Yacht Rock
Smooth, polished rock from the late 1970s and 1980s
Example
what are you listening to?
yacht rock. michael mcdonald never misses
honestly, this is perfect music for a lazy saturday
exactly. smooth sailing all day
Related Slang
| Bro country | A subgenre of mainstream country music |
| K-pop | Korean Pop music |
| Kpop | Korean Pop music |
| L2M | Listening to music |
| Banger | An awesome, energetic piece of media |
| MM | Music Monday |
| ASLMH | Age, sex, location, music, hobbies |
| Rickroll | To trick someone into watching a Rick Astley music video |
| VMA | Video Music Awards |
| AOTY | Album of the year |
Can you score under par in this golf terms quiz?
Yacht rock is slang for a polished style of soft rock associated with the late 1970s and early 1980s. The music often blends rock, pop, jazz, R&B, and soul, with smooth vocals, catchy melodies, and highly polished studio production. Artists commonly associated with yacht rock include Michael McDonald, Christopher Cross, Toto, Kenny Loggins, and Steely Dan. Despite the name, the music is not about boats—it is more about the relaxed, upscale vibe it conveys, which is synonymous with California boating activities popular at the time.
The term yacht rock was coined and popularized in 2005 by J. D. Ryznar, Hunter Stair, David Lyons, and others through their comedic online series Yacht Rock. The music was already popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when it was generally described as soft rock or adult-oriented rock.
The label initially had a somewhat mocking edge, but it has since become a widely used and often affectionate way to describe the smooth sounds of that era. Today, music fans, radio stations, streaming services, and younger listeners discovering the genre all use the term.