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Top 50 Yacht Rock Songs

Yacht rock was one of the most commercially successful genres to emerge from the '70s and yet has managed to evade concise definition since its inception. For many listeners, it boils down to a feeling or mood that cannot be found in other kinds of music: Simply put, you know it when you hear it.

Some agreed-upon elements are crucial to yacht rock. One is its fluidity, with more emphasis on a catchy, easy-feeling melody than on beat or rhythm. Another is a generally lighthearted attitude in the lyrics. Think Seals & Crofts ' "Summer Breeze," Christopher Cross ' "Ride Like the Wind" or Bill Withers ' "Just the Two of Us." Yes, as its label suggests, music that would fit perfectly being played from the deck of a luxurious boat on the high seas.

But even these roughly outlined "rules" can be flouted and still considered yacht rock. Plenty of bands that are typically deemed "nyacht" rock have made their attempts at the genre: Crosby, Stills & Nash got a bit nautical with "Southern Cross," leading with their famed tightly knit harmonies, and Fleetwood Mac also entered yacht rock territory with "Dreams" – which, although lyrically dour, offers a sense of melody in line with yacht rock.

Given its undefined parameters, the genre has become one of music's most expansive corners. From No. 1 hits to deeper-cut gems, we've compiled a list of 50 Top Yacht Rock Songs to set sail to below.

50. "Thunder Island," Jay Ferguson (1978)

Younger generations might be more apt to recognize Jay Ferguson from his score for NBC's The Office , where he also portrayed the guitarist in Kevin Malone's band Scrantonicity. But Ferguson's musical roots go back to the '60s band Spirit; he was also in a group with one of the future members of Firefall, signaling a '70s-era shift toward yacht rock and "Thunder Island." The once-ubiquitous single began its steady ascent in October 1977 before reaching the Top 10 in April of the following year. Producer Bill Szymczyk helped it get there by bringing in his buddy Joe Walsh for a soaring turn on the slide. The best showing Ferguson had after this, however, was the quickly forgotten 1979 Top 40 hit "Shakedown Cruise." (Nick DeRiso)

49. "Southern Cross," Crosby, Stills & Nash (1982)

CSN's "Southern Cross" was an example of a more literal interpretation of yacht rock, one in which leftover material was revitalized by Stephen Stills . He sped up the tempo of a song titled " Seven League Boots " originally penned by brothers Rick and Michael Curtis, then laid in new lyrics about, yes, an actual boat ride. "I rewrote a new set of words and added a different chorus, a story about a long boat trip I took after my divorce," Stills said in the liner notes  to 1991's CSN box. "It's about using the power of the universe to heal your wounds." The music video for the song, which went into heavy rotation on MTV, also prominently displayed the band members aboard a large vessel. (Allison Rapp)

48. "Jackie Blue," the Ozark Mountain Daredevils (1974)

Drummer Larry Lee only had a rough idea of what he wanted to do with "Jackie Blue," originally naming it after a bartending dope pusher. For a long time, the Ozark Mountain Daredevils' best-known single remained an instrumental with the place-keeper lyric, " Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh Jackie Blue. He was dada, and dada doo. He did this, he did that ... ." Producer Glyn Johns, who loved the track, made a key suggestion – and everything finally snapped into place: "No, no, no, mate," Johns told them. "Jackie Blue has to be a girl." They "knocked some new lyrics out in about 30 minutes," Lee said in It Shined: The Saga of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils . "[From] some drugged-out guy, we changed Jackie into a reclusive girl." She'd go all the way to No. 3. (DeRiso)

47. "Sailing," Christopher Cross (1979)

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more quintessential yacht rock song than “Sailing.” The second single (and first chart-topper) off Christopher Cross’ 1979 self-titled debut offers an intoxicating combination of dreamy strings, singsong vocals and shimmering, open-tuned guitar arpeggios that pay deference to Cross’ songwriting idol, Joni Mitchell . “These tunings, like Joni used to say, they get you in this sort of trance,” Cross told Songfacts in 2013. “The chorus just sort of came out. … So I got up and wandered around the apartment just thinking, ‘Wow, that's pretty fuckin' great.’” Grammy voters agreed: “Sailing” won Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Arrangement at the 1981 awards. (Bryan Rolli)

46. "Just the Two of Us," Bill Withers and Grover Washington Jr. (1980)

A collaboration between singer Bill Withers and saxophonist Grover Washington Jr. resulted in the sleek "Just the Two of Us." When first approached with the song, Withers insisted on reworking the lyrics. "I'm a little snobbish about words," he said in 2004 . "I said, 'Yeah, if you'll let me go in and try to dress these words up a little bit.' Everybody that knows me is kind of used to me that way. I probably threw in the stuff like the crystal raindrops. The 'Just the Two of Us' thing was already written. It was trying to put a tuxedo on it." The track was completed with some peppy backing vocals and a subtle slap bass part. (Rapp)

45. "Sara Smile," Daryl Hall & John Oates (1975)

It doesn't get much smoother than "Sara Smile," Daryl Hall & John Oates ' first Top 10 hit in the U.S. The song was written for Sara Allen, Hall's longtime girlfriend, whom he had met when she was working as a flight attendant. His lead vocal, which was recorded live, is clear as a bell on top of a velvety bass line and polished backing vocals that nodded to the group's R&B influences. “It was a song that came completely out of my heart," Hall said in 2018 . "It was a postcard. It’s short and sweet and to the point." Hall and Allen stayed together for almost 30 years before breaking up in 2001. (Rapp)

44. "Rosanna," Toto (1982)

One of the most identifiable hits of 1982 was written by Toto co-founder David Paich – but wasn't about Rosanna Arquette, as some people have claimed, even though keyboardist Steve Porcaro was dating the actress at the time. The backbeat laid down by drummer Jeff Porcaro – a "half-time shuffle" similar to what John Bonham played on " Fool in the Rain " – propels the track, while vocal harmonies and emphatic brass sections add further layers. The result is an infectious and uplifting groove – yacht rock at its finest. (Corey Irwin)

43. "Diamond Girl," Seals & Crofts (1973)

Seals & Crofts were soft-rock stylists with imagination, dolling up their saccharine melodies with enough musical intrigue to survive beyond the seemingly obvious shelf life. Granted, the lyrics to “Diamond Girl,” one of the duo’s three No. 6 hits, are as sterile as a surgery-operating room, built on pseudo-romantic nothing-isms ( “Now that I’ve found you, it’s around you that I am” — what a perfectly natural phrase!). But boy, oh boy does that groove sound luxurious beaming out of a hi-fi system, with every nuance — those stacked backing vocals, that snapping piano — presented in full analog glory. (Ryan Reed)

42. "What You Won't Do for Love," Bobby Caldwell (1978)

Smooth. From the opening horn riffs and the soulful keyboard to the funk bass and the velvety vocals of Bobby Caldwell, everything about “What You Won’t Do for Love” is smooth. Released in September 1978, the track peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and went on to become the biggest hit of Caldwell’s career. It was later given a second life after being sampled for rapper 2Pac's posthumously released 1998 hit single “Do for Love.” (Irwin)

41. "We Just Disagree," Dave Mason (1977)

Dave Mason's ace in the hole on the No. 12 smash "We Just Disagree" was Jim Krueger, who composed the track, shared the harmony vocal and played that lovely guitar figure. "It was a song that when he sang it to me, it was like, 'Yeah, that's the song,'" Mason told Greg Prato in 2014. "Just him and a guitar, which is usually how I judge whether I'm going to do something. If it holds up like that, I'll put the rest of the icing on it." Unfortunately, the multitalented Krueger died of pancreatic cancer at age 43. By then, Mason had disappeared from the top of the charts, never getting higher than No. 39 again. (DeRiso)

40. "Crazy Love," Poco (1978)

Rusty Young was paneling a wall when inspiration struck. He'd long toiled in the shadow of Stephen Stills , Richie Furay and Neil Young , serving in an instrumentalist role with Buffalo Springfield and then Poco . "Crazy Love" was his breakout moment, and he knew it. Rusty Young presented the song before he'd even finished the lyric, but his Poco bandmates loved the way the stopgap words harmonized. "I told the others, 'Don't worry about the ' ooh, ooh, ahhhh haaa ' part. I can find words for that," Young told the St. Louis Dispatch in 2013. "And they said, 'Don't do that. That's the way it's supposed to be.'" It was: Young's first big vocal became his group's only Top 20 hit. (DeRiso)

39. "Suspicions," Eddie Rabbitt (1979)

Eddie Rabbitt 's move from country to crossover stardom was hurtled along by "Suspicions," as a song about a cuckold's worry rose to the Top 20 on both the pop and adult-contemporary charts. Behind the scenes, there was an even clearer connection to yacht rock: Co-writer Even Stevens said Toto's David Hungate played bass on the date. As important as it was for his career, Rabbitt later admitted that he scratched out "Suspicions" in a matter of minutes, while on a lunch break in the studio on the last day of recording his fifth album at Wally Heider's Los Angeles studio. "Sometimes," Rabbitt told the Associated Press in 1985, "the words just fall out of my mouth." (DeRiso)

38. "Moonlight Feels Right," Starbuck (1976)

No sound in rock history is more yacht friendly than Bruce Blackman’s laugh: hilarious, arbitrary, smug, speckled with vocal fry, arriving just before each chorus of Starbuck’s signature tune. Why is this human being laughing? Shrug. Guess the glow of night will do that to you. Then again, this is one of the more strange hits of the '70s — soft-pop hooks frolicking among waves of marimba and synthesizers that could have been plucked from a classic prog epic. “ The eastern moon looks ready for a wet kiss ,” Blackman croons, “ to make the tide rise again .” It’s a lunar make-out session, baby. (Reed)

37. "Same Old Lang Syne," Dan Fogelberg (1981)

“Same Old Lang Syne” is a masterclass in economic storytelling, and its tragedy is in the things both protagonists leave unsaid. Dan Fogelberg weaves a devastating tale of two former lovers who run into each other at a grocery store on Christmas Eve and spend the rest of the night catching up and reminiscing. Their circumstances have changed — he’s a disillusioned professional musician, she’s stuck in an unhappy marriage — but their love for each other is still palpable if only they could overcome their fears and say it out loud. They don’t, of course, and when Fogelberg bids his high-school flame adieu, he’s left with only his bittersweet memories and gnawing sense of unfulfillment to keep him warm on that snowy (and later rainy) December night. (Rolli)

36. "Eye in the Sky," the Alan Parsons Project (1982)

Few songs strike a chord with both prog nerds and soft-rock enthusiasts, but the Alan Parsons Project's “Eye in the Sky” belongs to that exclusive club. The arrangement is all smooth contours and pillowy textures: By the time Eric Woolfson reaches the chorus, shyly emoting about romantic deception over a bed of Wurlitzer keys and palm-muted riffs, the effect is like falling slow motion down a waterfall onto a memory foam mattress. But there’s artfulness here, too, from Ian Bairnson’s seductive guitar solo to the titular phrase conjuring some kind of god-like omniscience. (Reed)

35. "Somebody's Baby," Jackson Browne (1982)

Jackson Browne 's highest-charting single, and his last Top 10 hit, was originally tucked away on the soundtrack for the 1982 teen comedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High . That placed Browne, one of the most earnest of singer-songwriters, firmly out of his element. "It was not typical of what Jackson writes at all, that song," co-composer Danny Kortchmar told Songfacts in 2013. "But because it was for this movie, he changed his general approach and came up with this fantastic song." Still unsure of how it would fit in, Browne refused to place "Somebody's Baby" on his next proper album – something he'd later come to regret . Lawyers in Love broke a string of consecutive multiplatinum releases dating back to 1976. (DeRiso)

34. "Still the One," Orleans (1976)

Part of yacht rock’s charm is being many things but only to a small degree. Songs can be jazzy, but not experimental. Brass sections are great but don’t get too funky. And the songs should rock, but not rock . In that mold comes Orleans’ 1976 hit “Still the One.” On top of a chugging groove, frontman John Hall sings about a romance that continues to stand the test of time. This love isn’t the white-hot flame that leaves passionate lovers burned – more like a soft, medium-level heat that keeps things comfortably warm. The tune is inoffensive, catchy and fun, aka yacht-rock gold. (Irwin)

33. "New Frontier," Donald Fagen (1982)

In which an awkward young man attempts to spark a Cold War-era fling — then, hopefully, a longer, post-apocalyptic relationship — via bomb shelter bunker, chatting up a “big blond” with starlet looks and a soft spot for Dave Brubeck. Few songwriters could pull off a lyrical concept so specific, and almost no one but Donald Fagen could render it catchy. “New Frontier,” a signature solo cut from the Steely Dan maestro, builds the sleek jazz-funk of Gaucho into a more digital-sounding landscape, with Fagen stacking precise vocal harmonies over synth buzz and bent-note guitar leads. (Reed)

32. "Sail On, Sailor," the Beach Boys (1973)

The Beach Boys were reworking a new album when Van Dyke Parks handed them this updated version of an unfinished Brian Wilson song. All that was left was to hand the mic over to Blondie Chaplin for his greatest-ever Beach Boys moment. They released "Sail On, Sailor" twice, however, and this yearning groover somehow barely cracked the Top 50. Chaplin was soon out of the band, too. It's a shame. "Sail On, Sailor" remains the best example of how the Beach Boys' elemental style might have kept growing. Instead, Chaplin went on to collaborate with the Band , Gene Clark of the  Byrds  and the Rolling Stones – while the Beach Boys settled into a lengthy tenure as a jukebox band. (DeRiso)

31. "Time Passages," Al Stewart (1978)

Al Stewart followed up the first hit single of his decade-long career – 1976's "Year of the Cat" – with a more streamlined take two years later. "Time Passages" bears a similar structure to the earlier track, including a Phil Kenzie sax solo and production by Alan Parsons. While both songs' respective album and single versions coincidentally run the same time, the 1978 hit's narrative wasn't as convoluted and fit more squarely into pop radio playlists. "Time Passages" became Stewart's highest-charting single, reaching No. 7 – while "Year of the Cat" had stalled at No. 8. (Michael Gallucci)

30. "I Go Crazy," Paul Davis (1977)

Paul Davis looked like he belonged in the Allman Brothers Band , but his soft, soulful voice took him in a different direction. The slow-burning nature of his breakthrough single "I Go Crazy" was reflected in its chart performance: For years the song held the record for the most weeks spent on the chart, peaking at No. 7 during its 40-week run. Davis, who died in 2008, took five more songs into the Top 40 after 1977, but "I Go Crazy" is his masterpiece – a wistful and melancholic look back at lost love backed by spare, brokenhearted verses. (Gallucci)

29. "Biggest Part of Me," Ambrosia (1980)

Songwriter David Pack taped the original demo of this song on a reel-to-reel when everyone else was running late, finishing just in time: "I was waiting for my family to get in the car so I could go to a Fourth of July celebration in Malibu," he told the Tennessean in 2014. "I turned off my machine [and] heard the car horn honking for me." Still, Pack was worried that the hastily written first verse – which rhymed " arisin ,'" " horizon " and " realizin '" – might come off a little corny. So he followed the time-honored yacht-rock tradition of calling in Michael McDonald to sing heartfelt background vocals. Result: a Top 5 hit on both the pop and adult-contemporary charts. (DeRiso)

28. "Africa," Toto (1982)

Remove the cover versions, the nostalgia sheen and its overuse in TV and films, and you’re left with what makes “Africa” great: one of the best earworm choruses in music history. Never mind that the band is made up of white guys from Los Angeles who'd never visited the titular continent. Verses about Mt. Kilimanjaro and the Serengeti paint a picture so vivid that listeners are swept away. From the soaring vocals to the stirring synth line, every element of the song works perfectly. There’s a reason generations of music fans continue to proudly bless the rains. (Irwin)

27. "Hello It's Me," Todd Rundgren (1972)

“Hello It’s Me” is the first song Todd Rundgren ever wrote, recorded by his band Nazz and released in 1968. He quickened the tempo, spruced up the instrumentation and delivered a more urgent vocal for this 1972 solo rendition (which became a Top 5 U.S. hit), but the bones of the tune remain the same. “Hello It’s Me” is a wistful, bittersweet song about the dissolution of a relationship between two people who still very much love and respect each other a clear-eyed breakup ballad lacking the guile, cynicism and zaniness of Rundgren’s later work. “The reason those [early] songs succeeded was because of their derivative nature,” Rundgren told Guitar World in 2021. “They plugged so easily into audience expectations. They’re easily absorbed.” That may be so, but there’s still no denying the airtight hooks and melancholy beauty of “Hello It’s Me.” (Rolli)

26. "Smoke From a Distant Fire," the Sanford/Townsend Band (1977)

There are other artists who better define yacht rock - Michael McDonald, Steely Dan, Christopher Cross - but few songs rival the Sanford/Townsend Band's "Smoke From a Distant Fire" as a more representative genre track. (It was a Top 10 hit in the summer of 1977. The duo never had another charting single.) From the vaguely swinging rhythm and roaring saxophone riff to the light percussion rolls and risk-free vocals (that nod heavily to Daryl Hall and John Oates' blue-eyed soul), "Smoke" may be the most definitive yacht rock song ever recorded. We may even go as far as to say it's ground zero. (Gallucci)

25. "Dream Weaver," Gary Wright (1975)

Unlike many other songs on our list, “Dream Weaver” lacks lush instrumentation. Aside from Gary Wright’s vocals and keyboard parts, the only added layer is the drumming of Jim Keltner. But while the track may not have guitars, bass or horns, it certainly has plenty of vibes. Inspired by the writings of Paramahansa Yogananda – which Wright was turned on to by George Harrison – “Dream Weaver” boasts a celestial aura that helped the song peak at No. 2 in 1976. (Irwin)

24. "Reminiscing," Little River Band (1978)

The third time was the charm with Little River Band 's highest-charting single in the U.S. Guitarist Graeham Goble wrote "Reminiscing" for singer Glenn Shorrock with a certain keyboardist in mind. Unfortunately, they weren't able to schedule a session with Peter Jones, who'd played an important role in Little River Band's first-ever charting U.S. single, 1976's "It's a Long Way There ." They tried it anyway but didn't care for the track. They tried again, with the same results. "The band was losing interest in the song," Goble later told Chuck Miller . "Just before the album was finished, Peter Jones came back into town, [and] the band and I had an argument because I wanted to give 'Reminiscing' a third chance." This time they nailed it. (DeRiso)

23. "Heart Hotels," Dan Fogelberg (1979)

Ironically enough, this song about debilitating loneliness arrived on an album in which Dan Fogelberg played almost all of the instruments himself. A key concession to the outside world became the most distinctive musical element on "Heart Hotels," as well-known saxophonist Tom Scott took a turn on the Lyricon – a pre-MIDI electronic wind instrument invented just a few years earlier. As for the meaning of sad songs like these, the late Fogelberg once said : "I feel experiences deeply, and I have an outlet, a place where I can translate those feelings. A lot of people go to psychoanalysts. I write songs." (DeRiso)

22. "Year of the Cat," Al Stewart (1976)

Just about every instrument imaginable can be heard in Al Stewart's "Year of the Cat." What begins with an elegant piano intro winds its way through a string section and a sultry sax solo, then to a passionate few moments with a Spanish acoustic guitar. The sax solo, often a hallmark of yacht-rock songs, was not Stewart's idea. Producer Alan Parsons suggested it at the last minute, and Stewart thought it was the "worst idea I'd ever heard. I said, 'Alan, there aren’t any saxophones in folk-rock. Folk-rock is about guitars. Sax is a jazz instrument,'" Stewart said in 2021 . Multiple lengthy instrumental segments bring the song to nearly seven minutes, yet each seems to blend into the next like a carefully arranged orchestra. (Rapp)

21. "How Long," Ace (1974)

How long does it take to top the charts? For the Paul Carrack-fronted Ace: 45 years . "I wrote the lyric on the bus going to my future mother-in-law's," he later told Gary James . "I wrote it on the back of that bus ticket. That's my excuse for there only being one verse." Ace released "How Long" in 1975, reaching No. 3, then Carrack moved on to stints with Squeeze and Mike and the Mechanics . Finally, in 2020, "How Long" rose two spots higher, hitting No. 1 on Billboard's rock digital song sales chart after being featured in an Amazon Prime advertisement titled "Binge Cheat." (DeRiso)

20. "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)," Looking Glass (1972)

Like "Summer Breeze" (found later in our list of Top 50 Yacht Rock Songs), Looking Glass' tale of an alluring barmaid in a busy harbor town pre-dates the classic yacht-rock era. Consider acts like Seals & Crofts and these one-hit wonders pioneers of the genre. Ironically, the effortless-sounding "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" was quite difficult to complete. "We recorded 'Brandy' two or three different times with various producers before we got it right," Looking Glass' principal songwriter Elliot Lurie told the Tennessean in 2016. The chart-topping results became so popular so fast, however, that Barry Manilow had to change the title of a new song he was working on to " Mandy ." (DeRiso)

19. "I Can't Tell You Why," Eagles (1979)

Timothy B. Schmit joined just in time to watch the  Eagles disintegrate. But things couldn't have started in a better place for the former Poco member. He arrived with the makings of his first showcase moment with the group, an unfinished scrap that would become the No. 8 hit "I Can't Tell You Why." For a moment, often-contentious band members rallied around the outsider. Don Henley and Glenn Frey both made key contributions, as Eagles completed the initial song on what would become 1979's The Long Run . Schmit felt like he had a reason to be optimistic. Instead, Eagles released the LP and then promptly split up. (DeRiso)

18. "Sentimental Lady," Bob Welch (1977)

Bob Welch  first recorded "Sentimental Lady" in 1972 as a member of Fleetwood Mac . Five years later, after separating from a band that had gone on to way bigger things , Welch revisited one of his best songs and got two former bandmates who appeared on the original version – Mick Fleetwood and Christine McVie – to help out (new Mac member Lindsey Buckingham also makes an appearance). This is the better version, warmer and more inviting, and it reached the Top 10. (Gallucci)

17. "So Into You," Atlanta Rhythm Section (1976)

Atlanta Rhythm Section is often wrongly categorized as a Southern rock band, simply because of their roots in Doraville, Ga. Songs like the seductively layered "So Into You" illustrate how little they had in common with the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd . As renowned Muscle Shoals sessions ace David Hood once said, they're more like the " Steely Dan of the South ." Unfortunately, time hasn't been kind to the group. Two of this best-charting single's writers have since died , while keyboardist Dean Daughtry retired in 2019 as Atlanta Rhythm Section's last constant member. (DeRiso)

16. "Dreams," Fleetwood Mac (1977)

Stevie Nicks was trying to channel the heartbreak she endured after separating from Lindsey Buckingham into a song, but couldn't concentrate among the bustle of Fleetwood Mac's sessions for Rumours . "I was kind of wandering around the studio," she later told Yahoo! , "looking for somewhere I could curl up with my Fender Rhodes and my lyrics and a little cassette tape recorder." That's when she ran into a studio assistant who led her to a quieter, previously unseen area at Sausalito's Record Plant. The circular space was surrounded by keyboards and recording equipment, with a half-moon bed in black-and-red velvet to one side. She settled in, completing "Dreams" in less than half an hour, but not before asking the helpful aide one pressing question: "I said, 'What is this?' And he said, 'This is Sly Stone 's studio.'" (DeRiso)

15. "Minute by Minute," the Doobie Brothers (1978)

Michael McDonald was so unsure of this album that he nervously previewed it for a friend. "I mean, all the tunes have merit, but I don't know if they hang together as a record," McDonald later told UCR. "He looked at me and he said, 'This is a piece of shit.'" Record buyers disagreed, making Minute by Minute the Doobie Brothers' first chart-topping multiplatinum release. Such was the mania surrounding this satiny-smooth LP that the No. 14 hit title track lost out on song-of-the-year honors at the Grammys to "What a Fool Believes" (found later in our list of Top 50 Yacht Rock Songs) by the Doobie Brothers. (DeRiso)

14. "Lonely Boy," Andrew Gold (1976)

Andrew Gold’s only Top 10 U.S. hit is a story of parental neglect and simmering resentment, but those pitch-black details are easy to miss when couched inside such a deliciously upbeat melody. Gold chronicles the childhood of the titular lonely boy over a propulsive, syncopated piano figure, detailing the betrayal he felt when his parents presented him with a sister two years his junior. When he turns 18, the lonely boy ships off to college and leaves his family behind, while his sister gets married and has a son of her own — oblivious to the fact that she’s repeating the mistakes of her parents. Gold insisted “Lonely Boy” wasn’t autobiographical, despite the details in the song matching up with his own life. In any case, you can’t help but wonder what kind of imagination produces such dark, compelling fiction. (Rolli)

13. "Baby Come Back," Player (1977)

Liverpool native Peter Beckett moved to the States, originally to join a forgotten act called Skyband. By the time he regrouped to found Player with American J.C. Crowley, Beckett's wife had returned to England. Turns out Crowley was going through a breakup, too, and the Beckett-sung "Baby Come Back" was born. "So it was a genuine song, a genuine lyric – and I think that comes across in the song," Beckett said in The Yacht Rock Book . "That's why it was so popular." The demo earned Player a hastily signed record deal, meaning Beckett and Crowley had to assemble a band even as "Baby Come Back" rose to No. 1. Their debut album was released before Player had ever appeared in concert. (DeRiso)

12. "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight," England Dan & John Ford Coley (1976)

There aren't too many songs with choruses as big as the one England Dan & John Ford Coley pump into the key lines of their first Top 40 single. Getting there is half the fun: The conversational verses – " Hello, yeah, it's been a while / Not much, how 'bout you? / I'm not sure why I called / I guess I really just wanted to talk to you " – build into the superpowered come-on line " I'm not talking 'bout moving in ...  ." Their yacht-rock pedigree is strong: Dan Seals' older brother is Seals & Croft's Jim Seals. (Gallucci)

11. "Hey Nineteen," Steely Dan (1980)

At least on the surface, “Hey Nineteen” is one of Steely Dan’s least ambiguous songs: An over-the-hill guy makes one of history’s most cringe-worthy, creepiest pick-up attempts, reminiscing about his glory days in a fraternity and lamenting that his would-be companion doesn’t know who Aretha Franklin is. (The bridge is a bit tougher to crack. Is anyone sharing that “fine Colombian”?) But the words didn’t propel this Gaucho classic into Billboard's Top 10. Instead, that credit goes to the groove, anchored by Walter Becker ’s gently gliding bass guitar, Donald Fagen’s velvety electric piano and a chorus smoother than top-shelf Cuervo Gold. (Reed)

10. "Rich Girl," Daryl Hall & John Oates (1976)

It’s one of the most economical pop songs ever written: two A sections, two B sections (the second one extended), a fade-out vocal vamp. In and out. Wham, bam, boom. Perhaps that's why it’s easy to savor “Rich Girl” 12 times in a row during your morning commute, why hearing it just once on the radio is almost maddening. This blue-eyed-soul single, the duo’s first No. 1 hit, lashes out at a supposedly entitled heir to a fast-food chain. (The original lyric was the less-catchy “rich guy ”; that one change may have earned them millions.) But there’s nothing bitter about that groove, built on Hall’s electric piano stabs and staccato vocal hook. (Reed)

9. "Fooled Around and Fell in Love," Elvin Bishop (1975)

Elvin Bishop made his biggest pop-chart splash with "Fooled Around and Fell In Love," permanently changing the first line of his bio from a  former member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band to a solo star in his own right. There was only one problem: "The natural assumption was that it was Elvin Bishop who was singing,” singer  Mickey Thomas told the Tahoe Daily Tribune in 2007. Thomas later found even greater chart success with Starship alongside Donny Baldwin, who also played drums on Bishop's breakthrough single. "A lot of peers found out about me through that, and ultimately I did get credit for it," Thomas added. "It opened a lot of doors for me." (DeRiso)

8. "Baker Street," Gerry Rafferty (1978)

Gerry Rafferty already had a taste of success when his band Stealers Wheel hit the Top 10 with the Dylanesque "Stuck in the Middle With You" in 1973. His first solo album after the group's split, City to City , made it to No. 1 in 1978, thanks in great part to its hit single "Baker Street" (which spent six frustrating weeks at No. 2). The iconic saxophone riff by Raphael Ravenscroft gets much of the attention, but this single triumphs on many other levels. For six, mood-setting minutes Rafferty winds his way down "Baker Street" with a hopefulness rooted in eternal restlessness. (Gallucci)

7. "Dirty Work," Steely Dan (1972)

In just about three minutes, Steely Dan tells a soap-opera tale of an affair between a married woman and a man who is well aware he's being played but is too hopelessly hooked to end things. " When you need a bit of lovin' 'cause your man is out of town / That's the time you get me runnin' and you know I'll be around ," singer David Palmer sings in a surprisingly delicate tenor. A saxophone and flugelhorn part weeps underneath his lines. By the time the song is over, we can't help but feel sorry for the narrator who is, ostensibly, just as much part of the problem as he could be the solution. Not all yacht rock songs have happy endings. (Rapp)

6. "Ride Like the Wind," Christopher Cross (1979)

“Ride Like the Wind” is ostensibly a song about a tough-as-nails outlaw racing for the border of Mexico under cover of night, but there’s nothing remotely dangerous about Christopher Cross’ lithe tenor or the peppy piano riffs and horns propelling the tune. Those contradictions aren’t a detriment. This is cinematic, high-gloss pop-rock at its finest, bursting at the seams with hooks and elevated by Michael McDonald’s silky backing vocals. Cross nods to his Texas roots with a fiery guitar solo, blending hard rock and pop in a way that countless artists would replicate in the next decade. (Rolli)

5. "Summer Breeze," Seals & Crofts (1972)

Jim Seals and Dash Crofts were childhood friends in Texas, but the mellow grandeur of "Summer Breeze" makes it clear that they always belonged in '70s-era Southern California. "We operate on a different level," Seals once said , sounding like nothing if not a Laurel Canyon native. "We try to create images, impressions and trains of thought in the minds of our listeners." This song's fluttering curtains, welcoming domesticity and sweet jasmine certainly meet that standard. For some reason, however, they released this gem in August 1972 – as the season faded into fall. Perhaps that's why "Summer Breeze" somehow never got past No. 6 on the pop chart. (DeRiso)

4. "Lowdown," Boz Scaggs (1976)

As you throw on your shades and rev the motor, the only thing hotter than the afternoon sun is David Hungate’s sweet slap-bass blasting from the tape deck. “This is the good life,” you say to no one in particular, casually tipping your baseball cap to the bikini-clad crew on the boat zooming by. Then you press “play” again. What else but Boz Scaggs ’ silky “Lowdown” could soundtrack such a moment in paradise? Everything about this tune, which cruised to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, is equally idyllic: Jeff Porcaro’s metronomic hi-hat pattern, David Paich’s jazzy keyboard vamp, the cool-guy croon of Scaggs — flexing about gossip and “schoolboy game.” You crack open another cold one — why not? And, well, you press play once more. (Reed)

3. "Lido Shuffle," Boz Scaggs (1976)

Scaggs' storied career began as a sideman with Steve Miller  and already included a scorching duet with Duane Allman . Co-writer David Paich would earn Grammy-winning stardom with songs like "Africa." Yet they resorted to theft when it came to this No. 11 smash. Well, in a manner of speaking: "'Lido' was a song that I'd been banging around, and I kind of stole – well, I didn't steal anything. I just took the idea of the shuffle," Scaggs told Songfacts in 2013. "There was a song that Fats Domino did called 'The Fat Man ' that had a kind of driving shuffle beat that I used to play on the piano, and I just started kind of singing along with it. Then I showed it to Paich, and he helped me fill it out." Then Paich took this track's bassist and drummer with him to form Toto. (DeRiso)

2. "Peg," Steely Dan (1977)

"Peg" is blessed with several yacht-rock hallmarks: a spot on Steely Dan's most Steely Dan-like album, Aja , an impeccable airtightness that falls somewhere between soft-pop and jazz and yacht rock's stalwart captain, Michael McDonald, at the helm. (He may be a mere backing singer here, but his one-note chorus chirps take the song to another level.) Like most Steely Dan tracks, this track's meaning is both cynical and impenetrable, and its legacy has only grown over the years – from hip-hop samples to faithful cover versions. (Gallucci)

1. "What a Fool Believes," the Doobie Brothers (1978)

Michael McDonald not only steered the Doobie Brothers in a new direction when he joined in 1975, but he also made them a commercial powerhouse with the 1978 album Minute by Minute . McDonald co-wrote "What a Fool Believes" – a No. 1 single; the album topped the chart, too – with Kenny Loggins and sang lead, effectively launching a genre in the process. The song's style was copied for the next couple of years (most shamelessly in Robbie Dupree's 1980 Top 10 "Steal Away"), and McDonald became the bearded face of yacht rock. (Gallucci)

Top 100 Classic Rock Artists

Gallery Credit: UCR Staff

More From Ultimate Classic Rock

Tribute to: Yacht Rock

The fabulous yachtsmen, based in: los angeles, california.

The Fabulous Yachtsmen is a highly acclaimed Yacht Rock tribute band known for their authentic renditions of the smoothest and most beloved soft rock hits from the late 1970s and early 1980s. They capture the essence of the Yacht Rock genre with their impeccable musicianship, attention to detail, and engaging stage presence. The Fabulous Yachtsmen meticulously recreate the smooth melodies, lush harmonies, and intricate arrangements that made Yacht Rock so popular. They pay tribute to legendary artists like Christopher Cross, Michael McDonald, Toto, Steely Dan, Hall & Oates, and many others who defined the Yacht Rock sound. From the silky vocals to the meticulously crafted guitar solos and the tight rhythm section, the band captures the essence of each song, ensuring an authentic and nostalgic experience for the audience. Whether playing at private events, corporate functions, or music festivals, The Fabulous Yachtsmen are known for their ability to transport audiences to a bygone era of smooth music and laid-back vibes. Their attention to detail, love for the genre, and exceptional musicianship have made them one of the most sought-after Yacht Rock tribute bands, earning them a dedicated following of fans who share their passion for this timeless genre.

The Fabulous Yachtsmen is a highly acclaimed Yacht Rock tribute band known for their authentic renditions of the smoothest and most beloved soft rock hits from the late 1970s and early 1980s. They capture the essence of the Yacht Rock genre with their impeccable musicianship, attention to detail, and engaging stage presence.

The Fabulous Yachtsmen meticulously recreate the smooth melodies, lush harmonies, and intricate arrangements that made Yacht Rock so popular. They pay tribute to legendary artists like Christopher Cross, Michael McDonald, Toto, Steely Dan, Hall & Oates, and many others who defined the Yacht Rock sound. From the silky vocals to the meticulously crafted guitar solos and the tight rhythm section, the band captures the essence of each song, ensuring an authentic and nostalgic experience for the audience.

Whether playing at private events, corporate functions, or music festivals, The Fabulous Yachtsmen are known for their ability to transport audiences to a bygone era of smooth music and laid-back vibes. Their attention to detail, love for the genre, and exceptional musicianship have made them one of the most sought-after Yacht Rock tribute bands, earning them a dedicated following of fans who share their passion for this timeless genre.

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Need To Know: YACHT

YACHT may not be from this planet. As described on the band's website, 'YACHT is a Band, Belief System, and Business conducted by Jona Bechtolt and Claire L. Evans of Marfa, Texas and Portland, Oregon, USA. All people are welcome to become members of YACHT. Accordingly, YACHT is and always will be what YACHT is when YACHT is standing before you.' With influences ranging from the Mystery Lights of Marfa, Texas, to dogmatic spiritual practices that transcend into the punk genre, YACHT maintains a rich intelligence that blends beautifully with accessible electronic beats. Not to mention they're a favorite of LCD Soundsystem front man James Murphy and a member of his immediate family, DFA Records, which will release YACHT's new album, Shangri-La on June 21st.

YACHT has adopted the triangle as both a band logo and a spiritual symbol to define the YACHT mission. Simple in design, the triangle ranges from gay connotations to architectural advancements. Both members have the image boldly tattooed on their forearm. This is their cult, and they want us as members. Out caught up with YACHT in the midst of 100-degree heat of the Coachella Festival. Claire, with necklace of shells and rope, and Jona, in an all-black suit, discussed their personal religious convictions (or lack thereof), their definition of pop, and their devotion to living in the here and now.

Out : I am very interested in your writing process. Are all your lyrics original? Do you draw inspiration from literary motifs? Claire L. Evans: Yes to all of the above. It is obviously mostly original but we like to put in references to things from texts or other songs that we like. We feel they are clear enough that if someone is not aware of the reference they can go on a spiritual and literary discovery through that path. That is definitely a lesser facet of our work. Our work is bits and pieces, Easter eggs if you will. Jona Bechtolt: : We write everything together. Claire L. Evans: With each project or record that we are doing, we commit a large part of ourselves and our energy to the project. We spend a lot of time reading books and watching movies and listening to music and learning as much as possible based on that subject. We allow it to filter through our brains and make something our own out of that. Everything is steeped in references but it is all reinterpreted and remixed. There are a lot of literary influences.

YACHT entered the music scene through the visual arts lens. Because of this, do you find that your fan base consists of other artists? Jona Bechtolt: I don't know. I would like that to be true but I don't know if other artists like us. Claire L. Evans: We don't want to limit ourselves to only doing music because we have always done a lot of different things. Because we are most known for making music doesn't mean that music is our number 1 priority. Part of the total experience is the definition of YACHT as multimedia. Everything we put our minds to is called YACHT. Music is an amazing way of getting through to people really quickly. I think pop music has a very deep power to draw people in and disseminate messages via cross-platform, cross-cultural, cross-global communications.

What is your definition of pop? Claire L. Evans: I think we all see the coordination between pop and spiritual mantras. Jona Bechtolt: Repetition has to be included in the definition for sure. Claire L. Evans: That quality that pop music has where it can be absorbed into your brain immediately with very little effort and it can be repeated over and over again without you being consciously aware of it. That to us is an almost spiritual concept. People do mantra repetition in spiritual practice. This is the same thing. They even repeat melodic repeats in their heads over and over again to dictate their actions and change their point of view on the world. This is pop: it is repeated messages, motifs and musical melodies. We play with that. We come from the Pacific Northwest and many years of intense DIY scenes. Our ideas of pop are bit more damaged than most people. Pretty much anything is pop as long as you are not doing something un-listenable.

So while many musicians would bristle at being defined as pop, YACHT, on the other hand, believes everything is pop, including yourselves. Claire L. Evans: There has been a real stigma against pop and I have never really understood it. A lot of the most interesting and subversive artists of our time have been pop musicians. Prince, Michael Jackson, these people were all maniacs! They pushed their own messages strongly across huge amounts of people. They had a lasting impact. It is interesting to play with that. Mainstream might be beneficial. You utilize many symbols in your work and onscreen. Is there a subliminal aspect to them? Jona Bechtolt: I don't think they are very subliminal. They are right out there. They are right out front. Claire L. Evans: No comment.

When did you get your YACHT tattoos? Claire L. Evans: We got the triangles when we committed to the idea of the triangle as a motif.

Why the triangle? Claire L. Evans: We wanted to have a logo because there are two categories of things that we wanted to emulate: punk rock bands and religions. Punk rock bands and religions both have these qualities where people will wear a Black Flag t-shirt and that does not mean they are really into Black Flag -- it means they participate in punk and the subculture and they have certain values. The same way a Christian will wear a cross or [a Jew] will wear a Star of David around their neck -- this does not mean you go to a certain church but it instead means you participate in a value system that is much great than yourself. The commonalities between the two are very interesting to us. We wanted to find a logo that spoke to that universal quality. The triangle seemed like the obvious choice. It is very ancient and means an infinite amount of things to an infinite amount of people. It has mathematical qualities, spiritual qualities, architectural qualities, and it is even the gay rights symbol. Jona Bechtolt: We like that the triangle can stand for everything and nothing at the same time. Claire L. Evans: It plays with idea of dogma. It is dogmatic since it is a logo but it is also the most ancient and open-ended logo that we could find.

It's completely accessible. Everyone can draw a triangle! Claire L. Evans: It's a simple shape, so that is nice as well. It has social integrity.

Were you raised a certain religion? Do you subscribe to any faith other than the YACHT faith? Claire L. Evans: I was raised Atheist. Jona Bechtolt: I was raised Catholic. Claire L. Evans: It's not so much about being religious, but it is instead about creating an alternative from that culture. There is a great value in community and communal transcendence that we find interesting, but we don't want to submit ourselves into the dogmatic or ideological aspects of that. For us, music is very similar to spirituality. This is especially true with underground music where people are devoted to their favorite bands in an almost religious way. Live shows are people coming together and transcending. This is all very religious without being dogmatic.

You are signed to DFA Records. I get the sense that DFA is a true community. Are you friends with other acts on the label? Claire L. Evans: It's totally a family. Jona Bechtolt: I had emailed DFA out of the blue in 2005 or 2006. We were looking to contribute remixes for people that we liked, so I immediately thought of DFA and Juan MacLean specifically. I wrote to the one email address they had on their website, which was [email protected]. I wrote to them and told them that I would love to do a remix. They responded telling me that Juan would love to do it, but he is too busy right now but they will keep me in mind for the future. We had rough email correspondence the years after that. One day I got a call from John at DFA. DFA is a very small operation with literally like three employees. They informed me that LCD Soundsystem is going on their North American tour for their new album Sound of Silver and their support band couldn't get work visas. They asked if I could fill in for them starting tomorrow. I had never met anyone from DFA or LCD so I was really excited and nervous. They invited me to ride on their tour bus with them! I said "Yes," and it was amazing. It was a life-changing experience. Everyone who is even remotely involved with DFA is incredible and so sweet and so nice. They took us in as immediate family members. They then asked us to make a record with them and so we made a single and now the next album.

DFA is very well curated. It's a new breed of record label. Claire L. Evans: DFA is such a small operation that they can only afford to put out a few records a year. They have to be great records or else it is a waste. We have never worked with any label where everyone on the label is a friend. We were nervous because it is such a small family. We are really lucky. Why does Portland have such a great music scene? Claire L. Evans: Does it?

Claire L. Evans: People always ask us about that. Jona Bechtolt: Portland is not unique from other cities in America. There are so many cities that produce great music and Portland just has the spotlight for the next 15 minutes. Claire L. Evans: People say that the weather is so bad in Portland that people are stuck in their basements making music all winter. But it is not the only city with terrible weather. It has the perfect storm of terrible weather, cheap rent and lots of young creative people. There is no fluoride in the water, so everyone has bad teeth.

Are you both from Portland? How are you connected to Marfa, Texas? Jona Bechtolt: Where should we start? I guess we can say we are from Portland. Marfa, Texas, is a special place for us. We have written most of our songs there.

Tell me more about Marfa. I just got back from SXSW but didn't make it to Marfa. Claire L. Evans: Marfa is incredible. It is in the middle of nowhere. To go there you have to really want to go there. That is probably a huge reason why it is so special. It is incredibly beautiful. The light is beautiful. The water has a small amount of lithium in it. There is a paranormal mystery that occurs in Marfa called the Marfa Mystery Lights. It breeds a general ambiance and vibe and acceptance of psychedelia.

Is it like the Aurora Borealis? Claire L. Evans: It looks like stars are falling from the sky. It has happened there since before recorded human history. It is a Native American myth. Nobody has figured it out. There is an ambiance in Marfa that has a different tolerance for humankind. It is a beautiful and small art community. It is a perfect place to work and be separate from the world and make music. We made our last two albums there and I want to continue doing it there. It is our spiritual home.

When speaking of the band's style, why have you committed yourselves to black and white? Jona Bechtolt: It's always been important. With our style we wanted to give people a solid understanding of our commitment to this band and this project and the idea of history. Claire L. Evans: When we witnessed the Marfa Mystery Lights, it was an important moment for us. We realized that for the last two centuries of human existence we have been operating with an absence of mysticism. We have become rational and scientific in regard to real life. We have grown up in this world of constant information that is seeking reasons. We feel entitled in that sense. Jona Bechtolt: Right. Claire L. Evans: We realized that all of art and spirituality and religion for all of humankind before the Scientific Revolution had overpowering ritualistic feelings about the world. We wanted to recommit to that idea. The black and white for us shows identification. The reason we wear black and white doesn't have a why. It just is. For us, we want to become a separate entity onstage and we want people to see it as special.

Do you think you are living in the ideal decade or do you wish you lived during a different era? Claire L. Evans: All we have is now, that has always been our philosophy. Jona Bechtolt: We only know how to live in the now.

For info on YACHT, including upcoming tour dates, click here.

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4th of July Community Celebration

Thursday, july 4 | 4-10 p.m. | mission college, 3000 mission college blvd..

Join us for the ultimate 4th of July community celebration at Mission College. This family-friendly event has everything you need to celebrate America's Independence Day in style. Enjoy a fantastic lineup of food trucks offering a variety of delicious eats, from classic American fare to international delights. Bring your blankets and lawn chairs for a relaxing picnic with friends and family.

The day will be filled with fun activities, including lawn games, live entertainment, featuring local bands and performers who will keep the energy high throughout the day.

As the sun sets, prepare for a dazzling firework display (from Great America) that will light up the night sky, at 9:40 p.m. We look forward to seeing you there!

Main Stage Presented by EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure 

Schedule of Events

• Event starts at 4 p.m.
• Security screening opens at 3 p.m.
• Bring lawn chairs or picnic blankets
• Coolers are allowed and will be checked at the gates
• No pets, registered service animals only
• No staked umbrellas or canopies allowed on the lawn
• No alcohol per Mission College rules
• Free Speech is designated outside the venue perimeter 

Major roadway construction at the intersection of Great America Parkway and Mission College Boulevard by the City’s contractor, O’Grady Paving Inc., is currently underway.  This project will require partial 24-hour lane closures  and pedestrian detours  at the intersection of Great America Parkway and Mission College Boulevard.   Motorists should exercise caution and drive safely in this area.

Santa Clara 4th of July Celebration is being offered to the Community for free. The event is brought to you by the City of Santa Clara, Mission College, Silicon Valley Power and Great America. Fireworks show is partially funded by a Santa Clara County Fireworks Grant.

Firework viewing from the Mission College's Central Plaza featuring patriotic music.

The Santa Clara Fire and Police Departments would like to remind residents that personal fireworks are inherently dangerous and are illegal in the City of Santa Clara.  Learn more about the local ordinance on fireworks and how to report illegal fireworks on the  Santa Clara Police Department webpage .

Come hungry and thirsty. There will be plenty of tasty food options from local food trucks and non-alcoholic drinks for sale. Contactless payment only.

Remember to bring your reusable water bottle for ice cold refills at the Tap Water Express!

Free Speech Group Application 

Contact Angelique Wilson at [email protected] for more information.

• Free Parking in Parking Lots A-D
• Use Google Maps to locate Mission College Parking
• ADA Parking Available in Parking Lots A & B
• Consider biking, walking, carpooling or taking transit
• Bike parking available to park and lock your bike
• Ride Share Drop Off Zone at the Main Entrance
• VTA Bus Schedule

Enjoy picnic activities for all ages free of charge from 4-8 p.m. Challenge each other in Giant 4 Square and test your steady hand with Giant Jenga. Try your skills at Tower Ball and Spike Ball or enjoy some classic entertainment with bubbles and hula hoops. There's something for everyone, ensuring endless laughter and memorable moments. Come join the fun!

The following items are not permitted at any time:

• Glass bottles
• Spiked clothing/jewelry
• Fireworks/explosives
• Firearms/ammunition
• Chemical weapons, mace/pepper spray
• Unmanned ariel vehicles (drones)
• Pets, registered service animals only
• Alcohol beverages 
• Smoking/ vaping
• Fire Department
• Library Department
• Mission College
• Mission Trails
• Police Department
• Tap Water Express
• Water & Sewer Department
• Silicon Valley Power
• EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure
• Open Door Veterans
• Enamor Dental
• City Light Bible Church

Want to take an active role in the community and sponsor the next City of Santa Clara Parks & Recreation special event? 

View our  2024 Sponsorship Page

You and your child’s attendance at any City of Santa Clara Parks & Recreation Department sponsored event constitutes your permission for your photographs to be used for promotional use. 

Contact the Community Recreation Center 408-615-3140 or email [email protected]   for more information.

Thank you to our Sponsors and Partners!

Santa Clara News Online

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Santa Clara 4th of July Celebration at Mission College

By Robert Haugh

The Mission City has a new 4th of July celebration home –  Mission College. 

Because of construction projects at Central Park, the City chose to host the event at the College and forged a partnership with Mission College and California’s Great America. 

Throughout the event, there’s an array of family-friendly festivities such as lawn games and face painting. 

Live entertainment includes performances by Mustache Harbor, Yacht Rock Band, Santa Clara Elite Dance Team, Vanguard Music and Performing Arts, and headliner David Martin’s House Party. 

Several City departments will have info booths such as the Fire Department, Library, Mission Trail Waste Systems, Police Department, Water & Sewer, and Silicon Valley Power. 

Several food trucks will be on site, including: 

• Cousin’s Maine Lobster
• Luv’s Brownies
• Akita Sushi
• Chick N Bros
• Saigon Street Food
• The Cookout Fish & Chips
• Waffle Roost
• Rocko’s Ice Cream Tacos

The celebration starts at 4 p.m. and concludes at 10 p.m. 

Free parking is available as space permits in Mission College Lots A through D. Rideshare drop off is at the main entry at 3000 Mission College Blvd. 

Visit SantaClaraca.gov/4thofJuly for more information. 

The event is sponsored by EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure, Silicon Valley Power, Mission College, Enamor Dental, Open Doors to Future Possibilities, City Life Bible Church, and California’s Great America. 

Here’s a list of fireworks shows in the area. 

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What is the difference between celebrating “Fourth of July” or “Independence Day?”

According to Silicon Valley Der Stürmer under Herr Jed, the Traditional Venue for celebrating Independence Day is dislodged from Central Park—a beloved venue with which us Santa Claras have joined in community spirit—for political reasons.

Der Stürmer states: “Earlier this year, the City announced the change in venue for a MYRIAD of reasons.” Most dictionaries define “myriad” as “a countless or extremely great number.” Yet, Der Stürmer uses this term as a propagandist, and offers only three (3) (!) reasons: (1) costs to use SCUSD fields of Central Elementary School, (2) the Swim Center and new Magical Bridge playground areas, and (3) Safety. Are there any other “countless” reasons to move festivities from Central Park that the Der Stürmer fails to convey to us Santa Clarans???

My commentary: the 49er Five has aims that supersede the citizens of Santa Clara and would rather “leach off” annual fireworks at Great America rather than preserve tradition. And “tradition” is that which the 49er 5 seek to destroy to secure power. As a city councilperson, I would be ashamed to admit personal failures to accept “welfare,” “charity,” or otherwise get a “free ride” from Great America’s fireworks. NOTE: Great America is now sold to Prologis, a San Francisco-based real estate conqueror and destroyer (from a citizen’s viewpoint). Prologis’ acquisition of Great America and its effects on Santa Clara is what Prologis is doing globally. https://www.prologis.com/contact-us/office-locations ……(Ask Jeddy Boy if the 49ers have ZERO connections to the sale of Great America—Given the proximity between LEVI and GREAT AMERICA….. well, the Devil has will have his day.).

Countering the “reasons” for the cataclysmic change to Mission College according to Der Stürmer:

(1) “Costs to use SCUSD fields.” An honorable and diligent seeker of facts might inquire as to the “cost,” unless that Der Stürmer is merely a mouthpiece of Herr Jed. No transparency yet again. Is the “cost” a dollar ($1), or what? Der Stürmer does not inquire as it is a propagandist conduit. Is it more than the inflated salaries of Jovan’s newly-hired henchmen? Yet another failure of Der Stürmer.

(2) Further, the Der Stürmer states that Santa Clara Chief Public Information Officer Janine De la Vega indicates that the closed George F. Haines International Swim Center and the new Magical Bridge Playground presumably injects a “footprint” that reduces ‘safety.’ Historically, NO ONE viewed 4th of July festivities from the swim center or at the area related to the Magical Bridge Playground as that area HAS ALWAYS had obstructed views because of the VAST tree canopies that occlude viewings of fireworks. This reasoning is BULL EXCREMENT.

So, Der Stürmer quotes the above from some numskull—or at least portrays quotes from Ms. Del la Vega as being, well, less informed and communicates accordingly. Where did Santa Clara get the unfortunate circumstances to employ Ms. Del la Vega? Hired Gun city manager Jovan! Ms. Del la Vega has hopped around, doubling her salary from 2018 to 2023!

Do SANTA CLARANS have that opportunity to nearly DOUBLE our income in 5 years? <> w Old Salary: $134,659. (2018) https://padailypost.com/2018/04/17/channel-7-reporter-hired-as-palo-alto-police-spokeswoman/ New Salary: $227,000. (2023) https://santaclaranews.org/2023/12/21/santa-clara-city-manager-adds-two-new-high-salary-staffers-to-his-office/

(3) Safety. More fear-mongering. For 10 to 20 years there may be some minor incidences at Central Park, but nothing like at Great America… and gun violence.

https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/great-america-shooting-suspect-still-at-large/172011/

Central Park has always been safe. Parking was plentiful among its community. Edicts according to the Der Stürmer: no family pets are allowed and no umbrellas or canopies. Also, all “coolers” will be inspected for contraband. **Likely if you take your family there to Mission College, you are INCREASING risk of harm to your family**! Why else place draconian measures on young families???!? Sounds like gangland. No Thank You!

In the past, Santa Clarans entered Central Park freely and harmoniously without being subjected to jack-boot inspection of belongings. Freedom to enjoy the 4th with your family is now subjugated to the tyrants of the City Council.

Independence Day is MORE than just independence from England—IT MEANS INDEPENDENCE FROM TYRANNY!

No 49er sponsorship??

Jed York only makes money off the backs of Santa Clarans. He doesn’t give back.

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Mission To Host 4th Of July Celebration

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

SANTA CLARA, CA -- The Santa Clara 4th of July Celebration will be held at Mission College's Central Plaza. This family-friendly event has everything you need to celebrate America's Independence Day in style.

From 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 4th, the Central Plaza will be the hub of exciting activities, delicious food, and spectacular entertainment.

Enjoy a fantastic lineup of food trucks offering a variety of delicious eats, from classic American fare to international delights. Bring your blankets and lawn chairs for a relaxing picnic with friends and family. The day will be filled with fun activities, including lawn games and live entertainment featuring local bands and performers who will keep the energy high throughout the day.

The schedule of events kicks off at 4:00 p.m. with Mustache Harbor, a Yacht Rock band known for their spot-on renditions of the smoothest music from the 70's and 80's. This will be followed by a Flag Ceremony at 5:15 p.m., a performance by the Santa Clara Elite Dance Team at 5:45 p.m., and the Vanguard Music and Performing Arts at 6:30 p.m.

The evening’s headliner, David Martin's House Party, the Bay Area's premier party band, will take the stage from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. As the night culminates, prepare for a dazzling firework display from Great America at 9:40 p.m., accompanied by patriotic music.

Mission encourage attendees to bring lawn chairs or picnic blankets for comfort. Coolers are allowed but will be checked at the gates. Please note that pets (except registered service animals), staked umbrellas or canopies, BBQs, alcohol (per Mission College rules), and weapons are prohibited.

This spectacular event is brought to you by the City of Santa Clara, Mission College, Silicon Valley Power, and Great America, with the fireworks show partially funded by a Santa Clara County Fireworks Grant.

Firework viewing from Mission College’s Central Plaza will feature patriotic music. Free speech areas are designated outside the venue perimeter to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all attendees.

Don’t miss this chance to experience the magic of music and community. We look forward to celebrating with you!

Benjamin Demers Director of Marketing and Public Relations [email protected]  

About mission college.

Mission College is a leading institution of higher education dedicated to providing accessible, high-quality education that empowers students to succeed. With a commitment to student success, equity, and innovation, Mission College offers a diverse range of academic programs, exceptional faculty, and supportive services to foster a thriving educational community. 

• career education
• commencement
• community partner
• fire protection technology
• international
• recognition
• rising scholars
• scholarship
• social justice

The smoothest Yacht Rock on The Seven Seas.

That’s 4 to the Rain

I hereby resolve to use this blog more. I think it fell by the wayside as I figured no one goes to websites and reads blogs any more, but also no one is going come check this if there’s never any updates.

After getting rained out two weeks ago, we were really hoping to get to play at The Boat tonight but the rain once again threatened! Judging from how the night went we must have really pissed off Poseidon or someone. The rain forecasts were all over the place. You could look at 10 different forecasts and they all said different things. We were supposed to start at 7p, but it looked like there would be rain right up until about then. So in consulting with the venue and our sound person, we decided to push it until 8p as it looked like it would be clear by then. Then the forecasts shifted and looked like the rain would also be appearing about 7-8. And possibly re-appearing right around the end of the night. Maybe. We waited until the last possible minute at which point it was misting and Dylan (our sound engineer) was having to wipe off his equipment. Even a light mist is not good for sensitive electronic gear and he had just been totally misted out on Thursday night as well. So the decision was made to go ahead and call it.

So of course, as soon as Dylan had packed up and left, the skies totally cleared and it never rained. That’s the way it goes sometimes. It’s our 4th rain out since we started playing The Boat back in October of 2021 but such is life in Texas when playing outdoor venues! Sorry to all who came out looking to get some smooth Yacht Rock. Everyone tries to make the best call in the moment but as we all know weather can be a fickle beast, especially in Texas. We’ll be back June 1 at The Boat! Join us then!

That may be 4 to the rain, but luckily we’re still way ahead! And we got to have some great chats with some of while we waited around!

Nautical By Nature, Captain Heath

Rain 1, Yacht Z 0.3

Well sadly, the rain and lightning but our set to a short but fun 45 minutes. Thanks to all who came out, and we apologize for having to dock prematurely. We hope to see you next time!

A Spring Residency!

While we are working on where we will play next, you may have noticed a bunch of gigs pop up as The Boat ATX has given us a smooth monthly residency when music kicks back up in March after the winter months. The Boat and Yacht Z, a perfect pairing!

The Ship Is Seaworthy!

First show done and it was as smooth and magical as we could have hoped for.

Who knows “How Long” we will be “Reminiscing” about this “Cool Night.” We were “So Into You” and our “Love Is Alive” for everyone who came out and for The Boat ATX for having our debut show. We want to “Kiss You All Over.” Hopefully you don’t find that “Spooky.” These are just the “Things We Do For Love.”

The “Lowdown” is that we definitely hope to “Steal Away” and “Escape” with you all to “Thunder Island”, and play those smooth jams to get you “Dancing In The Moonlight” and enjoying the “Summer Breeze.” For the moment, the Yacht Z must “Ride Like The Wind” “Right Down The Line,” but don’t worry that “She’s Gone.” “Baby Come Back” next time we dock! You’ll find we are “Still The One” to make you groove.

I wanted to reference all the songs from our set but I “Couldn’t Get It Right.” If you think this is farewell, that’s “What A Fool Believes.” There are a few more titles I could use, but “I Keep Forgettin’.”

We will be booking more gigs soon and have word on the sea is that you will likely see us very regularly at The Boat come next March when things warm up a little again.

Also we have added a merch link to the Links page!

11th Hour Captain’s Log

Ya’ll, I’m excervous about this. Nervited? 2 years ago I saw a post from Keith at The Boat looking for “tribute acts, especially Yacht Rock.” I had been really enjoying a lot of Yacht Rock Radio on SiriusXM and found that the music was deep in my bones. Stuff I remembered hearing on the radio as a child, or in my mom’s car. I contacted some of my favorite friends and bandmates to make this band. A LOT happened in the last two years including several personnel changes (for various person reasons, nothing dramatic), a pandemic that kept us just doing light practices in a back yard for a while, medical procedures that made the future of one voice uncertain, and a lot of learning some of the most complex and difficult music that any of us had ever tackled despite us all being long time professionals.

Appropriately, since it’s where this all started, we booked our debut gig at The Boat and it happens this Friday, 10/21. We held our last practice before the gig today. None of us are as ready as we want to be, but I’m not sure if we ever could be, being that we hold ourselves to a very high bar. The whole reason I booked the gig was that I knew we needed a target. A “Ready or not, that’s our debut” date. We will never be “done” learning, polishing and tightening these tunes and adding new ones. Every listen we discover new things or things to improve.

Well, it’s here. It’s time. in 5 days, 2 years of work comes to fruition. Our most recent member only joined 2 months ago and worked hard at getting up to speed. Will we be perfect? Absolutely not. Will there be mistakes? 100% probability. Will it be amazing, silly, fun, smooth and filled with some amazingly great music? Also 100% probability.

I plan to livestream it from the Yacht Z Facebook page, but it would definitely mean the world to us to have any of you there who can make it. Your energy, friendly faces, and love will feed us, and maybe if we’re lucky, the mistakes, or “clams” as we call them in the music world, won’t be too noticeable. The ship might have a few small leaks, but it’s going to be a smooth, grooving, fun ride. Please forgive my nervous, self-deprecating disclaimers. ‘Tis my nature. I live with excruciating transparency! She’s a good ship, the Yacht Z.

So yes, very excited. And very nervous. Excervous. Nervited.

Our Maiden Voyage Is Near!

After solidifying our lineup with the addition of Phil McJunkins on Guitar (and keys and bongos), the last 2 years of plotting, scheming, learning, rehearsing, pandemic dodging, medical proceduring, and more will finally result in our debut gig October 21, 2022 at The Boat! It was a post by Keith from The Boat asking specifically for any Yacht Rock bands that spurred me to take this little idea and recruit some of my favorite people/friends/bandmates to make it a reality. This has been some of the most challenging stuff any of us have ever tackled and we are all long time seasoned professional musicians! It will be great to finally get this out into the world!

Some Updates From Dry Dock

All My Loving to our drummer, Matt Patterson who is now officially the drummer with Austin legends, The Eggmen! We hope Matt won’t bAll My Loving to our drummer, Matt Patterson who is now officially the drummer with Austin legends, The Eggmen! We hope Matt won’t be too Helter Skelter being fab to still play with us whenever we set sail! If he leaves on his Magical Mystery Tour to pay the Taxman, I’ll be yelling Help! Across The Universe While My Guitar Gently Weeps for the Two Of Us. Perhaps his lovely lady, Michelle (well, Michele, sa belle), can convince him that We Can Work It Out Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite and All You Need Is Love. If it is The End, we may have to rename ourselves Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band or Something. I don’t mean to be all “I Me Mine,” but I Want To Tell You, In My Life, I’ll be Fixing A Hole and You Won’t See Me until it’s Getting Better. It Won’t Be Long, don’t worry, I’m Only Sleeping. It’s just A Day In The Life. Say The Word and I’m Happy Just To Dance With You.

As a bonus, Yacht Z has now picked out our first hour of music and are in the process of rehearsing and refining it. BEHOLD!

I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near), Michael McDonald So Into You, Atlanta Rhythm Section Magnet And Steel, Walter Egan Peg, Steely Dan My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone), Chilliwack Reminiscing, Little River Band FM, Steely Dan Steal Away, Robbie Dupree Kiss You All Over, Exile Summer Breeze, Seals And Crofts Thunder Island, Jay Ferguson What A Fool Believes, The Doobie Brothers The Things We Do For Love, 10cc Baby Come Back, Player Escape (The Pina Colada Song), Rupert Holmes

More to come!

Coming Soon!

We are crewing up and making sure everything is ship-shape and water tight before bringing you the best Yacht Rock classics!