a soft-rock act — named, fittingly, after a chill Colorado buddy.

“BAKER STREET”

Gerry Rafferty, 1978

Rafferty brought a deep sense of lonely-walk-by-the-bay melancholy to this epic retelling of a night on the town, in which Raphael Ravenscroft’s immortal sax awakens Rafferty from his morning-after hangover.

“REMINISCING”

Little River Band, 1978

The Aussie soft rockers delivered a slurpy valentine sung in the voice of an old man looking back on his “lifetime plan” with his wife. Innovative twist: flugelhorn solo instead of sax.

“WHENEVER I CALL YOU ‘FRIEND’ ”

Kenny Loggins and Stevie Nicks, 1978

After its ethereal intro, this rare genre duet grows friskier with each verse, with both Loggins and Nicks getting more audibly caught up in the groove — and the idea of “sweet love showing us a heavenly light.”

“LOTTA LOVE”

Nicolette Larson, 1978

Neil Young’s sad-boy shuffle is transformed into a luscious slice of lounge pop by the late Larson. Adding an extra layer of poignancy, she was in a relationship with Young around that time.

“STEAL AWAY”

Robbie Dupree, 1980

Is it real, or is it McDonald? Actually, it’s the best Doobies knockoff — a rinky-dink (but ingratiating) distant cousin to “What a Fool Believes” that almost inspired McDonald to take legal action.

“TAKE IT EASY”

Archie James Cavanaugh, 1980

Cult rarity by the late Alaskan singer-songwriter that crams in everything you’d want in a yacht song: disco-leaning bass, smooth-jazz guitar, sax, and a lyric that lives up to its title even more than the same-titled Eagles song.

“BIGGEST PART OF ME”

Ambrosia, 1980

Ditching the prog-classical leanings of earlier albums, this trio headed straight for the middle of the waterway with this Doobies-lite smash. Bonus points for lyrics that reference a “lazy river.”

“I CAN’T GO FOR THAT (NO CAN DO)”

Daryl Hall and John Oates, 1981

The once unstoppable blue-eyed soul duo were never pure yacht, but the easy-rolling beats and shiny sax in this Number One hit got close. Hall adds sexual tension by never specifying exactly what he can’t go for.

“COOL NIGHT”

Paul Davis, 1981

The Mississippi crooner-songwriter gives a master class on how to heat up a stalled romance: Pick a brisk evening, invite a female acquaintance over, and suggest . . . lighting a fire.

“KEY LARGO”

Bertie Higgins, 1981

Yacht’s very own novelty hit is corny but deserves props for quoting from not one but two Humphrey Bogart films ( Key Largo and Casablanca ).

“AFRICA”

The same year that members of Toto did session work on Michael Jackson’s Thriller, they released the Mount Kilimanjaro of late-yacht hits.

“SOUTHERN CROSS”

Crosby, Stills, and Nash, 1982

The combustible trio’s gusty contribution to the genre has choppy-water rhythms and enough nautical terminology for a sailing manual.

Sean Combs’ Alleged Witness Tampering: 'Gaslighting' and Dangled Rent Payments

• BAIL DENIED
• By Cheyenne Roundtree
• 'Heartbroken'
• By Charisma Madarang

Ani DiFranco Will Bring Some 'Unprecedented Sh!t' to Her 2025 Tour

• On the Road
• By Jon Blistein

Blair Do Not Sound Like Any Other New York Rock Band. That's the Point

• Back in Town
• By Jeff Ihaza

Megan Thee Stallion, Kendrick Lamar, Drake Lead 2024 BET Hip-Hop Awards Nominations

• BET Hip-Hop Awards
• By Larisha Paul

Most Popular

Jane's addiction concert ends abruptly after perry farrell throws a punch at dave navarro, is forced offstage by crew, "it's a cult, and walt's the messiah": meet the couple who sued disney over secretive club 33, jason kelce may have accidentally revealed taylor swift & travis kelce made a massive relationship step, richard pettibone, artist who appropriated others' paintings for his own work, dies at 86, you might also like, zach bryan ‘drunkenly’ expresses preference for kanye west over taylor swift, then apologizes and deactivates x account, the 9 best designer coffee table books for luxury fashion lovers, the best yoga mats for any practice, according to instructors, aubrey plaza says ‘agatha all along’ ‘better be’ the ‘gayest’ marvel show, philly mayor supports 76ers’ $1.3 billion downtown arena plan.

Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Rolling Stone, LLC. All rights reserved.

A beginner’s guide to yacht rock in five essential albums

Yacht rock, soft rock – call it what you will. Here are five brilliant albums that define the genre in all its bearded, Hawaiian shirted glory

Was there really ever a genre called yacht rock ? Prior to the 2005 online comedy series of the same name, what we now know of as yacht rock was simply soft rock, largely of the 1970s variety, but occasionally dipping into the 80s as well. It was music that was smooth, slick and did little to challenge the listener in the way that heavy metal or punk rock would. Yet  sold in the multi-millions, made superstars of its creators, and was beloved by industry professionals for the stellar musicianship and high production values. And above all, it was detested by the critics.

Today, yacht rock is the ultimate guilty pleasure genre. Its patron saints - almost exclusively men, generally bearded – never appeared on posters that graced adolescents’ walls. Yet bands and artists such as The Doobie Brothers , Loggins & Messina and Christopher Cross made sweet, soulful music featuring some of the finest musicians of the era and sounding so, so perfect in the process.

Unlike prog, hair metal or krautrock, the boundaries of what constitutes yacht rock are blurred. There’s little to link the jazzy noodlings of Steely Dan , Boz Scaggs’ smooth pop and the later, 80s pop-rock of Hall & Oates beyond the fact that the various members of Toto appeared on many of these albums, making them kind of a yacht rock mafia.

Yacht rock, soft rock, call it what you will: the men who made it are laughing all the way to the bank in their Hawaiian shirts and well-sculpted facial hair while the rest of us celebrate their music in all its frictionless glory. Critics be damned, these are the five essential yacht rock albums for those who want to plunge into the genre.

Loggins & Messina - Full Sail (1973)

Kenny Loggins was a boyish-looking yet handsomely bearded fellow with a penchant for country-esque ballads. Jim Messina had been in Buffalo Springfield and country rockers Poco . The pair teamed up to record some of Loggins’ material and ended up becoming an unlikely success story, notching up hits with  1971 single The House At Pooh Corner and the following year’s Your Mama Don’t Dance , later covered by hair metallers Poison.

But 1973’s Full Sail was their apex. Featuring the ultimate yacht rock album cover (two men, one yacht), the album itself contains everything from the calypso frivolity of Lahaina , and the smooth jazz of Travellin’ Blues to the joyously upbeat My Music and hit ballad Watching The River Run . This is yacht rock’s ground zero. Boys, what did you unleash?

Boz Scaggs - Silk Degrees (1976)

An early member of the Steve Miller Band , guitarist and vocalist Boz Scaggs’ solo career had begun 1969. But nothing had clicked with the record buying public until he hooked up with David Paich, Jeff Porcaro and David Hungate, all of whom were on the verge of forming Toto , and recorded his seventh solo album, Silk Degrees . A masterful mix of smooth pop and slick ballads, it spawned hits in the shape of It’s Over , Lowdown , We’re All Alone (made famous by Rita Coolidge) and the pulsating Lido Shuffle , a bona fide dancefloor filler.

Classic Rock Newsletter

Sign up below to get the latest from Classic Rock, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox!

Steely Dan - Aja (1977)

Arguments rage as to whether these protagonists of achingly cool and clever jazz rock belong in the yacht rock genre, but hey, if the people who made the Yacht Rock online series say the are, who are we to argue?

Their sixth album, Aja , saw Walter Becker and Donald Fagan stretching out into longer form pieces of music that were funkier and jazzier than they’d ever been before, capping it off with one of the most pristine production jobs ever – such were their levels of perfectionism that six crack session guitarists tried and failed to lay down the guitar solo on Peg to their satisfaction (it was the seventh, Jay Graydon, who nailed it). Bonus yacht rock points: auxiliary Dan backing vocalist/keyboard player Michael McDonald was also a member of The Doobie Brothers.

The Doobie Brothers – Minute By Minute (1978)

In 1974, Steely Dan guitarist Jeff ‘Skunk’ Baxter moved across to hugely successful blues rockers The Doobie Brothers on a free transfer. The following year, he suggested recruiting Dan backing singer/pianist Michael McDonald as a replacement for the Doobies’ ailing guitarist/vocalist Tom Johnstone.

With his blue-eyed soul croon and knack for writing uptempo R&B-infused songs, McDonald helped nudge the band towards smoother waters. By 1978’s Minute By Minute , they had fully transformed from moustachioed chooglers into yacht rock kingpins. The album’s blend of soft rock and R&B reached its apotheosis on the majestic What A Fool Believes – co-written with Kenny Loggins, naturally – which ultimately helped turn McDonald into a bigger star than the band. For the record, the singer’s 1986 Sweet Freedom compilation is also yacht rock gold.

Christopher Cross - Christopher Cross (1979)

When Christopher Cross released his self-titled debut album in December 1979, no-one knew who he was. A year later, he’d racked up four Top 20 hits and swept the boards at the Grammy Awards.

It’s not hard to see why: Cross’ spectacular voice was matched by the brilliance of his songs. Everyone knows Ride Like The Wind , featuring that Michael McDonald fella on backing vocals, but it was the mellower Sailing that hit the No. 1 spot ( Ride… only managed No. 2). A year later Cross’ theme to the movie Arthur won him and co-writer Burt Bacharach an Oscar.

Cross was no slouch as a musician either: Steely Dan had asked him to play on their albums and he even filled in for a sick Ritchie Blackmore at a Deep Purple US show back in 1970.

Writer and broadcaster Jerry Ewing is the Editor of Prog Magazine which he founded for Future Publishing in 2009. He grew up in Sydney and began his writing career in London for Metal Forces magazine in 1989. He has since written for Metal Hammer, Maxim, Vox, Stuff and Bizarre magazines, among others. He created and edited Classic Rock Magazine for Dennis Publishing in 1998 and is the author of a variety of books on both music and sport, including Wonderous Stories; A Journey Through The Landscape Of Progressive Rock.

“Get rid of the guitar player and get somebody else. Nobody cares.” Kiss' Gene Simmons urges Morrissey to reunite The Smiths without Johnny Marr, but there's a plot twist

Watch thrash legends Testament perform live with 11-year-old on guitar

“Our hearts are broken.” Jane's Addiction cancel US tour and announce hiatus, with bandmates claiming that Perry Farrell's “mental health difficulties” have left them them “no alternative”, for their own safety

Most Popular

THE CURRENT YEAR

• TCYSHOP.COM

TOP YACHT ROCK ALBUMS

The epicenter of yacht rock was the sound studios of LA, the time 1978-82, with some scant but notable ripples lapping out both forward and backward for a couple of years. This is the West Coast Sound , or West Coast AOR: the songs are smooth, shallow, melodic, with a high production value, and made for summer – especially if you’re a yuppie at the top of your game. They nearly always have electric piano right off the top, and a characteristic “ Doobie bounce ” rhythm.

Some of the key bands and artists include Steely Dan, Toto, The Doobie Brothers, Airplay, and Christopher Cross. There are a number of good notable protoyacht tracks from the mid-70s, such as England Dan & John Ford Coley’s “I’d Really Love To See You Tonight”; the few tracks from the mid to late 80s that still contain the same basic rhythm and feel are already postyacht.

Yacht rock was the brainchild of Hollywood writer J. D. Ryznar . Ryznar – along with pals Hunter Stair, Dave Lyons, and Steve Huey – created the Yacht Rock series in the early oughts, debuting during the June 2005 Channel 101 film festival in LA.

Ryznar and company pinpointed a certain era and vein of American soft rock – or “adult-oriented rock” – recorded by experienced studio musicians, mostly based in LA, and very much associated with singer-songwriters Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins. The series was a fictionalized account of those musicians, and it ended up becoming the most important look at American soft rock ever made.

After the success of their series, Ryznar and friends popularized yacht rock with a podcast , which eventually led to the format (or bastardizations of such) being picked up on satellite radio and other streaming technologies , as well as DJ’ed in nightclubs everywhere.

It should be noted that yacht rock is not a genre, and was not contemporaneous with the music it describes. Yacht rock is a format – exactly like “classic rock” and other traditional radio formats. And just like classic rock, yacht rock as a designation applied to a set of music of the past is not a fad and will remain a useful categorization for as long as people are interested in that period of music.

Endless lists have been compiled of “yacht rock songs,” some even possibly canonical , but there have been almost no yacht rock album guides. So, we’ve decided to create one.

Not every song on every one of these albums will be 100% marina-certified yacht rock – for instance, there are definite yacht rock tracks on Michael Jackson’s Thriller . Essential yacht rock , even. But that doesn’t mean that “Billie Jean” and “Beat It” are yacht rock. They’re nyacht , and have absolutely no place in a proper “yacht rock” mix. (That fact shouldn’t stop you from playing those songs on your slip in Marina Del Rey, of course.)

Then, there’s also dark yacht , coined and conceived by journalist and actress Katie Puckrik . She felt that Joni Mitchell had “unintentially” created this new format with the title track of her 1975 album, The Hissing of Summer Lawns. We agree, and feel the suburban anguish and yuppie misery is as strong as what might be found in a Don DeLillo novel. To Pickrik’s discovery we add several of our own, including Valerie Carter’s albums of the era. We’ve identified those dark yacht albums in this list as such.

Airplay, Airplay (1980)

Alessi, Alessi (1976), Driftin’ (1978), Long Time Friends (1982)

Peter Allen, Bi-Coastal (1980)

Ambrosia, One Eighty (1980), Road Island (1982)

Paul Anka, Walk A Fine Line (1983)

Patti Austin, Every Home Should Have One (1981)

George Benson, Give Me The Night (1980), The George Benson Collection (1981), In Your Eyes (1983)

The Brecker Brothers, Detente (1980)

Byrne & Barnes, An Eye For An Eye (1981)

Bobby Caldwell, Cat In The Hat (1980)

Valerie Carter, Just A Stone’s Throw Away (1977), Wild Child (1977) (Dark Yacht)

Bill Champlin, Single (1978), Runaway (1981)

Kerry Chater, Love On A Shoestring (1978)

Paul Clark, Drawn To The Light (1982)

Christopher Cross, Christopher Cross (1979), Another Page (1982)

Dane Donohue, Dane Donohue (1978)

The Doobie Brothers, Minute By Minute (1978), One Step Closer (1980)

George Duke, Dream On (1982)

The Dukes, The Dukes Bugatti & Musker (1982)

Robbie Dupree, Robbie Dupree (1980), Street Corner Heroes (1981)

Exile, Don’t Leave Me This Way (1980)

Dwayne Ford, Needless Freaking (1981)

Randy Goodrum, Fool’s Paradise (1982)

Jimmy Hall, Touch You (1980)

Hall & Oates, Voices (1980)

Finis Henderson, Finis (1983)

Amy Holland, Amy Holland (1980)

Michael Jackson, Thriller (1982)

Al Jarreau, Breakin’ Away (1981), Jarreau (1983)

Quincy Jones, The Dude (1981)

Marc Jordan, Mannequin (1978), Blue Desert (1979), A Hole In The Wall (1983)

Karizma, Dream Come True (1983)

Steve Kipner, Knock The Walls Down (1979)

Bill LaBounty, Rain In My Life (1979), Bill LaBounty (1982)

Larsen-Feiten Band, Larsen-Feiten Band (1980)

Nicolette Larson, Nicolette (1978), In The Nick Of Time (1979)

Larry Lee, Marooned (1982)

Kenny Loggins, Celebrate Me Home (1977), Keep The Fire (1979), High Adventure (1982)

Bobby Martin, Bobby Martin (1983)

Maxus, Maxus (1982)

Michael McDonald, If That’s What It Takes (1982)

Sérgio Mendes, Confetti (1984)

Joni Mitchell, The Hissing of Summer Lawns (1975), Hejira (1976) (Dark Yacht)

Jaye P. Morgan, Jaye P. Morgan (1976) (Protoyacht)

Nielsen Pearson Band, Nielsen/Pearson (1980), Blind Luck (1983)

John O’Banion, John O’Banion (1981)

Orleans, Forever (1979)

Pablo Cruise, A Place In The Sun (1977), Worlds Away (1978), Reflector (1981)

Pages, Pages (1981)

Jim Photoglo, Fool In Love With You (1981)

Player, Player (1977)

Lionel Richie, Can’t Slow Down (1983)

Lee Ritenour, Rit (1981)

David Roberts, All Dressed Up (1982)

Diana Ross, Ross (1983)

Brenda Russell, Two Eyes (1983)

The Sanford-Townsend Band, Smoke From A Distant Fire (1977)

Boz Scaggs, Silk Degrees (1976), Middle Man (1980)

Tom Scott, Desire (1982)

Alan Sorrenti, L.A. & N.Y. (1981)

Steely Dan, The Royal Scam (1976), Aja (1977), Gold (Expanded Edition) (1978), Gaucho (1980)

Eric Tagg, Dreamwalkin’ (1982)

Tavares, Supercharged (1980)

Toto, Toto (1978), Hydra (1979), Toto IV (1982)

Roger Voudouris, Radio Dream (1979)

Kelly Willard, Blame It On The One I Love (1978)

Stevie Woods, Take Me To Your Heaven (1981)

These albums are great on vinyl for home and hanging out, but for the car – or the yacht – we highly recommend them on what is probably the ideal yacht rock album format: cassette!

Michael Stutz

Paul Hollins 1am - 4am

Now Playing

Baby Now That I've Found You The Foundations Download 'Baby Now That I've Found You' on iTunes

The 20 greatest yacht rock songs ever, ranked

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.

What is 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.

• The 40 greatest disco songs ever, ranked
• The 10 greatest and smoothest ever sax solos, ranked

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'

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.

Steely Dan - 'FM'

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)'

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'

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.

Airplay - 'Nothing You Can Do About It'

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'

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'

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'

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'

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 10 greatest Chicago songs, ranked

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'

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'

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'

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.

Don Henley - 'The Boys of Summer'

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 and John Cord Foley - 'I'd Really Love to See You Tonight'

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...

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.

Christopher Cross - 'Ride Like the Wind'

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.

Eagles - 'I Can't Tell You Why'

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'

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.

• The Story of... 'Baker Street'

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'

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.

Hall & Oates - 'I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)'

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').

• Hall and Oates' 10 best songs, ranked

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'!

More Song Lists

See more More Song Lists

The Jacksons' 10 greatest songs ever, ranked

Michael Jackson

Savage Garden’s 10 greatest songs, ranked

The 20 greatest bee gees songs of all time, ranked, huey lewis and the news’ 10 greatest songs, ranked, donna summer’s 10 greatest songs, ranked, more features.

See more More Features

Why Miley Cyrus' song 'Flowers' is a response to Bruno Mars' 'When I Was Your Man' 10 years later

The jackson family tree explained: who's who and how many members are there, when celine dion paused backstage interview to watch her idol whitney houston perform.

Celine Dion

When George Michael praised Adam Lambert long before he joined Queen

George Michael

Michael Jackson's forgotten star-studded charity single for 9/11 that his label axed is amazing

Smooth playlists, smooth's all time top 500, smooth soul, smooth country hot hits, smooth chill concentration, smooth podcast picks, they don't teach this at school with myleene klass, take that: this life, runpod with jenni falconer, the news agents.

• Zakk Wylde Announces Tour
• Pink Floyd Live Albums Ranked
• New Sebastian Bach Interview
• REO Speedwagon's Emotional End
• David Gilmour on Waters Feud
• Win Up to $30,000

Top 50 Yacht Rock Songs

Yacht rock was one of the most commercially successful genres to emerge from the '70s and yet has managed to evade concise definition since its inception. For many listeners, it boils down to a feeling or mood that cannot be found in other kinds of music: Simply put, you know it when you hear it.

Some agreed-upon elements are crucial to yacht rock. One is its fluidity, with more emphasis on a catchy, easy-feeling melody than on beat or rhythm. Another is a generally lighthearted attitude in the lyrics. Think Seals & Crofts ' "Summer Breeze," Christopher Cross ' "Ride Like the Wind" or Bill Withers ' "Just the Two of Us." Yes, as its label suggests, music that would fit perfectly being played from the deck of a luxurious boat on the high seas.

But even these roughly outlined "rules" can be flouted and still considered yacht rock. Plenty of bands that are typically deemed "nyacht" rock have made their attempts at the genre: Crosby, Stills & Nash got a bit nautical with "Southern Cross," leading with their famed tightly knit harmonies, and Fleetwood Mac also entered yacht rock territory with "Dreams" – which, although lyrically dour, offers a sense of melody in line with yacht rock.

Given its undefined parameters, the genre has become one of music's most expansive corners. From No. 1 hits to deeper-cut gems, we've compiled a list of 50 Top Yacht Rock Songs to set sail to below.

50. "Thunder Island," Jay Ferguson (1978)

Younger generations might be more apt to recognize Jay Ferguson from his score for NBC's The Office , where he also portrayed the guitarist in Kevin Malone's band Scrantonicity. But Ferguson's musical roots go back to the '60s band Spirit; he was also in a group with one of the future members of Firefall, signaling a '70s-era shift toward yacht rock and "Thunder Island." The once-ubiquitous single began its steady ascent in October 1977 before reaching the Top 10 in April of the following year. Producer Bill Szymczyk helped it get there by bringing in his buddy Joe Walsh for a soaring turn on the slide. The best showing Ferguson had after this, however, was the quickly forgotten 1979 Top 40 hit "Shakedown Cruise." (Nick DeRiso)

49. "Southern Cross," Crosby, Stills & Nash (1982)

CSN's "Southern Cross" was an example of a more literal interpretation of yacht rock, one in which leftover material was revitalized by Stephen Stills . He sped up the tempo of a song titled " Seven League Boots " originally penned by brothers Rick and Michael Curtis, then laid in new lyrics about, yes, an actual boat ride. "I rewrote a new set of words and added a different chorus, a story about a long boat trip I took after my divorce," Stills said in the liner notes  to 1991's CSN box. "It's about using the power of the universe to heal your wounds." The music video for the song, which went into heavy rotation on MTV, also prominently displayed the band members aboard a large vessel. (Allison Rapp)

48. "Jackie Blue," the Ozark Mountain Daredevils (1974)

Drummer Larry Lee only had a rough idea of what he wanted to do with "Jackie Blue," originally naming it after a bartending dope pusher. For a long time, the Ozark Mountain Daredevils' best-known single remained an instrumental with the place-keeper lyric, " Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh Jackie Blue. He was dada, and dada doo. He did this, he did that ... ." Producer Glyn Johns, who loved the track, made a key suggestion – and everything finally snapped into place: "No, no, no, mate," Johns told them. "Jackie Blue has to be a girl." They "knocked some new lyrics out in about 30 minutes," Lee said in It Shined: The Saga of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils . "[From] some drugged-out guy, we changed Jackie into a reclusive girl." She'd go all the way to No. 3. (DeRiso)

47. "Sailing," Christopher Cross (1979)

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more quintessential yacht rock song than “Sailing.” The second single (and first chart-topper) off Christopher Cross’ 1979 self-titled debut offers an intoxicating combination of dreamy strings, singsong vocals and shimmering, open-tuned guitar arpeggios that pay deference to Cross’ songwriting idol, Joni Mitchell . “These tunings, like Joni used to say, they get you in this sort of trance,” Cross told Songfacts in 2013. “The chorus just sort of came out. … So I got up and wandered around the apartment just thinking, ‘Wow, that's pretty fuckin' great.’” Grammy voters agreed: “Sailing” won Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Arrangement at the 1981 awards. (Bryan Rolli)

46. "Just the Two of Us," Bill Withers and Grover Washington Jr. (1980)

A collaboration between singer Bill Withers and saxophonist Grover Washington Jr. resulted in the sleek "Just the Two of Us." When first approached with the song, Withers insisted on reworking the lyrics. "I'm a little snobbish about words," he said in 2004 . "I said, 'Yeah, if you'll let me go in and try to dress these words up a little bit.' Everybody that knows me is kind of used to me that way. I probably threw in the stuff like the crystal raindrops. The 'Just the Two of Us' thing was already written. It was trying to put a tuxedo on it." The track was completed with some peppy backing vocals and a subtle slap bass part. (Rapp)

45. "Sara Smile," Daryl Hall & John Oates (1975)

It doesn't get much smoother than "Sara Smile," Daryl Hall & John Oates ' first Top 10 hit in the U.S. The song was written for Sara Allen, Hall's longtime girlfriend, whom he had met when she was working as a flight attendant. His lead vocal, which was recorded live, is clear as a bell on top of a velvety bass line and polished backing vocals that nodded to the group's R&B influences. “It was a song that came completely out of my heart," Hall said in 2018 . "It was a postcard. It’s short and sweet and to the point." Hall and Allen stayed together for almost 30 years before breaking up in 2001. (Rapp)

44. "Rosanna," Toto (1982)

One of the most identifiable hits of 1982 was written by Toto co-founder David Paich – but wasn't about Rosanna Arquette, as some people have claimed, even though keyboardist Steve Porcaro was dating the actress at the time. The backbeat laid down by drummer Jeff Porcaro – a "half-time shuffle" similar to what John Bonham played on " Fool in the Rain " – propels the track, while vocal harmonies and emphatic brass sections add further layers. The result is an infectious and uplifting groove – yacht rock at its finest. (Corey Irwin)

43. "Diamond Girl," Seals & Crofts (1973)

Seals & Crofts were soft-rock stylists with imagination, dolling up their saccharine melodies with enough musical intrigue to survive beyond the seemingly obvious shelf life. Granted, the lyrics to “Diamond Girl,” one of the duo’s three No. 6 hits, are as sterile as a surgery-operating room, built on pseudo-romantic nothing-isms ( “Now that I’ve found you, it’s around you that I am” — what a perfectly natural phrase!). But boy, oh boy does that groove sound luxurious beaming out of a hi-fi system, with every nuance — those stacked backing vocals, that snapping piano — presented in full analog glory. (Ryan Reed)

42. "What You Won't Do for Love," Bobby Caldwell (1978)

Smooth. From the opening horn riffs and the soulful keyboard to the funk bass and the velvety vocals of Bobby Caldwell, everything about “What You Won’t Do for Love” is smooth. Released in September 1978, the track peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and went on to become the biggest hit of Caldwell’s career. It was later given a second life after being sampled for rapper 2Pac's posthumously released 1998 hit single “Do for Love.” (Irwin)

41. "We Just Disagree," Dave Mason (1977)

Dave Mason's ace in the hole on the No. 12 smash "We Just Disagree" was Jim Krueger, who composed the track, shared the harmony vocal and played that lovely guitar figure. "It was a song that when he sang it to me, it was like, 'Yeah, that's the song,'" Mason told Greg Prato in 2014. "Just him and a guitar, which is usually how I judge whether I'm going to do something. If it holds up like that, I'll put the rest of the icing on it." Unfortunately, the multitalented Krueger died of pancreatic cancer at age 43. By then, Mason had disappeared from the top of the charts, never getting higher than No. 39 again. (DeRiso)

40. "Crazy Love," Poco (1978)

Rusty Young was paneling a wall when inspiration struck. He'd long toiled in the shadow of Stephen Stills , Richie Furay and Neil Young , serving in an instrumentalist role with Buffalo Springfield and then Poco . "Crazy Love" was his breakout moment, and he knew it. Rusty Young presented the song before he'd even finished the lyric, but his Poco bandmates loved the way the stopgap words harmonized. "I told the others, 'Don't worry about the ' ooh, ooh, ahhhh haaa ' part. I can find words for that," Young told the St. Louis Dispatch in 2013. "And they said, 'Don't do that. That's the way it's supposed to be.'" It was: Young's first big vocal became his group's only Top 20 hit. (DeRiso)

39. "Suspicions," Eddie Rabbitt (1979)

Eddie Rabbitt 's move from country to crossover stardom was hurtled along by "Suspicions," as a song about a cuckold's worry rose to the Top 20 on both the pop and adult-contemporary charts. Behind the scenes, there was an even clearer connection to yacht rock: Co-writer Even Stevens said Toto's David Hungate played bass on the date. As important as it was for his career, Rabbitt later admitted that he scratched out "Suspicions" in a matter of minutes, while on a lunch break in the studio on the last day of recording his fifth album at Wally Heider's Los Angeles studio. "Sometimes," Rabbitt told the Associated Press in 1985, "the words just fall out of my mouth." (DeRiso)

38. "Moonlight Feels Right," Starbuck (1976)

No sound in rock history is more yacht friendly than Bruce Blackman’s laugh: hilarious, arbitrary, smug, speckled with vocal fry, arriving just before each chorus of Starbuck’s signature tune. Why is this human being laughing? Shrug. Guess the glow of night will do that to you. Then again, this is one of the more strange hits of the '70s — soft-pop hooks frolicking among waves of marimba and synthesizers that could have been plucked from a classic prog epic. “ The eastern moon looks ready for a wet kiss ,” Blackman croons, “ to make the tide rise again .” It’s a lunar make-out session, baby. (Reed)

37. "Same Old Lang Syne," Dan Fogelberg (1981)

“Same Old Lang Syne” is a masterclass in economic storytelling, and its tragedy is in the things both protagonists leave unsaid. Dan Fogelberg weaves a devastating tale of two former lovers who run into each other at a grocery store on Christmas Eve and spend the rest of the night catching up and reminiscing. Their circumstances have changed — he’s a disillusioned professional musician, she’s stuck in an unhappy marriage — but their love for each other is still palpable if only they could overcome their fears and say it out loud. They don’t, of course, and when Fogelberg bids his high-school flame adieu, he’s left with only his bittersweet memories and gnawing sense of unfulfillment to keep him warm on that snowy (and later rainy) December night. (Rolli)

36. "Eye in the Sky," the Alan Parsons Project (1982)

Few songs strike a chord with both prog nerds and soft-rock enthusiasts, but the Alan Parsons Project's “Eye in the Sky” belongs to that exclusive club. The arrangement is all smooth contours and pillowy textures: By the time Eric Woolfson reaches the chorus, shyly emoting about romantic deception over a bed of Wurlitzer keys and palm-muted riffs, the effect is like falling slow motion down a waterfall onto a memory foam mattress. But there’s artfulness here, too, from Ian Bairnson’s seductive guitar solo to the titular phrase conjuring some kind of god-like omniscience. (Reed)

35. "Somebody's Baby," Jackson Browne (1982)

Jackson Browne 's highest-charting single, and his last Top 10 hit, was originally tucked away on the soundtrack for the 1982 teen comedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High . That placed Browne, one of the most earnest of singer-songwriters, firmly out of his element. "It was not typical of what Jackson writes at all, that song," co-composer Danny Kortchmar told Songfacts in 2013. "But because it was for this movie, he changed his general approach and came up with this fantastic song." Still unsure of how it would fit in, Browne refused to place "Somebody's Baby" on his next proper album – something he'd later come to regret . Lawyers in Love broke a string of consecutive multiplatinum releases dating back to 1976. (DeRiso)

34. "Still the One," Orleans (1976)

Part of yacht rock’s charm is being many things but only to a small degree. Songs can be jazzy, but not experimental. Brass sections are great but don’t get too funky. And the songs should rock, but not rock . In that mold comes Orleans’ 1976 hit “Still the One.” On top of a chugging groove, frontman John Hall sings about a romance that continues to stand the test of time. This love isn’t the white-hot flame that leaves passionate lovers burned – more like a soft, medium-level heat that keeps things comfortably warm. The tune is inoffensive, catchy and fun, aka yacht-rock gold. (Irwin)

33. "New Frontier," Donald Fagen (1982)

In which an awkward young man attempts to spark a Cold War-era fling — then, hopefully, a longer, post-apocalyptic relationship — via bomb shelter bunker, chatting up a “big blond” with starlet looks and a soft spot for Dave Brubeck. Few songwriters could pull off a lyrical concept so specific, and almost no one but Donald Fagen could render it catchy. “New Frontier,” a signature solo cut from the Steely Dan maestro, builds the sleek jazz-funk of Gaucho into a more digital-sounding landscape, with Fagen stacking precise vocal harmonies over synth buzz and bent-note guitar leads. (Reed)

32. "Sail On, Sailor," the Beach Boys (1973)

The Beach Boys were reworking a new album when Van Dyke Parks handed them this updated version of an unfinished Brian Wilson song. All that was left was to hand the mic over to Blondie Chaplin for his greatest-ever Beach Boys moment. They released "Sail On, Sailor" twice, however, and this yearning groover somehow barely cracked the Top 50. Chaplin was soon out of the band, too. It's a shame. "Sail On, Sailor" remains the best example of how the Beach Boys' elemental style might have kept growing. Instead, Chaplin went on to collaborate with the Band , Gene Clark of the  Byrds  and the Rolling Stones – while the Beach Boys settled into a lengthy tenure as a jukebox band. (DeRiso)

31. "Time Passages," Al Stewart (1978)

Al Stewart followed up the first hit single of his decade-long career – 1976's "Year of the Cat" – with a more streamlined take two years later. "Time Passages" bears a similar structure to the earlier track, including a Phil Kenzie sax solo and production by Alan Parsons. While both songs' respective album and single versions coincidentally run the same time, the 1978 hit's narrative wasn't as convoluted and fit more squarely into pop radio playlists. "Time Passages" became Stewart's highest-charting single, reaching No. 7 – while "Year of the Cat" had stalled at No. 8. (Michael Gallucci)

30. "I Go Crazy," Paul Davis (1977)

Paul Davis looked like he belonged in the Allman Brothers Band , but his soft, soulful voice took him in a different direction. The slow-burning nature of his breakthrough single "I Go Crazy" was reflected in its chart performance: For years the song held the record for the most weeks spent on the chart, peaking at No. 7 during its 40-week run. Davis, who died in 2008, took five more songs into the Top 40 after 1977, but "I Go Crazy" is his masterpiece – a wistful and melancholic look back at lost love backed by spare, brokenhearted verses. (Gallucci)

29. "Biggest Part of Me," Ambrosia (1980)

Songwriter David Pack taped the original demo of this song on a reel-to-reel when everyone else was running late, finishing just in time: "I was waiting for my family to get in the car so I could go to a Fourth of July celebration in Malibu," he told the Tennessean in 2014. "I turned off my machine [and] heard the car horn honking for me." Still, Pack was worried that the hastily written first verse – which rhymed " arisin ,'" " horizon " and " realizin '" – might come off a little corny. So he followed the time-honored yacht-rock tradition of calling in Michael McDonald to sing heartfelt background vocals. Result: a Top 5 hit on both the pop and adult-contemporary charts. (DeRiso)

28. "Africa," Toto (1982)

Remove the cover versions, the nostalgia sheen and its overuse in TV and films, and you’re left with what makes “Africa” great: one of the best earworm choruses in music history. Never mind that the band is made up of white guys from Los Angeles who'd never visited the titular continent. Verses about Mt. Kilimanjaro and the Serengeti paint a picture so vivid that listeners are swept away. From the soaring vocals to the stirring synth line, every element of the song works perfectly. There’s a reason generations of music fans continue to proudly bless the rains. (Irwin)

27. "Hello It's Me," Todd Rundgren (1972)

“Hello It’s Me” is the first song Todd Rundgren ever wrote, recorded by his band Nazz and released in 1968. He quickened the tempo, spruced up the instrumentation and delivered a more urgent vocal for this 1972 solo rendition (which became a Top 5 U.S. hit), but the bones of the tune remain the same. “Hello It’s Me” is a wistful, bittersweet song about the dissolution of a relationship between two people who still very much love and respect each other a clear-eyed breakup ballad lacking the guile, cynicism and zaniness of Rundgren’s later work. “The reason those [early] songs succeeded was because of their derivative nature,” Rundgren told Guitar World in 2021. “They plugged so easily into audience expectations. They’re easily absorbed.” That may be so, but there’s still no denying the airtight hooks and melancholy beauty of “Hello It’s Me.” (Rolli)

26. "Smoke From a Distant Fire," the Sanford/Townsend Band (1977)

There are other artists who better define yacht rock - Michael McDonald, Steely Dan, Christopher Cross - but few songs rival the Sanford/Townsend Band's "Smoke From a Distant Fire" as a more representative genre track. (It was a Top 10 hit in the summer of 1977. The duo never had another charting single.) From the vaguely swinging rhythm and roaring saxophone riff to the light percussion rolls and risk-free vocals (that nod heavily to Daryl Hall and John Oates' blue-eyed soul), "Smoke" may be the most definitive yacht rock song ever recorded. We may even go as far as to say it's ground zero. (Gallucci)

25. "Dream Weaver," Gary Wright (1975)

Unlike many other songs on our list, “Dream Weaver” lacks lush instrumentation. Aside from Gary Wright’s vocals and keyboard parts, the only added layer is the drumming of Jim Keltner. But while the track may not have guitars, bass or horns, it certainly has plenty of vibes. Inspired by the writings of Paramahansa Yogananda – which Wright was turned on to by George Harrison – “Dream Weaver” boasts a celestial aura that helped the song peak at No. 2 in 1976. (Irwin)

24. "Reminiscing," Little River Band (1978)

The third time was the charm with Little River Band 's highest-charting single in the U.S. Guitarist Graeham Goble wrote "Reminiscing" for singer Glenn Shorrock with a certain keyboardist in mind. Unfortunately, they weren't able to schedule a session with Peter Jones, who'd played an important role in Little River Band's first-ever charting U.S. single, 1976's "It's a Long Way There ." They tried it anyway but didn't care for the track. They tried again, with the same results. "The band was losing interest in the song," Goble later told Chuck Miller . "Just before the album was finished, Peter Jones came back into town, [and] the band and I had an argument because I wanted to give 'Reminiscing' a third chance." This time they nailed it. (DeRiso)

23. "Heart Hotels," Dan Fogelberg (1979)

Ironically enough, this song about debilitating loneliness arrived on an album in which Dan Fogelberg played almost all of the instruments himself. A key concession to the outside world became the most distinctive musical element on "Heart Hotels," as well-known saxophonist Tom Scott took a turn on the Lyricon – a pre-MIDI electronic wind instrument invented just a few years earlier. As for the meaning of sad songs like these, the late Fogelberg once said : "I feel experiences deeply, and I have an outlet, a place where I can translate those feelings. A lot of people go to psychoanalysts. I write songs." (DeRiso)

22. "Year of the Cat," Al Stewart (1976)

Just about every instrument imaginable can be heard in Al Stewart's "Year of the Cat." What begins with an elegant piano intro winds its way through a string section and a sultry sax solo, then to a passionate few moments with a Spanish acoustic guitar. The sax solo, often a hallmark of yacht-rock songs, was not Stewart's idea. Producer Alan Parsons suggested it at the last minute, and Stewart thought it was the "worst idea I'd ever heard. I said, 'Alan, there aren’t any saxophones in folk-rock. Folk-rock is about guitars. Sax is a jazz instrument,'" Stewart said in 2021 . Multiple lengthy instrumental segments bring the song to nearly seven minutes, yet each seems to blend into the next like a carefully arranged orchestra. (Rapp)

21. "How Long," Ace (1974)

How long does it take to top the charts? For the Paul Carrack-fronted Ace: 45 years . "I wrote the lyric on the bus going to my future mother-in-law's," he later told Gary James . "I wrote it on the back of that bus ticket. That's my excuse for there only being one verse." Ace released "How Long" in 1975, reaching No. 3, then Carrack moved on to stints with Squeeze and Mike and the Mechanics . Finally, in 2020, "How Long" rose two spots higher, hitting No. 1 on Billboard's rock digital song sales chart after being featured in an Amazon Prime advertisement titled "Binge Cheat." (DeRiso)

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 pre-dates the classic yacht-rock era. Consider acts like Seals & Crofts and these one-hit wonders pioneers of the genre. Ironically, the effortless-sounding "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" was quite difficult to complete. "We recorded 'Brandy' two or three different times with various producers before we got it right," Looking Glass' principal songwriter Elliot Lurie told the Tennessean in 2016. The chart-topping results became so popular so fast, however, that Barry Manilow had to change the title of a new song he was working on to " Mandy ." (DeRiso)

19. "I Can't Tell You Why," Eagles (1979)

Timothy B. Schmit joined just in time to watch the  Eagles disintegrate. But things couldn't have started in a better place for the former Poco member. He arrived with the makings of his first showcase moment with the group, an unfinished scrap that would become the No. 8 hit "I Can't Tell You Why." For a moment, often-contentious band members rallied around the outsider. Don Henley and Glenn Frey both made key contributions, as Eagles completed the initial song on what would become 1979's The Long Run . Schmit felt like he had a reason to be optimistic. Instead, Eagles released the LP and then promptly split up. (DeRiso)

18. "Sentimental Lady," Bob Welch (1977)

Bob Welch  first recorded "Sentimental Lady" in 1972 as a member of Fleetwood Mac . Five years later, after separating from a band that had gone on to way bigger things , Welch revisited one of his best songs and got two former bandmates who appeared on the original version – Mick Fleetwood and Christine McVie – to help out (new Mac member Lindsey Buckingham also makes an appearance). This is the better version, warmer and more inviting, and it reached the Top 10. (Gallucci)

17. "So Into You," Atlanta Rhythm Section (1976)

Atlanta Rhythm Section is often wrongly categorized as a Southern rock band, simply because of their roots in Doraville, Ga. Songs like the seductively layered "So Into You" illustrate how little they had in common with the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd . As renowned Muscle Shoals sessions ace David Hood once said, they're more like the " Steely Dan of the South ." Unfortunately, time hasn't been kind to the group. Two of this best-charting single's writers have since died , while keyboardist Dean Daughtry retired in 2019 as Atlanta Rhythm Section's last constant member. (DeRiso)

16. "Dreams," Fleetwood Mac (1977)

Stevie Nicks was trying to channel the heartbreak she endured after separating from Lindsey Buckingham into a song, but couldn't concentrate among the bustle of Fleetwood Mac's sessions for Rumours . "I was kind of wandering around the studio," she later told Yahoo! , "looking for somewhere I could curl up with my Fender Rhodes and my lyrics and a little cassette tape recorder." That's when she ran into a studio assistant who led her to a quieter, previously unseen area at Sausalito's Record Plant. The circular space was surrounded by keyboards and recording equipment, with a half-moon bed in black-and-red velvet to one side. She settled in, completing "Dreams" in less than half an hour, but not before asking the helpful aide one pressing question: "I said, 'What is this?' And he said, 'This is Sly Stone 's studio.'" (DeRiso)

15. "Minute by Minute," the Doobie Brothers (1978)

Michael McDonald was so unsure of this album that he nervously previewed it for a friend. "I mean, all the tunes have merit, but I don't know if they hang together as a record," McDonald later told UCR. "He looked at me and he said, 'This is a piece of shit.'" Record buyers disagreed, making Minute by Minute the Doobie Brothers' first chart-topping multiplatinum release. Such was the mania surrounding this satiny-smooth LP that the No. 14 hit title track lost out on song-of-the-year honors at the Grammys to "What a Fool Believes" (found later in our list of Top 50 Yacht Rock Songs) by the Doobie Brothers. (DeRiso)

14. "Lonely Boy," Andrew Gold (1976)

Andrew Gold’s only Top 10 U.S. hit is a story of parental neglect and simmering resentment, but those pitch-black details are easy to miss when couched inside such a deliciously upbeat melody. Gold chronicles the childhood of the titular lonely boy over a propulsive, syncopated piano figure, detailing the betrayal he felt when his parents presented him with a sister two years his junior. When he turns 18, the lonely boy ships off to college and leaves his family behind, while his sister gets married and has a son of her own — oblivious to the fact that she’s repeating the mistakes of her parents. Gold insisted “Lonely Boy” wasn’t autobiographical, despite the details in the song matching up with his own life. In any case, you can’t help but wonder what kind of imagination produces such dark, compelling fiction. (Rolli)

13. "Baby Come Back," Player (1977)

Liverpool native Peter Beckett moved to the States, originally to join a forgotten act called Skyband. By the time he regrouped to found Player with American J.C. Crowley, Beckett's wife had returned to England. Turns out Crowley was going through a breakup, too, and the Beckett-sung "Baby Come Back" was born. "So it was a genuine song, a genuine lyric – and I think that comes across in the song," Beckett said in The Yacht Rock Book . "That's why it was so popular." The demo earned Player a hastily signed record deal, meaning Beckett and Crowley had to assemble a band even as "Baby Come Back" rose to No. 1. Their debut album was released before Player had ever appeared in concert. (DeRiso)

12. "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight," England Dan & John Ford Coley (1976)

There aren't too many songs with choruses as big as the one England Dan & John Ford Coley pump into the key lines of their first Top 40 single. Getting there is half the fun: The conversational verses – " Hello, yeah, it's been a while / Not much, how 'bout you? / I'm not sure why I called / I guess I really just wanted to talk to you " – build into the superpowered come-on line " I'm not talking 'bout moving in ...  ." Their yacht-rock pedigree is strong: Dan Seals' older brother is Seals & Croft's Jim Seals. (Gallucci)

11. "Hey Nineteen," Steely Dan (1980)

At least on the surface, “Hey Nineteen” is one of Steely Dan’s least ambiguous songs: An over-the-hill guy makes one of history’s most cringe-worthy, creepiest pick-up attempts, reminiscing about his glory days in a fraternity and lamenting that his would-be companion doesn’t know who Aretha Franklin is. (The bridge is a bit tougher to crack. Is anyone sharing that “fine Colombian”?) But the words didn’t propel this Gaucho classic into Billboard's Top 10. Instead, that credit goes to the groove, anchored by Walter Becker ’s gently gliding bass guitar, Donald Fagen’s velvety electric piano and a chorus smoother than top-shelf Cuervo Gold. (Reed)

10. "Rich Girl," Daryl Hall & John Oates (1976)

It’s one of the most economical pop songs ever written: two A sections, two B sections (the second one extended), a fade-out vocal vamp. In and out. Wham, bam, boom. Perhaps that's why it’s easy to savor “Rich Girl” 12 times in a row during your morning commute, why hearing it just once on the radio is almost maddening. This blue-eyed-soul single, the duo’s first No. 1 hit, lashes out at a supposedly entitled heir to a fast-food chain. (The original lyric was the less-catchy “rich guy ”; that one change may have earned them millions.) But there’s nothing bitter about that groove, built on Hall’s electric piano stabs and staccato vocal hook. (Reed)

9. "Fooled Around and Fell in Love," Elvin Bishop (1975)

Elvin Bishop made his biggest pop-chart splash with "Fooled Around and Fell In Love," permanently changing the first line of his bio from a  former member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band to a solo star in his own right. There was only one problem: "The natural assumption was that it was Elvin Bishop who was singing,” singer  Mickey Thomas told the Tahoe Daily Tribune in 2007. Thomas later found even greater chart success with Starship alongside Donny Baldwin, who also played drums on Bishop's breakthrough single. "A lot of peers found out about me through that, and ultimately I did get credit for it," Thomas added. "It opened a lot of doors for me." (DeRiso)

8. "Baker Street," Gerry Rafferty (1978)

Gerry Rafferty already had a taste of success when his band Stealers Wheel hit the Top 10 with the Dylanesque "Stuck in the Middle With You" in 1973. His first solo album after the group's split, City to City , made it to No. 1 in 1978, thanks in great part to its hit single "Baker Street" (which spent six frustrating weeks at No. 2). The iconic saxophone riff by Raphael Ravenscroft gets much of the attention, but this single triumphs on many other levels. For six, mood-setting minutes Rafferty winds his way down "Baker Street" with a hopefulness rooted in eternal restlessness. (Gallucci)

7. "Dirty Work," Steely Dan (1972)

In just about three minutes, Steely Dan tells a soap-opera tale of an affair between a married woman and a man who is well aware he's being played but is too hopelessly hooked to end things. " When you need a bit of lovin' 'cause your man is out of town / That's the time you get me runnin' and you know I'll be around ," singer David Palmer sings in a surprisingly delicate tenor. A saxophone and flugelhorn part weeps underneath his lines. By the time the song is over, we can't help but feel sorry for the narrator who is, ostensibly, just as much part of the problem as he could be the solution. Not all yacht rock songs have happy endings. (Rapp)

6. "Ride Like the Wind," Christopher Cross (1979)

“Ride Like the Wind” is ostensibly a song about a tough-as-nails outlaw racing for the border of Mexico under cover of night, but there’s nothing remotely dangerous about Christopher Cross’ lithe tenor or the peppy piano riffs and horns propelling the tune. Those contradictions aren’t a detriment. This is cinematic, high-gloss pop-rock at its finest, bursting at the seams with hooks and elevated by Michael McDonald’s silky backing vocals. Cross nods to his Texas roots with a fiery guitar solo, blending hard rock and pop in a way that countless artists would replicate in the next decade. (Rolli)

5. "Summer Breeze," Seals & Crofts (1972)

Jim Seals and Dash Crofts were childhood friends in Texas, but the mellow grandeur of "Summer Breeze" makes it clear that they always belonged in '70s-era Southern California. "We operate on a different level," Seals once said , sounding like nothing if not a Laurel Canyon native. "We try to create images, impressions and trains of thought in the minds of our listeners." This song's fluttering curtains, welcoming domesticity and sweet jasmine certainly meet that standard. For some reason, however, they released this gem in August 1972 – as the season faded into fall. Perhaps that's why "Summer Breeze" somehow never got past No. 6 on the pop chart. (DeRiso)

4. "Lowdown," Boz Scaggs (1976)

As you throw on your shades and rev the motor, the only thing hotter than the afternoon sun is David Hungate’s sweet slap-bass blasting from the tape deck. “This is the good life,” you say to no one in particular, casually tipping your baseball cap to the bikini-clad crew on the boat zooming by. Then you press “play” again. What else but Boz Scaggs ’ silky “Lowdown” could soundtrack such a moment in paradise? Everything about this tune, which cruised to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, is equally idyllic: Jeff Porcaro’s metronomic hi-hat pattern, David Paich’s jazzy keyboard vamp, the cool-guy croon of Scaggs — flexing about gossip and “schoolboy game.” You crack open another cold one — why not? And, well, you press play once more. (Reed)

3. "Lido Shuffle," Boz Scaggs (1976)

Scaggs' storied career began as a sideman with Steve Miller  and already included a scorching duet with Duane Allman . Co-writer David Paich would earn Grammy-winning stardom with songs like "Africa." Yet they resorted to theft when it came to this No. 11 smash. Well, in a manner of speaking: "'Lido' was a song that I'd been banging around, and I kind of stole – well, I didn't steal anything. I just took the idea of the shuffle," Scaggs told Songfacts in 2013. "There was a song that Fats Domino did called 'The Fat Man ' that had a kind of driving shuffle beat that I used to play on the piano, and I just started kind of singing along with it. Then I showed it to Paich, and he helped me fill it out." Then Paich took this track's bassist and drummer with him to form Toto. (DeRiso)

2. "Peg," Steely Dan (1977)

"Peg" is blessed with several yacht-rock hallmarks: a spot on Steely Dan's most Steely Dan-like album, Aja , an impeccable airtightness that falls somewhere between soft-pop and jazz and yacht rock's stalwart captain, Michael McDonald, at the helm. (He may be a mere backing singer here, but his one-note chorus chirps take the song to another level.) Like most Steely Dan tracks, this track's meaning is both cynical and impenetrable, and its legacy has only grown over the years – from hip-hop samples to faithful cover versions. (Gallucci)

1. "What a Fool Believes," the Doobie Brothers (1978)

Michael McDonald not only steered the Doobie Brothers in a new direction when he joined in 1975, but he also made them a commercial powerhouse with the 1978 album Minute by Minute . McDonald co-wrote "What a Fool Believes" – a No. 1 single; the album topped the chart, too – with Kenny Loggins and sang lead, effectively launching a genre in the process. The song's style was copied for the next couple of years (most shamelessly in Robbie Dupree's 1980 Top 10 "Steal Away"), and McDonald became the bearded face of yacht rock. (Gallucci)

Top 100 Classic Rock Artists

Gallery Credit: UCR Staff

More From Ultimate Classic Rock

Dan Sharp "Between The Brave, Bold and Given Up" - Review

Built To Spill "Keep It Like a Secret" - Retrospective Review

Wolf Parade "Apologies to the Queen Mary" - Retrospective Review

The Housemartins "London 0 Hull 4" - Retrospective Review

The Libertines "All Quiet On the Eastern Esplanade" - Review

Franz Ferdinand "Franz Ferdinand" - Twentieth Anniversary Review

Cage the Elephant "Out Loud & Neon Pill" - Single Review

The Decemberists "The King Is Dead" - Retrospective Review

Modest Mouse "Good News For People Who Love Bad News" - Twentieth Anniversary Review

The Vaccines "Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations" - Review

• John Robinson

Top 100 Greatest Yacht Rock Songs of All Time

Yacht Rock, a term that has steadily grown in popularity, refers to the smooth, groovy rock music of the '70s and '80s that has been popularized over the recent years. Initially categorized as soft rock or adult contemporary, Yacht Rock places a stronger emphasis on the groove rather than the lyrics, making it some of the easiest and catchiest easy listening music for many rock fans. Interestingly, nearly all Yacht Rock songs were created 35-40 years before the genre was officially recognized as its own distinct style, leaving room for interpretation about what exactly qualifies as Yacht Rock. For our criteria, we analyzed the entire catalog of Sirius XM Yacht Rock Radio alongside Spotify and Apple Music’s Yacht Rock playlists and ranked the songs accordingly. Each song included has been deemed Yacht Rock by at least one of these sources and was scored against all other entries. Some songs may rank higher in a broader rock or soft rock sphere, but here are what we have deemed to be the 100 Greatest Yacht Rock Songs of All Time complete with a playlist of all 100 Songs . For a broader list across at songs across the rock realm, be sure to check out the Top 200 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time .

1. What a Fool Believes - The Doobie Brothers

Deemed almost unanimously as the quintessential Yacht Rock tune by the few publications that have taken the time to dive into this same endeavor , What a Fool Believes  stands out as one of the grooviest rock tunes to ever achieve mainstream success. Featuring the quintessential Yacht Rock vocalist, Michael McDonald, the song topped charts across North America and became one of the most recognizable and frequently played songs of the '70s. Michael McDonald, who joined The Doobie Brothers in 1975, had become the band's primary vocalist by the release of Minute by Minute  in 1978, which houses What a Fool Believes . With this album marking a new sound for the band, especially following the temporary health-related departure of Tom Johnston, the band's new sound was polished to perfection, a dramatic shift from the Toulouse Street  sound of the early part of the decade. Nevertheless, What a Fool Believes  is a serious earworm, a critically "perfect" pop-rock song, if you will, and a song that reinvented The Doobie Brothers.

2. Peg   - Steely Dan

One of the most talented groups on our list, if not the most talented, Steely Dan transcended the typical confines of Yacht Rock during their initial ten-year run. Covering genres from Yacht Rock to jazz rock, progressive rock, and funk rock, Steely Dan captivated audiences uniquely throughout the '70s and early '80s. Walter Becker and Donald Fagen consistently collaborated with the world's finest studio musicians, producing albums of perfectionist caliber. Within the realm of Yacht Rock, Peg  takes their top spot, ranking just behind What a Fool Believes  in the genre. Once again, Michael McDonald provides backing vocals, harmonizing behind Donald Fagen and Paul Griffin. The silky smooth vocals paired with top-notch instrumentals make Peg  a standout track. 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. As one of the smoothest and catchiest songs of the ‘70s, Brandy  consistently appears on nearly every Yacht Rock, adult contemporary, or easy listening playlist available. The song tells a melancholic tale that is open to interpretation, though it is generally understood to describe an attractive bartender based in Northern New Jersey. Featuring catchy harmonies, clean soft guitar, and subtle horn use, what's not to love about this song?

4. Sailing   - Christopher Cross

If it were up to us at Melophobe, the "Yacht Rock Crown" would go to San Antonio’s own Christopher Cross. Although Cross really shined with just his first two studio albums before his later releases (post-1983) fell into obscurity, his early work still grabs all the attention. From his self-titled debut album, Sailing  stands out as a top ten hit that's the epitome of Yacht Rock. Interestingly, the term "yacht rock" itself is often linked right back to this song. His debut album is loaded with iconic tunes in this style, with Sailing  rightfully taking its place at the forefront.

5. Escape (The Pi ñ a Colada Song)  - Rupert Holmes

The second tune in our top ten that found its way onto one of the three Guardians of the Galaxy  soundtracks—as well as its original LP release—comes from yacht rock icon Rupert Holmes. Escape (The Piña Colada Song)  tells a story that feels more comical today than it might have in the ‘70s, describing a personal ad in search of a like-minded, carefree, fun-loving companion. Beyond the quirky lyrics, the sounds of crashing waves and clean guitars have turned the tune into a timeless earworm, cementing its status as a yacht rock masterpiece long before the term even existed. Guardians of the Galaxy  wasn't just a great series for action lovers; who would've guessed its soundtrack would become almost as iconic as the movies themselves?

6. Lowdown  - Boz Scaggs

Part of the same studio musician collective that worked with Steely Dan, Boz Scaggs hit major commercial success in 1976 with the release of his richly decorated album Silk Degrees . Boz Scaggs found success as one of the few artists to achieve substantial mainstream success in the jazz rock world aside from Steely Dan, with both artists utilizing many of the same studio musicians. Released from Silk Degrees , the standout yacht rock tune is Lowdown , a tightly produced masterpiece. Similar to Christopher Cross, Boz's peak in the mainstream was relatively brief, with his fame primarily anchored to Silk Degrees  and sporadic airplay of his other songs over about a decade.

7. Come and Get Your Love  - Redbone

Yet another tune from the Guardians of the Galaxy  soundtracks to make our top ten is Come and Get Your Love , released in 1975 by the swamp rock band Redbone. While often labeled as a one-hit-wonder, Redbone actually scored another American top 40 hit in 1971 and enjoyed scattered success in the R&B scene throughout the '70s. Come and Get Your Love  has since been celebrated as one of the greatest pop songs of the '70s and also managed to somewhat subtly tap into the disco craze of the era.

8. Margaritaville  - Jimmy Buffett

The question of whether Jimmy Buffett fits into the yacht rock category has stirred some debate lately, with the answer remaining somewhat unclear since the term itself is still relatively new. Most agree that Buffett's music is in a category of its own, but there are still those who argue that his unique sound has a place within yacht rock. Regardless, Margaritaville  and a few other Buffett tunes are staples on yacht rock radio stations, so we've deemed them eligible. Buffett's music embodies a carefree lifestyle that mirrors the feel and attitude of yacht rock. His iconic song Margaritaville  instantly puts listeners in a vacation mindset, a unique characteristic that has garnered it extensive praise and airplay over the years. The passing of Jimmy Buffett, an American legend, touched the hearts of many.

9. Africa  - Toto

The first track from the 1980s to make our top ten is Africa  from Toto's fourth album, aptly named Toto IV , released in 1982. Africa  topped the charts across North America and performed exceptionally well worldwide with its powerful chorus, extensive keyboard usage, and subtle guitar playing. Alongside Rosanna , also from Toto IV , Africa  has become a yacht rock staple, but it didn’t stop there—it transcended the genre to become one of the most iconic songs of the '80s. Today, it's still adored, nearing two billion streams on Spotify. The song has also become a favorite for covers, from bar bands to top-notch acts like Weezer.

10. Baby Come Back  - Player

Player carved out a slice of mainstream success in the late '70s, as soft rock began to resonate with those not taken by styles like punk rock and disco. Their biggest hit by far was the North American chart-topper Baby Come Back . Aside from being a soft rock staple, the song has also gained a new life as a meme across the internet. While yacht rock songs typically shy away from overly heartfelt or emotional lyrics, focusing more on the groove, Baby Come Back  manages to do both masterfully. The song blends notable emotional depth with an undeniably groovy beat, making it incredibly memorable—so much so that it's recognized by just about every American

11. Just the Two of Us  - Grover Washington Jr, Bill Withers

12. Southern Cross  - Crosby, Stills & Nash

13. Take it Easy  - Eagles

14. Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)  - Christopher Cross

15. Year of the Cat  - Al Stewart

16. Hey Nineteen  - Steely Dan

17. Still the One  - Orleans

18. Sharing the Night Together  - Dr. Hook

19. Sister Golden Hair  - America

20. Dreams  - Fleetwood Mac

21. Summer Breeze  - Seals & Croft

22. Guitar Man  - Bread

23. Thunder Island  - Jay Ferguson

24. Lido Shuffle  - Boz Scaggs

25. Give Me the Night  - George Benson

26. How Much I Feel  - Ambrosia

27. Reminiscing  - Little River Band

28. Doctor My Eyes  - Jackson Browne

29. Sara Smile  - Hall & Oates

30. Rosanna  - Toto

31. All Night Long (All Night)  - Lionel Richie

32. I.G.Y.  - Donald Fagan

33. Minute By Minute  - The Doobie Brothers

34. If You Leave Me Now  - Chicago

35. Time Out of Mind  - Steely Dan

36. Kokomo  - The Beach Boys

37. Eye in the Sky  - Alan Parsons Project

38. Sentimental Lady  - Bob Welch

39. Rich Girl  - Hall & Oates

40. What You Won't Do for Love  - Bobby Caldwell

41. Ride Like the Wind  - Christopher Cross

42. I'd Really Love to See You Tonight  - England Dan & John Ford Coley

43. Lovely Day  - Bill Withers

44. Graceland  - Paul Simon

45. Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes - Jimmy Buffett

46. Time Passages  - Al Stewart

47. One of These Nights  - Eagles

48. She's Gone  - Hall & Oates

49. Silly Love Songs  - Wings

50. Hold On  - Santana

51. Steal Away  - Robbie Dupree

52. Dance With Me  - Orleans

53. Listen to the Music  - The Doobie Brothers

54. How Long  - Ace

55. So Into You  - Atlanta Rhythm Section

56. Diamond Girl  - Seals & Croft

57. Lotta Love  - Nicolette Larson

58. We Just Disagree  - Dave Mason

59. Mexico  - James Taylor

60. Keep on Loving You  - REO Speedwagon

61. Baker Street  - Gerry Rafferty

62. Tender is the Night  - Jackson Browne

63. Love Will Find a Way  - Pablo Cruise

64. You Can Do Magic  - America

65. Key Largo  - Bertie Higgins

66. When You're In Love With a Beautiful Woman  - Dr. Hook

67. Dirty Work  - Steely Dan

68. All Out of Love  - Air Supply

69. I Saw the Light  - Todd Rundgren

70. Let Me Love You Tonight  - Pure Prairie League

71. I Love You  - Climax Blues Band

72. I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)  - Michael McDonald

73. This is It  - Kenny Loggins

74. The Things We Do For Love  - 10cc

75. Say You Love Me  - Fleetwood Mac

76. Biggest Part of Me  - Ambrosia

77. You're the Inspiration  - Chicago

78. Dream Weaver  - Gary Wright

79. Longer  - Dan Fogelberg

80. You Are  - Lionel Richie

81. Just a Song Before I Go  - Crosby, Stills & Nash

82. Right Down the Line  - Gerry Rafferty

83. New Frontier  - Donald Fagan

84. I Love a Rainy Night  - Eddie Rabbitt

85. Cool Night  - Paul Davis

86. Get Down On It  - Kool & The Gang

87. It's Raining Again - Supertramp

88. Vincent  - Don McLean

89. Crazy Love  - Poco

90. Spooky  - Atlanta Rhythm Section

91. Vienna  - Billy Joel

92. Cool Cat  - Queen

93. Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You  - George Benson

94. Hypnotized  - Bob Welch (Also Released by Fleetwood Mac)

95. Casablanca  - Bertie Higgins

96. Think of Laura  - Christopher Cross

97. Fooled Around and Fell in Love  - Elvin Bishop

98. Private Eyes  - Hall & Oates

99. Lonesome Loser  - Little River Band

100. Moonlight Feels Right - Starbuck

All of the picks from this list have been compiled into a streamable Spotify Playlist below entitled Yacht Rock Top 100 .

Recent Posts

Top 200 Greatest Rock Songs Post 1960

Top 50 Greatest Singer-Songwriter Albums of All Time

Top 100 Greatest American Rock Artists of All Time

Listen Now on Spotify

50 Fantastic Long-form Rock Songs

Top 100 Greatest Pop-Punk Songs of All Time

Top 100 Greatest Drummers of All Time

Top 100 Greatest Alternative Rock Albums of the '90s

Top 15 Songs by Vampire Weekend

Top 100 Greatest Indie Rock Albums of 2000-2009

Top 100 Greatest American Albums of All Time

100 Underrated Indie Rock Songs

Top 100 Greatest Rock Vocalists of All Time

100 Greatest Alternative Albums

100 Gre atest Alternative Artists

100 Greatest Debut Alternative Albums

100 Greatest Indie Rock Albums

100 Greatest Indie Rock Artists

100 Greatest Indie Rock Songs

100 Greates t Indie Rock Songs Post 2000

100 Fantastic Indie Rock DEEP CUTS Post 2000

100 Greatest Alternative Rock Songs of the '90s

100 Greatest Rock Artists

100 Greatest Rock Albums

100 Greatest Rock Albums of the '70s

100 Most Influential Rock Albums

10 Iconic Ea rly Alternative Rock Songs

ANOTHER 10 Iconic Early Alternative Rock Songs

10 Fantastic Song Titles

Five Underrated Albums of the 2000's 

Contact  Us

© 2024 by Melophobe Music. Proudly created with Wix.com

Referral code for up to $80 off applied at checkout

Important update regarding changes to International Memberships. Click HERE for details.

The 10 best yacht rock albums to own on vinyl, climb aboard for the smoothest records you'll ever own.

In 2006, a group of buddies produced a series of short videos called “Yacht Rock.” The videos defined yacht rock as a genre of smooth music, born out of Southern California between 1976 and 1984, and featuring exceptional musicianship with roots in R&B, jazz and folk rock. Its stars: Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Toto and Steely Dan.

The last 11 years have tested the genre’s buoyancy. Since 2006, yacht rock has been co-opted by Big Radio, whose yacht playlists include flimsy AM gold like Bertie Higgins and California corporate rock like the Eagles. Luckily the originators of the term, through their podcast Beyond Yacht Rock, have helped to set the parameters of the genre.

Good yacht rock is frequently credited to many of the same names: established players like multi-instrumentalist Jay Graydon, producer David Foster, percussionist Victor Feldman, and hard-working-studio-band-turned-80s-superstars Toto. And it’s heavier on R&B and jazz than folk rock, incorporating the work of Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson and others.

With that, here are the 10 best yacht rock albums to start your collection - or, shall I say, to christen your vessel.

Shop Till You Drop

Record reviews.

Toto: Toto IV (1982, Columbia)

The album that shot Toto into superstardom is a perfect primer for the yacht rock sound. “Rosanna,” with drummer Jeff Porcaro’s iconic shuffle technique, makes multiple left turns, a crucial component of most yacht songs. You’ll know this album for “Rosanna” and No. 1 smash “Africa,” but the slow groove of “Waiting For Your Love” shows the band’s ability to dip into soul and R&B, a trait that helped them on cuts like “Human Nature” and “The Lady in My Life” off another yacht rock album, Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Toto could also bring the heat with mid-tempo stunners like “Make Believe” and “Good For You.” A deep listen of Toto IV reveals a group of professionals rarely wasting notes.

Boz Scaggs: Silk Degrees (1976, CBS)

If yacht rock is a marriage of jazz, R&B and singer-songwriter folk rock, Boz Scaggs’ breakout Silk Degrees is one of the earliest attempts at matrimony. Boz employed David Paich, David Hungate and Jeff and Joe Porcaro for the album, and their work here would set a template for the Toto sound (combine “Lowdown” and “Lido Shuffle” and you get something near “Rosanna”). There’s a few too many strings here, Boz gets a little too lyrical (Yacht Rock isn’t necessarily a lyricist’s genre) and the bass is so up front that it can feel like disco. But if you want to know the roots of yacht rock, Silk Degrees is a good choice.

Michael McDonald: If That’s What it Takes (1982, Warner Bros.)

Two crucial instruments in yacht rock: the Fender Rhodes keyboard and McDonald’s husky, blue-eyed soul tenor. If That’s What it Takes, McDonald’s solo debut after leaving the Doobie Brothers, has plenty of both. “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near)” is essential yacht, a chill-out anthem featuring half of Toto, who also appear on the ballad “That’s Why” and slightly discofied “No Such Luck.” McDonald’s buddy Loggins co-writes “I Gotta Try,” one of many yacht anthems about fools looking to change their luck. And make no mistake: McDonald is the poster boy for fools constantly searching for small victories.

Kenny Loggins: High Adventure (1982, Columbia)

Loggins isn’t always yacht rock. Sometimes, like on High Adventure, he’s far too tender (“The More We Try”) or he’s far too heavy (“Swear Your Love”). But there’s a lot of yacht rock range on this enormously fun album, from the Latin-tinged “Heartlight” to the gritty “If It’s Not What You’re Looking For.” Then there’s Loggins’ version of “I Gotta Try” and, finally, a quintessential yacht rock hit, “Heart to Heart.” Loggins is a little lighter and slightly more soulful on his 1979 album Keep the Fire, which includes the stunning “This Is It.” He’s certainly an essential artist in the yacht canon, but always step lightly with Loggins. The guy is a chameleon.

Dane Donohue: Dane Donohue (1978, Columbia)

There are countless yacht rock albums either lost in bargain bins or available only as imports, from the 1980 self-titled album by Airplay (listen to the quintessential “Nothin’ You Can Do About It”) to 1978’s Blue Virgin Isles by Swedish singer Ted Gardestad. Dane Donohue’s 1978 self-titled debut is another, featuring Graydon, Feldman, members of Toto and Los Angeles studio professionals like Larry Carlton, Jai Winding and Steve Gadd. “Can’t Be Seen” has a distinct yacht sound, as does the crisp “Woman,” which features backing vocals from J.D. Souther and Stevie Nicks. You’ll tell quickly that Donohue is a third-rate vocal talent for the genre (McDonald or, say, Al Jarreau would elevate these tracks), but the point is the smooth, polished sound. Yacht rock is a player’s genre.

Steely Dan: Aja (1978, ABC)

Steely Dan’s importance to yacht rock can’t be overstated. They introduced the world to McDonald (“Any World [That I’m Welcome To]” off Katy Lied ) and curated an inner circle of studio professionals versed in jazz, R&B and soul, who would later perfect the yacht sound. Arguably the Dan is smoothest on the 1980 smash Gaucho , but Aja finds Walter Becker and Donald Fagen comfortably hitting a middle-ground stride. You’ve probably heard much of the album already, from the slithering journey of “Deacon Blues” to the percolating “Peg,” but what’s amazing about Aja is its ability to position Steely Dan as a mainstream hit factory while remaining expansive and adventurous (the title track, “I Got the News”).

Patti Austin: Every Home Should Have One (1981, Qwest)

Yacht rock is popularly considered a white man’s genre, but its roots are in the R&B and jazz that manifest itself as yacht soul on outstanding albums like Austin’s Every Home Should Have One. Examples? “Do You Love Me?” sounds awfully like Loggins’ “I Gotta Try.” And one could imagine McDonald singing “The Way I Feel.” “Love Me to Death” could have been a Michael Jackson outtake, or it’s just a rewrite of “Off the Wall.” The album’s high point is the slow burn “Baby, Come to Me,” which includes James Ingram’s smooth delivery, plus Toto’s Lukather on guitar and Foster on synthesizer. Check George Benson’s Give Me the Night and the Pointer Sisters’ Special Things for more examples of yacht soul.

Al Jarreau: Breakin’ Away (1981, Warner Bros.)

If there’s an album that showcases the yacht rock sound at its cleanest, Breakin’ Away may take the trophy. All of the pertinent studio personnel is on the album, from Toto to Graydon - who’s on as producer - laying down an adventurous, crisp template for Jarreau ( R.I.P .) to deliver his sharp, joyous tenor, complete with plenty of scatting. “We’re In This Love Together” and the title track (with Earth, Wind & Fire horns, a Graydon specialty) are mid-tempo yacht rock beauties. Elsewhere Jarreau experiments with jazzier flavors, but the musicianship is still top-notch. Check out Jarreau’s Jarreau from 1982 as another prime yacht rock attempt; both are albums you’ll want to spin on a bright summer morning.

Pages: Pages (1981, Capitol)

Before Richard Page and Steve George formed half of mid-1980s MTV stars Mr. Mister, their buttery voices were integral components of the yacht rock sound, contributing backing vocals on countless tracks. Their 1981 self-titled release (they also released a self-titled album in 1978 that’s more funkified) is pure yacht. Graydon produced half of the album, and Jeff Porcaro shows up frequently behind the kit. The flip-side of the album is more adventurous, but side A is pound-for-pound the best example of the genre you’ll find on vinyl, and one of the best finds of the sound (Pages’ previous Future Street is a little more proggy but still a treat). Seize Pages and you’ll soon find yourself on some roof deck singing along with Page and George.

Christopher Cross: Christopher Cross (1979, Warner Bros.)

Critics may scoff at Cross’ self-titled debut, a massive success that won five Grammys and scored four top-20 hits, but the album is impeccably performed and produced. Nearly everyone involved on the album is a yacht rock mainstay, from producer Michael Omartian down to the usual suspects, Graydon, Feldman and McDonald, who contributes those iconic backing vocals in “Ride Like the Wind.” “Never Be the Same” and “Say You’ll Be Mine” are both solid mid-tempo hits for the era. And then there’s “Sailing.” It’s actually a sonic outlier for the yacht rock genre, heavy on acoustic guitar and strings. But its message fits the genre (a fool searching for inner peace), and yeah, it’s still undeniably smooth.

• the 10 best

Timothy Malcolm can be found in a variety of publications across the New York metropolitan area. His writing can also be found there. He enjoys guessing No. 1 hits of the 1980s, visiting breweries, trying any beverage once, watching baseball and hiking for long distances across the Hudson Valley and Catskills of New York.

Join the Club!

Records of the Month VMP Store Exclusives Pre-Orders Ready to Ship Vinyl Me, Parton

R&B / Hip-Hop Soul Rock Jazz Country

Collections

Best Sellers Bundles Anthology $30 & Under Represses

${ product.title }

${ product.vendor }, quality music. delivered to your inbox..

Sign up to receive new vinyl release notifications, curated playlists, Magazine articles, and more.

Shopping Cart

Exclusive 15% off for teachers , students , military members , healthcare professionals & first responders – get verified.

• ${ option.name }: ${ option.value }

Your cart is currently empty.

Similar Records

Other customers bought.

Shipping & taxes calculated at checkout

${ accountModal.title }

Referral discount will be applied at checkout

Join the club

Choose a term.

Commit longer and save. Or, choose Monthly for no commitment. We’ll never renew your membership without contacting you first. You can change your Track or Swap your future monthly records.

Shipping begins in April. Sign up today to secure your spot on this once-in-a-lifetime musical journey. Start your subscription with "${chargebee.selectedPlan.product.title}".

Start your subscription with "${chargebee.selectedplan.product.title}"., select a location.

• United States
• International

Available in Limited Engagements of 3, 6, or 12 month terms. Commit longer to save. This Limited Subscription Track will end after 12 months and you will no longer be charged.

This Limited Subscription Track will end in March 2024 and you will no longer be charged. Commit longer and save. Start with this month's Dolly Parton Record, with the option to include catch-up records from the previous months upon signup.

Forgot password?

Create An Account

Create a free VMP account to save this product to your wishlist.

Already have an Account? Sign In

Unsupported Browser

Your web browser appears to be outdated. Our website may not look and function quite right in it.

Please consider updating your browser to enjoy an optimal experience.

Make Your Order a Gift

Want to send this order as a gift? Enter their shipping information, plus an optional note (that will be included in their box) and we’ll take care of the rest. Note: On the next screens, you will be directed to still enter your own shipping information for billing and account purposes, but the order will still ship to your recipient.

Sign Up To Be Notified

by will be the Record of the Month. Enter your email to be notified when this album launches.

Join Waitlist

This product is currently unavailable. We'll add you to the waitlist and notify you if it becomes available.

Save 10% Sitewide CODE: FALL10

Sailing: 10 Essential Yacht Rock Albums to Own as Vinyl Records

The sun is out, the wind is in your hair, and the smell of salty sea air permeates. It's the time of year that's practically begging you to drop the needle on some good old yacht rock . What is yacht rock, anyway? It's a bit difficult to define, but if the vibes are gentle, the guitars are mellow, and the vocals are buttery smooth, odds are you're listening to yacht rock. Yacht rock is experiencing something of a renaissance in popularity without much of a need or effort to reproduce it. There's something about Kenny Loggins with the windows down that just hits in a way that can't be replicated. As we get summer rolling, here's a list of essential yacht rock albums. 

Christopher Cross (1979) — Christopher Cross

Christopher Cross really helped to define the genre with his self-titled debut, right down to the pink flamingo on the cover. The album contains two of Cross' biggest hits, "Sailing" and "Ride Like the Wind," both staples of late '70s soft rock. "Sailing" in particular took on a life of its own, with its mellow, acoustic guitars and string sections coming to define Cross' career. 

Takin' It to the Streets (1976) —The Doobie Brothers

The Doobie Brothers emerged in the early 1970s as a relatively traditional rock band. Distorted guitars and high-octane solos were typical of the Doobies' sound, but that changed with the addition of vocalist Michael McDonald in 1976. With McDonald, the group released  Takin' It to the Streets , a more laid back, jazzier record that even incorporated a horn section. It was a tremendous success, leading to a permanent shift in musical approach for the band. McDonald left the band in 1982, but recently rejoined, reuniting the golden-era Doobie Brothers lineup. 

Breakin' Away (1981) — Al Jarreau

Beginning his career as a jazz musician, Jarreau gradually migrated closer to pop music as the '70s drew to a close. 1981's  Breakin' Away  is atply titled, as it represents his first major effort at a jazz-pop crossover, released to widespread acclaim. Jarreau added a jazz and soul influence to the yacht rock genre that took it in a new direction and opened doors for other artists to get in the game. Jarreau went on to release several more crossover albums, racking up Grammy nods along the way. 

Welcome Home (1978) — Carole King

When all is said and done, Carole King will go down as one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th century. King has penned hit after hit after hit, both for other artists as well as her own impressive catalog.  Welcome Home  offers up King's typical level of brilliance, with hits like "Morning Sun." King may not fit squarely into the yacht rock subgenre, but the vibes are certainly there, and there's never not a valid excuse to listen to more Carole King. 

Can't Buy a Thrill (1972) — Steely Dan

Quick, think of the quintessential "dad band." It's Steely Dan, isn't it? Steely Dan later began experimenting with other genres like jazz fusion and electronic music, but always had one foot firmly planted in yacht rock.  Can't Buy a Thrill  is about as good of a debut album as can be, featuring iconic tracks like "Dirty Work," "Do It Again," and of course "Reelin' in the Years," iconic opening guitar solo and all. 

Late for the Sky (1974) — Jackson Browne

Re-issued on vinyl, Jackson Browne's landmark album,  Late for the Sky  is the record that thrust him into superstardom. Browne had already worked with the Eagles and other major artists as a songwriter, but  Late for the Sky  established him as a major player in soft rock, with the title track being used in the film  Taxi Driver . This was the album that opened the door for Browne, as he released a string of hits throughout the late '70s and '80s. 

No Secrets (1972) — Carly Simon

No Secrets  was Carly Simon's third outing, but her first major commercial success. The album features her signature song, "You're So Vain," leading to a web of conspiracy theories as to who the song could possibly be about in the pre-internet age. 50 years after its release, we're left with only a third of the answer. Simon also collaborated with major artists like James Taylor, Paul and Linda McCartney, and Mick Jagger to produce this icon of the '70s.

Outside From the Redwoods (1993) — Kenny Loggins

All hail Kenny Loggins, the Supreme Lord of Yacht Rock. There is arguably no artist so closely identified with the genre, from his days in the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band to his solo work to the pinnacle of yacht rock with Loggins & Messina.  Outside From the Redwoods is a live album that serves as something of a retrospective of his career, touching on each phase; yes, even "Footloose." A large part of the yacht rock subgenre is collaboration with other yachties, as Loggins duets with Michael McDonald on "What a Fool Believes."

Songs You Know by Heart  (1985) — Jimmy Buffett

Nobody can transport you to a Caribbean island quite like Jimmy Buffett. Released in the '80s,  Songs You Know by Heart  is a compilation record of some of Buffett's biggest hits, including career-defining tracks like "Cheeseburger in Paradise" and "Margaritaville." Buffett's troves of loyal fans, known as Parrotheads, can chill with the best of them, reclining in their beach chairs, sipping on fruity drinks and spinning vinyl. 

Marathon (1979) — Santana

While Santana may be more closely identified with Carlos Santana's ripping blues guitar licks, 1979's  Marathon  veers into yacht rock. Vocalist Alex Ligertwood's smooth, R&B style vocals provide a new direction for Santana, as tracks like "You Know That I Love You" and "All I Ever Wanted" provided huge commercial success. Of course, the album is far from short on guitar mastery, with "Lightning in the Sky" featuring a signature Santana solo. 

Add To Your Collection

Fleetwood Mac: Rumours

Fleetwood Mac: Greatest Hits

Bob Marley: Legend [Reissue]

Led Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin IV

The Eagles: Their Greatest Hits Volumes 1 & 2

Michael Jackson: Thriller

Johnny Cash: The Essential Johnny Cash

Taylor Swift: Speak Now (Taylor's Version)

Taylor Swift: The Tortured Poets Department [Ghosted White 2 LP]

The Beatles: Abbey Road Anniversary (1LP)

• Music Systems View Products
• Suitcase and Portable View Products
• Turntables & Integrated Players View Products
• Wireless Turntables View Products
• All Record Players View Products

• All Bluetooth Speakers View Products
• Nostalgic Radios View Products
• Outdoor Speakers View Products
• Jukeboxes View Products

• Wood Music Systems View Products
• Modern & Mid-Century View Products
• Retro & Vintage View Products
• Suitcase View Products
• Premiere View Products
• All Products View Products

• Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.
• Opens in a new window.

Yacht Rock Essentials: “What You Won’t Do for Love,” the Massive Debut Single from Bobby Caldwell

Jim Beviglia

There was a bit of mystery and sleight of hand at play when Bobby Caldwell hit it big with his single “What You Won’t Do for Love” in 1978. But that has long since faded, and the charms of the smooth song that fits so comfortably into so many genres, including yacht rock, have endured.

Videos by American Songwriter

What is the song about? How did Caldwell write it on demand? And why did Caldwell’s record company tried to hide his identity to an extent when the song was released? Here are the details behind “What You Won’t Do for Love,” Caldwell’s first and most successful single.

A Multifaceted Background

When you hear “What You Won’t Do for Love,” you’ll probably notice it’s somewhat uncategorizable, in large part because it seems to draw from a deep well of influences. That starts to make sense when you understand how Bobby Caldwell came to that point in his career.

Born in Manhattan, raised in Miami, Caldwell was turned on by his parents to big-band singing heroes like Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra. A multi-instrumentalist, he worked for a while in Little Richard’s touring band, while also spending time as a member of the Miami outfit Kathmandu. He was good friends with Bob Marley.

All those various experiences and influences eventually earned him a record deal with TK Records. That label did big business in the disco-heavy late ’70s, most notably with KC & the Sunshine Band. Caldwell earned the opportunity to release his debut album as a singer/songwriter on the label in 1978.

“Love” Story

Caldwell wrote and recorded several songs he thought were prime candidates for a release as a single. But the record label pushed him to keep trying, as they weren’t blown away with his choices. He quickly came back with “What You Won’t Do for Love,” which was co-written by Alfons Kettner.

The song boasted an outstanding horn arrangement provided by Mike Lewis. This was exactly what the label had been seeking. But they made the interesting decision to restrain from publicizing Caldwell’s picture, as they correctly surmised that many audience members wouldn’t realize, based on his soulful voice and the smoothly funky arrangement, that he was white.

They needn’t have worried. Caldwell eventually had to go out and promote the record, and it didn’t stop the momentum of “What You Won’t Do for Love.” The song hit the Top 10, and endured not just through its inclusion on yacht rock stations and playlists, but also from being sampled often, most notably by Tupac Shakur on his 1998 song “Do for Love.”

What is the Meaning of “What You Won’t Do for Love”?

Caldwell’s lyrics on “What You Don’t For Love” touch on many aspects surrounding the search for that all-too elusive connection. His narrator begins by explaining it took some work on himself before he was ready to open up to someone else: I guess you wonder where I’ve been / I searched to find the love within .

The self-discovery led him to an inescapable conclusion: Got a thing for you and I can’t let go . And he laments there are those who don’t ever experience what he has discovered: Some people go around the world for love / But they never find what they dream of . The title refers to the hangups that ultimately hold you back from a special relationship, which need to be overcome: In my world, only you / Makes me do for love what I would not do.

It’s a clever and novel way to say what’s been said in song many times before. “What You Won’t Do for Love” propelled Bobby Caldwell into a long, varied career in music. He passed away in 2023, leaving behind an impressive legacy and a signature song that, contrary to initial worries, has enthralled all races and creeds over the years.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Leave a Reply

Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.

More From: Behind The Song

Ranking the 5 Best Songs on The Cars’ Brilliant Self-Titled Debut Album

Watch an Awestruck Vince Gill Play “Goin’ Down the Road Feelin’ Bad” with His Musical Hero Chet Atkins

What are The Hollies’ 5 Biggest U.S. Hits?

Carrie Underwood’s Ozzy Osbourne Cover Has “Grizzled Head-Banging Metalhead” in Tears

Recent “One-Hit Wonders” That Were Able to Shed the Dreaded Label

Behind the Changing Meaning of “Where You Lead” by Carole King

You may also like.

The Story Behind Funkadelic’s Unifying Hit “One Nation Under a Groove”

The Story and Meaning Behind “Think,” the Aretha Franklin Smash that Shone a Light on Her Songwriting Skills

Yacht Rock Essentials: “Right Down the Line,” the Ultra-Smooth, Heartfelt Love Song by Gerry Rafferty

Behind the Album: ‘Run Devil Run,’ Paul McCartney’s Rocking Return from Tragedy

Yacht Rock Essentials: “We Just Disagree,” Rock Journeyman Dave Mason’s Biggest Hit

The Story and Meaning Behind “Part-Time Lover,” the Last of Stevie Wonder’s Octet of No. 1 Singles

Stream Top Podcasts

Popular podcasts.

1. Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

2. Start Here

A straightforward look at the day's top news in 20 minutes. Powered by ABC News. Hosted by Brad Mielke.

3. Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.

Featured Podcasts

Forgive Me For I Have Followed

Join Jessica Acevedo, the Executive Producer of Netflix’s explosive docu-series, Dancing For The Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult, and Kailea Gray, marketing strategist and former 7M Films member, as they further expose the core of 7M Films and Shekinah Church. Forgive Me For I Have Followed embarks on a gripping journey into the hidden truths behind this high control group. Through powerful in-depth interviews with former members and new, chilling first-hand accounts, the series will illuminate untold, necessary perspectives. Stories like Kailea’s happen far too often. This podcast will also feature individuals whose lives have been affected by other cults. This will be more than an exploration—it is a vital revelation aimed at ensuring these types of abuses never happen again.

So Supernatural

Most mysteries can be solved by looking at the facts. But sometimes, the truth lies somewhere in the unknown… Enter the realm of true crime’s most bizarre occurrences, and unravel all the possible explanations. No matter how strange or surreal they get.

Against the Rules with Michael Lewis

In Against the Rules, journalist and bestselling author Michael Lewis explores the figures in American life who rely on the public's trust, whether in sports, in business, in the courtroom, or on TV. What happens when that trust erodes and we can no longer agree on what's fair and what's not? With wry humor, Lewis reveals the fascinating humans behind the public roles: the judge, the arbitrator, the scientist, the coach, the referee, and many more. iHeartMedia is the exclusive podcast partner of Pushkin Industries.

iHeart Podcast Networks .css-1q01m3q{margin:0 0 -2px 0;}

© 2024 iHeartMedia, Inc.

• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes

Yacht Rock Revue explain why they're charting a new course with original music

Sarah Rodman is the Entertainment Editor, covering TV and music for EW.

After nearly a dozen years confidently steering the S.S. Nostalgia, playing the beloved soft rock hits of the ’70s and ’80s to packed crowds wearing captain’s hats, Yacht Rock Revue are charting a new course by releasing their first album of original material. Hot Dads in Tight Jeans won’t be released until Feb. 21, but EW is bringing you the first single, “Step,” right here.

“We wanted to hit a note that was both retro and could be right now,” says shades-sporting co-frontman Nick Niespodziani of the synthy-smooth jam. “We wanted it to be outside of time.”

That musical mood dovetails nicely with the vibe of a group that began on a lark in 2007 and has steadily grown into an act that crisscrosses the country to play for its own devoted fans. The Atlanta septet can draw thousands of people to sing along to spot-on renditions of hits by Hall & Oates, Toto, Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross, and other artists whose names some in the audience have forgotten, or never knew, but whose hits have endured, such as “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl),” by Looking Glass. While there may have been an element of irony for some attendees at the beginning, the shows tend to be unabashedly joyous affairs.

Niespodziani, drummer Mark Cobb, and co-frontman Peter Olson were all in a band called Y-O-U in the early 2000s that enjoyed some regional success but ended up petering out. “We were all splitting off to do other things,” says Niespodziani. “Peter was thinking about moving to Colorado and I had started law school and we were all kind of ready for what was happening after music. Because when you’re 27 and you haven’t made it yet, you’re an ancient guy. And in the midst of that we did this one Yacht Rock show and then all of a sudden it became what it is now. We’ve got an office, and a band, and a 401k.”

Soon they will have that album of original material as well as a documentary detailing their unlikely route to success as they rose from bar band to amphitheater band.

In addition to sharing “Step,” the group also curated the ultimate Yacht Rock Spotify playlist for EW, and we chatted with Niespodziani about the band’s step toward original songwriting and mixing up the smooth classics in their set.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: You’ve finally decided to make original music, again. How much anxiety do you have about fan reception since they’re used to you playing songs they love? NICK NIESPODZIANI: We played it for the first time at our big Atlanta show in August at Chastain Park Amphitheater in front of 7,000 people. I was pretty nervous because all these songs that we play, everybody knows every word. Like, every song we play would be the encore for whatever artist it is that we’re covering. So how do you put up a song that people have never heard before, at all, against those songs? I was originally super nervous about it, but our fans really surprised me. I expected everybody to leave for the bathroom or the bros to start booing. But they stayed and they got into it, and the reception everywhere we’ve been with it has been awesome. People are into it. So I’m much less nervous now than I was before.

The album itself is not a “yacht rock” record but is obviously in a similar wheelhouse and has a cheeky humor to it. Do you get the sense that you’ve built up enough goodwill from the fans since you’ve been playing for so long that they’re open to original songs? Yeah, and I’ve noticed, especially over the last three or four years, when we go places, whether it’s the people at the venue or the fans that we’ve talked to, they treat us like artists. In the beginning, I felt like a glorified stripper where people just wanted to pull my hair and see if it was real and it was more of a novelty thing. But now I feel like we’ve earned that respect from our fans and they’re open to it, or at least they have been so far. I’m hoping that that streak continues.

How did you decide that now was the time for you guys to try this? I was kind of going through my midlife crisis checklist, choices like “I could wreck a red sports car” or “I could have an affair with a busty nurse.” And I was like, “You know what I really should do is make an album with my ’70s soft rock band.” So we threw the idea around and were like, “Why not try it,” talking about that goodwill we built up with our fans. The cool thing for me especially is that I’ve made a lot of records over the years, little side projects that had no budget and no hope for people to hear them. And this experience has been the opposite of that. We were able to get an incredible producer and make a cool video all with the power of the Yacht Rock machine that we’ve built behind it. And it’s been really inspiring and fun.

Who produced it? Ben Allen, he’s from here in Atlanta. He produced Walk The Moon and Animal Collective’s big records and he just did the new Kaiser Chiefs record, which is [a hit] in the UK right now. He did Gnarls Barkley. He’s a close friend of mine and I was kind of nervous, even though we hang out and go to the gym together, to ask him about making a record with Yacht Rock because I thought there would be this stigma because he produces Deerhunter and all these super hipster bands. And he was immediately like, “Yeah, let’s do it. That sounds really fun.”

A song like “Step” could probably slip into your sets with relative ease since it has that blue-eyed soul falsetto thing happening that spans from disco, like a sliver of Giorgio Moroder, to a group like Hall & Oates to something like Beck’s song “Debra.” Yeah, we definitely leaned on more on that ’80s side of the coin, Hall & Oates and even some ’80s David Bowie and some of the synthier stuff like Giorgio Moroder. That just strikes closer to our personal taste and I think it’s easier to see how that fits in with modern music. Whereas if you make something that’s just like a Steely Dan rip, that’s really a very segmented thing off to the side.

We didn’t want to come out with something that could maybe be viewed as a novelty single for the first thing. When you’re a cover band coming out with original music, getting taken seriously is the first hurdle that you have to leap over. So “Step” felt like the right choice because it’s a mission statement for the whole album in a way. It’s about deciding who you want to be and making the space for that in your life.

I guess in my view everyone is putting on an act of some sort. We pretend to be these coked-up ’70 dudes, but we are who we are inside and I’m inspired by people like Lizzo and Pete Buttigieg and Puddles The Clown. It’s definitely an act that all of them are doing, but the heart of what they’re doing is true. The center of it emotionally is honest and unapologetic. And that’s what “Step” is about. And that’s what this whole album is about for us. Because we are a bunch of 40-year-old dads who are trying to make our first record that people listen to, why not just bear hug it instead of run away from it?

Do you ever think how wild it is that you all have built a career out of this, particularly since you’re not a straight tribute band of one group? All the time. It’s crazy. If you would’ve told me when we did the first show “that this is going to be your career,” I would have slapped you in the face. There’s just no way. I never imagined doing something like this. And it’s funny because I feel like in that early band, I thought music was all about what’s inside of you as an artist and that if I can find inside myself this great, soul-wrenching truth that will be the reason that I become famous and whatever. And I think over the years with Yacht Rock — grudgingly at first — I started to realize that music is actually about the shared experience and being there in the room together, having fun, and just escaping from life for a while. And I feel like it’s been this 11-year penance that I’ve gone through, and now I’ve come out on the other side and I have a completely different view of what music is and what it should be. That’s what inspired this record and it makes me so happy to do what I do now.

Which is funny on one level because probably for 90 percent of what you’re performing, the original artist is sick to death of playing that song. But you all have now performed some of these songs so many times that it is entirely possible that you are as sick of singing something like “Africa” as Toto is. And yet you always legitimately seem like you are having fun. It’s funny you mention “Africa.” That’s the only song we have to play at every show. And I think it kind of goes through waves. It’s like a Saturday Night Live joke where they keep repeating the same thing and it gets really monotonous and not funny. And then if you repeat it for long enough, it becomes funny again. It got to where it got old for a while and now it’s really fun to sing that song, even though I’ve probably sung it 2,000 times, literally. It’s not a problem.

Coldplay has to sing “Yellow” every night no matter what. There are five or six other songs they have to sing every night no matter what. We don’t have to do that. We have thousands of songs to choose from. So, in some ways, it’s been a blessing that we can stay fresher because we can always change out songs and add new songs.

Let’s talk about this playlist. You have a pretty wide range here, including yacht rock staples like Michael McDonald’s “I Keep Forgettin'” but also songs from Lake Street Dive and “Juice” by Lizzo. How do you all even define yacht rock now? For me, yacht rock is more of a vibe and an energy than necessarily “soft rock music made in Los Angeles between 1976 and 1984.” It’s more about when the song comes on, does it put a smile on your face in the first 10 seconds? If you use that as your first barrier to entry, then what can be considered yacht rock becomes a lot more wide. If you’re out cruising on your boat on Saturday afternoon, what’s going to feel good?

“Juice” is going to feel good. Yeah. And it feels like the transition from “I Keep Forgettin'” into “Juice” doesn’t feel like a hard left turn. It feels natural. I guess our perspective is that people are going to need yacht rock now and in the future, and what it can be is a lot wider than the strict dictionary definition. Lake Street Dive, they’re a genre-bender for me. I think that they have a lot of different influences. And again, it’s the positive energy behind it is what makes it yacht rock.

How did you pick the classic ones to intersperse in there? We wanted to make sure that anybody who hasn’t gotten familiar with the yacht rock yet — which I don’t know who that might be at this stage — got a good dose of the healthy vitamins of what real, 100-percent yacht rock is. So we picked the ones that felt right to us and then also had something in common with our record.

You’re in your forties now. Is this sustainable? Can you do this until you retire? That’s a great question. If “Bad Tequila” [from the upcoming album] ends up being like “Steal Away” was for Robbie Dupree, then I definitely can. That’s what this move is, just to see if we could have one song that makes people feel the same way that I felt when I danced with my wife to “Steal Away” at my wedding. And I’ve talked to Robbie about that. And he has this relationship with that song where he got tired of it and he loves it again. But for us, in the next 20 years, I don’t want to get morbid about it, but a lot of these bands that we love and the classic rock artists are going to age out of touring. And there’s going to be a void there and I hope that we will be positioned to help fill it. It’s weird to think about but it is true. It gives us a little bit of job security.

In the last few years, several other bands in this vein have popped up. How do you feel about that? I imagine it’s hard to be mad about other cover bands when you’re a cover band. It’s great that this music has become so popular and imitation is finest form of flattery, right? So when I see these bands doing our dance moves, or wearing the sailor outfits like we used to 10 years ago or adding the same songs to their setlists, that’s cool. Part of me wants to say, “Go get your own unoriginal idea.” But like you said, there’s no honor among thieves, really. So it’s fine. I got nothing but love for any of them. I think what we do stands on its own.

Yacht Rock Revue will hit the road for the Hot Dads in Tight Jeans tour Jan. 9 and will be pulling into ports across the country, from Boston to Los Angeles.

Related content:

• 10 Covers we want to see Kelly Clarkson do on her talk show
• EW’s Friday Five: Prince goes acoustic, a Hamilton alum gets romantic, and more best songs of the week
• Billie Eilish announces 2020 Where Do We Go? arena world tour dates

Related Articles

‘The Rat Reunion’ celebrates 50th anniversary of The Rathskeller

Plus: xfinity center ends its 2024 season with meghan trainor, korn, and the marley brothers..

Sound Check is the Globe’s weekly guide to concerts, tunes, and trends rooted in Boston and beyond. This column covers Sept. 20-26.

There are two types of people from Massachusetts: those who got to experience the Rathskeller, and those who wish they did. Once nestled in the underbelly of Kenmore Square, “the Rat” operated as the grimy hub of Boston rock between 1974 and 1997, generating enough “you had to be there” stories to fill this column many times over.

Long after hosting acts like The Ramones, Joan Jett, Talking Heads, Metallica, and Sonic Youth, the venue was demolished in 2000 to clear space for the Hotel Commonwealth. But the Rat’s lasting heritage can’t — and won’t — be cleared from Boston music’s collective consciousness.

This Saturday , devotees of the infamous dive and curious newcomers can revel in local rock history at “The Rat Reunion: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of The Rathskeller.” The festivities will take place at the most unexpected of venues: the fresh, open air of Bellforge Arts Center, located on the site of the former Medfield State Hospital.

The Medfield grounds have bloomed into a hub for arts and culture in recent years, welcoming New England musicians of all genres through programming like the midweek “Summer Sounds” series and festivals celebrating Pride month and Juneteenth. Bellforge’s event producers began developing the idea of a Rat Reunion late last year, eventually tapping WBCN icon Oedipus to host the event. The end result is a Boston rock lineup that can bring the appropriate amount of grit to Bellforge’s grassy fields: the Rat’s “house band” Nervous Eaters , garage-rock stalwarts The Dogmatics , and ‘90s hardcore punk act Tree .

Advertisement

With a wealth of memories from the venue, all three acts know how to set the scene. The Dogmatics’ singer and guitarist Jerry Lehane, for instance, estimates that he visited the Rat between 50 and 60 times, both as a performer and a guest. The band’s history with the venue ranges from performing with the Replacements (“that was fine,” Lehane says casually), tempting fans to shows with the promise of chili from Hoodoo Barbecue, arm wrestling with bands like The Del Fuegos for headlining slots, and most recently, recording music from the Hotel Commonwealth’s “Rathskeller suite” for a live compilation album and DVD.

“That was the holy grail of all the clubs in Boston,” Lehane says. “You wanted to play the Rat because it was so respected — because of the bands and the community it represented.”

On Saturday, that sense of community will manifest not just within the crowd, but through a display of relevant rock artifacts from the David Bieber Archives , all housed within Bellforge’s Lee Chapel. Through the exhibit, guests will learn about the club’s milestones and legendary visitors, and can preserve the experience via a QR code that offers a “takeaway tour.”

It’s a far better souvenir than the Rat’s usual parting gift of clothes that reek of cigarette smoke — as is the takeaway of a rekindled sense of togetherness, which Lehane recalls as an even bigger draw than seeing touring acts on the rise.

“It was headquarters for our bands,” he emphasizes. “You were with your people.”

On Friday and Saturday , rap-rock duo Twenty One Pilots usher in a busy week at TD Garden, which includes an appearance from New Orleans trap-metal act $uicideboy$ on Wednesday , and a Thursday concert from rapper-turned-country-star Jelly Roll . The outlier of the week? Jeff Lynne’s ELO , who lands at the arena with a catalog of expansive orchestral pop on Monday .

Months after her performance at BAMS Fest over the summer, North Carolina emcee Rapsody returns to perform at The Sinclair on Friday . Boston musician Nay Speaks — who also graced the BAMS Fest stage this summer — opens the show with cuts from her August EP “LEARN 222 FLY.”

The Xfinity Center ends its 2024 season with perhaps its most unusual lineup of the year, starting with a set from retro pop diva Meghan Trainor on Friday , a performance from nu-metal pioneers Korn on Saturday , and a finale courtesy of The Marley Brothers — featuring Ziggy, Stephen, Damian, and more kin of Bob — on Thursday .

On Saturday , Cape Cod act Highly Suspect are the local anchor of a rock-heavy week at Roadrunner, which will also see appearances from Atlanta ensemble Yacht Rock Revue ( Sunday ), British art-rock experimenters IDLES ( Tuesday ), and Swedish garage revivalists The Hives ( Wednesday ).

Goth-rock greats The Sisters of Mercy cast a brooding post-punk pall over the first days of fall at MGM Music Hall on Sunday . Keane celebrate the 20th anniversary of their debut record “Hopes And Fears” — home to that heart-swelling ballad “Somewhere Only We Know” — on Monday , while danceable alt-pop act Remi Wolf unfolds “Big Ideas” from her July record on Tuesday , and gentle pop singer-songwriter Conan Gray caps off the week with performances on Wednesday and Thursday .

English singer Griff cruises through a twinkling hybrid of pop and R&B from her July record “Vertigo” at the House of Blues on Friday ; Queen fans who couldn’t catch the band’s 2023 tour with Adam Lambert (or who perhaps prefer a singer who more closely mimics the late, great Freddie Mercury) can catch the tribute act Killer Queen at the venue on Monday .

NOW SPINNING

Jamie xx , “In Waves.” Fans of the xx once again have a reason to hit the dance floor, thanks to the sophomore record from the band’s own Jamie xx. The English musician’s first solo album in nine years is a trove of oscillating electronica with a roster of collaborators that reads like a nightclub’s epic guest list. Look for appearances from Robyn, Honey Dijon, The Avalanches, and even Romy and Oliver Sim, fellow bandmates from the xx who elevate “Waited All Night” to a svelte party propeller.

Tasha , “All This and So Much More.” Oh, the irony of Tasha crooning “you call this easy?” over some of the breeziest instrumentals of the year on “Pretend,” the first track of her new record. After a stint performing in the Tony-Award-winning musical “Illinoise,” the Chicago singer-songwriter dials down the drama and returns to a cushioned sphere of indie-folk, insulated with lush introspection and lilting brushes with jazz.

Circus Trees , “This makes me sad, and I miss you.” When the void calls out to Circus Trees, they howl right back. The Marlborough sisters answer pangs of emptiness and lost trust with raw post-rock on their most melodious offering to date; the group’s new record arrives leaden with ballads and dirges that bend droning guitars into a portrait of aching youth.

BONUS TRACK

This weekend, the Institute of Contemporary Art hosts two screenings of “Eno,” a new “generative documentary” about Brian Eno that uses software to create infinite variations of the film. Each screening, created onstage in real time, offers a unique look at the English musician, producer, and ambient music trailblazer — so unique, in fact, that each event’s version of “Eno” will never be seen again. The ICA hosts the Boston premiere of the experience at 6 and 9 p.m. this Friday.

Victoria Wasylak can be reached at [email protected] . Follow her on X @VickiWasylak.

Novokuznetsk

Demographics

City administration, administrative and municipal status, administrative bodies, transportation, twin towns and sister cities, notable people, external links.

It was previously known as Kuznetsk until 1931, and as Stalinsk until 1961.

Founded in 1618 by men from Tomsk as a Cossack ostrog (fort) on the Tom River , it was initially called Kuznetsky ostrog ( Кузне́цкий острог ). [2] It became the seat of Kuznetsky Uyezd in 1622. [3] Kuznetsk ( Кузне́цк ) was granted town status in 1689. [3] It was here that Fyodor Dostoevsky married his first wife, Maria Isayeva in 1857. [13] Joseph Stalin 's rapid industrialization of the Soviet Union transformed the sleepy town into a major coal mining and industrial center in the 1930s. It merged with Sad Gorod in 1931. From 1931 to 1932, the city was known as Novokuznetsk and between 1932 and 1961 as Stalinsk ( Ста́линск ), after Stalin. As a result of de-Stalinization , it was renamed back to Novokuznetsk .

As of the 2021 Census , the ethnic composition of Novokuznetsk was: [14]

Ethnic group Population Percentage 438,507 95.5% 3,450 0.8% 2,533 0.6% Other 14,919 3.2% Within the framework of administrative divisions , Novokuznetsk serves as the administrative center of Novokuznetsky District , even though it is not a part of it. [1] As an administrative division, it is incorporated separately as the Novokuznetsk City Under Oblast Jurisdiction —an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts . [15] As a municipal division , Novokuznetsk City Under Oblast Jurisdiction is incorporated as the Novokuznetsky Urban Okrug . [15] [16] The city consists of six non-municipal intra-city districts : [16] District Area, km Population (2021) 109.10 92,620 36.11 46,932 92.49 75,174 22.49 77,593 95.62 78,533 66.52 166,628 On 7 December 2009, by a resolution of the Novokuznetsk City Council of People's Deputies, a new version of the City Charter was approved, [16] according to which the authorities consist of: Novokuznetsk City Council of People's Deputies (representative authority), Mayors of the city of Novokuznetsk, Administration of the City of Novokuznetsk (executive and administrative authority), City Control Committee (permanent body of financial control), Judicial institutions: district courts, courts of general jurisdiction, the Russian Agency for Legal and Judicial Information, the permanent judicial presence of the Kemerovo Oblast Court, judicial divisions of magistrates, and others. [18] The Novokuznetsk City Council of People's Deputies is a representative body of power and consists of 18 deputies elected in 18 single-mandate constituencies and 18 deputies elected on party lists. The term of office of deputies is five years. In September 2021, elections were held for the Council of People's Deputies, following which the seats in the council were distributed as follows: 27 - United Russia , 2 - Liberal Democratic Party , 2 - A Just Russia , 2 - Communist Party . The representative of United Russia, Alexandra Shelkovnikova, was elected chairman. The Youth Parliament of the city operates under the City Council of People's Deputies. [19] A whole network of bodies of territorial public self-government has been created in Novokuznetsk; [20] in total, 60 of them have been created in the city: in the Zavodskoy District - 7, Kuznetsky - 6, Kuibyshevsky - 13, [21] [22] [23] Novoilyinsky - 6, Ordzhonikidzevsky - 9, Central - 16. Siberian State Industrial University Novokuznetsk branch of Kemerovo State University State Institute for Physicians Postgraduate Training (also known as Novokuznetsk Postgraduate Physician Institute), Russian Ministry of Health Novokuznetsk Scientific Center of Medicosocial Expert Evaluation and Rehabilitation of Invalids, Federal Agency for Public Health and Social welfare Institute of General Problems of Hygiene and Occupational Diseases, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences Kuzbass institute Federal Penitentiary Service Novokuznetsk is a heavily industrial city and is located in the heart of the Kuzbass region . Factories in the city include: West-Siberian Metal Plant Novokuznetsk Iron and Steel Plant Kuznetsk Ferroalloys   [ ru ] Novokuznetsk aluminium factory   [ ru ] Metallurg Novokuznetsk is an ice hockey team based in Novokuznetsk. Formerly a member of the Kontinental Hockey League , the team is currently a member of the Supreme Hockey League . The football team of the same name was recently promoted to the Russian first division below the premier. RC Novokuznetsk compete in the Professional Rugby League , the highest division of rugby union in Russia. Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky , Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Dmitry Orlov and Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov were all born in Novokuznetsk and began their pro careers with Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Novokuznetsk is also the birthplace of US chess Grandmaster Gata Kamsky . The main airport is the Spichenkovo Airport . The city is also a major railway junction with both local and long-distance trains. Local public transport is provided by trams , buses, and trolleybuses. Novokuznetsk has a fairly typical southwest Siberian humid continental climate ( Köppen climate classification : Dfb ) with warm summers during which most of the precipitation occurs, and severe, generally dry winters. Snowfall is very frequent during the winter, but its water content is generally very low due to the cold temperatures. Climate data for Novokuznetsk (1991–2020, extremes 1955–present) Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high °C (°F) 4.2 (39.6) 7.9 (46.2) 18.3 (64.9) 30.6 (87.1) 34.8 (94.6) 36.7 (98.1) 36.0 (96.8) 35.9 (96.6) 34.7 (94.5) 24.9 (76.8) 17.4 (63.3) 7.3 (45.1) 36.7 (98.1) Mean daily maximum °C (°F) −10.9 (12.4) −6 (21) 1.3 (34.3) 11.8 (53.2) 19.2 (66.6) 24.5 (76.1) 25.5 (77.9) 24.1 (75.4) 16.8 (62.2) 9.1 (48.4) −2.5 (27.5) −8.6 (16.5) 8.7 (47.7) Daily mean °C (°F) −15.9 (3.4) −12.9 (8.8) −5.2 (22.6) 4.2 (39.6) 11.5 (52.7) 17.0 (62.6) 19.0 (66.2) 16.5 (61.7) 9.9 (49.8) 3.0 (37.4) −6.5 (20.3) −13.2 (8.2) 2.3 (36.1) Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −20.5 (−4.9) −18.2 (−0.8) −10.9 (12.4) −3.0 (26.6) 4.0 (39.2) 9.1 (48.4) 12.5 (54.5) 9.5 (49.1) 4.6 (40.3) −1.7 (28.9) −10.0 (14.0) −17.5 (0.5) −3.5 (25.7) Record low °C (°F) −47.7 (−53.9) −42.2 (−44.0) −33.9 (−29.0) −26.1 (−15.0) −8.9 (16.0) −2.1 (28.2) 2.2 (36.0) 0.2 (32.4) −6.7 (19.9) −23.0 (−9.4) −37.7 (−35.9) −42.8 (−45.0) −47.7 (−53.9) Average mm (inches) 25 (1.0) 17 (0.7) 19 (0.7) 28 (1.1) 43 (1.7) 56 (2.2) 73 (2.9) 62 (2.4) 42 (1.7) 38 (1.5) 40 (1.6) 31 (1.2) 474 (18.7) Average rainy days 0.4 0 2 9 15 16 16 15 14 11 4 1 103 Average snowy days 20 18 15 11 3 0.1 0 0 1 11 19 23 121 Average (%) 81 78 74 66 60 68 73 75 75 77 82 82 74 Source: Pogoda.ru.net Novokuznetsk is twinned with: Sergei Abramov , ice hockey player Sergei Bobrovsky (born 1988), ice hockey player Margarita Chernousova (born 1996), a sport shooter Maksim Chevelev (born 1990), professional football player Evgeny Chigishev (born 1979), a former weightlifter and Olympic silver medalist Andrey Dementyev (born 1970), a former professional football player Kirill Kaprizov (born 1997), ice hockey player Maxim Kitsyn (born 1991), a professional ice hockey player Ana Kriégel , Russian-born Irish murder victim Anna Litvinova (1983–2013), a fashion model and beauty pageant title holder Aleksandr Melikhov (born 1998), a professional football player Kostyantyn Milyayev (born 1987), a Ukrainian Olympic platform diver Vadim Mitryakov (born 1991), a professional ice hockey player Nikita Morgunov (born 1975), a former professional basketball player Albert Nasibulin (born 1972), a material scientist Dmitry Orlov (born 1991), ice hockey player Maksim Pichugin (born 1974), a Winter Olympic cross-country skier Anton Rekhtin (born 1989), a professional ice hockey player Artyom Sapozhkov (born 1990), a former professional football player Stanislav Sel'skiy (born 1991), a rugby union player Denis Simplikevich (born 1991), a rugby union player Kirill Skachkov (born 1987), an Olympic table tennis player Denis Stasyuk (born 1985), ice hockey player Daniil Tarasov (born 1999), ice hockey player Ivan Telegin (born 1992), ice hockey player and Winter Olympic gold medalist Arkady Vainshtein (born 1942), a Russian-American theoretical physicist Vladimir Vilisov (born 1976), a Winter Olympic cross-country skier Maxim Zyuzyakin (born 1991), a professional ice hockey player Pavel Silyagin (born 1993), professional boxer Related Research Articles Prokopyevsk is a city in Kemerovo Oblast, Russia. Population: 210,130 (2010 Russian census) ; 224,597 (2002 Census) ; 273,838 (1989 Soviet census) . Osinniki , known until 1938 as Osinovka , is a town in Kemerovo Oblast, Russia. Population: 46,001 (2010 Russian census) ; 51,057 (2002 Census) ; 62,687 (1989 Soviet census) . Mariinsk is a town in Kemerovo Oblast, Russia, where the Trans-Siberian Railway crosses the Kiya River, 180 kilometers (110 mi) northeast of Kemerovo, the administrative center of the oblast. Population: 40,526 (2010 Russian census) ; 42,977 (2002 Census) ; 40,956 (1989 Soviet census) ; 39,700 (1972). Anzhero-Sudzhensk is a town in the Kuznetsk Basin in Kemerovo Oblast, Russia, located to the north of the oblast's administrative center of Kemerovo and to the east of the Tom River, on the route of the Trans-Siberian Railway. Population: 76,646 (2010 Russian census) ; 86,480 (2002 Census) ; 107,951 (1989 Soviet census) . Leninsk-Kuznetsky , known as Kolchugino until 1925, is a city in Kemerovo Oblast, Russia, located on both banks of the Inya River. Population: 101,666 (2010 Russian census) ; 112,253 (2002 Census) ; 165,487 (1989 Soviet census) ; 128,000 (1972); 83,000 (1939); 20,000 (1926). Guryevsky District is an administrative district (raion), one of the nineteen in Kemerovo Oblast, Russia. As a municipal division, it is incorporated as Guryevsky Municipal District . It is located in the west of the oblast and borders with Prokopyevsky, Belovsky, and Leninsk-Kuznetsky Districts of Kemerovo Oblast and with Altai Krai and Novosibirsk Oblast in the west. The area of the district is 2,180 square kilometers (840 sq mi). Its administrative center is the town of Guryevsk. Population: 10,617 (2010 Russian census) ; 12,057 ; 20,816 (1989 Soviet census) . Yurga is a town in Kemerovo Oblast, Russia, located on the Tom River and the Trans-Siberian Railway. Population: 81,533 (2010 Russian census) ; 85,555 (2002 Census) ; 93,202 (1989 Soviet census) . Tashtagol is a town in Kemerovo Oblast, Russia, located on the Kondoma River 511 kilometers (318 mi) south of Kemerovo, the administrative center of the oblast. Topki is a town in Kemerovo Oblast, Russia, located 38 kilometers (24 mi) west of Kemerovo, the administrative center of the oblast. Population: 28,641 (2010 Russian census) ; 31,004 (2002 Census) ; 33,574 (1989 Soviet census) . Beryozovsky is a town in Kemerovo Oblast, Russia, located between the Barzas and Shurap Rivers, 27 kilometers (17 mi) north of Kemerovo, the administrative center of the oblast. Population: 47,279 (2010 Russian census) ; 48,299 (2002 Census) ; 51,250 (1989 Soviet census) . Belovsky District is an administrative district (raion), one of the nineteen in Kemerovo Oblast, Russia. As a municipal division, it is incorporated as Belovsky Municipal District . It is located in the center of the oblast. The area of the district is 3,400 square kilometers (1,300 sq mi). Its administrative center is the rural locality of Vishnevka. Population: 30,204 (2010 Russian census) ; 33,382 ; 25,815 (1989 Soviet census) . Chebulinsky District is an administrative district (raion), one of the nineteen in Kemerovo Oblast, Russia. As a municipal division, it is incorporated as Chebulinsky Municipal District . It is located in the north of the oblast. The area of the district is 3,780 square kilometers (1,460 sq mi). Its administrative center is the urban locality of Verkh-Chebula. Population: 16,348 (2010 Russian census) ; 17,971 ; 17,723 (1989 Soviet census) . The population of Verkh-Chebula accounts for 31.0% of the district's total population. Leninsk-Kuznetsky District is an administrative district (raion), one of the nineteen in Kemerovo Oblast, Russia. As a municipal division, it is incorporated as Leninsk-Kuznetsky Municipal District . It is located in the west of the oblast. The area of the district is 2,356 square kilometers (910 sq mi). Its administrative center is the city of Leninsk-Kuznetsky. Population: 23,760 (2010 Russian census) ; 27,825 ; 29,752 (1989 Soviet census) . Novokuznetsky District is an administrative district (raion), one of the nineteen in Kemerovo Oblast, Russia. As a municipal division, it is incorporated as Novokuznetsky Municipal District . It is located in the center of the oblast and spans it from border to border in the southwest-northeast direction. The area of the district is 13,039.5989 square kilometers (5,034.6173 sq mi). Its administrative center is the city of Novokuznetsk. As of the 2010 Census, the total population of the district was 50,681. Prokopyevsky District is an administrative district (raion), one of the nineteen in Kemerovo Oblast, Russia. As a municipal division, it is incorporated as Prokopyevsky Municipal District . It is located in the center of the oblast. The area of the district is 3,450 square kilometers (1,330 sq mi). Its administrative center is the city of Prokopyevsk. Population: 31,442 (2010 Russian census) ; 33,705 ; 35,657 (1989 Soviet census) . Promyshlennovsky District is an administrative district (raion), one of the nineteen in Kemerovo Oblast, Russia. As a municipal division, it is incorporated as Promyshlennovsky Municipal District . It is located in the west of the oblast. The area of the district is 3,083 square kilometers (1,190 sq mi). Its administrative center is the urban locality of Promyshlennaya. Population: 50,106 (2010 Russian census) ; 50,125 ; 47,150 (1989 Soviet census) . The population of Promyshlennaya accounts for 36.0% of the district's total population. Topkinsky District is an administrative district (raion), one of the nineteen in Kemerovo Oblast, Russia. As a municipal division, it is incorporated as Topkinsky Municipal District . It is located in the northwest of the oblast. The area of the district is 2,774 square kilometers (1,071 sq mi). Its administrative center is the town of Topki. Population: 16,246 (2010 Russian census) ; 18,077 ; 19,018 (1989 Soviet census) . Tyazhinsky District is an administrative district (raion), one of the nineteen in Kemerovo Oblast, Russia. As a municipal division, it is incorporated as Tyazhinsky Municipal District . It is located in the northeast of the oblast. The area of the district is 3,531 square kilometers (1,363 sq mi). Its administrative center is the urban locality of Tyazhinsky. Population: 25,597 (2010 Russian census) ; 32,782 ; 32,574 (1989 Soviet census) . The population of the administrative center accounts for 43.4% of the district's total population. Yaysky District is an administrative district (raion), one of the nineteen in Kemerovo Oblast, Russia. As a municipal division, it is incorporated as Yaysky Municipal District . It is located in the north of the oblast. The area of the district is 2,669 square kilometers (1,031 sq mi). Its administrative center is the urban locality of Yaya. Population: 20,383 (2010 Russian census) ; 24,982 ; 26,759 (1989 Soviet census) . The population of Yaya accounts for 57.3% of the district's total population. Krasnobrodsky is an urban locality in Kemerovo Oblast, Russia. Population: 11,919 (2010 Russian census) ; 11,859 (2002 Census) ; 12,663 (1989 Soviet census) . 1 2 3 4 5 6 Law #215-OZ 1 2 3 "Review of City History" . Official site of Novokuznetsk municipal administration (in Russian). admnkz.ru. Archived from the original on March 28, 2017 . Retrieved October 5, 2012 . ↑ http://www.kem.kp.ru/daily/26136.7/3026076/Сергей%5B%5D Кузнецов вступает в должность главы Новокузнецка ↑ Russian Federal State Statistics Service (2011). Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года. Том   1 [ 2010 All-Russian Population Census, vol.   1 ] . Всероссийская перепись населения 2010   года [2010 All-Russia Population Census] (in Russian). Federal State Statistics Service . 1 2 3 Law #104-OZ ↑ "Об исчислении времени" . Официальный интернет-портал правовой информации (in Russian). June 3, 2011 . Retrieved January 19, 2019 . ↑ Почта России. Информационно-вычислительный центр ОАСУ РПО. ( Russian Post ). Поиск объектов почтовой связи ( Postal Objects Search ) (in Russian) ↑ Russian Federal State Statistics Service. Всероссийская перепись населения 2020 года. Том 1 [ 2020 All-Russian Population Census, vol. 1 ] (XLS) (in Russian). Federal State Statistics Service . ↑ Federal State Statistics Service (May 21, 2004). Численность населения России, субъектов Российской Федерации в составе федеральных округов, районов, городских поселений, сельских населённых пунктов   – районных центров и сельских населённых пунктов с населением 3   тысячи и более человек [ Population of Russia, Its Federal Districts, Federal Subjects, Districts, Urban Localities, Rural Localities—Administrative Centers, and Rural Localities with Population of Over 3,000 ] (XLS) . Всероссийская перепись населения 2002   года [All-Russia Population Census of 2002] (in Russian). ↑ Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989   г. Численность наличного населения союзных и автономных республик, автономных областей и округов, краёв, областей, районов, городских поселений и сёл-райцентров [ All Union Population Census of 1989: Present Population of Union and Autonomous Republics, Autonomous Oblasts and Okrugs, Krais, Oblasts, Districts, Urban Settlements, and Villages Serving as District Administrative Centers ] . Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989   года [All-Union Population Census of 1989] (in Russian). Институт демографии Национального исследовательского университета: Высшая школа экономики [Institute of Demography at the National Research University: Higher School of Economics]. 1989 – via Demoscope Weekly . ↑ "F. M. Dostoevsky Literary-Memorial Museum in Novokuznetsk" . Fyodor Dostoevsky Literary Memorial Museum. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016 . Retrieved October 17, 2012 . ↑ "Территориальный орган Федеральной службы государственной статистики по Кемеровской области - Кузбассу" . Retrieved May 24, 2023 . 1 2 "ОБ АДМИНИСТРАТИВНО-ТЕРРИТОРИАЛЬНОМ УСТРОЙСТВЕ КЕМЕРОВСКОЙ ОБЛАСТИ (с изменениями на: 29.03.2017), Закон Кемеровской области от 27 декабря 2007 года №215-ОЗ" [ ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE AND TERRITORIAL STRUCTURE OF THE KEMEROV OBLAST (as amended on: 29/03/2017), Law of the Kemerovo Oblast dated 27 December 2007 No. 215-OZ ] (in Russian). docs.cntd.ru. Archived from the original on June 24, 2019 . Retrieved August 1, 2019 . 1 2 3 "Устав города Новокузнецка" [ Charter of the city of Novokuznetsk ] (in Russian). Official website of the administration of Novokuznetsk (admnkz.ru). Archived from the original on October 17, 2012 . Retrieved January 4, 2013 . ↑ "О внесении изменений и дополнений в Устав Новокузнецкого городского округа" [ About modification and additions in the Charter of the Novokuznetsk city district ] . gigabaza.ru/ (in Russian). April 29, 2016. Archived from the original on August 1, 2019 . Retrieved August 1, 2019 . ↑ "Cправочник организаций Новокузнецка" [ Directory of Novokuznetsk organizations ] . novokuznetsk.jsprav.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on August 1, 2019 . Retrieved August 1, 2019 . ↑ "Молодёжный парламент города Новокузнецка — общая информация" [ Youth Parliament of the city of Novokuznetsk - general information ] (in Russian). newparlament.ru. Archived from the original on July 13, 2013 . Retrieved July 13, 2013 . ↑ "Избранные депутаты и глава получили от населения лишь часть полномочий" [ Elected deputies and the head received only part of the powers from the population ] (in Russian). i2n.ru. October 25, 2010. Archived from the original on July 13, 2014 . Retrieved January 4, 2013 . ↑ Kuznetsky Rabochy , 2008, № 148 ↑ Kuznetsky Rabochy , 2009, № 16 ↑ Kuznetsky Rabochy , 2009, № 59 ↑ Климат Новокузнецка (in Russian). Погода и климат. Archived from the original on January 6, 2019 . Retrieved November 5, 2021 . Совет народных депутатов Кемеровской области.   Закон   №215-ОЗ   от   27 декабря 2007 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Кемеровской области», в ред. Закона №131-ОЗ от   22 декабря 2014 г.   «О внесении изменений в Закон Кемеровской области "О статусе и границах муниципальных образований" и Закон Кемеровской области "Об административно-территориальном устройстве Кемеровской области"». Вступил в силу   в день, следующий за днём официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Кузбасс", №243, 28 декабря 2007 г. (Council of People's Deputies of Kemerovo Oblast.   Law   # 215-OZ   of   December   27, 2007 On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Kemerovo Oblast , as amended by the Law   # 131-OZ of   December   22, 2014 On Amending the Law of Kemerovo Oblast "On the Status and the Borders of the Municipal Formations" and the Law of Kemerovo Oblast "On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Kemerovo Oblast" . Effective as of   the day following the official publication date.). Совет народных депутатов Кемеровской области.   Закон   №104-ОЗ   от   17 декабря 2004 г. «О статусе и границах муниципальных образований», в ред. Закона №123-ОЗ от   22 декабря 2015 г.   «О внесении изменений в Закон Кемеровской области "О статусе и границах муниципальных образований"». Вступил в силу   со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Кузбасс", №242, 24 декабря 2004 г. (Council of People's Deputies of Chelyabinsk Oblast.   Law   # 104-OZ   of   December   17, 2004 On the Status and the Borders of the Municipal Formations , as amended by the Law   # 123-OZ of   December   22, 2015 On Amending the Law of Kemerovo Oblast "On the Status and the Borders of the Municipal Formations" . Effective as of   the official publication date.). (in Russian) Official website of Novokuznetsk Siberian State Industrial University (SIBSIU) (in Russian) Life in Novokuznetsk (in Russian) Informational website of Novokuznetsk : • Administrative districts Cities and towns The Sports Report: Another bad Bobby Miller outing as Dodgers lose Copy Link URL Copied! Howdy, I’m your host, Houston Mitchell. Let’s get right to the news. Go beyond the scoreboard Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. From Jack Harris : The at-bat that mattered most to the baseball world Tuesday night came in the third inning at loanDepot Park, when Shohei Ohtani continued his push toward 50-50 history by belting a second-deck blast for his 48th home run. In the Dodgers ’ 11-9 loss to the Miami Marlins, however, the Japanese slugger and favorite for National League most valuable player seemed more worried about his other at-bats in a one-for-five performance; most notably, a sixth-inning opportunity when he stranded runners on the corners with his third strikeout of the game. “The homer helped kind of close the gap,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton, after a game in which the Dodgers never recovered from a poor Bobby Miller start (four runs, two innings) and shaky performance from the bullpen (seven runs in six innings). “But not being able to hit with runners on first and third,” Ohtani added, “that’s something I’m looking back on.” Such an answer illustrated the duality of Ohtani’s late-season mindset. The global superstar has tried to block out the incessant chatter surrounding his pursuit of Major League Baseball’s first 50-homer, 50-stolen base season — an unprecedented mark he seems increasingly likely to reach with 11 games to go, standing at 48-48. “It’s something I will look back on at the end of the season,” Ohtani said last week, as the spotlight began to intensify. “I’m trying to be less cognizant of it.” Continue reading here Dodgers box score MLB standings Enjoying this newsletter? Consider subscribing to the Los Angeles Times Your support helps us deliver the news that matters most. Become a subscriber. Rookie Eric Wagaman homered for the second straight game, Griffin Canning threw six innings of three-hit ball, and the Angels dealt the Chicago White Sox their 116th loss with a 5-0 victory on Tuesday night at Angel Stadium. The White Sox were trying to equal a season-high, four-game winning streak. Instead, they moved one step closer to the majors’ post-1900 record of 120 losses by the 1962 expansion New York Mets. Chicago is 36-116 with 10 games left and has the fourth-most losses in a season since 1900. The 2003 Detroit Tigers hold the American League mark with 119 losses. Angels box score From Andrés Soto : If you’ve watched the Sparks this season, their home finale went about exactly as you might have expected. The Sparks got off to a hot start, building an advantage on the boards that led to a noticeable 12-2 margin in second-chance points as they took an eight-point lead into halftime. Then, an absolutely horrid third quarter stretch snowballed as the Phoenix Mercury came roaring back to defeat the Sparks 85-81, handing them their eighth consecutive loss, tying a franchise record to close out their home schedule. After a back-and-forth first quarter, the Sparks opened the second quarter on a 10-2 run to take control of the game thanks in large part to strong performances off the bench from Li Yueru and Zia Cooke , whose nine points each tied Dearica Hamby for the team lead at the half. Rickea Jackson was starting to find her groove in the second half as well, getting to the line and shooting a perfect four for four on her free throws. Sparks box score WNBA standings From Kevin Baxter : You don’t have to look long or far to spot the differences between this year’s Galaxy team and last year’s. The lineup? Eight of the 11 players the Galaxy started in Saturday’s El Tráfico win over LAFC weren’t with the team at the start of last season. The standings? The Galaxy were 13th in the 14-team Western Conference table at this point last season, this year they have the second-best record in the league and are closing in on their first conference title since 2011. And what about their record. Last year the Galaxy won eight games all season; they’ve already won twice as many this year, clinching a playoff berth with five games left. For coach Greg Vanney , only the numbers have changed. The team’s values, philosophy and goals, he said, have remained constant. And that consistency, a little luck and a few other things the naked eye can’t see are what has really fueled the team’s best season in a decade. “We had to sort out our roster a little bit. But the vision for what we wanted and how we felt the team could be successful didn’t change,” he said. “A lot of things have to come together for you to have a turnaround like we did. A lot of credit [goes] to just the vision for what we wanted to do, sticking to it, and then finding the players who fit into that vision.” Maybe. But there’s more to it than that. USC FOOTBALL From Ryan Kartje : Lincoln Riley is not the type of coach to divulge more information than is absolutely necessary. Especially when that information might offer an upcoming opponent even a sliver of a hint about USC ’s plans or personnel. Specifics are regularly side-stepped. Injury inquiries are stiff-armed away. Sherrone Moore, his coaching counterpart at Michigan, appeared to share similar feelings about protecting state secrets. That is, until this week, when Moore decided to share with the world, three games into his tenure at Michigan, that he was making a change at quarterback. Moore made it official in a news conference Monday that Michigan would replace Davis Warren, a former walk-on who struggled through three starts, with Alex Orji, a running threat with limited experience as a passer. Why Moore decided to do so publicly, squandering the element of surprise with Riley and his defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, has yet to be explained. SIGN UP FOR OUR USC SPORTS NEWSLETTER Hey folks, we have a new sports newsletter you can subscribe to: The Times of Troy, which is all about USC sports. Ryan Kartje, our USC reporter, will be writing it, and he describes it like so: USC sports is embarking on arguably the most transformative year in the Trojans’ history. Join Ryan Kartje for a behind-the-scenes look at USC’s move to the Big Ten, its efforts to keep up in the name, image and likeness era, get to know emerging stars in a wide range of USC sports and more. Times of Troy is for USC sports fans and for those who want to stay in-the-know about college football, rivalries and all the drama that comes with it. Best of all, it’s free! And delivered via email once a week. You can sign up by clicking here . Times of Troy joins our lineup of sports newsletters, which includes (other than Sports Report): Dodgers Dugout : Written by Houston Mitchell, it discusses the latest in Dodgers baseball. Sign up here . Lakers! : All about the Lakers, written by beat writer Dan Woike. Sign up here . Prep Rally : Keep track of high school sports, written by Times high school sports columnist Eric Sondheimer. Sign up here . You can view, and subscribe to, all of the Times newsletters by clicking here . THIS DATE IN SPORTS 1899 — The Cincinnati Open begins. It is the oldest tennis tournament in the United States still played in its original city and is now known as the Cincinnati Masters & Women’s Open. 1938 — The Chicago Bears beat the Green Bay Packers 2-0. Left end Dick Plasman tackles Arnie Herber in the end zone in the fourth quarter for the win. 1946 — Joe Louis knocks out Tami Mauriello in the first round at Yankee Stadium in New York to retain the world heavyweight title. 1966 — Baltimore quarterback Johnny Unitas throws 4 touchdown passes in 38-23 win at Minnesota to surpass Y.A. Tittle as NFL’s career leader with 212; finishes career with 290 TD passes. 1967 — U.S. yacht Intrepid beats the Australian yacht Dame Pattie in four straight races to defend the America’s Cup. 1977 — U.S. yacht Courageous beats the challenger Australia in four straight races to defend the America’s Cup. 1982 — In a rare father-son matchup, coach Jack Elway leads San Jose State to its second consecutive upset of quarterback John Elway and Stanford 35-31 in Palo Alto, Calif. John Elway completes 24-of-36 passes for 382 yards and three touchdowns. Spartans quarterback Steve Clarkson, throws for 285 yards, three touchdowns and scores on a three-yard keeper for the win after a Cardinal fumble. Stanford reaches the Spartans’ 26-yard line, but Elway gets sacked on four consecutive plays to end the game. 1996 — Roger Clemens equals his own major league record, fanning 20 batters and pitching a four-hitter to lead Boston over the Detroit Tigers 4-0. 2003 — Atlanta clinches its 12th straight division title when second-place Florida is mathematically eliminated from the NL East race. The record title streak started in 1991, when the Braves won the NL West. They moved to the East Division in 1994 and trailed Montreal by six games when the strike stopped the season in August. 2005 — Green Bay’s Brett Favre joins Dan Marino and John Elway with 50,000 yards passing and also breaks Elway’s single-stadium NFL touchdown record of 180 with a 4-yard toss to Tony Fisher with 4 seconds left of a 26-24 loss to Cleveland at Lambeau Field. 2011 — At 16, Lexi Thompson becomes the youngest player to win an LPGA Tour event. The 16-year-old Floridian closes with a 2-under 70 to win by five strokes over Tiffany Joh at the Navistar LPGA Classic in Prattville, Ala. Thompson shatters the age record for winning a multiple-round tournament held by Paula Creamer, who won in 2005 at 18. 2011 — Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton sets an NFL rookie record by throwing for 432 yards against the Green Bay Packers. Newton, who tied the record by throwing for 422 yards in last week’s loss at Arizona, completes 28 of 46 passes with one touchdown in the 30-23 loss to the Packers. Newton’s 854 yards passing is also the most yards for a player in his first two games. 2013 — American Jordan Burroughs earns another wrestling world title. Burroughs, a gold medalist at the 2012 Olympics, extends his undefeated streak to 65 matches with a 4-0 victory over Iran’s Ezzatollah Akbarizarinkolaei in the 163-pound category at the Laszlo Papp Sports Arena in Budapest, Hungary. 2016 — Detroit’s Anquan Boldin has a touchdown catch in the Lions’ 16-15 loss to Tennessee, to join Terrell Owens as the only players in NFL history to have at least 1,000 career receptions and a touchdown catch with four teams. Compiled by the Associated Press Until next time... That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at [email protected] , and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston . To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here . Houston Mitchell is an assistant sports editor, writer of the Dodgers Dugout newsletter and editor of all of the sports newsletters for the Los Angeles Times. More From the Los Angeles Times Hernández: Video of former Dodgers pitcher Julio Urías gives teams reasons not to sign him Gavin Stone ‘unlikely’ to return to Dodgers, as Landon Knack adds to case for postseason role Angels hand White Sox their 117th loss of the season Witness video in former Dodgers pitcher Julio Urías’ domestic battery case released Sept. 18, 2024 420 COMMENTS Yacht Rock: Album, Record Guide Yacht Rock: Album Guide. From Steely Dan to Christopher Cross to Carly Simon, these smooth summer jams will take you away to where you're going to. Walter Becker, left, and Donald Fagen are Steely ... Yacht rock Yacht rock (originally known as the West Coast sound [4] [5] or adult-oriented rock [6]) is a broad music style and aesthetic [7] commonly associated with soft rock, [8] one of the most commercially successful genres from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s. Drawing on sources such as smooth soul, smooth jazz, [1] R&B, and disco, [7] common stylistic traits include high-quality production, clean ... Rolling Stone's Best Yacht Rock Albums of All Time America - Your Move. 24. America - View from the Ground. 25. TOTO - The Seventh One. NOTE: This is not a year end list. This list is ordered by the ratings awarded albums throughout all. Rolling Stone's Best Yacht Rock Albums of All Time. View reviews, ratings, news & more regarding your favorite band. Yacht Rock: A Beginner's Guide In 5 albums A beginner's guide to yacht rock in five essential albums. By Jerry Ewing. ( Classic Rock ) published 1 July 2023. Yacht rock, soft rock - call it what you will. Here are five brilliant albums that define the genre in all its bearded, Hawaiian shirted glory. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Top Yacht Rock Albums We are a highly curated record store specializing in -- and championing -- music that matters. Our focus is on indie, import, and rare mood music, dance, lounge, exotica, disco, city pop, vaporwave, and soft tempo luxuria music. We also stock and love classical, world, jazz, soul, funk, even rock -- from shoegaze to yacht, psychedelic to prog, 70s AOR radio sounds to 80s synthpop, surf and garage. The 20 greatest yacht rock songs ever, ranked 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. Top 50 Yacht Rock Songs The result is an infectious and uplifting groove - yacht rock at its finest. (Corey Irwin) 43. "Diamond Girl," Seals & Crofts (1973) Seals & Crofts were soft-rock stylists with imagination ... Top 100 Greatest Yacht Rock Songs of All Time 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. The 10 Best Yacht Rock Albums To Own On Vinyl In 2006, a group of buddies produced a series of short videos called "Yacht Rock." The videos defined yacht rock as a genre of smooth music, born out of Southern California between 1976 and 1984, and featuring exceptional musicianship with roots in R&B, jazz and folk rock. Its stars: Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Toto and Steely Dan. The last 11 years have tested the genre's buoyancy ... Sailing: 10 Essential Yacht Rock Albums to Own as Vinyl Records Outside From the Redwoods (1993) — Kenny Loggins. All hail Kenny Loggins, the Supreme Lord of Yacht Rock. There is arguably no artist so closely identified with the genre, from his days in the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band to his solo work to the pinnacle of yacht rock with Loggins & Messina. Outside From the Redwoods is a live album that serves as ... List of yacht rock artists The following is a list of yacht rock bands and artists. Yacht rock. Airplay [1] [2] Alessi [1] Ambrosia [3] [4] America [5] Attitudes [1] Patti Austin [1] Average White Band [6] George Benson [7] [8] [9] Stephen Bishop [10] Jimmy Buffett [11] Bobby Caldwell [1] [12] Captain & Tennille [13] Larry Carlton [1] Yacht Rock on Vinyl Records with Z-Bear (Part 13) Welcome to another edition of Z-Bear's popular Yacht Rock series where she explores the Soft Rock sounds of the 70s and early 80s. In this episode she pulls ... Yacht Rock Essentials: "What You Won't Do for Love," the Massive Debut All those various experiences and influences eventually earned him a record deal with TK Records. That label did big business in the disco-heavy late '70s, most notably with KC & the Sunshine Band. Yacht Rock Radio Yacht Rock Radio Playlist. A playlist for 70s & 80s Smooth Soft Rock - updated weekly! Singer-Songwriter Legends. Legendary storytellers, poets and voices. Cover: James Taylor. iHeart70s Playlist. A playlist for 70s Pop Hits - updated weekly! 80s Hits. The definitive collection of 80s Hits. Cover: Michael Jackson Yacht Rock on Vinyl Records with Z-Bear (Pure 80s Here are some Yacht Rock style tracks that are purely 80s. From the bounce of the synths to the thud of the echoey drums, all of these songs will immediately... Yacht Rock Revue explain why they're charting a new course with Sarah Rodman. Published on October 24, 2019 12:00PM EDT. After nearly a dozen years confidently steering the S.S. Nostalgia, playing the beloved soft rock hits of the '70s and '80s to packed ... Yacht Rock on Vinyl Records with Z-Bear (Part 6) The response to Z-Bear's Yacht Rock videos has been so positive that she is back in the studio for a new installment. The first five shows featured predomina... 'The Rat Reunion' reinvigorates Boston rock history at Bellforge Arts On Saturday, Cape Cod act Highly Suspect are the local anchor of a rock-heavy week at Roadrunner, which will also see appearances from Atlanta ensemble Yacht Rock Revue , British art-rock ... Kemerovo Oblast Kemerovo Oblast is located in southwestern Siberia, where the West Siberian Plain meets the South Siberian Mountains.The oblast, which covers an area of 95,500 square kilometers (36,900 sq mi), [12] shares a border with Tomsk Oblast in the north, Krasnoyarsk Krai and the Republic of Khakassia in the east, the Altai Republic in the south, and with Novosibirsk Oblast and Altai Krai in the west. Novokuznetsk It is located in the center of the oblast and spans it from border to border in the southwest-northeast direction. The area of the district is 13,039.5989 square kilometers (5,034.6173 sq mi). Its administrative center is the city of Novokuznetsk. As of the 2010 Census, the total population of the district was 50,681. Yacht Rock on Vinyl Records with Z-Bear (Part 14) We hope everyone is having a wonderful 2024 so far! Z-Bear is back to calm things down after the hectic holiday season with a new video in her popular Yacht ... Novokuznetsk Novokuznetsk (Russian: Новокузнецк, IPA: [nəvəkʊzˈnʲɛt͡sk], lit. ' new smith's '; Shor: Аба-тура, romanized: Aba-tura) is a city in Kemerovo Oblast (Kuzbass) in southwestern Siberia, Russia.It is the second-largest city in the oblast, after the administrative center Kemerovo.Population: 537,480 (2021 Census); [9] 547,904 (2010 Census); [10] 549,870 (2002 Census); [11 ... The Sports Report: Another bad Bobby Miller outing as Dodgers lose Instead, they moved one step closer to the majors' post-1900 record of 120 losses by the 1962 expansion New York Mets. Chicago is 36-116 with 10 games left and has the fourth-most losses in a ... catamaran gulet motorboat powerboat riverboat sailboat trimaran yacht