California in the late 1970s was a revolutionary time in music. The Doobie Brothers went from rough and rowdy to smooth and soulful with the edition of Michael McDonald. Kenny Loggins went from Loggins and Messina to just Kenny Loggins. For the first time, male rock singers could talk about emotions and still make a number-one hit record. Among these many burgeoning genres, there was the evolution of yacht rock. Yacht rock was a type of soft rock most popular from 1975 to 1982.
Well, the term “Yacht Rock” wasn’t coined until 2005, when a comedy web series named it after this genre and time of music. While yacht rock is very easily defined as “The soft-rock most commercially successful in the late 1970s”, its sound surpasses genrefication because it combines so many genres. However, anyone can combine multiple genres and make music. Its about producing the right sound, combining the right genres.
Artists like Toto, The Doobie Brothers, Kenny Loggins, Steely Dan, Christopher Cross, and Boz Scaggs combined genres like jazz, R&B, rock, and soul to create this oh-so-smooth sound. But who did it first?
In 1972, Studio Musicians Walter Becker and Donald Fagen came together to create the legendary group, Steely Dan. While their first three albums were not technically yacht rock they certainly paved the way for the upcoming sound of the late 70s. The day 1977’s hit album Aja was released was the same day music would be changed forever. The release of that album sparked an instinct within these incomprehensibly talented studio musicians to make their bands and record their music. It was even the album speaker salesmen used to demo their electronics in stores and commercials. Because these people were so insanely good at playing instruments they held the power to write, record, and produce this new genre.
While Steely Dan was extremely popular, they were only one of many groups that did this initially. Arguably the greatest family in music history the Porcaro Brothers took up part of the legendary rock band, Toto. with Jeff on drums, Steve playing the keyboard, and Mike on the bass. But the three brothers weren’t the only songwriting force in the band. The roles of celebrated keyboard player and vocalist David Paich and guitarist Steve Lukather cannot go understated. Formed in 1977 their first album didn’t come out until 1978, in this year’s gap they recorded this self-titled album with the help of the best musicians they could find and their close personal friends. Tracks like Hold the Line, and Georgy Porgy, shaped a more energetic tone for other artists.
Nonetheless, when the Doobie Brothers released their Grammy-winning album, Minute By Minute, with the help of one of the greatest vocalists of all time, Michael McDonald, an archetype was set for music during this time. Countless songs copy the exact keyboard riff of Kenny Loggins and McDonald hit song, What a Fool Believes. But when Michael McDonald discovered Texas-born guitarist and vocalist Christopher Cross it was game over for all other artists. On his debut album, Christopher Cross swept all four major categories and became the first artist to win all four general-field awards in one night: Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist.
People often mistake artists like Hall and Oates, Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, or Jimmy Buffet as yacht rock but each of those artists are missing at least one key component that makes yacht rock, yacht rock. Whether that’s Hall and Oates lacking the jazz themes or The Eagles having too much country sounds it makes all the difference because yacht rock is such an over-produced, and perfected genre.