The Yacht Rock Playlist Your Summer Needs

I am obsessed with Yacht Rock. And this Yacht Rock Playlist is my favorite thing to listen to all summer long. It’s full of soft-rock songs that make you feel like you should be sipping a mai tai while watching seagulls dive-bombing someone’s french fries on a beach.

I’m a music lover and often create playlists to emphasize certain moods. Sometimes I want my music to sound like the 80’s but not be from the 80’s. Sometimes I want to relive my high school days with a 90’s playlist.

But in summer, it’s all about Yacht Rock!

Jump to:

• What is Yacht Rock?
• What Channel is Yacht Rock on Sirius?
• Yacht Rock Song List
• Where to listen to the playlist
• Related posts

So the most amazing thing happened to me. Well, not just to me but all Sirius XM subscribers. Yacht Rock Radio on Sirius is amazing.

It used to be a temporary channel and I was always sad when it sailed away at the end of summer. But now I think it’s back for good!

Liking yacht rock wasn’t a choice. My dad would play Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers. A lot. I remember being stuck on family vacations, with the tapes playing, and wish I could throw them out the window.

But, as you get older, your tastes change, and I found myself getting really happy when a song of this variety played. 

Yacht Rock is a vibe. And for me, it is directly tied to warm summers evenings. And we’re now torturing our own kids on family road trips. 

This is my tribute to Yacht Rock on Sirius. My kids HATE this playlist. But mom rights means I get to play it in the car whenever I want because it makes my heart so happy.

The kids forced me to listen to the Kidz Bop station when they were little so they can sit through some sexy little sunset tunes now.

So this yacht rock playlist lives on. I created it on Spotify so I could listen to my favorite tunes no matter where I am. You haven’t lived until you’ve listened to this on a boat surrounded by water.

This playlist is for pure relaxation mode. But if you get sick of it, try my go-to summer playlist I like to call “Beach at Sunset” with over 10 hours of indie rock songs perfect to mellowly end the night. Or my Chill Out Girl’s Night In playlist.

What is Yacht Rock?

If you don’t know what Yacht Rock is, that’s ok. I’m sure you’ve heard it. You just had no idea that song you were hearing was part of a magical musical genre that makes you feel like summer is streaming right into your ear holes. 

The best yacht rock songs are from people like Steely Dan! Michael McDonald! Christopher Cross! And a bunch of people you’ve never heard of. Many of the most popular songs are one-hit wonders. 

The music instantly transports you to the 70’s and 80’s, on a yacht out in the harbor, with a wine spritzer in your hand. It’s easy listening. It’s jazzy. It’s brilliant.

If there is one word that I can use to really get the point of yacht rock across it would be “unwind”. This is the music you play when you just want to relax with friends and sip something cold. It’s musical Xanax.

What Channel is Yacht Rock on Sirius?

Yacht Rock Radio is on Sirius channel 311, but it looks like it moves around from time to time. It’s hard to find any really good information about this channel. And you can now listen to this playlist in your home thanks to their app!

We usually listen to the best yacht rock songs on our mid-July road trip too.

I seriously love music. I even have a playlist of housecleaning music…

Yacht Rock Song List

This song list features some of the key songs of this smoothed out, easy-listening pop rock. You can’t help but imagine yourself on a yacht (something modest is fine – no need for a mega yacht) while these songs play.

Most of these songs sound like they could have been themes songs to hit sitcoms in the 80’s. 

This is my Yacht Rock Radio Playlist on Spotify that I play in the house or in my husband’s car (who doesn’t have Sirius – an utter travesty).

If you only want to listen to one song to get the feel of what yacht rock is, listen to Somebody’s Baby by Jackson Browne. It’s got the horns, it’s got the salty air vibes, it has the melodies.

Then play one more – Brandy by Looking Glass. That’s my jam. The rest are all ear candy.

The yacht rock playlist includes over 30 songs to rock the boat. Here is just a sample of what your ears will be filled with. (Or scroll up see the full song list).

• Drift Away | Dobie Gray
• You Make Loving Fun | Fleetwood Mac
• Afternoon Delight | Starland Vocal Band
• Lowdown | Boz Scaggs
• What a Fool Believes | Doobie Brothers
• So Into You | Atlanta Rhythm Section
• Yah-Mo Be There | James Ingram
• Sailing | Christopher Cross
• Peg | Steely Dan
• This is It|  Kenny Loggins
• Summer Breeze | Seals and Crofts
• Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl) | Looking Glass
• Somebody’s Baby | Jackson Browne

I also included two modern day songs that have the same vibes. I have a tiny playlist of those types of songs going that I add to as I hear something new that makes my heart long for palm trees and a wine spritzer. 

• You Never Knew | Haim
• Moon Crystal | M83

Where to listen to the playlist

Click here to be taken to Spotify where you can follow this playlist for later —-> Yacht Rock Playlist on Spotify

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