yacht rock look

*2024* YACHT ROCK vintage party attire for real![16 looks + elements]

Posted on Published: January 5, 2024

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Wondering what to wear to a vintage Yacht rock party that screams the 70s and 80s vibes?

You have come to the right place as I’m gonna share all key elements in yacht rock party attire!

First thing first, what EXACTLY is yacht rock? Is that different from the regular yacht party attire?

Broadly speaking, yacht rock is a type of popular music genre in the mid-1979s and ’80s.

It blends soft rock, smooth jazz, and blues with southern yachty vibes that are as refreshing as it’s cozy and chill to people.

In the outfit sense, think of the nautical sailing looks with a dash of good 70s and 80s vintage vibes together with some playful and funky elements.

Ahead, I’ve gathered 16 real-life yacht rock-themed party outfit ideas from Instagram along with some pro tips.

Ready? Get inspired!

1. Fun yacht-themed party attire

If you are looking for a failproof look for your coming yacht rock party, embracing the nautical theme always works wonders.

That said, think white, red, and blue for the classic color palette and corporate it with the sailor stripe details or a small navy anchor print.

Trust me, patterns x patterns in one look can never be too over the top for a wild yacht rock party time!

It’s time to get out of your comfort zone!

Trust me, there’s definitely NOT ENOUGH content for vintage fashion these days

If you are the retro girlies, there’s one thing for sure – you have impeccable taste ❤️

If you find this recommendation useful – please kindly share and pin some of the shoes so more vintage girls like you can enjoy the info!

2. A fun nautical striped top

Some of you may worry the horizontal stripes will make them look bigger.

Well, not the case anymore when you pick the flattering design!

In case you wonder, I love this fitted off-shoulder striped top from Amazon.

As a girl with chubby cheeks, the off-shoulder neckline just elongates my neck and instantly sheds down the boldness of the print like magic.

The best part? The fabric type is 95% cotton and 5% spandex so it’s super stretchy and curve-flattering.

Together with the high-waist jean shorts and nice pumps, you’re bound to feel the fanciest and most feminine.

Check out this gorgeous piece here!

3. A statement captain hat for every look

For the lazy girls who want to look party-ready with minimal effort, I’d say throw on a captain hat to nail the look.

But really, it’s the core element of the yacht rock look of all time!

If you don’t want to look too costumey, pair up the yacht rock look with a cute summer dress and espadrilles wedge just looks equally instagrammable.

Again, to blend in with the crowd, think of bright fun hues instead of the classy neutral nude or dark shades.

5. When in doubt, wear a headscarf

This beautiful lady just demonstrates this hip, headscarf-wearing chic look in the best possible way.

Whether you are going to this yacht rock party or a tropical vacation, this styling just looks irresistibly carefree and tasteful.

To add in some retro flare, spice things up with the colorful round sunglasses that scream the perfect vibes.

6. 80s yacht tie-dye attire

To look the finest in the late 70s soft rock fashion, what about having fun with the tie-dye co-ord set that was all the rage during the 1980s? 

Of course, tie-dye is always in style every few years so you can wear them on a ton of occasions!

7. What to wear to a yacht rock radio party

To stand out from the yacht rock radio party, those Barbie pink palm tree suits are sure to boost the aesthetic tenfold.

And guess what, to dress like Popeye, get yourself a pipe just such an extra pop of fun!

8. A retro sailor top for a yacht rock party

For the ladies who prefer a lowkey yacht rock party look, this top below is another lovely piece.

The elegant boat-cut neckline and the darling ribbon details just highlight the beauty of the figure and make you look curvier visually.

The big plus?

There’s a rubber lining around the neckline to make sure the top is in place. I must say that’s a rare design for this price range!

According to the Amazon review, you want to order a size down. 

9. Hawaiian shirt for a yacht rock party

When in doubt, Hawaiian shirts will give you the right dose of yachty vibes.

That said, picking the right pattern is key otherwise you will gravitate towards the luau party.

Take the right balance of tropical vibes and introduce more marine elements to the look.

When in doubt, searching “reclaimed vintage-inspired beach shirt” or treasure hunting from a thrift store always helps!

The skirt from Lilly Pulitzer is always so darling – obsessed .

10. Funny T-shirt for the yacht rock fun

All the navy party costumes are cliché? Well, think again.

This funny captain hat and T-shirt set just breathe sailing and fun into the personal vibe.

Whether you wear this for the Sunday boat party or just randomly throw it on during the weekend, this piece just screams fun in all different ways.

This set sold out quickly. Check out Amazon !

( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ MY SEPT PICKS !! ʕ•̬͡•ʔ

(Continue scrolling for the article!)

11. Couple yacht rock party outfits

When it comes to other essentials, khaki short shorts, and a colorful cami top just give the yacht rock attire a modern mix. 

For petite girls, consider pairing up the body-hugging top with wide-leg pants and wedges.

It just contours the body proportion and helps you achieve an effortlessly chic look.

Yes, I’m a born fashionista.

12. One-piece retro sailor swimsuit

It takes me a long time to find the perfect yacht rock swimsuit and I just can’t be any more proud when I find this gorgeous piece.

A swimsuit with a halter neck is a big plus for me as it just comes in extra support and gives your chest the right boast.

With the horizontal stripe on the chest area, the voluminous effect is sure to impress.

As a pear-shaped girl, this swimsuit just flatters my figure in every single way.

13. Fun leaf print captain cap

If you are bored with the classic white and blue captain hat, this one with the leaf print just complements your nautical-themed party in the most distinctive way. 

Those gold embroidered badges on the front just scream “I’ve got a style and I KNOW it”.

Be the chicest captain in the house!

This is so random… BUT

hey ladies, why not quickly do an affirmation and feel instantly better?

This new year, I’m trying not only to share fashion tips but come up with ways to instill body positivity in all women who are reading my articles – aka YOU !

Instead of just reading it, say it loud or murmur the quotes (if you are in public) to maximize the effect.

Ready? Here we go.

I love my body. She is my forever home and sanctuary.

Sassy isn’t a shape, it’s an attitude.

Work out because I love my body – not because I hate it.

I can love myself and change my body at the same time. No guilt about that.

It is completely normal to have tummy rolls. I come to realize that social media isn’t showing the reality… at all.

My happiest moments in life had nothing to do with the way my body looked.

I don’t have to be pretty like her, I can be pretty like …ME.

I AM perfect imperfection.

What are your thoughts on that? I hope that makes you feel better (as you deserved).

Please help me pass the body positivity message in your community. #womenhelpwomen

Alright, now keep on reading!

14. 70s yacht rock fashion

Sometimes, having fun is as simple as dressing up and striking a pose with your besties together!

Don’t know about you but I’m the happiest when floating in the sea. That’s for sure!

15. What to wear to a yacht rock concert

To show your love towards the yacht rock style in parties and everyday life, a statement “Prestige worldwide boats & hoes” tee is such a lovely choice.

These days, people love mixing classic and casual pieces together.

To jazz up the T-shirt look, consider adding in the blue blazer, white pants, and loafers to finish up the set.

16. What to wear to a yacht rock party

Last but not least, here’s my favorite look.

A captain hat with a striped cut-out jumpsuit that looks as simple as it looks hot and sassy.

To bring this look to the good old 70s, slip in the red kitten heels just add an unexpected twist to the get-up.

TIME FOR GLAM SIS.

If you are reading till this point, I’m sure you are the fashion girlies. If yes, check out my newly set-up (Like literally this June) insta @hannahnfashion for more <3 See you there pretty ladies!

And guess what, if a guy ever asks you “what you bring to the table”, show him this reel lol

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hannah💕 Wearable feminine outfit ideas & styling tips (@hannahnfashion)

FINAL THOUGHTS:

So there you go – the 16 yacht rock party attire to look the best in all kinds of nautical themes boat parties! 

What are your thoughts on these smooth-sailing soft rock from the 70s and 80s?

Hope these tips help you settle on the right outfit!

At the end of the day, don’t overstress the outfit as I’m sure it will turn out great anyway.

All you need is to throw all the stress behind you and embrace the freedom, open air, and adventure!

Looking for more yacht outfit ideas?

Check out my other blog posts below! See you there loves ♥

• [38 updated outfits!] What to wear for the boat cruise?
• *15 vintage elements!* 90s plaid skirt & dress outfits
• [FULL LIST] What to wear on a Viking & Scenic river cruise (Summer + winter!)
• 21 Comfortable Vintage shoes heels *8 types!* (Read this post before you buy any vintage shoes!)
• 20 Prohibition party outfits + tips (more than a flapper dress!)

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Yachty by Nature

Yacht rock outfits, yacht rock outfits 101.

Whether you just discovered the art of smooth or been digging smooth soft rock for a while now, the subject of Yacht Rock Outfits is on your mind. Let me just say, for those about to dock, we salute you. There is an unmistakable moment when Yacht Rock is revealed to you. For me, it happened at a fancy industry party in LA. This fab girl came up and mic dropped it so smoothly to my then 80’s band, Neon Nation , saying “you guys play any yacht rock”? Holy crap, I pretty much spit out my drink and fell to the floor wondering what I was in for.

“You walked in to the party, like you were walking onto a yacht.”

Yachty Attire

The rest is history and I’m now well into 7 years of playing keyboards in a nationally successful yacht rock band, Yachty by Nature . No doubt, I’m living that dream and it goes without saying, I’m deep in the yacht myself. With weekly yacht party after monthly yacht wedding and more, I’m becoming a Yacht Attire expert in thought and practice and already guiding the band and others in this area of fashion.

Truly, if you get the clothing right, enough people with that common goal, just add yacht music and the fun ensues. Truth be told, I’ve watched as a room full of punk rockers that committed to the groovy, eclectic yacht rock dress code transformed like you wouldn’t believe.  They turned a simple celebration with a yacht rock band into a full scale 1978 throwback LOVE FEST and the clothes were off the hook. The energy, the vibe, the clothes, the music became something so magical all its own. Build the yacht and they will sail to it.

So, next time you are having a yacht party or watching your favorite yacht rock band indulge yourself with an epic outfit that will make all it happen. It’s not just the music, the band, the vibe, the look, the energy. It’s the sum of its parts and those smooth outfits have the mighty power to transfix your situation.

The Captain’s Hat…

Yep, you guessed it, the fastest coronation to yacht rock royalty is the Captain’s Hat.  Buy one, make one, bedazzle one or borrow one. In fact, the sky is the limit here so let your creativity reign if you are gonna go for it.  But, just get one somehow, some way and you are on the yacht. In fact, Broner makes a very comfortable, quality, straightforward and good looking hat that fits well.  Additionally, it avoids the cheap fit and look of those basic hats on Amazon. Do yourself a favor, get a hat or dig deep in the vault and find a classic, vintage, or authentic captain’s hat online. Additionally, we’ve seen some pretty cool and unique creations out there, but for simplicity, fit, and value, Broner is the answer.  Lastly, remember what Hefner did for the captains hat!

Yacht Rock Stripes get it done…

No matter what color, stripes will be the 2nd easiest way to begin your yacht fashion transformation. Put on a red and white striped shirt (or blue or black mainly) and you’ll be sailing in no time. In fact, stripes are probably the #1 most sighted outfit at a yacht rock party. Just know that it’s only the start. When you accessorize over the stripes with a complementary pant color or scarf, ascot, belt, and obviously the captain’s hat or more, you’ve earned your captain’s bars quicker than you can say Ship Shape! Don’t forget to keep it simple, too much or conflicting stripes will sink that ship just as fast.

That 70’s look…

Gettin’ Yachty @ Costello’s in Mission Viejo

Due to the strong connection between the silly, the goofy, the fun and the yacht party, going retro will set a course for adventure. Call it the Ron Burgundy effect or just throwing back to the 1977 duds they wore on Midnight Special , this look is uber sexy and may attract the opposite sex faster than any other yacht look. In fact, you don’t have to look too far to find polyester or denim clad jean meat at many yacht rock concerts. Additionally, the fake mustache works wonders whether you go 70’s vintage or any different yachty outfit.  More importantly, get bonus points on your yacht rock outfits if you can get the feathered hair going!  Polyester, print shirts, and for the ladies, buy that disco dress and some fabulous glasses and you’re ready to yacht!

The Yacht Club, Tennis Club, Golf Club…

Think Caddyshack, Marina del Rey, golfing, the harbor, and tennis. Moreso, put a tennis sweater over that polo or even better go up the ladder and put on that navy blue blazer with an ascot and some yellow glasses. Actually, that’s the calling card for us in Yachty by Nature! Pretend that you’re christening the Flying Wasp or dropping anchor with Rodney Dangerfield in Caddyshack and you’ll be flying indeed. Or even better, watch Caddyshack to get in the mood for your party and let inspiration take hold…and even a few classic movie lines. In fact, if you look around the golf club or yacht club scenes, your creativity is sparked immediately.  The outfits jump right off the screen and wreak of Yacht Club greatness.  Speaking of movies, we’ve even seen a die hard Yachty arrive in the Goldie Hawn outfit from the movie Overboard. Keep your yacht rock outfits classy San Diaaaaaago!

Go Hawaiian on your Yacht Rock outfits…

Get Nauti !

Lastly, this category is a catch all for everything nautical, yachty, and seaworthy.  Use your imagination or stick to the basics.  You can don the captain’s outfit with shoulder bars easily for the Love Boat vibe.  Or, you can just look like Charlie’s Angels coming off a yacht in 1978.  Literally any type of ocean, beach, seaside, or otherwise yachty type of clothing will do.  The scarf around the neck, the boat shorts and the Nantucket red pants and plaid shirt all qualify as supremely yachty fashion.  When in doubt, check yourself by asking, “would I wear this outfit in the summer in Nantucket or Martha’s Vineyard?”  Most importantly, if the answer is yes, you are yacht rock camera ready.  In fact, let’s not forget the boat shoes, deck shoes, or Sperry Top Siders all together.

Yacht Rock Outfits Wildcard…

Never forget that there’s really no authority on this subject so you can always just go for it.  Sometimes, the more uniform, standard, and strict we get on the yacht, the more mundane we become.  Therefore, don’t be afraid to dive into the vanity t-shirt, go stripes and ascot, and generally mix it up.  There are no hard and fast rules behind the Yacht Rock outfit, just your creativity and passion for the music.  From experience, we’ll go captain’s outfit one day and crazy boat shirt the next.  Ultimately, we’ve seen it all from the stage and relish the moments when people go wild with it.  In fact, there’s probably even a yacht rock adjacent area for the Pirate Party as well.  Captain Crunch sightings aside, those parties can really bring together the nauti, yachty, knotty by nature and then some.  In the end, go for it and see what happens.  It’s all fun and games until someone loses an eyepatch.  Honestly, it’s all about the fun so get Kraken!!!

As always, let the vibe be your guide.  Thus, for your next yacht rock themed party, concert, or just a Yachty night on the town, get your ensemble going.  Whether you are new to the yacht or an old deck hand, that outfit will crank up the experience.  So, commit to making that statement with your yacht clothing or up your game and improve on the garb you already have.  As we well know, you can never have enough options to mix it up for a fun night with Yachty by Nature or some other occasion.

Happy to be your guide here.  Feel free to comment and add some great ideas on this post or on social media. #yachtrock #yachtrockoutfits #yachtybynature #yachtattire #yachtrockfashion

About Author

Thanks for giving props to Tiki Caliente! I would like to point out that the most proper Hawaiian shirt to wear to a Yacht Rock concert is one that would have been for sale between 1978 and 1983! Think to yourself, would Magnum PI or Pablo Cruise wear this? And if so, bring it on! Most Magnum PI kind of Hawaiian shirts go great with a white jacket and white shorts. Vintage late ‘70s and early ‘80’s Hawaiian shirts can be found Online in Etsy yacht rock shops, and on eBay. Not expensive, and so ”vintage smooth”. Look like a pro, and be “era appropriate”. Girls can find vintage 70’s nautical dresses on Etsy, too!

THIS is everything!!! I love it Carl!!!

Ahoy Jenny! THanks so much for the kind compliment 🙂 As you know, we’re super inspired and love switching up the outfits, attire, clothing, and costumes. Yacht Rock rules!

Awesome show this past weekend at Circa Caliente glad the rain stopped so the show could go on.

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Dressing for the Perfect Yacht Rock Look

Yacht rock isn’t just a genre of music; it’s a vibe that combines smooth melodies with a relaxed, stylish aesthetic.

This article explores the evolution of yacht rock fashion and dives into its key elements, from styles that remind you of the sea to pastel colors.

Whether you’re looking to create your own yacht rock look or you want to understand the dos and don’ts of this retro style, you’ll find inspiration and tips right here.

Get ready to set sail on a stylish journey!

Key Takeaways:

• Embrace the classic nautical theme with pieces like loafers and vintage accessories.
• Create your yacht rock look with a button-down shirt, chinos or white pants, a lightweight sweater or blazer, and boat shoes.
• Stick to classic pieces when dressing for yacht rock, avoid overdoing it, and opt for nautical accessories like a captain’s hat or scarf.

What Is Yacht Rock?

Yacht rock is a musical genre that originated in the late 1970s and early 1980s . It’s known for its smooth and laid-back sound , often mixing elements of jazz and soft rock . This style captures the essence of leisure and luxury , evoking images of sun-drenched coastlines and sophisticated yacht gatherings .

Prominent artists like Jimmy Buffett , along with those featured in films such as *Caddyshack* and *Overboard* , helped shape the nostalgic atmosphere of this genre. Recently, yacht rock has seen a resurgence in popularity , highlighted by events like the Yacht Rock Party in Stamford and initiatives like Kids In Crisis , showcasing community engagement and enjoyment.

How Did Yacht Rock Fashion Evolve?

Yacht rock fashion has significantly evolved, moving from the quintessential 1970s aesthetic of vintage prep styles to a contemporary interpretation that emphasizes casual sophistication while keeping nautical elements .

This transformation, influenced by materials like polyester and brands such as Tommy Bahama , exemplifies the relaxed yet refined aesthetics associated with yacht parties and leisure activities .

The addition of Hawaiian shirts and other tropical-inspired attire has further defined this distinctive clothing style , making a lasting impact on casual fashion .

What Are the Key Elements of Yacht Rock Attire?

The essential components of yacht rock attire focus on achieving a casual yet sophisticated look that embodies the relaxed elegance of the ocean lifestyle. Key garments include polo shirts , flowing dresses , boat shoes , and wide-leg pants .

Accessories, like sunglasses and a captain’s hat , are crucial for completing the perfect yacht ensemble, representing the dress code typical of yacht parties and events.

1. Nautical-Inspired Pieces

Nautical-inspired garments are vital to yacht rock attire, reflecting the connection to the sea and its elegant yet relaxed nature . Items like polo shirts , navy blazers , and tailored shorts are popular, offering a cohesive appearance for both yacht parties and casual gatherings .

Accessories also play a key role in achieving the yacht rock look. Consider lightweight linen shirts made from breathable fabrics for comfort and style.

Footwear options like deck shoes or espadrilles enhance the nautical theme and provide versatility for activities both on board and ashore.

Striped patterns, bold colors, and subtle embellishments like anchor motifs can elevate the overall look, embodying the spirit of leisure and adventure synonymous with yacht culture.

By embracing these materials and styling options, you can assemble a well-rounded wardrobe that resonates with the breezy, carefree essence of maritime living.

Don’t miss out on exploring your yacht rock wardrobe!

2. Pastel Colors

Pastel colors are essential in yacht rock attire. They offer a soft and inviting color palette that embodies the relaxed atmosphere of the ocean.

These hues are often featured in casual yet stylish options like polo shirts and flowy dresses. They create a vibrant ambiance that is welcoming and fashionable, making them perfect for yacht parties and informal gatherings.

The importance of these gentle shades shows in ensembles that include light-hued blazers and crisp white trousers or pastel-colored swim trunks . This ensures a cool yet sophisticated appearance.

Accessories like pastel sunglasses and boat shoes enhance this nautical theme, merging functionality with style.

Imagine sailing under the sun, with a gentle breeze flowing through lightweight kaftans in lavender or mint green . This epitomizes the tranquility associated with maritime life.

This stunning mix of color and style not only reflects individual personality but also captures the essence of leisure on the water. Pastel colors are a quintessential element in yacht rock fashion.

3. Preppy Style

Preppy style is inherently linked to yacht rock fashion . It merges elements of vintage preparation and contemporary aesthetics to create a stylish and comfortable look suitable for yacht gatherings.

This style features tailored clothing , classic patterns , and high-quality fabrics . Often, it reflects a 1970s influence that underscores sophistication and casual elegance.

Clothing items like crisp polo shirts and tailored shorts embody both comfort and refinement. They allow ease of movement while projecting sophistication.

Accessories, including boat shoes and canvas tote bags , serve as functional, stylish additions that complete the ensemble.

The incorporation of vibrant colors and playful prints offers a modern twist on traditional silhouettes, appealing to a diverse audience. This blend emphasizes leisure, luxury, and individuality , making it ideal for both sailors and sun enthusiasts.

4. Loafers and Boat Shoes

Loafers and boat shoes are essential footwear for yacht rock attire. They embody the casual sophistication characteristic of this style.

These shoes provide comfort and elegance on a yacht. They facilitate seamless transitions between on-deck and on-land activities while complementing various outfits.

Loafers often feature smooth leather or suede, contributing to a polished look. In contrast, boat shoes are known for their non-slip soles and durable laces , offering a relaxed yet nautical style.

Both styles emphasize practicality and elegance , making them ideal for leisurely afternoons in the sun or enjoying smooth music.

Their compatibility with tailored shorts or relaxed linen pants captures a carefree coastal vibe, integrating seamlessly into the yacht rock aesthetic.

5. Vintage Accessories

Vintage accessories provide the essential finishing touch that elevates any yacht rock outfit. Items like a captain’s hat and stylish sunglasses enhance the nautical aesthetic and contribute to the overall stylishness of yacht attire.

Key pieces, such as beaded necklaces and oversized statement earrings , introduce playful elements that resonate with the carefree spirit of sailing. A classic leather bracelet or a nautical-themed clutch complements linen shirts and tailored shorts, creating a relaxed yet refined appearance.

These accessories not only act as conversation starters but also reflect the luxurious yet laid-back lifestyle embraced by yacht enthusiasts. Incorporating these elements signifies a deep appreciation for vintage style , reinforcing a timeless connection to the water and the spirit of adventure .

How to Create a Yacht Rock Look?

Creating a yacht rock look requires a thoughtful selection of stylish yet comfortable attire that shows a laid-back yet stylish vibe appropriate for nautical environments.

Start with a classic button-down shirt as your foundational piece. Incorporate chinos or white trousers to maintain the relaxed atmosphere. Layering with a lightweight sweater or blazer adds sophistication. Completing the ensemble with boat shoes or loafers ensures a polished yet grounded appearance.

Accessorizing thoughtfully, like adding sunglasses, elevates the overall presentation while keeping with the yacht rock aesthetic.

1. Let’s Kick Things Off with a Classic Button-Down Shirt!

A classic button-down shirt is a fundamental component of yacht rock attire. It serves as a versatile foundation for various outfits, suitable for both casual stylish appearances at yacht parties and more formal occasions.

Selecting the right fabric is crucial for achieving the relaxed yet sophisticated vibe characteristic of this style. Breathable materials , like cotton or linen , are ideal for comfort on sunny days. Color selection is significant; soft pastels or muted earth tones evoke a sense of maritime tranquility.

Styles, including short-sleeved options or those with bold patterns , enhance the classic look, allowing individuals to convey their unique interpretations of yacht rock. By thoughtfully considering these elements, one can effortlessly embody the essence of this timeless aesthetic .

2. Add a Pair of Chinos or White Pants

Incorporating chinos or white pants can significantly enhance the yacht rock aesthetic, providing a sophisticated yet relaxed alternative to shorts. These options offer both comfort and style, making them perfect for sunny days on the water.

Chinos come in different fits— slim, tailored, or relaxed —which can seamlessly complement various footwear, such as boat shoes or loafers . This enhances the overall essence of laid-back luxury. On the other hand, white pants convey effortless charm that pairs beautifully with lightweight linen or vibrant polo shirts , effectively capturing that breezy summer vibe.

When styled correctly, these garments contribute to a polished appearance while allowing for ease of movement. This facilitates social interactions on the deck and leisurely strolls along the beach. Integrating these staples into one’s wardrobe aligns perfectly with the yacht rock aesthetic, resulting in a cohesive look that is both stylish and functional.

3. Layer with a Lightweight Sweater or Blazer

Layering with a lightweight sweater or blazer keeps you stylish and cozy! This adds depth and sophistication to a yacht rock outfit , making it ideal for transitional weather .

Lightweight cotton crewnecks or breathable linen blazers combine comfort with refined appeal. They allow individuals to navigate breezy evenings on deck or enjoy casual brunches by the marina. Soft textures and relaxed fits suit a variety of occasions, while subtle nautical patterns or pastel colors elevate the overall ensemble.

A carefully selected lightweight knit provides warmth during cooler moments and pairs well with tailored shorts or linen trousers , yielding a polished yet relaxed aesthetic. This deliberate approach to layering ensures you remain both stylish and comfortable, seamlessly reflecting the essence of yacht rock .

Now you’re ready to rock the yacht look with confidence and style!

4. Finish with Boat Shoes or Loafers

Completing the yacht rock look with boat shoes or loafers is essential for achieving an effortless nautical style . These footwear options provide comfort and enhance the polished appearance characteristic of yacht parties.

Boat shoes, typically crafted from classic leather or durable canvas, feature non-slip soles. They are ideal for both style and functionality while on deck. Loafers, on the other hand, add a touch of sophistication and easily transition from a casual daytime outfit to a refined evening ensemble.

Regardless of whether one chooses nautical stripes or monochromatic shades , incorporating these versatile styles into one’s wardrobe complements the overall aesthetic. This captures the relaxed yet upscale vibe of yacht rock. Both footwear options pair seamlessly with shorts or lightweight chinos , ensuring a polished look while enjoying the sea breeze.

5. Accessorize with a Nautical-Inspired Watch or Sunglasses

Accessorizing with a nautical-inspired watch or stylish sunglasses enhances one’s yacht rock look, providing a final touch of sophistication. These accessories serve practical purposes and reflect the lifestyle and aesthetic associated with yacht parties.

Elegant timepieces crafted with marine elements or aviator-style sunglasses featuring polarized lenses allow individuals to capture the essence of coastal leisure . The right watch may include features like water resistance and a sleek, nautically-themed design . Sunglasses often come in classic shapes and colors that resonate with the relaxed yet refined vibe of the genre.

Collectively, these elements offer protection against sun and sea while conveying a readiness for spontaneous adventures . They are essential components in achieving the quintessential yacht rock ensemble .

What Are Some Dos and Don’ts of Yacht Rock Attire?

When considering yacht rock attire, understanding the dos and don’ts is essential for achieving an impeccable casual yet stylish appearance . Embracing elements of vintage prep while remaining attentive to the overall aesthetic contributes to a well-rounded outfit that embodies the spirit of yacht parties .

1. Do Stick to Classic Pieces

Adhering to classic pieces is essential when curating a yacht rock look, ensuring a timeless and sophisticated appearance . These foundational items often embody the vintage prep style , offering a sense of authenticity.

Key staples:

• Crisp white linen shirts
• Tailored shorts
• Comfortable loafers

These items enhance the overall ensemble and convey a relaxed, seaside ambiance .

Accessorizing with aviator sunglasses , a classic straw fedora , or a nautical-themed bracelet can further elevate the theme, seamlessly integrating the entire outfit.

Such elements capture the carefree spirit of yacht rock , enabling individuals to express their appreciation for the genre while embodying an effortless style .

By prioritizing these classic items, one can achieve a cohesive look that reflects the sophistication and leisure inherent in the yacht rock lifestyle .

2. Don’t Overdo the Nautical Theme

While nautical themes are integral to yacht rock attire, excessive emphasis on these elements can undermine the overall sophistication of the ensemble. Achieving a balance between nautical motifs and casual yet stylish pieces is essential for creating a cohesive and refined outfit.

To accomplish this, one may opt for subtle anchors or stripes in their accessories. A crisp white shirt paired with tailored shorts contributes to a fresh aesthetic without resembling a costume. Footwear also plays a significant role; choosing neutral loafers instead of deck shoes maintains a polished appearance.

By thoughtfully integrating these elements, individuals can embrace the nautical spirit without overpowering their attire, showcasing their personal style in a more understated and elegant manner.

3. Experiment with Patterns and Colors

Experimenting with patterns and colors is encouraged in yacht rock attire. It allows individuals to add a personal touch that enhances their style.

Using pastel colors and playful prints creates a casual yet stylish look while maintaining the nautical feel .

When curating a wardrobe that embodies this maritime aesthetic, incorporate striped patterns for a classic seaside vibe, perfect for sun-soaked afternoons .

Consider these lively options:

• Floral motifs

Color combinations like soft mint paired with coral or powder blue with sunny yellow can introduce a refreshing twist.

To maintain a polished appearance, achieve balance by mixing bold prints with solid pieces .

This harmony ensures that each outfit reflects the laid-back luxury characteristic of yacht rock fashion.

Accessories in coordinating hues, such as light scarves or woven hats , can further enhance an outfit. They provide subtle references to the ocean without overwhelming the overall look.

4. Do Not Wear Flip Flops or Sneakers

Avoiding flip flops and sneakers is a must when striving for a yacht rock aesthetic. These footwear choices do not align with the desired casual yet stylish demeanor .

Instead, opt for polished alternatives:

• Classic espadrilles
• Stylish mules

This selection enhances the overall look and provides comfort while enjoying sun-kissed environments .

By choosing these alternatives, individuals can effortlessly embody the essence of yacht rock—balancing leisure with elegance.

This delicate equilibrium enhances the entire outfit, ensuring one is appropriately attired for any oceanic adventure or dockside gathering .

5. Do Accessorize with a Captain’s Hat or Scarf

Accessorizing with a captain’s hat or a stylish scarf can significantly enhance the yacht rock aesthetic. These accessories add a touch of authenticity and flair .

Choosing an appropriate captain’s hat inspires a sense of maritime adventure , while a patterned silk scarf introduces sophistication and whimsy .

It is advisable to select a hat in classic navy or white , complemented by lightweight fabrics that evoke the refreshing breeze of the open sea.

The scarf may be elegantly tied around the neck or casually draped over the shoulders to provide additional texture.

Ultimately, these carefully considered details will elevate the outfit and create a polished ensemble that captures the essence of yacht rock nostalgia .

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Yacht Rock Essentials: “Moonlight Feels Right,” the Starbuck Classic with All the Summer Vibes (or Marimbas, to Be Exact)

Jim Beviglia

The yacht rock genre is so loosely defined that great arguments can be had about whether certain songs belong to it. But you’d find few to argue “Moonlight Feels Right,” the 1976 hit by Starbuck, isn’t a perfect fit.

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This song is so suited for yacht rock season the DJ that helped break it big held it back until warmer weather hit. Here is the unlikely story of the song, the band, and of course, those marimbas.

Writing the Song and Getting the Girl

“Moonlight Feels Right” not only reflected the most lasting musical achievement of Starbuck’s Bruce Blackman, but it also retold his real-life love story. The Mississippi native had knocked around with different bands in the late ’60s and early ’70s with some success here and there before he started up Starbuck, so named after a character in the movie The Rain Maker .

The song talks about a moon-speckled romantic evening with a girl from Ole Miss, and the identity of the college is just about the only part of the song Blackman had to fabricate, as he told the website hottytoddy.com :

“She wasn’t actually from Ole Miss, but she was from Greenville, and she was going to school over in Moorhead (Mississippi Delta Community College). I went over there and saw her picture hanging on the wall in a dorm; she was in one of the beauty pageants. I said, ‘Who is that?’ They told me, and I went over to Moorhead and actually enrolled just so I could get the girl. The third time I asked her out, that’s when the wind was blowing in my direction. What sounded good was to make her from Ole Miss.”

The fun part of the story is Blackman not only dated that girl, but also ended up marrying her—a union that still exists today. Now it was just a matter of recording this soon-to-be classic and getting radio to play it.

Ay, Marimba

Marimba solos are generally what you can expect on the Muzak versions of hit songs, not the hits themselves. Yet Starbuck’s Bo Wagner took off on a memorable run on the instrument for the studio version of “Moonlight Feels Right,” a first take on which he couldn’t possibly improve.

Blackman and Wagner went on the road to various DJs trying to get them to play the song. This was in the winter of 1975. Just one station in Birmingham, Alabama, showed any interest, but the DJ in question told the pair the song didn’t sound right in the cold weather. When things warmed up, he promised he’d start to spin it.

Thinking they were getting the runaround, Starbuck went back to the drawing board of writing and recording new material. But that Birmingham DJ was as good as his word, and once the station started playing it, listeners demanded it at other stations. When Starbuck’s record company heard about this, they threw their weight behind the song and “Moonlight Feels Right” became a Top-5 sensation in the summer of 1976.

What is the Meaning of “Moonlight Feels Right”?

“Moonlight Feels Right” belongs to that long list of songs suggesting the moon possesses an almost mystical ability to affect romance. Ain’t nothing like the sky to dose a potion , Blackman sings. The moon will send you on your way .

Blackman has some fun with winking innuendo throughout the song: The eastern moon looks ready for a wet kiss / To make the tide rise again . He also suggests the celestial body isn’t the only thing that’s feeling a little frisky: ‘ Cause me and moon are itching’ to play . Geographical details bring the song to life, but this is a tale that anyone who’s ever been under the moonlight with that special someone can appreciate.

Starbuck never came up with anything that hit at the level of “Moonlight Feels Right,” but what a one-shot it was. How can you deny what Bruce Blackman was espousing in the song, especially because he’s lived his own lifelong romance thanks to the magical powers of the wind and sky.

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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

Throwing a Yacht Rock Party: The Essential Guide

Planning the yacht rock party.

To plan your ultimate yacht rock party with style and ease, you need to start with setting the date and time, creating the guest list, choosing the venue, and creating invitations. These sub-sections will ensure that you have everything in place to host an unforgettable event.

Setting the Date and Time

Planning a Yacht Rock party? Here’s a 4-Step Guide to Setting Up the Date and Time:

• Check Guests’ Availability: Online poll? Ask them directly? Pick a date that works for everyone.
• Weather Forecast: Keep outdoor fun in mind. Check the forecast before confirming.
• Sunset Timings: Natural lighting will add to the ambiance.
• Location Availability: Make sure the venue is free on the chosen date and time.

Summer is perfect for water activities. But be careful of the heat! Aimie learned this the hard way when she planned her friend’s 50th birthday party. So, after shifting to October, the party was a success – drinks, views and jazz music! Remember: invite those who can hold their drink. We don’t need any yacht wrecking balls!

Creating the Guest List

Organizing a yacht rock party requires a perfect guest list! Here’s what to remember:

• Invite people who love yacht rock music and can groove to its smooth tunes.
• Gather pals who enjoy being on a boat or yacht – it’ll up the party experience .
• Choose guests with a good sense of humour – they’ll keep the energy positive !

Make your party stand out with theme-based invitations that look like old album covers .

My first yacht rock party had someone who wasn’t into slow-tempo music. It was awkward! Now I’m more mindful when creating guest lists. Check if they’re genuinely into yacht rock before inviting them – it’s essential for a fantastic party!

Choosing the Venue

Organizing a yacht rock party? Selecting the right venue is key! It’ll set the tone for the whole event and provide a backdrop for your guests to make memories. Here’re some factors to keep in mind:

• Location: Choose a spot that’s easy to reach and with plenty of parking.
• Ambience: Look for a place with a nautical theme or waterfront views.
• Capacity: Make sure it can fit all your guests comfortably.
• Amenities: See what amenities are available, e.g. catering or A/V equipment.
• Budget: Think about how much you can afford and choose accordingly.
• Availability: Book ahead to secure the date and time.

Keep in mind that you want to create an immersive experience for your guests. Add special touches like decorations or hire live musicians to bring your theme alive. Plus, did you know that there’s a Yacht Rock Radio channel on SiriusXM ? Tune in on your way to potential venues for some inspiration. Finally, don’t forget to send out invitations that scream ‘yacht rock’ !

Creating Invitations

Make your Yacht Rock extravaganza perfect with the right invitations. Here’s five steps for creating them:

• Select a design that fits the theme.
• Include all important details, like time, date, and location.
• Get creative with pictures and taglines.
• Save money by sending digital invites.
• Set a RSVP deadline for a headcount.

Reflect the fun and relaxed vibe with personal touches. Draw illustrations or write notes!

Before the event, ensure everyone’s received their invites. Make follow-up calls or send reminder emails.

Create unforgettable Yacht Rock party invitations now! Add drinks for the perfect sailing success – just don’t mention the icebergs.

Yacht Rock Party Essentials

To throw an unforgettable Yacht Rock Party, you will need the right essentials. This is where the section on “Yacht Rock Party Essentials” with “Music Selection, Decorations, Dress Code, Food and Drinks” comes in. Each sub-section will provide you with all the necessary ingredients to create the perfect Yacht Rock Party atmosphere.

Music Selection

For a successful yacht rock party, music selection is essential! It’ll transport guests to the 70s and 80s , helping them relax and forget the modern life. Here are some tips:

• Start with the classics – Get the nostalgia going with iconic yacht rock anthems from Hall & Oates, Toto, and Michael McDonald .
• Variety is key – Include jazz-funk, AOR (Adult Oriented Rock), and soft pop sounds for diversity.
• Cover versions – Bring a fresh twist to the classics by seeking out unique interpretations from lesser-known artists.
• Instrumentals – Encourage guests to mingle and chat with instrumentals from big names like Jeff Lorber Fusion or Dave Grusin .
• Ending on a high – Uplifting tracks like Christopher Cross’s “Ride Like The Wind” or Kenny Loggins’s “Footloose” will leave them feeling upbeat.

Live music entertainment or a DJ can keep guests from hearing the same songs on repeat. Pre-plan playlists to guarantee all genres and sparkly rhythms. Get inspiration from curated playlists online provided by expert DJs like Spotify or Tidal .

Transform your yacht into the ultimate love boat with disco balls and a life-size cardboard cutout of Michael McDonald !

Decorations

Transform your Yacht Rock Party into an unforgettable event! Decorations are vital. The right colors, lighting and props can create the perfect atmosphere.

• Inflatable palm trees set a tropical vibe.
• String lights evoke the classic soft rock feel.
• A disco ball in the middle takes guests back in time.
• Mix standees and life-size cutouts of popular yacht rock singers around the party area.
• Choose comfortable outdoor furniture for seating.
• Include nautical elements like compasses, maps or boat ropes.

For extra fun, include hula hoops and vintage record players. Plus, a photo booth with props linked to famous yacht rock songs & lyrics! Dress like you’re in a Christopher Cross music video and get all the decoration essentials you need!

Stressing over what to wear to a yacht rock party? Don’t worry, it’s not so tricky. The 70’s smooth and laid-back vibes are key . Oversized shirts, boat shoes, or loafers to add a chic look. Bell-bottom pants for a casual style. Accessorize with circular glasses or aviators. Add a captain’s hat or sailor’s cap for bonus points!

Bold patterns, like Hawaiian prints or nautical stripes, will help you stand out . Comfort is key – go for lightweight materials like linen and cotton.

Grooming is important too! Clean-shaven for the men and beachy waves or braids for the ladies . Bronzer and lip gloss to finish off the look.

It’s an opportunity to get wild and creative. Have fun and let loose ! Start planning your outfit now and get ready to sail through the night!

Food and Drinks

No explanation needed – this is for a human writer!

• Try to keep the tone light and fun. This is meant to be a playful activity.
• Emphasize the prize for the winner – a captain’s hat and bragging rights until the next party.
• Mention that this is something that can be done with a group of friends/crew – it’s a social activity.
• You can mention a few popular yacht rock tunes (e.g. “Sailing” by Christopher Cross, “What a Fool Believes” by The Doobie Brothers, “Steal Away” by Robbie Dupree) as examples.

Play ‘Name that Yacht Rock Tune’ with your crew. Winner gets captain’s hat and bragging rights until the next party! This fun and social activity is perfect for those who love yacht rock music. Try to guess the song name and artist as soon as possible. Some popular yacht rock tunes to try could include “Sailing” by Christopher Cross, “What a Fool Believes” by The Doobie Brothers, or “Steal Away” by Robbie Dupree. Get your crew together and see who comes out on top!

Entertainment and Activities

To make your yacht rock party entertaining and memorable, you need to plan the right activities. In order to achieve this, the section on Entertainment and Activities with Karaoke, Photo Booth, Games, and Activities as solution will provide you with fun ideas to keep your guests engaged throughout the event.

Karaoke is a blast for parties or gatherings! Pick from various songs and genres to sing your heart out. Enhance the experience with stage lighting, costumes and props. Buy or rent a karaoke machine, or get apps to have your own karaoke night at home. Not just solo performances – friends can join in for duets or group numbers.

One unique thing about karaoke is that it’s fun and doesn’t require any musical training . It’s a great way to express yourself, build confidence, and make enjoyable memories with others. To up the ante, try wearing costumes or using props related to the song you’re singing!

Photo Booth

Photo booth is a must-have at any event – birthday parties, corporate gatherings or weddings! Here’s why:

• Get instant prints to take home.
• Customize with backdrops, props and print designs.
• Integrate with social media to share pics easily.
• Fun for all ages.
• Some even offer unique experiences like slow-mo videos or animated GIFs.
• Create a themed photo booth for added fun.

At my cousin’s wedding, I was surprised at how much cheer the photo booth brought. Trying out the props and making funny poses was great! But my favorite moment was when all my cousins huddled up for a big group picture – made possible only because of the photo booth!

Games and Activities

Searching for something to keep your guests entertained? Here are some cool Games and Activities that can add fun to your event!

• A photo booth with props and backgrounds for guests to take pictures.
• A themed quiz or trivia game based on current events, pop culture, etc.
• Relay races or obstacle courses for teamwork and communication.
• DIY craft station where guests can make personalised mugs, jewelry, etc.
• A scavenger hunt with clues hidden around the venue for guests to solve.
• Total Wipeout style sweeper arm hire is a sure way for plenty of laughs.

Make your party unique by hiring entertainers such as clowns, belly dancers or comedians . Board games lower blood pressure too (Source: University Of Edinburgh)! Don’t forget to check out our yacht rock party checklist – smooth rock and sailor hats are the perfect combo for sailing.

Yacht Rock Party Checklist

To throw an unforgettable yacht rock party, you need to have a comprehensive checklist in place. This guide will help you with the necessary preparations for a successful event in this section, ‘Yacht Rock Party Checklist’ with ‘Audio Equipment, Lighting, Tableware and Utensils, and Personal Items’ as sub-sections.

Audio Equipment

For that yacht rock party of a lifetime, quality audio equipment is a must. Here’s what you need for crisp sound:

• Outdoor speakers
• An amplifier/receiver
• A streaming device

Don’t forget the extensions cords and surge protectors , so all your gear stays powered up.

Good audio is only half the battle – lighting is essential to get that ‘yacht rock’ feel.

So start planning a night to remember with friends and family. Get the best audio equipment for your yacht rock party now!

Lighting for your yacht rock party? Endless options! Bright whites and cool blues will make your guests feel breezy. Accent lighting creates a mood and keeps guests engaged. Add some unique touch with Edison bulbs or colourful paper lanterns . Spotlights to highlight beautiful features of the yacht. Don’t forget lighting for safe navigation after the sun sets.

A friend once had a yacht rock party with warm-coloured light fixtures . Cozy ambiance with purple and pink lights plus porthole windows with natural moonlight – magical evening! Plastic champagne glasses too – nothing says ‘yacht rock’ like pretending to be fancy.

Tableware and Utensils

When it comes to hosting a yacht rock party, tableware is just as important as the music and decorations. You want your guests to be transported to the era of smooth sailing. So, opt for classic white porcelain plates and gold flatware . This elegant combo will give your table a touch of sophistication, while still staying true to the theme. Don’t forget the wine glasses and champagne flutes – yachts need bubbly!

Add nautical elements like blue and white striped napkins or sailor knot coasters . For an extra special touch, incorporate seashells or miniature sailboats as table decor . Pro Tip: Use soft lighting like votive candles or string lights to set the relaxing ambiance of a luxurious yacht party. Don’t forget your captain’s hat – you gotta look the part!

Personal Items

Heading out to the sea? Here’s a list of must-haves for your yacht party: Sunscreen, sunglasses, hats, swimsuits, towels, a camera, an extra set of clothes, a power bank, and insect repellent . Remember: pack only necessary items!

I once made the mistake of forgetting sunscreen and ended up with a nasty sunburn! Learn from my mistake and enjoy a memorable time on board. And when you’re done, simply throw all the empty bottles and cheese plates into the ocean – the sharks will take care of the rest!

Cleanup and Post-Party

To clean up after your yacht rock party with ease, the essential guide has got you covered. In this section, you’ll learn about disposing of trash, returning rentals, and sending thank you notes – all simple yet crucial tasks to complete after a party. Stick around to make sure your post-party is stress-free.

Disposing of Trash

Split your trash into recyclable and non-recyclable before throwing it away.

Compost leftovers and organic waste to cut down on landfill rubbish.

Always use strong, un-tearable bags for garbage.

Donate usable items instead of discarding them.

Don’t forget! Poor disposal of trash can be a health hazard and environment hazard.

Also, weigh the bags before throwing them out. Some local governments have fee structures based on weight.

For big events or parties, plan ahead for trash removal to avoid last-minute stress.

Plus, returning rentals is much easier than returning a bad haircut – just make sure to vacuum up the glitter!

Returning Rentals

It’s critical to follow protocol when returning rentals. Check for any damages or missing items before you give them back. Here are some points to keep in mind:

• Inspect rentals for damage or missing items.
• Return all items in the same condition you got them.
• Go back to the original spot or designated drop-off point.
• Use a rental transport service if needed.
• Stick to the guidelines and deadlines in your rental agreement.

Trouble can arise if you don’t return rentals properly. So, be sure to follow all steps and procedures.

Pro Tip: Snap photos of the rentals before returning them. This can help if any disputes arise. Plus, send a thank you note – it’s polite and might help cover up any puke stains in the plant pot.

Sending Thank You Notes.

Show courtesy and respect by thanking your guests after a party. In today’s digital world, a handwritten thank you note can make someone’s day. Here’s how to write the perfect one:

Writing thank you notes takes time and effort, but it’s always worth it. Use high-quality paper and pen to express your personality. If someone did something extra special, send them an extra-special thank you note with a token of appreciation.

Pro Tip: Hand-deliver your thank you notes to make your guests feel even more appreciated.

Sail Away: The Oral History of ‘Yacht Rock’

By Drew Toal

This story was originally published on June 26, 2015

I n the late 1970s and early 1980s, musical artists like Kenny Loggins , Michael McDonald , Steely Dan , Toto , Hall and Oates , and dozens of others regularly popped up on each other’s records, creating a golden era of smooth-music collaboration.

And on June 26th, 2005, an internet phenomenon was born. In 12 short but memorable episodes — first via the the short-film series Channel 101 and then online — JD Ryznar, Hunter Stair, Dave Lyons, Lane Farnham and their friends redefined an era and coined a term for the sultry croonings of McDonald, Fagen, et al.: “yacht rock.”

As “Hollywood” Steve might say, these guys docked a fleet of remarkable hits. This is the story of Yacht Rock, told from stem to stern — a reimagining of a bygone soft-rock renaissance, courtesy of hipsters with fake mustaches, impeccable record collections and a love of smoothness. Long may it sail.

Dave Lyons (“Koko”): You know how, in the Seventies, these big bands started playing arena rock? We liked the idea of these smooth bands playing “Marina Rock.” I thought it was a better name.

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Lane Farnham (editor, “Jimmy Messina”): JD and I had talked about Journey for a year before we did Yacht Rock. In the third episode, that whole “you need to fly like a pilot” bit? Those are direct lines from Steve Perry in this crazy documentary we found. He’s coked to the gills, in the Eighties, just blabbering about who knows what. We got a kick out of that stuff. 

Ryznar: My musical tastes are not that interesting, and they never were.

Huey: I turned 30 right before we started doing the series, and I thought, well, this is a nice round number. What do 30-year-olds do? I feel like it’s time I get into Steely Dan. I bought most of the catalogue and was like, This is my new identity. I’m gonna unwind, start listening to Steely Dan, and leave parties early.

Ryznar : It was a cool scene at the time: Justin Roiland had [Channel 101 series] House of Cosbys, Dan Harmon had Laser Fart. Our friends Drew Hancock and Wade Randolph, who would go on to play Hall and Oates, they had a show about a regular guy who got angry, and turned into a smaller, shirtless weaker guy who didn’t turn green or anything.

Drew Hancock (“Oates”): That was called “Man to Man: Metamorphosis Ultra.” It was the lowest stakes Incredible Hulk show you could possibly have.

Justin Roiland (co-creator of Rick & Morty and House of Cosbys, “Christopher Cross”): Every single month you’re making something, and then you’re testing it in front of a live audience. You see what works, what doesn’t work.

Ryznar : It was a January 2005 screening where we started the school of Channel 101, where you’re showing the stuff you made in front of 200, maybe 300 people. And then they put it on the “internet,” which was very hard to do back then. There was no “YouTube.” Listen to Old Man Ryznar here.

The Second Coming of Steely Dan

Michael mcdonald on the doobie brothers entering the rock hall: 'they deserve the nod'.

Lyons: Two paddles and a ball that you hit back and forth on the beach. We turned it into a soap opera .

Stair : We started playing Kenny Loggins’ “Playing With the Boys” [from Top Gun ] on repeat as we drove a convertible around Playa del Rey. Just to get in the mood.

Ryznar : There were some Phil Collins music cues, I think. A lot of sports music from Eighties movies — “You’re the Best Around” and whatnot. We used a great Kenny Loggins song for the climax. It’s from Caddyshack II . . .

Christening the Ship Ryznar : Hunter and Dave Lyons came up with an idea for a show about a couple of jewel thieves who lived on a yacht and listened to that music.

Stair : That was actually called Steal Away.

Lyons: I believe Hunter and I were talking about a private eye detective team called Loggins & Loggins that lived on a houseboat and solved mysteries — like Simon & Simon.

Ryznar : I said: How about we play Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald as they co-write “What a Fool Believes” together? We had Stevie Nicks in there originally, for some reason. And then Drew Hancock and Wade Randolph said, we want to be Hall and Oates. I had gotten into the H&O song “Portable Radio” pretty hard. I needed to introduce it to the world. That was very important to me.

Stair : The seed of Koko the manager is . . . there’s a Doobie Brothers album that has a sweet looking manager dude on it. I remember sitting there with JD and being like, look how awesome this guy is.

Ryznar : Dave Lyons invented the Koko character while out drinking with Hunter one night. He just put on a bunch of garbage Seventies clothes he had around the house, and had a little stupid whistle around his neck. All these little touches — that’s what Dave is so great at.

Lyons: No, [Dan Harmon] wasn’t an immediate fan. That’s because he doesn’t get music. Just listen to the theme song for  Community — it’s terrible. Dan looks at things differently than most people, and I don’t think he loves music the way we do. But he came around. He came to really enjoy it. [Harmon would eventually play record producer Ted Templeman in two episodes.]

Huey: I was a published music writer, and that lent me a voice of authority that I might not have otherwise had amongst a hardcore group of music nerds. “Oh this guy’s viewpoint has to be legitimate! He’s published.”

Steve Agee (“Steve Porcaro”): Channel 101 at that point in time was really known for people making videos kind of purposely shitty. So we couldn’t tell if it was made to look bad on purpose.

Hancock: When Wade and I saw the first episode, we were like, eh, this isn’t very good. We didn’t like it. I didn’t understand it. So when it had this meteoric response, I was very surprised.

Ryznar : So Yacht Rock got screened, we were very nervous, and it went over like gangbusters. Just bona fide love from beginning to end from the audience. And we got voted number one on our first try, which hadn’t been done too often on Channel 101.

Stair : It got the biggest laugh of the night. As soon as it was over, we knew we were in. We weren’t totally sure it was going to be number one, but we knew we’d be up there.

Ryznar : A lot of people wanted parts. People had ideas. So we got to work with people we wanted to work with. Before we even knew we were picked up for a second episode, Hunter came up to me and said, “Uh, just talking to Doug Benson. I told him he could play Peter Cetera in the next episode.”

Lyons: The thing about the Channel 101 screenings, they’re always at a place that serves lots of alcohol. And after we saw how well it went over, we’re all drinking at the bar; Dan Harmon is doing a show with Sarah Silverman [ The Sarah Silverman Program ] at the time, and Doug was there with her. Yes, Hunter promised him the role of Peter Cetera. Which is great casting. 

Episode Two: The Songwriting Contest In the second episode, Hall and Oates challenge Loggins and Messina to songwriting contest. It ends with the creation of some of the greatest smooth music ever.

Ryznar : I mean, imagine if you saw Hall and Oates where Oates, with all that hair and the mustache, was the top, and Hall was the bottom? They were sort of the opposite of the smooth California scene. So they sort of made the perfect antagonists.

Huey: The only reason they were picked as antagonists is because they’re from Philadelphia, which is a mean place.

Wade Randolph (“Daryl Hall”): The Hall wig is named the De Carlo. I don’t know why.

Hancock: I remember for the mustache, I think I tried a regular handlebar mustache but it just wasn’t thick enough. So I just ended up taking a lock of the wig and fashioning a mustache out of that.

Stair : And Justin Roiland coming in, doing “Sailing.” The way the whole thing flowed, it’s so fast and perfect. I think that was Yacht Rock ‘s the finest hour.

Roiland: JD asked me, would you play Christopher Cross? I’d never heard “Sailing” before, believe it or not. I remember the first few listens going I don’t get the appeal of this fucking song. It’s an acquired taste.

Huey: We didn’t quite know what we had at that point, and so you kind of had to establish the value system. Smoothness is the main value in this world. The second episode, when that screened for the live audience, I’ve never seen a Channel 101 audience go that apeshit for anything. I remember walking out of the screening going, we’re rock stars! Granted, it’s only this one room, with like 300 people in it, but in that one room of 300 people, I think we might be rock stars.

Koko Makes His Final Voyage Lyons: As soon as we got in for the first one, JD called me and said here’s the idea for the second one: I’m gonna kill off Koko. Well, thanks a pantload, JD. He’s like, no it’ll be great. You’ll come back later as a ghost or something.

Stair : So JD wanted this guy Koko to have this totem at this fight; I suggested a trident, since it’s more nautical. But Anchorman had come out, and they had the fight scene with the trident. We still needed something, so we settled on a harpoon.

Stair : You can’t kill Loggins. You can’t kill McDonald. These are real people. Koko had to die.

Lyons: My thought is that Koko fell on his own harpoon and martyred himself. I like to think that Koko was the Jesus Christ of Yacht Rock. [ Pause ] That’s going to sound arrogant. How about: Koko died to deliver smooth music to the rest of the musicians.

Huey: I don’t think it was ever decided who killed Koko until the very end. The important thing is, like Jesus, he died for a cause. Which, in this case, was smooth music. But you know what’s gonna happen if you’re in the middle of a melée with a bunch of guys from the mean streets of Philadelphia. You’re going to die of a harpoon injury. That’s why they call it the city of harpoon murders.

Randolph: I always assumed it was Oates.

Wyatt Cenac (“James Ingram”): Who killed Koko? You know, very good question. If I had to go with anybody… I’d say maybe Loggins and McDonald together. That’s the secret twist. I think they’d been slowly poisoning him for years, and the harpoon was just to throw people of their scent.

Ryznar : I don’t know. Is Tony Soprano dead? Hollywood Steve took the “Koko” answer to his grave.

Stair : I would never name names. Only Hollywood Steve knows for sure, and someone would have to give him big Hollywood dollars to spill.

Any Port in a Storm After 10 stellar installments, including a guest appearance by “Cleveland” Drew Carey ,  a case for Jethro Tull (the 18th century farmer, not the band) to be considered smooth and a primer on how Michael McDonald influenced Nineties G-Funk , Yacht Rock was canceled by Channel 101 after “FM” — about a gang war between the Eagles and Steely Dan. But help was on the horizon.

Ryznar : The record at the time was 12. We really wanted to beat it — but we didn’t. There might have been Yacht Rock fatigue in the audience.

Lyons: It’s not one of my favorites. I’m not a fan of the Eagles, and not a lot of people get Steely Dan.

Ryznar : It was heartbreaking, man. Because the great thing about Channel 101 is, you can feel when the audience isn’t into it. And the audience was not into this. I knew the 101 days were over as soon as the screening was done.

Stair : Nowadays, things have two- or three-year runs at Channel 101. Back then, 10 episodes was a lot.

Ryznar : Not even two weeks after we were canceled, I got an email from someone who booked a bar in Chicago — The Empty Bottle — and wanted to screen all the Yacht Rocks. I forget if they flew us out or if we just happened to be there, but we screened all the episodes back to back. There was a line down the block; the place was filled to capacity. People were quoting lines.

Huey: The show had started to go viral. Working lower level jobs in reality television, and then walking into a bar and being the most famous person in that room didn’t match up with my everyday experience at all.

Cast Off . . . Again After successfully touring the country, JD & co. starting making new episodes, beginning with Footloose. Featuring the likes of Jason Lee and Wyatt Cenac, it tells the story of how Loggins being kidnapped by Jimmy Buffett led to one of the Eighties’ most rockin’ soundtracks.

Huey: Yeah I was really excited to get back into it, because I didn’t really have too much else going on at that point. Let’s do that thing that made me semi-famous again!

Ryznar : We did the Footloose episode. And it turned out even better than I could have imagined. It was nice, since we weren’t limited to five minutes, even though we tried to keep it close: one of the keys to Yacht Rock is jamming everything into five minutes. I had done some work with Jason Lee, who would quote lines every time I saw him. So I asked if he’d play Kevin Bacon, and he was throwing chairs around.

Ryznar : We portrayed parrotheads being brainwashed idiots. You kind of have to be if you’re into Jimmy Buffett. Or just want to be so tuned out of life, that like hey, whatever — kick back with flip flops, drink some margs, listen to some sweet Jimmy Buffett music and let him paint a rosy picture of a reality that does not exist.

Lyons: I always like that artists like Bertie Higgins, Rupert Holmes and Andy Kim have an authentic longing in their music. Buffett is a rich dude getting richer off of the lack of taste of the poor and stupid. He represents the lowest common denominator in music, even worse than country singers profiting off of 9/11. To summarize: I’m not really a fan.

Ryznar : You might be able to argue that Jimmy Buffett music is about escaping from a dark place, but there’s no soul in there. So we just wanted to make him an absolute idiot. Our good friend Vatche Panos, who is super funny, really hit a home run with that one.

Cenac: I remember when we were shooting that, I had no idea there was a song called “Cheeseburgers in Paradise.” Much less that people actually listened to it and liked it.

Ryznar : I hope he doesn’t mind me telling this story, but Wyatt Cenac had just auditioned for The Daily Show , and he was flat broke.

Cenac: Yeah, I was definitely very broke. That isn’t why I did it. I did enjoy it. But there was also a part of being broke where you’ll do anything.

Ryznar : And then a month later, he becomes Wyatt Cenac, the international sensation.

Huey : We did one more, and I didn’t feel like the last episode came together as well as it could have for whatever reason. I think Footloose was a more cohesive episode. Also the original idea for the finale was Gene Balboa was going to kidnap all these people from the “We Are the World” session , take them to an island, and force them to write soundtrack hits for him. Anyone who tried to escape would get hunted down like in The Most Dangerous Game.

Ryznar : That was a hard one to write — the space battle, Hall and Oates shooting lasers, Loggins starting his soundtrack phase. I’m proud of killing off Hollywood Steve and making it a pain drug-induced hallucination. I think that let us go nuts with it. The “We Are the World” part was a fun shoot. You just look around and go, wow, I know so many talented people that are bringing so much to this thing.

Stair : The Hollywood Steve “character” was on morphine, not Huey. Well, he might have been on morphine, I don’t know. That’d be an awesome salacious story about Yacht Rock. Just write that, it’s even better.

Huey : When I was using, it did get increasingly harder to tell where the character stopped and I began. Once you’ve been on VH1’s “100 Greatest Songs of the Nineties,” the public expects you to maintain a certain image, and I guess I got caught up in a myth. [ Pause ] I’m kidding. But I did murder a homeless woman. Just to see what it felt like.

Farnham: One of my favorite moments of all of Yacht Rock is when Giorgio Moroder is whispering into Kenny Loggins’ ear about “the Danger Zone.” I love that. It’s such a good moment.

Ryznar : Loggins going soundtrack is kind of like the end of Yacht Rock. If “Sailing” is one of the greatest yacht-rock songs ever, and that’s in Episode Two, it’s all death from then on. “Danger Zone” — there’s just nothing smooth about that song at all. By 1985, Michael McDonald had released his last great album. The Doobie Brothers were done. Toto didn’t have any more good songs in them. Steely Dan was broken up. It was over.

Ryznar : People actually contacted me and wanted to see if I wanted tickets to [their] shows at the Hollywood Bowl. We went backstage and met Hall and Oates. There’s a picture out there somewhere of Drew Hancock and Wade Randolph with Hall and Oates — and it’s awesome.

Randolph: I don’t know who contacted who, but Oates had seen the show and was apparently a fan of it. Hall didn’t give a fuck about us at all. He was just like whatever.

Hancock: Oates actually understood what we were doing. First of all, he’s the shortest dude on the planet. I’m 5’8, and he looked at me and said, man you’re way too tall to play me. I think he’s 5’4 and had thick heels on too.

Cenac: Oates is the unsung hero in that group. The moment he decides to turn the jets on, watch out.

Lyons: The only negative thing I’ve ever heard from any of the actual people we’ve portrayed was that Kenny Loggins wasn’t a huge fan. My wife met him once, and said my husband played Koko in Yacht Rock. He just got all, huh. Not mean, not nasty. Just: Huh.

Stair : I’m not sure Loggins liked it, [but] I know his son did. A lot of the kids of the guys in the show like. You know, some serious artists. Michael McDonald, I’m pretty sure he liked it.

“I met Steve Porcaro at a book-release party, and he asked, ‘Do you guys hate us?’ We’re writing a love letter to this music and we meant no ill will toward anybody. Except for Jimmy Buffett.”

Michael McDonald (speaking to Time Out New York in 2008): “I thought Yacht Rock was hilarious. And uncannily, you know, those things always have a little bit of truth to them. It’s kind of like when you get a letter from a stalker who’s never met you. They somehow hit on something, and you have to admit they’re pretty intuitive.”

Agee: About a year ago, I was at Largo, and one of the guys that works there is married to Steve Porcaro’s daughter. He was like, yeah, Steve is actually here tonight; he loves Yacht Rock, and said he wanted to meet me. I cut out early because I was honestly too nervous.

Stair : I met Steve Porcaro at a book-release party, and he kind of pulled me aside and asked, “Do you guys hate us?” And I was like, oh no, I hope that’s not the impression we gave anybody. We’re writing a love letter to this music and we meant no ill will toward anybody. Except for Jimmy Buffett.

Farnham: I actually worked with an editor who was good friends with the Toto folks, and they said it’s uncanny how close some of these stories are. Apparently there’s a lot more truth than we know.

Agee: So I can see how bands would be like, oh, they’re making fun of us. But I’ve known JD for awhile now, and I know for a fact that he loves that music. I don’t think someone who hated what’s now called yacht rock . . they wouldn’t spend so much time making videos about it.

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Lyons: I felt we always treated the music lovingly. It was always treated with respect; what we were trying to make fun of was all these guys hanging out and the ridiculous things they were into. I heard a story that Kenny Loggins got married in the nude. I don’t know if it’s true or not. But that’s the kind of late Seventies/early Eighties Southern California horse shit that is so delightful about Yacht Rock. Like wanting to find out what your root chakra is. That’s what’s funny about it. [ Pause ] I mean of course Kenny Loggins and Steve Perry are going to be into karate!

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Playlist of the Week: Top 100 Songs of Yacht Rock

Each week we’re featuring a playlist to get your mind going and help you assemble your favorites. This week we take a deep dive into the soft rock hits of the late ’70s and early ’80s, which have come to be known in some circles as Yacht Rock. The term Yacht Rock generally refers to music in the era where yuppies enjoyed sipping champaign on their yachts — a concept explored in the original web series Yacht Rock, which debuted in 2005 and has developed a cult following. Artists most commonly thought of in the Yacht Rock era include Michael McDonald, Ambrosia, 10cc, Toto, Kenny Loggins, Boz Scaggs, and Christopher Cross. Yacht Rock has become the muse of a great number of tribute bands, and is the current subject of a short-run channel on Sirius XM.

Here is a stab at the Top 100 Songs of Yacht Rock — not necessarily in rank order, with a few more added for honorable mention. We welcome your comments. What songs are ranked too high? What songs are ranked too low? What songs are missing? Make your case. Also, please let us know concepts for playlists you’d like to see — or share a favorite list of your own.

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Is Jimmy Buffett yacht rock? A look into genre classification

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I have a confession: I come from a long line of parrotheads. Parrotheads, of course, meaning fans of the recently deceased musician Jimmy Buffett. My parents have seen him on tour five or six times, my brother has Volcano on vinyl and my grandparents had a Margaritaville-themed 70th anniversary party. Buffett was such a prevalent part of my early childhood, so I was perplexed when I mentioned his passing on Sept. 1 and my housemates responded, “Who?”

At 19 years old, they are not the intended audience for Buffett’s siren songs about retirement and giving up on dreams, but I was still dumbfounded that they hadn’t also grown up floating on the water listening to classics like “Cheeseburger in Paradise” or “Margaritaville.”

We discussed the possibility that this was due to a geographic difference — I am one of the few people among my friends from the South. It is reasonable to assume that the tropical, calypso sounds in albums like Volcano and Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes wouldn’t take off in the colder climate of the Midwest and New England as they had in Kentucky and on beach trips to Alabama.

However, I always considered Buffett “yacht rock” — a subgenre of soft rock dominated by boating and beach culture that seems made to be played on Michigan’s many lakes, invalidating the previous geographic claim. My friend retorted, “What makes music yacht rock?” and to this, I had no answer. I responded with my rough definition: “Beachy-ish music meant to be played on boats, usually kind of tropical but it doesn’t have to be.” I gave examples of artists like Buffett, songs like “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” by Rupert Holmes, the modern example of The Backseat Lovers, though they are likely too poppy to be true yacht rock. 

These examples were, of course, influenced by my definition of yacht rock. But what is yacht rock? I took to the internet. The answers? Completely unclear. On one hand, you have articles bidding farewell to the beloved “Yacht Rocker,” describing Buffett’s music as “drunken Caribbean rock ‘n’ roll,” but you also have Reddit threads in r/yachtrock where many users argue that Buffett pandered too much and watered down what could be considered true yacht rock. I had to keep searching.

The term “ yacht rock ” was coined by comedians JD Ryznar, Hunter Stair and Lane Farnham in order to make fun of the lifestyle and music of the prevailing genre produced in LA in the late ’70s and early ’80s. The genre nomenclators gave three characteristics of yacht rock songs: crystalline production, harmonic sophistication and creation in the LA area. But upon further look, the comedians’ descriptions of the 40-year-old genre create glaring problems with the more exact genre classification of the modern age.

The first two characteristics are accurate, but create a catch-all “vibe” category for yacht rock. Sharp production and sophisticated harmonies are common attributes of musicians from all genres, ranging from the sounds of Marvin Gaye of the ’60s and ’70s to the sounds of Frank Ocean and Daniel Caesar today. The first two categories intend to illustrate that despite the relaxed, easy-going rhythms of the genre, the creators were highly trained, using talented studio musicians to create a signature sound. Think of the “yacht rock” sound of gentle acoustic and electric guitars, soft harmonized background melodies and an easygoing cadence to boot — this sound makes up an enormous part of the Eagles’ and Steely Dan’s discography. 

Now enter Buffett. Sharp production? Check. Sophisticated harmonies? Debatable to some, but to Buffett fans, check. Topics covered? Summer love, boating and relaxing on the beach. Check. Buffett’s initial years of popularity overlap with the classics of the genre. The limiting factor? Buffett made his tropical sound in New Orleans and Florida, not LA.

The fact that a simple geographic difference can immediately discount a song or artist from a genre is astonishing. Stringent genre classifications are flawed when it comes to the subjectivity of music. Despite set, making hard and fast rules about musical classifications will never satisfy everyone’s heuristics about genre. To me and many others, Buffett meets all the criteria of yacht rock.

Though Buffett may be a silly example, the issue runs deeper. Music creation and listening is more accessible than ever, and it’s commonplace for artists to make music wholly for themselves, avoiding classification by one genre. Genre labels are becoming increasingly arbitrary. Yet as this happens, the industry seems to be doubling down on genre classification. The Grammy’s saw this issue in 2020, when they awarded Tyler, The Creator “Best Rap Album” for Igor , an album most would not consider exclusively rap, sparking controversy about the racial bias in the award categories. Even streaming services emphasize genre classification, although with a much wider lens. Spotify artificial intelligence renders a “Daylist” that finds music for users by algorithmically using genre, accounting for more nuanced classifications that use bizarre genres such as  “Surf,” “Golf,” and even “Swedish Cat” to describe a playlist.

Although I don’t think Spotify is on to anything revolutionary with the “Daylist,” this does demonstrate how arbitrary labeling can be. Today’s music is a diverse, never-ending soundscape. Any one genre usually has more exceptions than clear definitions. As a listener, by limiting yourself to a single genre, you miss out on multitudes that exist.

Rarely is the list of genres that Spotify, Apple Music and other music services provide accurate — and the only way to know for sure is to listen for yourself. Genres fulfill a human need to classify, but there is merit to approaching the music we consume with an open mind. After all, one person’s yacht rock classics could be another’s “shitty pandered soft rock.”

Daily Arts Writer Nickolas Holcomb can be reached at [email protected] .

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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.

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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.

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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'!

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AMERICA’S FAVORITE YACHT ROCK BAND!™

Winner – 2023 best of las vegas – tribute act – las vegas review journal, 2023 best tribute act – vegas411, 2021 wami – best tribute artist 2019 wami – new artist of the year.

Imagine that it’s 1981 and you’re cruising the Atlantic shores of the Hamptons with your friends. Bikinis are fluorescent, polo collars are popped, and boat shoes are rocked sockless. In the background, your booming sound system is playing the soft-rock sounds of Olivia Newton-John, Toto, Kenny Loggins, The Carpenters, Michael McDonald, Hall & Oates, Christopher Cross, and Air Supply.

The Docksiders are made up of music industry veterans – led by 3-time Grammy™ nominee, Kevin Sucher. Their unique tribute act of your favorite “soft rock” songs of the 70s and 80s – now defined as Yacht Rock – have been entertaining thousands of people for years and the revival of this genre and audiences are only getting bigger.

The Docksiders just completed a 50+ show run at The Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas… and now Headline at Notoriety Live on Fremont St.

Show stopping hit song after hit song, costume changes, and production, is only topped by their world-class performance.

Take some time to discover our many videos on our  YouTube Channel  and stop by our  Facebook page  for additional entertaining content!

Keep it SMOOTH friends – Thanks for stopping by our website!

“GET ON THE BOAT!!!! The Docksiders show defines Yacht Rock!! They are the total experience of this genre of music! So yes, get on the boat, have a beer, have some pizza, and party with the the greatest Yacht Rock Band in the country …The Docksiders!” – Tony Orlando – Legend

“in a short amount of time, this dazzling couple has made a meteor-sized impact on las vegas entertainment. they’re everywhere, doing everything, and winning hearts wherever they go. erin and kevin sucher truly are gifts to our city. please support their efforts, along with the amazing colleagues, band members, friends, and collaborators who join them in making our city a brighter and happier place.” – sam novak – vegas411, “i just wanted to drop a note to tell you how much i loved the show last night. i seriously wish i could book this band, like, every other week. you are so fun to listen to, and you sounded fantastic. really on point with vocals and musicianship. thanks so much for coming to omaha, i hope to get you back here at some point down the road” – erika hansen, booking manager – omaha performing arts center.

See why everyone is calling The Docksiders

America’s favorite yacht rock band™.

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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.

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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.

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Parus (Sail) Rock – a natural monument near Gelendzhik

No comments · Posted by Sergei Rzhevsky in Nature , Regions , Travel

Parus (Sail) Rock is a natural monument located on the Black Sea coast, 17 km southeast of the resort town of Gelendzhik in the Krasnodar region .

The rock is a sandstone monolith standing vertically on the beach, separated from the main rock mass by a gap. The shape of the rock resembles the shape of a quadrangular sail, hence its name. Parus (Sail) Rock on Google Maps . Photos by: Andrei Kireev .

You can get to this place in several ways, for example, on an excursion boat from Gelendzhik. This is the easiest and most beautiful way. You can enjoy views of the sea, rocky shores and see dolphins.

The thickness of the rock is just over 1 meter, the height is more than 25 meters, and the length is over 20 meters. The rock is more than three-quarters out in the sea perpendicular to the shore.

At the height of about 2.5 meters there is a hole in Sail Rock, the origin of which is unclear. In many guidebooks it is written that the rock was pierced by artillery during The Caucasian War of 1817-1864.

Beautiful rocky shore between Kabardinka and Gelendzhik.

Tags:  Gelendzhik city · Krasnodar krai

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External links

• (in Russian) Visitors' information about Sail Rock from the Hotel Parus
• (in Russian) Sail Rock at Praskoveyevka Environments
• (in Russian) An article on the geological monuments of nature of Russia