Playlist of the Week: Top 100 Songs of Yacht Rock
Each week we’re featuring a playlist to get your mind going and help you assemble your favorites. This week we take a deep dive into the soft rock hits of the late ’70s and early ’80s, which have come to be known in some circles as Yacht Rock. The term Yacht Rock generally refers to music in the era where yuppies enjoyed sipping champaign on their yachts — a concept explored in the original web series Yacht Rock, which debuted in 2005 and has developed a cult following. Artists most commonly thought of in the Yacht Rock era include Michael McDonald, Ambrosia, 10cc, Toto, Kenny Loggins, Boz Scaggs, and Christopher Cross. Yacht Rock has become the muse of a great number of tribute bands, and is the current subject of a short-run channel on Sirius XM.
Here is a stab at the Top 100 Songs of Yacht Rock — not necessarily in rank order, with a few more added for honorable mention. We welcome your comments. What songs are ranked too high? What songs are ranked too low? What songs are missing? Make your case. Also, please let us know concepts for playlists you’d like to see — or share a favorite list of your own.
| Artist | Title | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steely Dan | Hey Nineteen |
| 2 | Herb Alpert | Route 101 |
| 3 | Robbie Dupree | Steal Away |
| 4 | Jan Hammer Group | Don't You Know |
| 5 | Blues Image | Ride Captain Ride |
| 6 | Toto/Cheryl Lynn | Georgy Porgy |
| 7 | Gerry Rafferty | Right Down The Line |
| 8 | Paul Young | Every Time You Go Away |
| 9 | Boz Scaggs | Jojo |
| 10 | Johnny Nash | I Can See Clearly Now |
| 11 | Daryl Hall/John Oates | Sara Smile |
| 12 | Orleans | Dance With Me |
| 13 | Olivia Newton John | Magic |
| 14 | Seals & Crofts | Summer Breeze |
| 15 | Lionel Richie | All Night Long |
| 16 | Fleetwood Mac | You Make Loving Fun |
| 17 | Steely Dan | Deacon Blues |
| 18 | Christopher Cross | Ride Like The Wind |
| 19 | Little River Band | Cool Change |
| 20 | Jackson Browne | Somebody's Baby |
| 21 | 10cc | Dreadlock Holiday |
| 22 | Dr. Hook | When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman |
| 23 | Boz Scaggs | Lowdown |
| 24 | Player | This Time I'm In It For Love |
| 25 | Fleetwood Mac | Everywhere |
| 26 | Steely Dan | Peg |
| 27 | Todd Rundgren | I Saw The Light |
| 28 | Gerry Rafferty | Baker Street |
| 29 | Eagles | One Of These Nights |
| 30 | James Ingram | Yah-Mo Be There |
| 31 | 10cc | I'm Not In Love |
| 32 | Ambrosia | Biggest Part Of Me |
| 33 | Terri Gibbs | Somebody's Knockin' |
| 34 | Atlanta Rhythm Section | So In To You |
| 35 | Boz Scaggs | Lido Shuffle |
| 36 | Steve Miller Band | Wild Mountain Honey |
| 37 | Michael McDonald | I Gotta Try |
| 38 | Matthew Wilder | Break My Stride |
| 39 | England Dan & John Ford Coley | I'd Really Love To See You Tonight |
| 40 | Player | Baby Come Back |
| 41 | Kenny Loggins | This Is It |
| 42 | Michael McDonald | I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near) |
| 43 | Toto | Rosanna |
| 44 | Daryl Hall/John Oates | Kiss On My List |
| 45 | The Doobie Brothers | What A Fool Believes |
| 46 | Christopher Cross | Sailing |
| 47 | Loggins & Messina | Watching The River Run |
| 48 | Eagles | The Long Run |
| 49 | Looking Glass | Brandy (You're A Fine Girl) |
| 50 | Bread | Everything I Own |
| 51 | Steely Dan | Reelin' in the Years |
| 52 | Joe Jackson | Steppin' Out |
| 53 | Jackson Browne | Doctor My Eyes |
| 54 | Sanford & Townsend | Smoke from a Distant Fire |
| 55 | Bobby Caldwell | What You Won't Do For Love |
| 56 | Fleetwood Mac | Rhiannon |
| 57 | Ace | How Long |
| 58 | Daryl Hall/John Oates | Rich Girl |
| 59 | Toto | Africa |
| 60 | Steely Dan | Do It Again |
| 61 | Bertie Higgins | Key Largo |
| 62 | Rupert Holmes | Escape (The Pina Colada Song) |
| 63 | Little River Band | Reminiscing |
| 64 | Jimmy Buffett | Margaritaville |
| 65 | Fleetwood Mac | Dreams |
| 66 | Firefall | Just Remember I Love You |
| 67 | Eagles | I Can't Tell You Why |
| 68 | Eagles | The Best Of My Love |
| 69 | Eagles | Take It To The Limit |
| 70 | Eagles | Tequila Sunrise |
| 71 | Chicago | Saturday In The Park |
| 72 | Bob Welch | Sentimental Lady |
| 73 | America | Sister Golden Hair |
| 74 | America | A Horse With No Name |
| 75 | Ambrosia | How Much I Feel |
| 76 | Alan Parsons | Eye In The Sky |
| 77 | Air Supply | Lost In Love |
| 78 | Steely Dan | Dirty Work |
| 79 | Steely Dan | Only A Fool Would Say That |
| 80 | Orleans | Still The One |
| 81 | Stephen Bishop | Sinking In An Ocean Of Tears |
| 82 | 10cc | The Things We Do For Love |
| 83 | America | Ventura Highway |
| 84 | Al Stewart | Year Of The Cat |
| 85 | Bread | Baby I'm A Want You |
| 86 | Firefall | You Are The Woman |
| 87 | George Benson | Gimme The Night |
| 88 | Barbara Streisand/Barry Gibb | Guilty |
| 89 | Christopher Cross | Arthur's Theme |
| 90 | Marty Balin | Hearts |
| 91 | Poco | Barbados |
| 92 | Daryl Hall/John Oates | I Can't Go For That (No Can Do) |
| 93 | Al Stewart | Time Passages |
| 94 | Jay Ferguson | Thunder Island |
| 95 | Dr. Hook | Sexy Eyes |
| 96 | Donald Fagen | I.G.Y. |
| 97 | Michael McDonald | Gotta Try |
| 98 | Bread | Make It With You |
| 99 | Pablo Cruise | Whatcha Gonna Do |
| 100 | Doobie Brothers | Dependin' On You |
| 101 | Ozark Mountain Daredevils | Jackie Blue |
| 102 | Pablo Cruise | Love Will Find A Way |
| 103 | Starbuck | Moonlight Feels Right |
| 104 | Billy Ocean | Caribbean Queen |
| 105 | Linda Ronstadt | Ooh Baby Baby |
| 106 | Hues Corporation | Rock The Boat |
| 107 | Loggins & Messina | Danny's Song |
| 108 | Rupert Holmes | Answering Machine |
| 109 | Stephen Bishop | On And On |
| 110 | Bread | The Guitar Man |
| 111 | Seals & Crofts | Diamond Girl |
| 112 | Air Supply | Even The Nights Are Better |
| 113 | Ambrosia | You're The Only Woman |
| 114 | George Benson | Breezin' |
| 115 | Daryl Hall/John Oates | She's Gone |
| 116 | Dave Loggins | Please Come To Boston |
| 117 | Rickie Lee Jones | Chuck E.'s In Love |
| 118 | Captain/Tennille | Love Will Keep Us Together |
| 119 | Dr. Hook | Better Love Next Time |
| 120 | Chilliwack | I Believe |
| 121 | Crosby, Stills & Nash | Southern Cross |
| 122 | Climax Blues Band | Couldn't Get It Right |
| 123 | Gilbert O'Sullivan | Alone Again (Naturally) |
| 124 | America | Daisy Jane |
| 125 | Beach Boys | Sail On, Sailor |
