4 Yacht Rock Songs From the 70s You Need on Your Summer Playlist

I think we’re all ready for a little summer about now. Here are a few yacht rock songs from the 70s that will get you in the mood for sunshine, if you aren’t already.

Videos by American Songwriter

“Sailing” by Christopher Cross

With songs like “Sailing”, “Ride Like The Wind”, and “Never Be The Same”, Christopher Cross created the kind of self-titled debut album that many artists only dream of having. “Sailing”, in particular, made quite the splash and was even nominated for six Grammys, winning five. 

“Listen To The Music” by The Doobie Brothers

The Doobie Brothers were everything in the late 70s and early 80s. It was then that they became known for a string of hits like “What A Fool Believes” and “It Keeps You Runnin’”. “Listen To The Music”, their most enduring hit, was inspired by lead vocalist Tom Johnston’s desire for world peace.

“[Listen To The Music] was all based around this somewhat Utopian view of the world. The idea was that music would lift man up to a higher plane, and that world leaders,” Johnston told Songfacts. “If they were able to sit down on some big grassy knoll where the sun was shining and hear music—such as the type I was playing—[they] would figure out that everybody had more in common than they had not in common, and it was certainly not worth getting in such a bad state of affairs about.”

“Baby Come Back” by Player

This groovy tune is pretty optimistic-sounding if you’re not thinking about the lyrics. However, it was actually inspired by two breakups. Player band members Peter Beckett and J.C. Crowley wrote it after going through the same thing around the same time.

This song has the kind of sway to it that anyone could get lost in. But if you take a look at the first verse, you realize it actually has quite a bit of depth.

“Spending all my nights, all my money going out on the town / Doing anything just to get you off of my mind / But when the morning comes, I’m right back where I started again / And tryin’ to forget you is just a waste of time.”

“How Deep Is Your Love” by The Bee-Gees

While, admittedly, this song is a little more soft rock than yacht rock, it definitely brings all the same vibes. Like several other Bee Gees hits, this song was eventually used as part of the soundtrack for Saturday Night Fever. It’s a nice change from some of the other tracks, which emulate that disco groove that was popular then.

Photo by: Photo ®Berliner Studio/BEImages