Yacht Rock Friday, Week 5

The final round in our June series of smooth classics...

I hope you’ve enjoyed my special Friday series sharing some of the classics of the Yacht Rock genre. Here are the last three, and I’ve saved one of my all-time favorites for today’s list.

“Sailing,” Christopher Cross

Christopher Cross burst onto the music scene at a time when pop and rock music were changing. Disco was dead, and ‘70s rock was on its way out, but new wave, synth-pop, and hair metal had yet to take hold.

Cross’ music was (and is) straight-up soft rock, and it sold like hotcakes and netted him award after award. The timing was just right for him to become a Yacht Rock legend.

“Sailing” was his first number one hit, and it’s the perfect peaceful slice of summer goodness. With evocative lyrics, a flawless vocal, and sterling production (by the legend Michael Omartian), it’s easy to see why “Sailing” has had such staying power.

“Whenever I Call You ‘Friend,’” Kenny Loggins & Stevie Nicks

Kenny Loggins has near-mythic status as one of the main men of Yacht Rock, although I have to confess I’m not crazy about a ton of his output from this period.

Fleetwood Mac is one of those bands that some classify as Yacht Rock and some don’t — I’d at least call them “Yacht Rock adjacent” — so it stands to reason that a duet between Stevie Nicks and Kenny Loggins would work.

And it does! “Whenever I Call You ‘Friend’” is a perfect Yacht Rock duet. It’s irresistibly sunny and threads that needle between pop and rock deftly.

“Cool Night,” Paul Davis

I think that Paul Davis is one of the most underrated artists in music history. His smooth style is what I like to call “Southern Pop,” a softer complement to Southern Rock.

I’ll never understand how he didn’t win over a wider audience, but he did have a few hits, including this one.

And “Cool Night” is Davis’ masterpiece. The song is set in that turn from summer to fall, but it’s perfect for those cooler summer nights. It’s a well-written, well-arranged, and well-performed track that becomes an ideal Yacht Rock ballad.

Photo by Ashlyn Ciara on Unsplash