What is Yacht Rock?

The Definitive Guide to 70’s and 80’s smooth music called Yacht Rock.

While in quarantine and lockdown, it’s easy to ponder some big questions. Case in point, many people still wonder what is yacht rock exactly. In fact, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills just last night stumped one of the co-stars. Yep, Kyle Richards had to ask the question: what is yacht rock? Now, in this day and age and with smooth music booming, how can that be? A super cultured, well-to-do reality maven like her couldn’t possibly have missed the resurgence of the music of her youth. So for those of you new to the yacht, or to review the subject, let’s dive in for a definition of yacht rock music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhTp9Qfocsc

Yacht Rock Tribute

The music of Yacht Rock has been sweeping the Nation recently. A sub-genre of music recorded in the 70’s and 80’s, its resurgence as been remarkable. Understandably, the pattern of popular music tends to ebb and flow. But, why is this music in particular enjoying the cyclical comeback? What constitutes this movement and what are the parameters of the music itself? In an era of Tribute Bands that continue the music of the original artists, how does a Tribute to an entire sub-genre play out? The answers to these and many other questions that will offer a deeper dive into this sub-genre to be revealed here. As you may know, Sirius/XM radio has a station dedicated to this music.

Smooth Music

The music is perceived to be “smooth” and occupied a sweet spot in time between classic rock of the 70’s and the pop and rock of the 80’s. Additionally, several tribute bands tour the country now and garner some support from the original artists themselves. Not surprising, those original artists of yacht rock have enjoyed a Renaissance of touring as well. You certainly notice a lot more tours/concerts from yacht rockers like Ambrosia, Michael McDonald, Peter Beckett’s Player, Little River Band, Hall and Oates, and Christopher Cross.

Before we go further, let’s take a bird’s eye view into this sub-genre as we’ve called it. Remember, many in their first introduction to yacht rock often think, “It’s music that you listen to on a yacht.” Importantly, we know the music is jazz and R&B based softer rock and roll that ranges between 1976 and 1984. A quick history of the music will give us an important backdrop for understanding its widespread and newfound appeal. Let’s hit the time machine.

Yacht Rock History

After becoming a distant guilty pleasure, “smooth music” lied relatively dormant through the mid 80’s and 90’s. Ultimately, the sub-genre began in 2006 when a group of Hollywood writers created a YouTube series entitled simply, Yacht Rock. In short, JD Ryznar, Hollywood Steve Huey, Hunter Stair, and Dave Lyons lampooned the artists from 1976 to 1984 that played music with a common denominator of being SMOOTH. The YouTube show garnered underground critical success. Furthermore, it laid the groundwork for their popular Podcast entitled Beyond Yacht Rock. The podcast would grow significantly and gain notice across the country. Purists still point to their criteria for whether songs are “yachty” enough.

Later, the fellas would create a Yacht or Nyacht website that rated music for being on the boat or not. Essentially they invented a rating system (The Yachtski Scale) between the 4 guys that would deliberate on the elements that made smooth music. If a song achieved a rating over 50 it was considered Yacht Rock and anything under 50 labeled Nyacht Rock or not on the boat. Ultimately, the holy grail is the song What a Fool Believes by Michael McDonald garnering a full 100% on the Yachtski Scale.

Yacht Rock 101

Inventing this sub-genre, JD Ryznar and Co. became the unofficial authorities on which songs and artists made the cut. The general consensus is that songs are melodic with complicated arrangements, light but intellectual, and offer a lot of E-piano (Rhodes electric piano) but rarely acoustic guitar. Strangely enough, the tip off to the term “yacht rock” derives from album covers and lyrics happening to contain nautical and yachty references. And the tell tale measure of the music is that bounce that keeps the boat grooving. The bounce is known as the Doobie Bounce and also attributed to the shuffle by drummer Bernard Purdie on many smooth tracks. That smooth feel means it can be upbeat enough to be danceable and mellow enough for the laid back cruise vibe.

Perhaps one of the most beloved songs, Africa by Toto takes listeners, dancers, and revelers to a special place. It seems that this song has become the poster child of the sub-genre and a certain crowd favorite. Akin to YMCA being played at a sporting event, this song embodies the full yacht. Emblematic of the elements required by yacht rock, it’s a catch all attentive song that begs the attention of young and old alike. Case in point to the attractive nature of Africa, the 90’s band Weezer released a cover version of this song.

Yacht Rock Royalty

To simplify the above requirements to qualify as smooth, there are a few yachty superstars that have emerged. In fact, we often joke about the hierarchy of the sub-genre. Indeed, Michael McDonald would be the Godfather of yacht music, Christopher Cross the crown prince, and Kenny Loggins dubbed the Duke of Smooth. Their songs are the mainstay of yacht rock and instantly take you to that special place this music is famous for.

Yachty Purists

Smooth music navigates the waters of the 70’s and 80’s. Soft rock and folk rock may be close, but no cigar. For that matter, Bread and Seals and Croft don’t make the cut. Equally, the music tickles the fringe of classic and prog rock but they don’t muddy the water. For these reasons, the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac and even Ambrosia are not technically on the yacht. However, the Doobies, Boz Scaggs and Pablo Cruise sail on smoothly. These decisive choices will become a bone of contention for purists as yacht rock evolves into the mainstream public. The Yacht Fathers have spoken and bands like Hall and Oates and the song Brandy may seem yacht worthy, but they are decidedly Nyacht Rock. As such, many people will begin to disagree as the music gets traction. In fact, a different idea of the songs/artists that make the cut will evolve in time. For example, most yacht rock bands play many Hall and Oates songs and Brandy always makes the set list!

Yacht Rock Revue

Uncannily, a band in Atlanta picked up the idea to play this type of smooth music beginning in 2007 and began to pick up steam nationally around 2013. The six piece group named Yacht Rock Revue developed a cult following. From their start in Atlanta, they now play around 100 shows coast to coast in large venues like House of Blues and recently the Wiltern Theater in LA. To date, they’ve managed to get many original artists on stage with them including: John Oates, Peter Beckett of Player, Eliot Lurie of Looking Glass, Walter Egan, Bobby Kimball of Toto, and many others. Recently interviewed in Rolling Stone and debuting their first original album, YRR is riding this wave of smooth.

Yacht Rock Bands

In concert with the dawning of the age of smooth, other bands around the country began playing a playlist dedicated to the sub-genre. Some wearing the 70’s outfit similar to YRR and others donning fake mustaches, captains hats, hawaiian shirts, or sailor uniforms hit the stage to varying success. An offshoot of YRR called Yacht Rock Schooner set out on the water in 2009. An early adopter, the band Mustache Harbor in San Francisco began sailing around 2010. Then, Yacht Rock Band Yachty by Nature began playing Southern California and nationally in 2016. Also, the bands Boathouse Row in Philadelphia and the Ron Burgundy’s and Docksiders in the Midwest got hip to the smooth.

Yacht Rock Radio

Perhaps most famously, Sirius/XM radio began a channel dedicated to smooth in the summer of 2016. With a massive reach of millions of listeners, the channel became a summer sensation. Complete with a Thurston Howellesque announcer with smarmy yacht rock retorts, they followed a loose interpretation of the sub-genre. Certainly the audience was treated to a main course of verified smooth and a whole retinue of what we might label as yacht rock adjacent tunes. Importantly, plenty of songs played here did not add up to the criteria of the purist. Albeit, the channel worked to further the popularity of the music and tribute bands like YRR in the process.

The success of Yacht Rock in tributes and on Radio certainly brought yacht rock into the mainstream. However, some song choices certainly veer from the stricter mandates of the Yacht Rock authors. Notably, some of the mainstay songs like Brandy, Maneater, and Baker Street have found receptive ears although they are technically not yacht rock songs. Interestingly, JD Ryznar and Co. have written extensively about why songs like Brandy are not on the boat. It is that difference between the originators of this genre and the troubadours performing the music now that have created Twitter arguments worldwide. In fact, Yacht Rock Radio stations and other cover bands have strayed from that original criteria used by the website Yacht or Nyacht. But, going forward it seems that the definition of yacht rock is evolving and embodies the fun, frolic, and smooth of that yachty generation.

Pop Yacht

Ultimately, yacht rock has hit the big time and the vibe, the visuals, and the imagery are all around us. As well, the original artists are coming out of retirement and keeping those guilty pleasures relevant. Even pop culture has gotten into the act with Jimmy Fallon wearing a captains hat. You know, Jimmy Kimmel even had Will Ferrell’s Ron Burgundy singing Ride Like the Wind with Christopher Cross. Celebrities are constantly seen wearing those captains hats and bedazzling them for Coachella or Burning Man. It’s even hard to deny the vibe is alive and well in the Step Brothers segment Boat n’ Hoes and the Andy Samberg and T-Pain smash up, I’m On a Boat. In addition, the puns are endless, the self deprecation silly is ubiquitous and the mood is quite accessible.

Lastly, if you are looking for the next great thing in yacht rock, there’s more. The elements of yacht rock are alive and well in newer music. A majority of newer smooth goes more dancy and decidedly more electronic. There’s a lot out there, but you can find songs from Tame Impala, State Cows, and more. Additionally, Thundercat recorded with yacht rockers Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins. Harder to find, investigate the Yachtski Scale for some officially sanctioned new songs as well.

In any case, to christen your journey to yacht rock, get yourself a captain’s hat. Then slap on your deck shoes, and your favorite Lido Deck libation and turn on a yacht rock playlist. The music is easy to find online or streaming and within a few notes, you’ll understand. An abundance of the popularity rests in the throwback to the 70’s. In fact, throw a yacht party and really indulge the guilty pleasures of Yacht Rock and dress up in some amazing Yacht Attire. Ultimately, the yachty imagery of California breezes hint of an ESCAPE to a world of good times. So enjoy that escape, enjoy the music, and welcome to the world of SMOOTH.