I’m on record as a Yacht Rock nerd willing to take hits for being an Air Supply fan: please refer to me in the correct Airhead nickname format. I’ve seen and love the “dock-umentary,” though it takes itself a bit seriously for a genre based on chilling out. Yacht Rock (YR) is supposed to be about vibes over genre, not arguing over whether Hall and Oates is “too Philadelphia,” whatever that means.
It lives somewhere between soft rock, bluesy soul, and smooth summery radio polish that defined the late-1970s and early-1980s. While the heavy hitters like Steely Dan get most of the attention, there’s a niche mix of catchy one-hit wonders that helped define the sound.
Here are 10 picks, in no particular order (except the last one is my personal favorite).
“Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” by Looking Glass, a song that was born salty and sunburned. It tells a whole wistful story in just a few minutes, about a barmaid in a harbor town and the sailor who couldn’t stay: a track that feels like it belongs to a specific place and time.
“Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" by Rupert Holmes might be the most narrative-driven yacht rock hit of them all. It’s a short story set to music, with a twist ending that people love to chat up, especially any time the drink is in sight. The campy melody masks a slightly absurd premise, but it’s part of the charm, like overhearing gossip at a beach bar.
“Romeo’s Tune" by Steve Forbert is a lesser-known, different flavor of yacht rock, catchy, artsy: “let me smell the moon in your perfume,” and fits the mood. There’s a gentle urgency to it, a sense of longing that carries the song forward.
“Lonely Boy” by Andrew Gold is another tune with bite, driven by its piano hook and a vocal that carries that sea-salty hint of frustration. It fits yacht rock, especially in its production and melody, yet is unique enough to take on the age-old universal tragedy of losing one’s status in the family as an only child.
“Steal Away” by Robbie Dupree deserves praise even if it got bashed in Yacht Rock dock-umentary for Robbie-ing the hook from “What A Fool Believes” by the Doobie Brothers while also coincidentally sounding like Michael McDonald (and looking like Kenny Loggins). As one YR forum noted: “You can almost hear the conversation between him and his manager. Robbie: ‘Hey, I wrote this song. I think it's a hit but most of it sounds stolen from the Doobie Brothers.’ Manager: ‘Hey, if it's a hit, then steal away Robbie.’"
“Baby Come Back” by Player is probably the most popular in the group due to a social media resurgence among the Millennials and Gen Zers. It’s yacht rock perfection, hitting all the smooth but slightly melancholic checkboxes paired with the classic miss-you longing theme and a chorus that jams.
“Thunder Island” by Jay Ferguson feels like it should be playing during the opening credits of a 1979 coastal road trip movie. It’s about “chasing love,” like most YR songs, with lesser storytelling vibes of “Brandy,” a little more laid back and dreamy.
“Moonlight Feels Right" by Starbuck: the funkiest marimba solo alone earns it a spot. It leans slightly more pop, but the breezy, jazzy, sunlit feel qualifies. It’s one of those songs people know instantly but rarely remember who did it, and as a Marylander on the Eastern Shore, the mentions of Baltimore and “pop the top at Chesapeake Bay” seal the deal.
“Make a Little Magic” by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is my wild card pick on the list, so hear me out. First, they’re more country, but it could be argued that many country crossover songs like this lend themselves to yacht rock. Second, it could be argued that the song isn’t a one-hit wonder because the band’s song “Mr. Bojangles” was a much bigger hit.
“What You Won’t Do for Love” by Bobby Caldwell is often rediscovered by new generations who don’t know it came out in 1978. Listeners are often surprised to learns he’s white, since his original R&B record label kept his image off his album to conceal that fact. The groove’s undeniable, smooth but intricate, and Caldwell’s vocal performance sits between soulful and restrained. It’s refined yacht rock, the kind of track that quietly elevates everything around it: my biggest pet peeve of the Yacht Rock dock-umentary was leaving my favorite song off their list.