Lately, the universe has been trying to educate me about something called yacht rock.
If you know about yacht rock, consider yourself one of the cool kids. If you don't (and I didn't), join the club.
My introduction came via SiriusXM radio, which has a whole channel devoted to yacht rock — which, put simply, is a rebranding of certain soft-rock artists from the 1970s and 1980s.
I must say, there's something about this music that lands differently on my Baby Boomer ears in 2024 than it did in, say, 1980 when it just seemed soft and mushy.
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Today, it feels like part of the foundation of my life, and it also makes me nostalgic for pop songs that were actually musically sophisticated, with full instrumentation and talented vocalists. Listening to the lyrics is a joy, too, as my life experiences now provide a resonating chamber for the words.
Yacht rock has been defined as adult-oriented rock from 1975-'85, the time just before pop music ran smack into the MTV era, when the ability to make entertaining videos often trumped musical talent.
There's even a new documentary on HBO's Max now called, appropriately, "Yacht Rock: A Documentary." Yacht rock is the invention of internet comedians who posted some funny videos in 2005 imagining backstories on some of the plot lines from '70s-'80s pop songs. But what started out as parody has turned into tribute.
Some music critics picked up on the term, and a genre was born — the term "soft rock" had always seemed a little tepid. Yacht rock gives the music the sophisticated label it deserves. It's also sort of a joke. SiriusXM has a DJ on its yacht-rock station who sounds like Thurston Howell III, the millionaire character from the "Gilligan's Island" sitcom.
The best way to explain yacht rock is to give you examples. If you are a Boomer or Gen Xer you should instantly recognize these acts, which are considered to be at the center of the genre: Michael McDonald ("I Keep Forgettin'"), Christopher Cross ("Sailing"), Steely Dan ("Reelin' in the Years," "Rikki Don't Lose That Number") and Toto ("Africa," "Rosanna").
Experts say yacht-rock music shares these traits: lush studio production, elite musicians, jazz and R&B influences, electric pianos, upbeat rhythms.
If one band is at the center of the genre, it's Steely Dan, a collection of studio players with prodigious musical chops whose 1977 album, Aja ("Deacon Blues," etc.), is considered the holy grail of yacht-rock recordings. If you have the album on vinyl, go back and listen. It's a studio masterpiece, experts say.
(READ MORE: 5 notable Steely Dan songs to remember)
Not all '70s acts are in the club. For example, the Eagles have a country flavor that keeps them out of the yacht-rock playlist. However, The Doobie Brothers ("Listen to the Music," "China Grove"), with their upbeat, bouncy tempos are 100% in the club.
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Other artists in the yacht-rock club are Kenny Loggins ("Footloose," "Danger Zone"), Boz Scaggs ("Lowdown" "Lido Shuffle"). The song "What a Fool Believes," written by Loggins and McDonald and performed by The Doobies, might as well be the yacht-rock anthem, experts say.
You don't have to have satellite radio to sample yacht rock. Any number of locally available classic-hits radio stations will fit the bill.
The trick is listening to old music with new ears. Believe me, if you are, say, 60 to 75 years old, knowing the lyrics to every yacht-rock song is a pleasant experience and will connect you to memories you forgot you had.
Contact Mark Kennedy at [email protected] or 423-757-6645.