what is the greates yacht rock song of all-time???

does chevy van count as a yacht rock song? if so, might be that one.

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

"Magnet and Steel" is definitely my pick as well for one of the best examples of yacht rock. I would also nominate "Sad Eyes" by Robert John.

I watched Christopher Cross perform Sailing on the Midnight Special a couple nights ago and

1) he played one of those guitars that was like, a double guitar
2) he was wearing a football jersey
3) he looked like a balder version of Jack Black. with a chinstrap beard

kind of disturbing

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

He looks like a less bald version of Frank Black to me.

Funny thing about all of this music paired together is that in my hometown back in the early to mid-80s there used to be an FM station that did this robotic playlist called "SOLID GOLD" that had no DJs at all and it pretty much played all of this stuff non-stop. You would have to mix in some Grover Washington Jr. "Just the Two of Us" and some Al Jarreau hits to this stuff, but it was pretty much all Yacht Rock all the time.

a lot of towns had stations like that (incl. mine)

Yes, "Heart to Heart" by Kenny Loggins is a great song, even though its not his most popular. But L.A. soft-rock/pop at its best.

poor Christopher Cross, the radio star killed by video

'Babylon Sisters' for #1 Yacht-Rachk imo

or my theme song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ennMD1fPtXA

which is more Yacht-Disco but whatevs

I'm partial to the yacht rock with the 'undercurrent' as mentioned previously--the songs with a darker sound i.e. Chris Rea "Fool(If you think it's over)",Jefferson Starship "Runaway", Eagles "Those Shoes", etc.

When I think of "soft rock" I think of the bland music that is blared all over the soft rock stations like Mariah Carey, Michael Bolton, Michael Buble and the like.

Aren't those MOR more than soft rock? I would say there needs to be some kind of rock element in soft rock.

One thing that puzzles me about the "Yacht Rock" series is there isn't even a mention of 10cc, Supertramp, ELO or similar bands. To me, those fit in with the rest, only they are much better.

they're British

So was Billy Ocean.

I thought he was from the Caribbean

they're British

Maybe. And surely not Westcoast, although neither are Steely Dan.

xp: born in Trinidad. Raised in Essex.

Steely Dan did a lot of recording in LA

Sure, right about that. A lot of the LA studio mafia are very much present on their late 70s/early 80s albums in particular.

Several indie bands have new albums out that venture into 70s AM gold/yacht rock territory

Iron and Wine-Kiss Each Other Clean
Band of Horses-Infinite Arms
Broken Bells-s/t
She and Him-Volume Two

^ ariel pink

always assumed "how long" by ace was a 10cc song.

I've skimmed through this thread, and I think I understand the concept of Yacht Rock: it's basically drawn from the music that showed up on Ronco compilations, the late-'70s successor to K-Tel. Anyway, re "Magnet and Steel": I linked to this on another thread, but it's brilliant enough for a revisit.

Josh Rouse - Love Vibration

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1kZbQyGJ3Q

Not for nothing are the backup vocals credited to "The Sweathogs."

ha, when i saw this thread title i immediately thought of magnet and steel, having been inspired by revisiting boogie nights a few days ago. aside from being a great song on its own, it is stashed so perfectly in the film vibe-wise. also that thing you linked to is one of the funniest pieces of dialogue in the film imo

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti is a mix of garage rock and drug induced yacht rock, pretty good stuff.

I've skimmed through this thread, and I think I understand the concept of Yacht Rock: it's basically drawn from the music that showed up on Ronco compilations, the late-'70s successor to K-Tel. Anyway, re "Magnet and Steel": I linked to this on another thread, but it's brilliant enough for a revisit.

― clemenza, Saturday, February 5, 2011 2:42 PM (2 days ago)

the term itself comes from the title of JD Ryznar's internet TV series, but maybe you know that already.

Thanks--didn't know that, no. A friend and I wrote a book on the '70s, and we had a chapter on Ronco Records, which used to compile the late-'70s equivalent of what K-Tel compiled in the early '70s. When I started scrolling through this thread, it seemed like there was a huge amount of overlap between yacht rock and Ronco: Walter Egan, Pablo Cruise, Gerry Rafferty, Exile, Ambrosia, Little River Band, Player, Rupert Holmes, etc., etc.

always assumed "how long" by ace was a 10cc song
Well, the two chords of the intro sound much like the same two as in the intro to 'I'm Not in Love'.

Greatest yacht rock song? 'What a Fool Believes'. End of argument, surely?

I can't believe no one's posted this - The Yachts doing "Yachting Life"!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGB9VvOrPgo

"Yachting Type", that is.

these are more also ran's than essential yacht rock classics, but here are some minor gems from the yacht rock canon i didn't see mentioned yet:

america - you can do magic, tin man
steven bishop - on and on
steve winwood - when you see a chance
ace - how long
gerry rafferty - baker street
dr hook - when you're in love with a beautiful woman

and if you were one of the rare yacht rockers down with the r&b charts

the manhattans - shining star

good list there, though i wouldn't call baker street an 'also-ran'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVubxEQHisQ&feature=player_embedded

i don't care how big a cheeseball this guy is, that song is just gorgeous.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ennMD1fPtXA&feature=player_embedded

awww, an aging herb albert back in the charts and in love with some random milfy chick :) bless...

i totally ride for this genre

"i wouldn't call baker street an 'also-ran'"

fair enough, gerry rafferty was probably jack-white-cool in 1978

I have finally broken down and decided that "Yah Mo Be There" truly is worth ponying up the $6.49 for the entire James Ingram album.

it's on Michael Mcdonald's Sweet Freedom hits package too, which is hella good

I would love to have that....it is not on mp3 though, as far as I can tell, so I can't buy it through my plan.

I don't think that beautiful guitar is plugged in, in the Chris Cross video - what's up with that?

That slowed-down version of "Africa" that Eazy posts upthread - - wasn't this like two or three out of the ILX top trax poll for 2010? It's hazy but I remember some band getting a lot of love here that seriously sounded EXACTLY like this, although maybe not as good.

Just checked - "Fever Ray" they were called?

haha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFmTs_i7ztg

early Hall & Oates to thread - Abandoned Luncheonette in its entirety (i.e. "When the Morning Comes" and "She's Gone").

I unapologetically and unironically love this music. Some more that haven't been mentioned, some from artists not generally associated with YR:

ambrosia - holdin' on to yesterday
player - this time i'm in it for love
andy gibb - love is thicker than water; I just want to be your everything; others...
eric carmen - never gonna fall in love again
firefall - strange way
heatwave - always and forever
dave mason - we just disagree
england dan & john ford coley - we'll never have to say goodbye again
maxine nightingale - lead me on
samantha sang- emotion
chicago - if you leave me now; searchin' so long; wishing you were here
gerry rafferty - high and dry
gordon lightfoot - beautiful; winter night
george harrison - blow away
bee gees - how deep is your love
bobby caldwell - what you won't do for love
anne murray - shadows in the moonlight (country div.)
livingston taylor - i will be in love with you
love is in the air - john paul young (not the disco version)
michael franks & brenda russell - when i give my love to you
rod stewart - tonight's the night; you're in my heart (the final acclaim)
war - summer

jim photoglo, "fool in love with you" i've been trying to remember this one since this thread started. straight "what a fool believes" rip.
robbie dupree, "hot rod hearts"
bellamy brothers, "let your love flow"
leblanc and carr, "falling," maybe? it's breezy though, i don't think the rex smith or randy vanwarmer songs i listed upthread are breezy enough.

i keep thinking there's a segment of new wavish/ pub rock songs of the era (cf the dave edmunds and rocky burnette mentions) that would appeal to a yacht rocker, like "cruel to be kind," "sausalito summer nights," "this beat goes on/ switching to glide," "driver's seat," "stepping out," "salt in my tears," "harden my heart" and so on. dunno why i think this except if you're doing more rails of coke than glasses of chardonnay you might wants something that bops just a little harder, but is still kinda cool.

jefferson starship, "count on me," "with your love"
marty balin, "hearts"

what about the commodores, "sail on," and "easy?"

When I see this thread title I think briefly of doing some kind of "greates fartpoop" type joke/dn but decide against it

yeah, this is serious business here, delineating the limits of a post-hoc imaginary genre. like if i were to make a yacht rock battle jacket i'd need a clear idea of which patches would or wouldn't be acceptable.