Now playing: yacht rock
Popular from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s, the west-coast sound has sailed back into fashion
By J.L.
LISTEN TO yacht rock, and an image starts to form in your mind: one of ocean views from California’s Highway 1, cold beers and blood-orange sunsets. The sound is smooth, with a soft bassline and minimal drums, and it combines elements of funk, jazz and R’n’B. The piano carries the melody, but often gives way to gentle guitar or saxophone solos. The songs’ lyrics might explore what it means to live a carefree life, but melancholic themes recur, too—particularly yearning or foolish love.
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