In defense of yacht rock

It's the perfect summer antidote to the bleak sounds of Trump-era pop music

Yacht rock.
(Image credit: Illustrated | Evgeniy Volkov, Wikimedia Commons, Screenshot/Amazon)

With the first days of summer nearly upon us and the usual predictions for "song of the summer" being thrown around, I've found myself uninspired by the front page of Apple Music or the droll Chainsmokers remixes that continue to be piped into Walmarts around the country. This summer, I want the kind of music that I can listen to while wearing my ugliest Hawaiian shirt, that reminds me of magenta-hued sunsets and high-calorie daiquiris. I'm talking, of course, about yacht rock — that monolith of soft, jazzy rock that reached peak popularity in the late '70s and early '80s.

Better known at the time as "smooth" or "adult-oriented" rock, some yacht rock artists were and continue to be well-respected by critics and listeners, like Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan, and Supertramp. But others — think Christopher Cross, Kenny Loggins, and Phil Collins — have become pop cultural punchlines. Designated as the regrettable output of the Reagan years, yacht rock has long been mocked for its saccharine sincerity and garish fashion. Take former Chicago singer Peter Cetera's hit "Glory of Love" from "The Karate Kid II" soundtrack, for example.

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