Like every genre of music, the definition on the fringes is where we find debate and descension, and Yacht has its fair share of stowaways below deck, but topside, the captains are not subject to mutinous challenges to their pedigree.

There’s an indisputable group of artists in the Yacht Rock pantheon, but also a library of work that deserves the illuminated manuscript treatment, preserving it for all time. 

But first, let’s throw the stowaways overboard to make sure no one is sneaking daiquiris meant for our guests. 

Tunes instrumental to the brand

Chuck Mangione is a favorite imposter for fans. “It feels so good” to include him, but he’s just a happy, talented flugelhorn player. His instantly identifiable instrumental hit has that rubbery guitar that conjures macrame plant hangers, waterbeds, and lava lamps, and we love it, but it’s not Yacht. 

Would you call Kenny G Yacht? Of course not. Think of Chuck as a Kenny with a cool hat. They’re a pair of easy listening giants with some recognizable hits who could star on a cruise ship stage, but not headline your Yacht Rock party.

So are we crossing instrumentals off the list? Never. A pair of the greatest Yacht tunes to spin as you pull off your best Isaac the bartender impersonation are poured smooth in the background and without lyrics. Herb Alpert’s “Rise” and George Benson’s “Breezin’” are the strong silent type of royalty.

In the case of “Rise,” you immediately think, “well, this could be Yacht,” and before you’re halfway through the nearly eight minute epoch all doubt has disappeared with the setting sun over the horizon.

“Breezin’” is one of two Benson classics – the other being “Give Me the Night” – that make him a seaworthy first mate. Not all of his music fits, but just listen to “Give Me the Night” and then watch the video and you know. The man roller skates through the park strumming his guitar to erase any doubt.

Who is Nyacht?

The most acclaimed artists linked to Yacht Rock is Steely Dan, and we all know how Donald Fagan famously dismissed the connection with a colorful F-bomb when he was asked to talk about the genre for “Yacht Rock: A Dockumetary.” While the family tree of Yacht certainly branches out from Steely Dan’s habit of pulling a wide variety of LA-based musicians into the studio for its projects, their music just doesn’t fit for me. 

I’m not sucking up to Fagan here. I suspect sucking up to him earns you twice the derision that truly offending him does. But consider this, Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones rooted their brands of rock and roll in American blues, but they are not American blues musicians.

Truth is, Steely Dan is a singular force of musical genius and has probably earned the right to veto any genre name tags suggested by fans. Let’s just say Steely Dan inspired a lot of the core of Yacht Rock – and their music is scattered through my non-purist Yachty playlist – but it’s too jazzy and too much its own thing to be Yacht Rock. Their music serves more as inspiration than blueprint.

I’m not even going to address the claims about the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Styx, and Jimmy Buffet. They are Nyacht, and people who think they are need to learn to swim and use more sunscreen.

Landlubbers with Seaworthy Songs

Think a moment about Carly Simon’s work. It’s an incredible catalog, and some like to slip her into the Yacht Rock mix, but it’s more complicated than that. 

“You’re so Vain” flips the script on the Yacht narrative brilliantly, and it fits. She literally sings about someone living out the male Yacht persona. 

And “You Belong to Me” has a more robust foundation than most any Yacht classic and definitely has the pedigree. But tunes like “Anticipation,” “Haven’t Got Time for the Pain,” and “Coming Around Again” remind us her iconic body of work can’t be categorized so narrowly.

Nicolette Larson, Bertie Higgins, Paul Davis, Robbie Dupree, and Stephen Bishop are examples of artists who captured a ship in a bottle when it comes to Yacht Rock, but I wouldn’t say they lived their musical careers at sea.

There are a few artists that would disappear into the depths without being buoyed by their iconic Yacht Rock anthems. Player’s “Baby Come Back,” Atlanta Rhythm Section’s “So Into You,” and “How Long” by Ace have defined their careers and are tunes that no serious Yacht playlist can leave out. They may have quality discographies, but these Yachty ear worms live on well beyond our memories of these artists. 

Icons of the Sea

But who are the artists that define the genre? Who rises above the random hits to become synonymous with Yacht Rock?

Classic literature has Odysseus, Captain Ahab, Robinson Crusoe, Captain Nemo, and The Old Man and the Sea. Yacht Rock has Christopher Cross, Boz Scaggs, Kenny Loggins, Ambrosia, and Michael McDonald. Take away any of these names from either list and you’re just not having a serious conversation about maritime lore. 

The single greatest work of Yacht Rock is Cross’s 1979 classic “Sailing.” “The canvas can do miracles” is the most magical line in the genre. His self-titled debut album probably gave an identity to the yet-to-be discovered Yacht Rock genre. It was historic. Out of nowhere, the album won five Grammies, including the big four (Best New Artist, Record, Album, and Record of the Year).

One song does not a Yacht Rock legend make, unless your name is Boz Scaggs. The music, the lyrics, and the voice in “Lowdown” just capture the very essence of Yacht. 

If you’re looking to pay homage to the holy trinity of Yacht tunes, you can call “Brandy” by Looking Glass the narrative, “Sailing” the philosophy, and “Lowdown” the feel. If you hear these three tunes and don’t imagine yourself in boat shoes and some cheap aviator glasses, wondering if you need to trim your mustache then you have no musical soul. 

Ambrosia performed three Yacht classics – “Biggest Part of Me,” “How Much I Feel,” “You’re the Only Woman” – and check every genre box. They are indeed the mythical sustenance of the Yacht gods.

Kenny Loggins is all over the place, but in between his duet years and his soundtrack gold, he collaborated with Michael McDonald on some memorable work. He was as Yachty as anyone could be between his Messina days and the gold he struck bringing a musical identity to some classic 80s movies.

But it’s Michael McDonald’s reach and discography through his solo work, as a Doobie Brother, and knack for having his vocals show up on what seems like everyone’s album in the late 70s and early 80s that has earned him most legendary Yacht Rock status. “What a Fool Believes,” “I Keep Forgettin’,” “You Belong to Me,” and “Minute by Minute” are anthems of the movement.

And to his credit, McDonald has a good chuckle over becoming the face of a genre that is part comical, wholly made up, but so intensely addictive as a slice of music history. 

We may have been lost at sea for a time between the first two and this final piece of my Yacht Rock odyssey, but put on the playlist, and decide for yourself what it is that truly defines this genre, and what is out of place in the discussion.