Recommended For You
The subject of yacht rock can be a polarizing topic – in particular what fits and doesn't fit with the genre. Kenny Loggins could be considered a godfather of the format, but even he wonders where it came from.
The topic came to light during a lengthy discussion about Still Alright , a new memoir which leaves no stone unturned when it comes to covering Loggins' career in great detail. He talked with UCR about a number of subjects, including his substantial success with film soundtracks, but also his longtime collaboration and friendship with Michael McDonald .
Loggins says he tried to put McDonald and Tom Johnston together as collaborators long before the Doobie Brothers ' on-going reunion tour . He also offers thoughts on yacht rock, which his music ultimately became a big part of – though Loggins would change things if he had input on the subject.
I enjoyed the things you wrote in the book about your collaborative relationship and friendship with Michael McDonald. What is interesting to you about what Michael will do with your songs vs. what you did with your own versions? The main thing that I learned is that when you record a song that you’ve written with Michael, he has to be on the piano. No studio piano player comes anywhere near what he does – because he’s self-taught and he [learned] from a direction of Black gospel and [artists like] Ray Charles. With Michael, the feel of the tune is always in his hands. Even when [David] Foster and I had the chorus of [1982's] “Heart to Heart,” when I went to Michael for the verses, he set the vibe of the song. It was that part [Loggins imitates the section] which set the whole lope of the tune from that point on.
It really is in Michael’s hands, with the way he plays, as you say. Absolutely. The most important thing about Michael and his style is in the hands. I pushed him out of his style a couple of times. You’ll notice that when we co-wrote [1988's] “ She’s Dangerous ,” that’s more of a Kenny thing – but he’s still trying to put his vibe into that. I love his voice on that song. He really sings his ass off [with that] faster tempo thing. We also did one [in 2003] called “ It’s About Time ,” which we came together later on. I wanted Tommy Johnston to write the verses, just because I wanted to be the force for reconciliation among those two. It never quite came together. Tommy didn’t want to cross the bridge. So I went to a white sort of James Brown [approach] on the verses. [Loggins imitates a bit of Brown’s signature vocal style.] I mean, it’s almost like a speaking verse and then going into that big melodic chorus.
Listen to Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald Perform 'Heart to Heart'
How does Michael push you artistically? Oh, to simplify. I think his melodic forms are all about pocket and all about the essential elements of that melody. Keep it simple. You can hear the difference in [1982's] “ I Gotta Try ,” where he brings the groove way back. [Loggins sings the verse.] I’m not sure what era of Four Tops he’s coming from, but it feels like that thing. [Laughs.] And for me, I always end up in a little more of the white front-edge nervous thing. To me, that was maybe more akin to Daryl Hall ’s version of Philadelphia [soul], the tempo being a little more up and a little more aggressive. [Loggins demonstrates the rhythm.] I’m not sure, that could be the Four Seasons, you know. They always put that straight-four hand clap on. I love that era of R&B that Michael seems to be primarily fixated on. It’s very easy, very mellow.
Where did the yacht rock thing come from, in your opinion? I get asked that all of the time. For me, I always say that we weren’t trying to invent a new style of pop music. We were assimilating the soul that we had been raised on. We were kind of doing Isley Brothers; we were doing Marvin Gaye. You can see with Michael’s Motown albums, his influence from that era. We were all coming at it bringing what jazz assimilated really, [with] R&B. That era of smooth jazz was assimilating R&B and R&B was in a smoother place then. Speaking of Tommy Johnston, Tommy was coming from an earlier vibe. To me, Tommy was more of the Aretha Franklin era. [Loggins sings a section of “ Long Train Runnin .’] “ Down around the corner/ Half a mile from here ,” that’s R&B. I always thought that Tommy and Michael should write together, because they’re both coming from very similar eras, where their roots are – but that’s neither here nor there.
Now that Michael is back touring with the Doobie Brothers, hopefully that will happen. It would be a really interesting match. Yeah, to put that rock edge of Tommy in with the soul edge of Michael would be a fun thing to hear, if they can marry it. But yeah, where the hell did we invent that thing that became called yacht rock? I’m hosting a yacht rock show for SiriusXM when I get to New York. They wanted me to pick 25 of my favorite yacht rock songs. Well, I didn’t have 25 of my favorite yacht rock songs. [Laughs.] Some of those are not great songs, but they have that smooth pop thing that became very popular for a period of time. I don’t know where it actually came from.
It's interesting, because it seems like it started out with a little bit of humor about it all. If you listen, they seem to have defined yacht rock as blue-eyed soul. In other words, white guys’ version of Black music, and that’s going to be the death of it. It’s going to be that racist attitude towards the music that really is – you know, I could have picked out 25 yacht rock songs that were Black artists doing offshoots of the Isley Brothers.
More from ultimate classic rock.
Paul Phear 1pm - 4pm
I Want To Break Free Queen Download 'I Want To Break Free' on iTunes
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.
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.
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
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.
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)
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 (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.
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 (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 (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 (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 (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.
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 (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 (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 (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.
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 & 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...
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.
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.
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 (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.
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 (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.
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').
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'!
See more More Song Lists
Michael Jackson
The 20 greatest bee gees songs of all time, ranked, huey lewis and the news’ 10 greatest songs, ranked, donna summer’s 10 greatest songs, ranked, more features.
See more More Features
The jackson family tree explained: who's who and how many members are there, when celine dion paused backstage interview to watch her idol whitney houston perform.
Celine Dion
George Michael
Smooth playlists, smooth's all time top 500, smooth soul, smooth country hot hits, smooth chill concentration, smooth podcast picks, they don't teach this at school with myleene klass, take that: this life, runpod with jenni falconer, the news agents.
‘backspacer’: how pearl jam captured everything that’s great about themselves, excess all areas: the secrets behind tour riders, ‘calling occupants’: how the carpenters met klaatu, the beatles that weren’t, in outer space, can you judge an album by its cover how artwork reflects the music, ‘blind faith’: the ultimate supergroup’s transatlantic triumph, 10 one-man bands who didn’t need anyone else, the rolling stones announce ‘hackney diamonds’ special edition vinyl, jennifer hudson announces her first holiday album and tour, ‘the gift of love’, gwen stefani announces release date of new album, ‘bouquet’, frank zappa vault team drops rare ‘barfko-swill goods’, blink-182’s mark hoppus announces ‘fahrenheit-182’ memoir, the beach boys celebrate 60 years of ‘christmas album’ with new vinyl releases, ume releases christmas classics from the beach boys, ella fitzgerald, and more on collectible 7” vinyl, yacht rock: a boatload of not-so-guilty pleasures.
The idea of yacht rock conjures up a particular lifestyle, but beneath the surface lies a treasure trove of sophisticated hits that continue to resonate.
Published on
Even some of those who signed up to the subgenre subtleties of what became known as yacht rock may consider it to be a time-locked phenomenon. Certainly, its chief protagonists first cast their subtle soft-rock sophistication in the 70s and 80s, but its melodic echoes can still be heard all these decades later.
Perhaps unusually, the phrase itself was coined as a kind of lighthearted castigation of the adult-oriented rock that seemed to exude privileged opulence: of days in expensive recording studios followed by hedonistic trips on private yachts, typically around southern California. The web TV series of the mid-00s that parodied the lifestyle was even named Yacht Rock ; one of the biggest hits of a chief exponent of the sound, Christopher Cross, was, of course, “Sailing.”
The recent resurgence in the long career of another staple, Michael McDonald, is testament to the durability of a style that was, after all, grounded in musicianship and melodicism of the highest order. Nearly 40 years after he and fellow yacht rock principle Kenny Loggins co-wrote and performed the Grammy-winning “This Is It,” the pair were afforded the high praise of a collaboration with acclaimed modern-day jazz-funk bassist Thundercat, on his track “Show You The Way.” Ahead of that, McDonald’s guest appearance with Thundercat at the 2017 Coachella Festival was a viral sensation.
Like other subgenres that grew from an existing style, just as Americana did from country, the starting point of yacht rock is a matter of endless debate. Some hear it in the early 70s soft rock of Bread and hits such as “Guitar Man,” or in Seals & Crofts, the duo of the same period whose 1973 US Top 10 hit “Diamond Girl” and its follow-up, “We May Never Pass This Way (Again)” are pure, classy, elegantly played and harmonised yacht rock.
As the 70s progressed and album rock radio became an ever more powerful medium in the US music business, studio production grew along with the budgets to fund it. High-fidelity citadels such as Sunset Sound and Ocean Way were the industry epitome of the Los Angeles hedonism of the day, and played host to many of the artists we celebrate here. Perhaps it was the combination of financial independence and the sun-kissed surroundings that gave rise to the phenomenon, but this was music that not only sounded opulent – it made you feel somehow more urbane just by listening to it.
California singer-songwriter Stephen Bishop was another of the artists who would retrospectively become part of what we might call the yachting club. Indeed, it’s important to point out that “yacht rock” was not a term that existed at the time the music was being made. Bishop’s acclaimed 1976 debut album, Careless , was a masterclass in well-crafted pop music for those no longer hanging on the words of every chart pin-up. Its tender opening ballad, “On And On,” which peaked just outside the mainstream US Top 10 and reached No.2 on the Easy Listening chart, is a prime example.
McDonald, for his part, might be afforded the questionable honor of the Yacht Rock theme tune with his solo hit “Sweet Freedom,” but had earlier been a key part of the unconscious movement as a member of the Doobie Brothers. The double Grammy-winning landmark “What A Fool Believes,” again written by McDonald with Loggins, stands tall in this hall of fame. Similarly, Toto, another band of master studio craftsmen whose critical and commercial stock has risen again in recent times, stood for all the principles of yacht rock with tracks such as “99” and the undying “Africa.”
That 1982 soft-rock calling card came from the Toto IV album, which was, indeed, recorded in part at Sunset Sound and Ocean Way. But Steely Dan , one of the bands to prove that yacht rock could come from other parts of the US where the attendant lifestyle was less practical, made perhaps their biggest contribution to the subgenre after Walter Becker and Donald Fagen moved back to their native East Coast.
After their initial incarnation as a live band, Steely Dan were well established in their peerless cocoon of pristine studio production when they moved back east. That was after recording 1977’s superb Aja , the album that announced their ever-greater exploration of jazz influences. Fans and critics of the band both used the same word about them, perfectionism: some as a compliment, others as an accusation. But 1980’s equally impressive Gaucho was their yacht rock masterpiece.
In such a subjective phrase, other artists seen by some as yacht rock representatives, such as Daryl Hall & John Oates, Journey, the Eagles, or even Canada’s Gordon Lightfoot, are thought by others to be creatively or geographically inappropriate, or just too mainstream to break out of the overreaching AOR terminology.
But a significant number of other artists, whose names are less quoted today, had their finest hours during the pop landscape of the late 70s and early 80s that we’ve been visiting here. Amy Holland won a Best New Artist Grammy nomination in 1981 helped by “How Do I Survive,” written by McDonald, whose wife she became soon afterwards. Robbie Dupree, a Brooklyn boy by birth, also epitomized the style with his 1980 US hit “Steal Away.” Then, in 1982, America, the band known for their definitive harmonic rock of a decade earlier, mounted a chart return with the suitably melodic “You Can Do Magic.”
The final word goes to Michael McDonald, the unwitting co-founder of the yacht rock sound. When the aforementioned mockumentary series was at the height of its popularity, he was asked if he had ever owned a yacht, and replied (perhaps disappointingly) in the negative. But, he added, “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.”
Listen to the Soft Rock Forever playlist for more yacht rock classics .
October 28, 2019 at 8:42 pm
if you dig this sound, you gotta check out Yachty by Nature the best yacht rock band on the West Coast. They play it all live without the backing tracks (yuck) that some bands do. They just got voted #1 Best Live Cover Band in Orange County and spreading yacht rock all over the country. Dive in!!! #yachtrock https://yachtybynature.com
October 28, 2019 at 8:44 pm
BTW, great article!!!!! Well written and thoughtfully addressed the idea of Nyacht Rock artists to the purists following the genre!
Most musicians would be content to shape the sound of pop in one decade—like how Elvis Presley shook up the ’50s or The Beatles owned the ’60s. But not Kenny Loggins. After helping to invent the supremely chill, lightly funky sound known as “ yacht rock ” in the ’70s, Loggins went full speed into the ’80s and took the highway to the danger zone of movie soundtracks . The gambit paid off in a big way.
Between 1980 and 1988, Loggins scored four top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100—all of them from movie soundtracks. The three films he’s most closely associated with— Caddyshack , Footloose , and Top Gun —rank among the decade’s most iconic and beloved movies . (Two have even been rebooted in the 21st century.) Loggins's songs weren’t just popular because the movies were huge; his music helped to make these blockbusters what they were.
Born in Everett, Washington, on January 7, 1948, Loggins moved around with his family throughout his childhood before settling in Alhambra, California. He developed an early love for music , and in the late ’60s, the budding singer-songwriter played with the bands Gator Creek and Second Helping. (Check out the latter’s garage-punk ripper “ Let Me In .”) Loggins later began writing songs for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and eventually linked up with guitarist Jim Messina—previously of Poco and Buffalo Springfield—to form the duo Loggins and Messina.
Loggins and Messina released six albums between 1971 and 1976 and notched three top 20 hits, including 1972’s “ Your Mama Don’t Dance ,” a No. 4 smash hit later covered by ’80s hair-metal heroes Poison. The pair split up in 1976 and Loggins soon found success on his own. “Whenever I Call You ‘Friend,’” his 1978 duet with Stevie Nicks, reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, while 1979’s gloriously yachty “ This Is It ” narrowly missed the top 10. (He also co-wrote the 1979 Doobie Brothers triumph “ What a Fool Believes ,” the mother of all yacht-rock songs.) Little did Loggins know he was about to have his life changed by a gopher puppet.
Another thing Loggins did in the ’70s was write “I Believe In Love,” which appeared on the soundtrack for the 1976 film version of A Star Is Born , starring Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson. That film was produced by Jon Peters, who began working on a golf comedy called Caddyshack around 1980. Peters asked Loggins if he’d write a song for the film, and Loggins agreed to watch a rough cut. Even though the movie didn’t yet feature the wily gopher that would memorably torment Bill Murray’s character, Loggins loved it. “I laughed my ass off,” he told American Songwriter .
Loggins was tasked with writing a song for the opening scene, where the film’s protagonist, the teenage caddy Danny (Michael O'Keefe), rides through the suburbs on his bicycle. As a placeholder, the director stuck in Bob Dylan ’s “Gotta Serve Somebody,” a choice that Loggins found interesting. “From that, I got the idea they wanted to portray [Danny] as a bit of a rebel, even though he had not yet achieved that particular character,” Loggins said. That led Loggins to write “ I’m Alright ,” which features the chorus: “I’m alright / Nobody worry ’bout me / Why you got to give me a fight?” He was trying to get into the character’s psychology.
“I thought that the angle that the director was using was cross-grained,” Loggins said. “This really banal opening scene with an edgier piece of music. That worked totally well. If I could nail that, then it would have a bigger appeal.”
Loggins's instincts were right on the money. “I’m Alright” became the biggest solo hit of the musician's career to date, reaching No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. Caddyshack fared well at the box office, earning $40 million, and Loggins rightfully saw the whole thing as a positive experience. He wanted more of that sweet movie action.
A few years later, Loggins agreed to help another friend who was making a movie. This time, the buddy was Dean Pitchford, who had co-authored “Don’t Fight It,” Loggins's hit 1982 duet with Steve Perry of Journey. Pitchford was writing a screenplay inspired by the town of Elmore City, Oklahoma, which had outlawed dancing in 1898. When local teens finally compelled the school board to overturn the rule in 1980, the story made headlines around the world. Pitchford came up with a great title, Footloose , and enlisted Loggins to help him write the title song.
The pair worked in Lake Tahoe, where Loggins was recuperating from a broken rib and getting ready for a tour around Asia. They finished “Footloose” in a single night, with both men kicking in lyrics. After Pitchford came up with “Ooh-we, Marie / Shake it, shake it for me,” Loggins contributed “Woah, Milo.” So was born the cheeseball pseudo-rockabilly earworm that plays over the opening credits of Footloose . Audiences ate it up. The movie hauled in $80 million at the box office, and the soundtrack—which also includes the Loggins tune “I’m Free (Heaven Helps the Man)”—became a genuine phenomenon.
“Footloose” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and MTV played the music video—featuring plenty of footage of Kevin Bacon dancing—around the clock. “It cemented the movie and the music—one infuses the other,” Loggins said in an interview with the Library of Congress . “You can’t hear the song today and not see that scene in your head.” The soundtrack also yielded another No. 1 hit in Deniece Williams’s “Let’s Hear It for the Boy.” The album spent 10 weeks atop the Billboard 200.
MTV certainly played a role in the success of Footloose . The network was at the height of its cultural influence, and it was redefining how pop music was used in film and television. But Loggins believes there’s another reason for the enduring popularity of the story, which spawned a 1998 musical and a 2011 big-screen reboot. “The film is about personal freedom,” Loggins said [ PDF ]. “It speaks to that freedom, to the young, to that ’rebel without a cause’ and teens against the system which, you know, goes back to Elvis. The film—and the song—speaks to that element, the willingness to take anything on. It’s a universal theme.”
The last of Loggins’s colossal ’80s film hits came with a song for which he didn’t earn writing credit. In the lead-up to the release of 1986’s Top Gun —a Reagan-era action drama about a bunch of hotshot U.S. Navy pilots with cool nicknames—Loggins was among the many rockers invited to attend a screening and submit songs for the movie. Loggins figured everyone would try to come up with something for the flashy opening sequence, so instead, he focused on the scene where Tom Cruise and company play volleyball.
Again, Loggins had the right idea. His “ Playing with the Boys ” was selected for the soundtrack, and while he was recording the song, he got a call from Giorgio Moroder, the producer and songwriter known for pioneering electronic music in the ’70s through his work with Donna Summer. Moroder was doing his own Top Gun track, the guitar-driven pop-rock scorcher “ Danger Zone ,” and he needed someone to sing the thing pronto.
Several other artists—including Toto, Starship, and REO Speedwagon—had been considered for the song. But their lawyers evidently couldn’t close the deal, and that left Loggins to swoop into the studio and record his vocals in a single day. He drew inspiration from one of the all-time greats. “I was into Tina Turner a lot in her comeback era,” Loggins said “‘Danger Zone’ was me doing Tina.”
Loggins also claims to have written some of the lyrics and changed some of the chords, but he says Moroder was reluctant to grant him writing credit for reasons having to do with Oscar eligibility. (Tom Whitlock is also credited as a writer on “Danger Zone.”) So Loggins took a piece of the publishing instead. This likely proved lucrative.
Top Gun surpassed $180 million at the box office and “Danger Zone”—again, aided by an MTV-friendly music video—peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The soundtrack, which also included Berlin’s chart-topping “Take My Breath Away,” soared to No. 1 on the Billboard 200. While “Take My Breath Away” was technically the bigger hit, “Danger Zone” has arguably enjoyed more staying power. Top Gun: Maverick , the long-awaited 2022 sequel starring Tom Cruise , features “Danger Zone” right in the opening sequence.
The trifecta of “I’m Alright,” “Footloose,” and “Danger Zone” established Loggins as the “king of ‘80s movie soundtracks,” a title he has come to embrace. As an encore, he proved his worth by notching two more hits associated with total box-office flops. “ Meet Me Halfway ,” from 1987’s much-maligned Sylvester Stallone arm-wrestling flick Over the Top , reached No. 11 on the Hot 100, while the following year’s “ Nobody’s Fool ,” from the ill-fated Caddyshack II , crept inside the Top 10, reaching No. 8.
By the early ’90s, Loggins’s hit-making days had come to an end. But he’s continued making music into the new century. In 2021, he also released At the Movies , a special vinyl-only collection of his soundtrack hits, complete with a new version of “Playing with the Boys,” recorded with Australian artist Butterfly Boucher.
In an interview on the red carpet for Top Gun: Maverick , Loggins spoke about why modern movie soundtracks don’t pack the same punch they did in the ’80s, when he was flying higher than an F-14 Tomcat.
“It’s partly because we've been inundated with pop music in movies, to the point where it’s not as different,” Loggins said . “When we first did it, it was different. Movies weren’t really using a lot of rock ’n’ roll. It made it special, and it made the movie identity as a teen or 20-something movie.”
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.
More from Rolling Stone
The Second Coming of Steely Dan
Michael McDonald on the Doobie Brothers Entering the Rock Hall: 'They Deserve the Nod'
Stormy Daniels Versus the World
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.
The Michigan Connection JD Ryznar (Director, “Michael McDonald”): I moved from Ann Arbor to L.A., and ended up making friends with all these other guys from Michigan, like “Hollywood” Steve Huey, Hunter Stair, and David Lyons. Pretty much every weekend I’d have “Chinese Thanksgiving” at my apartment — we’d eat BBQ chicken and burgers, drink beer and listen to records of what I called “yacht rock.” You know, like Michael McDonald is singing background vocals and like there’s guys on boats on the covers; it feels like you’re on a yacht listening to it. And the guys were like, oh, we know this music.
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.
“Hollywood” Steve Huey (“Hollywood Steve”): What I mostly remember is JD playing Journey records all the time. He was so into Journey that he had photocopied a photo of Steve Perry and pasted it onto his liquid soap dispenser. He wrote “Steve Perry Soap: Clean as all fuck” on it.
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.
Channel 101 Hunter Stair (“Kenny Loggins”): At the time, JD had helped me get a job at a production company, and he asked if I wanted to shoot this thing they were doing for something called Channel 101. I didn’t know anything about it, but I saw that it was started by Dan Harmon and Rob Schrab — who I knew because I had a copy of Heat Vision and Jack [the failed 1999 pilot they wrote that became a huge underground hit, directed by Ben Stiller and starring Jack Black ]. So I was super pumped.
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.
Farnham: JD and I would go down to the beach and play something called “smash ball” — there’s no rules to the game, so we’d just make them up. And he said, this is fucking hilarious, we should make a short film about this. So we got Hunter to direct SmashBoys — and it was funny.
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 . . .
Stair : “Nobody’s Fool”! It ended up winning the Best Failed Pilot of that year; we lost by eight votes to the Lonely Island guys, who did “The ‘Bu.” They just stuck their middle fingers up at everybody and said, we didn’t make a show but we made a hilarious music video. That was the night I had the idea for Y acht Rock.
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.]
Ryznar : We thought maybe people would get it, maybe they won’t. But we submitted it. At the prime time panel, everybody but Dan Harmon like it. I think that because he’d never heard of the guys, he didn’t realize how much that music had meant to other people. People knew who everybody was. That’s why we put Hollywood Steve in there to say, hey, this is the deal. Hollywood Steve was a friend and an actual music critic. If you look up a lot of Nineties rap albums on All Music Guide, chances are Hollywood Steve wrote the review.
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.
Hancock: The wigs we got from our friend Willy, who just happened to have two of the most perfect wigs ever.
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.
Lyons: In the second one, I’m supposed to get run through with my own harpoon. And Hunter showed up with a child’s little trident, taped to the handle of a barbecue fork. I was like Hunter, we can do better than this. So my roommates had a woodshop in the backyard; I went out there and drilled some holes, made some dowel rods, and wrapped the handle in rope. When I showed up with it, everyone said holy shit — you made a fucking harpoon, dude! It also split in the middle, so you could run it through someone. And that episode elevated Koko to this mythic level that nobody expected, least of all me.
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.
Huey: Some people come back to Channel 101 month after month after month. But you always get some new people in there who don’t know what’s going on. You cross your fingers that general audience goodwill is enough to get you by this month. Unfortunately, in this case, it wasn’t.
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.
Lyons: We kept talking about the stories that we never got to tell, one of them being Footloose. And I hate Jimmy Buffett ‘s music; I think it’s a soundtrack to date rape. I think it’s garbage music for people who have no interest in listening to anything good.
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.
Cenac: Do I want to say that Yacht Rock was the thing that changed my life? Someone can say it. You can find someone to connect the dots and make that leap on the Internet.
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.
How did the actual musical artists react to their portrayal in the show? John Oates (speaking to the Seattle Weekly in 2007): “I think Yacht Rock was the beginning of this whole Hall & Oates resurrection. They were the first ones to start to parody us and put us out there again, and a lot of things have happened because of Yacht Rock. “
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.”
Lyons: Did JD tell you the story of when we went to see Steely Dan? We got contacted by somebody in their camp, I don’t remember who, but they gave us four or five tickets to see them in Irvine. We were in the third or fourth row, and Michael McDonald was the opening act. Those guys got recognized at the concert. Later, when Michael McDonald came out to perform with Steely Dan, they were all wearing captain’s hats. They were singing the song “Showbiz Kids”: “Showbiz kids, showbiz kids making movies themselves/Showbiz kids, don’t give a fuck about anybody else.” And during that line they threw their hats on the ground and stomped on them. We just looked at each other and went, oh my god, they know who we are.
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.
Stair : The way I always looked at Yacht Rock was that we kind of did what the Blues Brothers did. We took the music that we really loved that we weren’t really part of, and reintroduced it to our own generation a little bit. The one thing that I hope we got across is that the music is really good, and that we were huge fans of it. The whole reason we did the show is because we loved it.
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!
Best of Rolling Stone
The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs
All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter . For the latest news, follow us on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .
Quiz: sean ‘diddy’ combs arrested, ‘the golden bachelorette’ shines, ‘agatha all along’ brings marvel back to tv.
Test your knowledge about this week's entertainment headlines.
In this episode, we chat about our final thoughts on the iPhone 16/Pro and Apple Watch Series 10.
Get caught up on this morning’s news: Early voting begins, Shohei Ohtani launches 50/50 club and more in today’s edition of The Yodel newsletter
The Houston Texans play the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, here's how to watch.
Alan, the French insurance unicorn, just signed a multi-faceted deal with Belfius, one the largest banks in Belgium, that includes a distribution partnership along with a significant financial investment in the startup. Belfius is leading Alan’s Series F funding round of €173 million (around $193 million at current exchange rates). If you aren’t familiar with Alan, the company originally started with a health insurance product that complements the national healthcare system in France.
Indian filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma is ditching human musicians for artificial intelligence, saying he'll use only AI-generated tunes in future projects, a move that underscores AI's growing reach in creative industries. The filmmaker and screenwriter, known for popular Bollywood movies including Company, Rangeela, Sarkar, and Satya has launched a venture, called RGV Den Music, that will only feature music generated from AI apps including Suno and Udio, he told TechCrunch. In an interview, Varma urged artists to embrace AI rather than resist it.
Physics Wallah, an Indian edtech startup, has secured $210 million in fresh financing amid a tough funding environment for edtech companies in the country following the collapse of Byju's, once the biggest company in the space. Physics Wallah said on Friday the Series B round was led by the hedge fund Hornbill Capital, a venture between China's Orchid Asia and India's Hornbill, with Lightspeed Ventures Partners "significantly" participating, alongside existing backers WestBridge and GSV. The round values Physics Wallah at $2.8 billion, a substantial increase from the previous $1.1 billion valuation it scored in June 2022.
Christian and Alexis react to the first Champions League matchday. Then Christian and Alexis chat MLS midweek action. Later, Christian and Alexis talk soccer news in another edition of “rápido reactions”.
In their regular season finale, the Indiana Fever rallied in the fourth quarter but fell short in a 92-91 loss to the Washington Mystics.
California Governor Gavin Newsom is currently considering 38 AI-related bills, including the highly contentious SB 1047, which the state's legislature sent to his desk for final approval. "Home to the majority of the world's leading AI companies, California is working to harness these transformative technologies to help address pressing challenges while studying the risks they present," said Governor Newsom's office in a press release. SB 981, which also became law on Thursday, requires social media platforms to establish channels for users to report deepfake nudes that resemble them.
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.
Artist | Title | |
---|---|---|
1 | Steely Dan | Hey Nineteen |
2 | Herb Alpert | Route 101 |
3 | Robbie Dupree | Steal Away |
4 | Jan Hammer Group | Don't You Know |
5 | Blues Image | Ride Captain Ride |
6 | Toto/Cheryl Lynn | Georgy Porgy |
7 | Gerry Rafferty | Right Down The Line |
8 | Paul Young | Every Time You Go Away |
9 | Boz Scaggs | Jojo |
10 | Johnny Nash | I Can See Clearly Now |
11 | Daryl Hall/John Oates | Sara Smile |
12 | Orleans | Dance With Me |
13 | Olivia Newton John | Magic |
14 | Seals & Crofts | Summer Breeze |
15 | Lionel Richie | All Night Long |
16 | Fleetwood Mac | You Make Loving Fun |
17 | Steely Dan | Deacon Blues |
18 | Christopher Cross | Ride Like The Wind |
19 | Little River Band | Cool Change |
20 | Jackson Browne | Somebody's Baby |
21 | 10cc | Dreadlock Holiday |
22 | Dr. Hook | When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman |
23 | Boz Scaggs | Lowdown |
24 | Player | This Time I'm In It For Love |
25 | Fleetwood Mac | Everywhere |
26 | Steely Dan | Peg |
27 | Todd Rundgren | I Saw The Light |
28 | Gerry Rafferty | Baker Street |
29 | Eagles | One Of These Nights |
30 | James Ingram | Yah-Mo Be There |
31 | 10cc | I'm Not In Love |
32 | Ambrosia | Biggest Part Of Me |
33 | Terri Gibbs | Somebody's Knockin' |
34 | Atlanta Rhythm Section | So In To You |
35 | Boz Scaggs | Lido Shuffle |
36 | Steve Miller Band | Wild Mountain Honey |
37 | Michael McDonald | I Gotta Try |
38 | Matthew Wilder | Break My Stride |
39 | England Dan & John Ford Coley | I'd Really Love To See You Tonight |
40 | Player | Baby Come Back |
41 | Kenny Loggins | This Is It |
42 | Michael McDonald | I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near) |
43 | Toto | Rosanna |
44 | Daryl Hall/John Oates | Kiss On My List |
45 | The Doobie Brothers | What A Fool Believes |
46 | Christopher Cross | Sailing |
47 | Loggins & Messina | Watching The River Run |
48 | Eagles | The Long Run |
49 | Looking Glass | Brandy (You're A Fine Girl) |
50 | Bread | Everything I Own |
51 | Steely Dan | Reelin' in the Years |
52 | Joe Jackson | Steppin' Out |
53 | Jackson Browne | Doctor My Eyes |
54 | Sanford & Townsend | Smoke from a Distant Fire |
55 | Bobby Caldwell | What You Won't Do For Love |
56 | Fleetwood Mac | Rhiannon |
57 | Ace | How Long |
58 | Daryl Hall/John Oates | Rich Girl |
59 | Toto | Africa |
60 | Steely Dan | Do It Again |
61 | Bertie Higgins | Key Largo |
62 | Rupert Holmes | Escape (The Pina Colada Song) |
63 | Little River Band | Reminiscing |
64 | Jimmy Buffett | Margaritaville |
65 | Fleetwood Mac | Dreams |
66 | Firefall | Just Remember I Love You |
67 | Eagles | I Can't Tell You Why |
68 | Eagles | The Best Of My Love |
69 | Eagles | Take It To The Limit |
70 | Eagles | Tequila Sunrise |
71 | Chicago | Saturday In The Park |
72 | Bob Welch | Sentimental Lady |
73 | America | Sister Golden Hair |
74 | America | A Horse With No Name |
75 | Ambrosia | How Much I Feel |
76 | Alan Parsons | Eye In The Sky |
77 | Air Supply | Lost In Love |
78 | Steely Dan | Dirty Work |
79 | Steely Dan | Only A Fool Would Say That |
80 | Orleans | Still The One |
81 | Stephen Bishop | Sinking In An Ocean Of Tears |
82 | 10cc | The Things We Do For Love |
83 | America | Ventura Highway |
84 | Al Stewart | Year Of The Cat |
85 | Bread | Baby I'm A Want You |
86 | Firefall | You Are The Woman |
87 | George Benson | Gimme The Night |
88 | Barbara Streisand/Barry Gibb | Guilty |
89 | Christopher Cross | Arthur's Theme |
90 | Marty Balin | Hearts |
91 | Poco | Barbados |
92 | Daryl Hall/John Oates | I Can't Go For That (No Can Do) |
93 | Al Stewart | Time Passages |
94 | Jay Ferguson | Thunder Island |
95 | Dr. Hook | Sexy Eyes |
96 | Donald Fagen | I.G.Y. |
97 | Michael McDonald | Gotta Try |
98 | Bread | Make It With You |
99 | Pablo Cruise | Whatcha Gonna Do |
100 | Doobie Brothers | Dependin' On You |
101 | Ozark Mountain Daredevils | Jackie Blue |
102 | Pablo Cruise | Love Will Find A Way |
103 | Starbuck | Moonlight Feels Right |
104 | Billy Ocean | Caribbean Queen |
105 | Linda Ronstadt | Ooh Baby Baby |
106 | Hues Corporation | Rock The Boat |
107 | Loggins & Messina | Danny's Song |
108 | Rupert Holmes | Answering Machine |
109 | Stephen Bishop | On And On |
110 | Bread | The Guitar Man |
111 | Seals & Crofts | Diamond Girl |
112 | Air Supply | Even The Nights Are Better |
113 | Ambrosia | You're The Only Woman |
114 | George Benson | Breezin' |
115 | Daryl Hall/John Oates | She's Gone |
116 | Dave Loggins | Please Come To Boston |
117 | Rickie Lee Jones | Chuck E.'s In Love |
118 | Captain/Tennille | Love Will Keep Us Together |
119 | Dr. Hook | Better Love Next Time |
120 | Chilliwack | I Believe |
121 | Crosby, Stills & Nash | Southern Cross |
122 | Climax Blues Band | Couldn't Get It Right |
123 | Gilbert O'Sullivan | Alone Again (Naturally) |
124 | America | Daisy Jane |
125 | Beach Boys | Sail On, Sailor |
Please join our FREE Newsletter
Related articles more from author, everything new coming to disney plus october 2024, russell dickerson to kick off 2025 tour with nashville show, jelly roll and kane brown to headline nashville’s nye event, close to home news, thousands of platform beds sold at amazon, walmart recalled, one generation away expands partnership with darrell waltrip automotive group, brentwood assistant police chief colvin graduates from fbi academy, man killed in machinery accident in franklin, close to home events, coolsprings galleria partners with susan g. komen for ‘more than pink’..., mtsu alum brice long to perform at saturday’s party in the..., morgan wallen leads cma awards nominations, nashville predators to host predsfest 2024-25 season release party, williamson weekend: 5 happenings this weekend, williamson health to host blood drive at bone and joint institute, onegenaway to bring mobile pantry to centennial high, first horizon park to host cosmic takeover tour in 2025.
5 activities (last edit by event_monkey , 9 Sep 2024, 23:14 Etc/UTC )
Complete Album stats
More from this artist.
Hey, this setlist was played at a festival:
SiriusXM Presents Yacht Rock the Boat setlists
Share or embed this setlist.
Use this setlist for your event review and get all updates automatically!
<div style="text-align: center;" class="setlistImage"><a href="https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/kenny-loggins/2022/horizons-edge-yacht-new-york-ny-73b47609.html" title="Kenny Loggins Setlist SiriusXM Presents Yacht Rock the Boat 2022" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.setlist.fm/widgets/setlist-image-v1?id=73b47609" alt="Kenny Loggins Setlist SiriusXM Presents Yacht Rock the Boat 2022" style="border: 0;" /></a> <div><a href="https://www.setlist.fm/edit?setlist=73b47609&step=song">Edit this setlist</a> | <a href="https://www.setlist.fm/setlists/kenny-loggins-3bd6b0d4.html">More Kenny Loggins setlists</a></div></div>
Last.fm Event Review
[url=https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/kenny-loggins/2022/horizons-edge-yacht-new-york-ny-73b47609.html][img]https://www.setlist.fm/widgets/setlist-image-v1?id=73b47609[/img][/url] [url=https://www.setlist.fm/edit?setlist=73b47609&step=song]Edit this setlist[/url] | [url=https://www.setlist.fm/setlists/kenny-loggins-3bd6b0d4.html]More Kenny Loggins setlists[/url]
Setlist insider: foster the people.
Music videos, artist playlists.
The Yacht Rock architect has enjoyed multiple decades of hitmaking.
His flexible tunes fit country crooners, pop icons, and more.
Live albums, compilations.
Supercell Games
Various Artists
Huey chats with the smooth-singing singer-songwriter.
Kenny Loggins rocks the boat with a special Yacht Rock playlist.
Kenny Loggins has led multiple musical lives, sometimes simultaneously, and in the process he’s made his mark many times over. Born in Washington in 1948, he came of age in Southern California and began stirring up some psychedelic sounds in the late ’60s, first with Second Helping and then in a latter-day lineup of The Electric Prunes. He then played with the raw, greasy roots rockers Gator Creek and worked as a writer for hire, contributing several songs to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. But he really started to find his groove when he partnered with former Buffalo Springfield and Poco member Jim Messina in 1971 as Loggins & Messina. Their single “Your Mama Don’t Dance” became an enduring pop/rock classic, and Anne Murray had a pop/country crossover smash with their track “Danny’s Song.” By decade’s end, Loggins was a solo artist, scoring hits with a smooth, sleek yacht-rock vibe, such as “This Is It,” co-writing the Doobie Brothers Grammy winner “What a Fool Believes,” and duetting with Stevie Nicks on “Whenever I Call You ‘Friend.’” He then became known as a soundtrack sensation, combining his pop savvy with state-of-the-art production for the huge singles “I’m Alright” from Caddyshack, “Footloose” from the film of the same name, and “Danger Zone” from Top Gun. Loggins spent the ’90s turning out a long string of Adult Contemporary hits, and in the 2010s he flipped the script yet again by starting the country trio Blue Sky Riders. With all the paths Loggins’ career has led him down, he’s likely the only artist who can say he’s been covered by Blake Shelton and sampled by Daft Punk.
Huey lewis & the news, loggins & messina, daryl hall & john oates, harold faltermeyer, africa, middle east, and india.
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
THE 101 GREATEST YACHT ROCK SONGS! 101. NOTHIN' YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT [Airplay; 1980; Chart Position on the Billboard Hot 100: N/A] ... 12. THIS IS IT [Kenny Loggins; 1979; Chart Position on the ...
A look at the very best silky smooth yacht rock songs. ... a No. 1 single; the album topped the chart, too - with Kenny Loggins and sang lead, effectively launching a genre in the process. The ...
"This Is It" performed by Kenny Loggins, written by Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald in 1979.Buy This Is It on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/th...
Loggins says he tried to put McDonald and Tom Johnston together as collaborators long before the Doobie Brothers' on-going reunion tour.He also offers thoughts on yacht rock, which his music ...
The 20 greatest yacht rock songs ever, ranked. 27 July 2022, 17:50. The greatest yacht rock songs ever. ... 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 ...
Apple Music Pop. The world would be a different place without soft-rock superstar Kenny Loggins. Films like Top Gun and Footloose would want for the gutsy theme songs Loggins wrote for them, and the entire canon of so-called Yacht Rock might never have existed. Emerging in the early '70s as one half of Loggins and Messina, the songwriter went ...
Kenny Loggins - I'm Alright. The theme from Caddyshack (1980).Buy "I'm Alright" on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/im-alright-theme-from-caddyshack...
Co-written by Yacht Rock titans Michael McDonald and David Foster, this Kenny Loggins track is a great example of the "luxury" pop music that dominated the ...
In 2005, the actor/screenwriter J.D. Ryznar wrote, directed, and produced a TV series for the Los Angeles short-film festival Channel 101 called Yacht Rock. The idea was to tell comically overblown backstories about the creation of a strain of ultra-smooth music from the late '70s and early '80s. Christopher Cross, Michael McDonald, Kenny ...
미국. Estados Unidos (Português Brasil) Hoa Kỳ. 美國 (繁體中文台灣) Listen to the Yacht Rock Essentials with Kenny Loggins radio show on Apple Music.
Nearly 40 years after he and fellow yacht rock principle Kenny Loggins co-wrote and performed the Grammy-winning "This Is It," the pair were afforded the high praise of a collaboration with ...
After helping to invent the supremely chill, lightly funky sound known as "yacht rock" in the '70s, Kenny Loggins went full speed into the '80s and took the highway to the danger zone of ...
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.
Listen to music by Kenny Loggins on Apple Music. Find top songs and albums by Kenny Loggins, including Footloose, Danger Zone and more. Listen to music by Kenny Loggins on Apple Music. ... By decade's end, Loggins was a solo artist, scoring hits with a smooth, sleek yacht-rock vibe, such as "This Is It", co-writing the Doobie Brothers ...
Christopher Cross and Kenny Loggins each played sets on the actual yacht The Horizon's Edge as part of SiriusXM's exclusive "Yacht Rock the Boat" event, soundtracking a three-hour sunset ...
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.
Loggins was born in Everett, Washington, the youngest of three brothers. His father, Robert George Loggins, was a salesman of English and Irish ancestry, while his mother, Lina (née Massie), was a homemaker of Italian descent, from Avezzano. They lived in Detroit and Seattle before settling in Alhambra, California. Loggins attended San Gabriel Mission High School, graduating in 1966. He ...
Listen to music by Kenny Loggins on Apple Music. Find top songs and albums by Kenny Loggins including Footloose, Danger Zone and more. Listen to music by Kenny Loggins on Apple Music. ... with their track "Danny's Song." By decade's end, Loggins was a solo artist, scoring hits with a smooth, sleek yacht-rock vibe, such as "This Is It ...
Get the Kenny Loggins Setlist of the concert at Horizon's Edge Yacht, New York, NY, USA on June 13, 2022 and other Kenny Loggins Setlists for free on setlist.fm!
Listen to music by Kenny Loggins on Apple Music. Find top songs and albums by Kenny Loggins, including Footloose, Danger Zone and more. Listen to music by Kenny Loggins on Apple Music. ... with their track "Danny's Song." By decade's end, Loggins was a solo artist, scoring hits with a smooth, sleek yacht-rock vibe, such as "This Is It ...