Not a scholar by any means, but.....

There is a pretty popular tribute act called Yacht Rock Revue .

https://www.yachtrockrevue.com

Yacht Rock artist
https://www.last.fm/tag/yacht+rock/artists

From Wiki

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yacht_rock

Yacht rock (originally known as the West Coast Sound or adult-oriented rock) is a broad music style and aesthetic identified with soft rock. It was one of the commercially successful genres of its era, existing between the mid-1970s and early 1980s. Drawing on sources such as smooth soul, smooth jazz, R&B, funk, and disco,common stylistic traits include high-quality production, clean vocals, and a focus on light, catchy melodies. Its name, coined in 2005 by the makers of the online video series Yacht Rock, was derived from its association with the popular Southern Californian leisure activity of sailing.

One of the stupiest music style terms ever!! And that says a lot! AOR (Adult Oriented Rock / Album Oriented Rock) was a reasonable name / description for a lot of those bands but Yacht Rock is über-dumb!
It's also sò broad that some of the bands make completely different music; so it's not exactly helpful to find out if you might like a particular band. When i first heard this term (not that long ago) i thought it was used to label Jimmy Buffet's music! Fit's his music better but i guess there are not that many artists like him that justifies labeling it as a music (sub-)genre. That being said i saw a funny "Family Guy" episode last week situated around a Yacht Rock Cruise.

It tops the absurd alright -

JUST sit right back & you’ll hear a tale
A tale of a fateful trip
That started from this tropic port
Aboard this tiny ship

That’s what I thought of when I saw the thread

Yacht Rock Review and their offshoot band Yacht Rock Shooner based in Atlanta have become an institution here. They play packed rooms of a couple hundred at least once per week for the past 10-12 years, player larger gigs at big Atlanta events, do a high dollar NYE concert for probably 800, do an annual Prince 1999/Purple Rain show and other themed events.

Their setlists are mostly 1976-1982 music....Christopher Cross, McDonald era Doobies and all those songs from 1978-79 that McDonald sang background vocals on inclding Kenny Loggins; 70s Hall & Oates, late '70s Steely Dan, Toto, America, Boz Skaggs, Rupert Holmes, Gerry Rafferty, Orleans, Paul Simon etc.

The 30-55 year old women absolutely love them!

Pablo Cruise? Not sure if I have heard them, but a reliable source says they are Yacht Rock.

Is America Folk-Yacht?

They’re known as surf rock, but the Beach Boys’ Sloop John B might qualify
The Weavers, from same era - known as folk music, but what better yacht rock song might there be than Erie Canal

Ho, the Ear-ay-ee was a’risin
And the gin was gettin’ low
And I scarcely think we’ll get a drink til we get to Buffalo, til we get to Buffalo

Then there’s Sailing, by Christopher Cross
I like all these (Sailing the least), but “yacht rock”? - no thanks
Racecar rock? Have no idea but hadn’t ever heard of yacht rock before either

[Edited on 2/18/2020 by Stephen]

Is this Acid-Yacht ?

Lost Sailor - Grateful Dead

Compass card is spinning
Helm is swinging to and fro
Oh, where is the dog star
Oh, where's the moon
You're a lost sailor
You've been too long at sea
Some days the gales are howling
Some days the sea is still as glass
Oh, raise the main sail
Oh, lash the mast
You're a lost sailor
You've been too long at sea
Now the shorelines beckon
Yeah, there's a price for being free
Hear the sea birds cryin' and there's a ghost wind blowing
And it's calling you, to that misty swirling sea
Till the chains of your dreams are broken
No place in this world you can be

Yacht Rock is the musical equivalent of self-censoring the word “heck”

L*L

Is Kenny Chesney considered Yacht Country or Yacht S**t?

Green Day seems like Punk Yacht

Is Styx Prog Yacht?

Is Atlanta Rhythm Section Southern Yacht?

No matter how I look at it Yacht Rock raises more questions than it answers.

[Edited on 2/19/2020 by BrerRabbit]

Night Ranger is Metal Yacht?

If Toto is yacht rock, would that make a band like, Saga, for instance - neo yacht?:P
Gotta return to racecar rock - Livin in the ISA, with the racecar intro, then same at the end w/“and he’s the winner” - then the middle where he yells “someone buy me a cheeseburger!”, something the concession folks wouldn’t mind hearing a bit

Also Rock The Nation - and Bad Motor Scooter, which like Livin in the USA has the va va voom intro & ending
What racetrack wouldn’t be put into a frenzy w/a little Highway Star, or Free Bird - or Chuck’s Maybelline, or Hot Rod Lincoln, for older fans
Well there’s yacht rock so there must be racecar rock right?:P

OK back to yacht rock.............I’m a lost sailor:o (cool graphic)

[Edited on 2/19/2020 by Stephen]

Racecar Rock - lotta potential in that genre. I'm thinking we could pitch say a Rocky Horror style gender bender glam thing, call it The Dragsters, might net a few $ for the mob. Or the Drag Chutes, but yeah that's probly gonna tank in a kinky cult niche, turn off investors.

So, if people are totally into Yacht Rock, like following Pablo Cruise around and setting up villages in the parking lot, would they be called "Yachtzees"?

Yachtzees. I like it. Make a good Yacht Rock cover band name. Do a kinda polo Ralph Laurent marina WW2 nautical kraut theme, dry look, just lookin at ideas here, we gotta come up with something.

Then there's the concept of "Yacht Opera", but that is a lot to grasp, better let it go.

[Edited on 2/19/2020 by BrerRabbit]

If Toto is yacht rock, would that make a band like, Saga, for instance - neo yacht?:P

Does that make Jimmy Buffett Yacht Rock or is he just in a class by himself?

I learned about yacht-rock a few months ago when I was looking at a local venue's concert schedule.

This particular band is called "The Naughty Yachties". It seemed like such a stupid name that I had to look them up.

I was pretty shocked to find out that this is a thing that people enjoy, but hey, whatever floats your boat...

One of the stupiest music style terms ever!!

It's supposed to be funny and/or partly ironic, I think. I think it's pretty funny, but if I liked this kind of music and felt a little judged by this nickname I might feel differently about it.

What are the early roots of Yacht Rock? Serious question. 10cc? Jigsaw?

What are the early roots of Yacht Rock? Serious question. 10cc? Jigsaw?

Frankie Ford, The Father of Yacht Rock!

Buffett late '70s / early '80s would seem to fall under Yacht Rock. As would Styx "Babe." ARS would have a few songs like "Alien" and "Imaginary Lovers" that would fit well alongside a Yacht Rock playlist.

It tops the absurd alright -

JUST sit right back & you’ll hear a tale
A tale of a fateful trip
That started from this tropic port
Aboard this tiny ship

That’s what I thought of when I saw the thread

They are lucky the SS Minnow didn't get stranded on Epstein Island!

[Edited on 2/19/2020 by gina]

Toto was a band made up of successful studio musicians who also worked as side men in some big tours. The musicians in Toto were wealthy and could afford a yacht before their first album was released and their first tour.

Their drummer Jeff Porcaro for a time was the most successful studio drummer in Los Angeles playing on over 200 albums. Jeff is the hot drummer on Katy Lied by Steely Dan. At his death it was said the sound of 80's pop and rock was largely the sound of Jeff Pocaro. Jeff's early influences and favorite drummers were Jim Keltner and Jim Gordon.

Jeff played drums on 4 tracks of Michael Jackson's Thriller, the biggest selling album in music history. Toto band mate Steve Lukather also played on several tracks. EVH plays the wild solo on Beat It that many say is the greatest hard rock solo ever. Vincent Price raps. The album has sold a whopping 66 million copies!!!!

Jeff Pocaro died in 1992 at age 38 of a heart attack caused by prolonged cocaine use.

[Edited on 2/20/2020 by blackey]

Toto was a band made up of successful studio musicians who also worked as side men in some big tours. The musicians in Toto were wealthy and could afford a yacht before their first album was released and their first tour.

Their drummer Jeff Porcaro for a time was the most successful studio drummer in Los Angeles playing on over 200 albums. Jeff is the hot drummer on Katy Lied by Steely Dan. At his death it was said the sound of 80's pop and rock was largely the sound of Jeff Pocaro. Jeff's early influences and favorite drummers were Jim Keltner and Jim Gordon.

Jeff played drums on 4 tracks of Michael Jackson's Thriller, the biggest selling album in music history. Toto band mate Steve Lukather also played on several tracks. EVH plays the wild solo on Beat It that many say is the greatest hard rock solo ever. Vincent Price raps. The album has sold a whopping 66 million copies!!!!

Jeff Pocaro died in 1992 at age 38 of a heart attack caused by prolonged cocaine use.

[Edited on 2/20/2020 by blackey]

Further reading: The Gospel According to Luke - Steve Lukather autobiography. ( the list of sessions he played on is worth the price of the whole book ) Steve is a beast!

okay, back to your regularly scheduled Yacht Rock conversation.... 😛

Further reading: The Gospel According to Luke - Steve Lukather autobiography. ( the list of sessions he played on is worth the price of the whole book ) Steve is a beast!

Agree all around.

I think Toto is one band that gets better with age.