Ahoy! Match these Yacht Rock bands to their smooth soft-rock hits

"If you like piña coladas and getting caught in the rain…"

Even if you have never set foot aboard a yacht, you know Yacht Rock when you hear it. In the late-'70s and early-'80s, many acts had beach on the brain. The sound was defined by gentle grooves that rocked as hard as lagoon water lapping against a hull. Fluffy white clouds of electric piano, breezy harmonies and bongos were other touchstones of this slice of soft rock. Of course, the oft-mustachioed singers crooned about the wind, piña coladas and romance. It was no coincidence that The Love Boat was a huge hit in this same era.

Our MeTV FM stations play Yacht Rock every Saturday evening. The following hit songs can be heard there — and in any self-respecting Yacht Rock playlist. See if you can identify them all!

Watch The Love Boat on MeTV!

Sundays at 5 PM

*available in most MeTV markets
  1. Before entering the Danger Zone, he was nabbing Grammys for breezy tunes like "This Is It."
    Image: AP Photo
  2. This critically adored jazz-rock duo, who took their name from a William S. Burroughs novel, cut some yacht-ready gems like "Peg."
    Image: AP Photo / Nick Ut
  3. This group of studio musicians saw their epic song "Africa" hit the pop charts again this year.
    Image: Columbia Records
  4. Once Michael McDonald joined the band, the wind in their sails started blowing with smashes like "What a Fool Believes." They even posed for this photo on a boat.
    Image: The Everett Collection
  5. His self-titled debut album won Album of the Year at the '81 Grammys. Thanks to both "Sailing" and the flamingo on the cover.
    Image: The Everett Collection
  6. This band helped to define Yacht Rock with "Love Will Find a Way" in 1978 — not to mention their palm-tree logo and yachty name.
    Image: A&M Records
  7. His big hit had the boat-appropriate title "Lido Shuffle."
    Image: Columbia Records
  8. This duo pioneered the Yacht Rock seas with relaxed jams like "Summer Breeze" and "You're the Love."
    Image: Warner Bros.
  9. His 1979 romantic classic "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" went all the way to No. 1.
    Image: MCA Records
  10. This band with a sporty name hit No. 1. with "Baby Come Back."
    Image: RSO / Universal
  11. Their smooth groove "Still the One" got toes tapping back in the '70s.
    Image: The Everett Collection
  12. This act sang "make a wish, baby" in their huge "Biggest Part of Me." The wish worked, as it topped charts.
    Image: Warner Bros.
  13. This twosome's sunset-soft ballad "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight" reached No. 2.
    Image: Atlantic Records

Ahoy! Match these Yacht Rock bands to their smooth soft-rock hits

Your Result...

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38 Comments

Nightshade1972 1 month ago
Perfect score. Loved all of them. :-)
tbrian 1 month ago
You got 12 out of 13

Guessed on a couple.
George58 8 months ago
13/13 Way to easy. There should have been a question for Batdorf & Rodney. Also, although I'm not sure. But I think Dan Fogelberg had a song that would qualify.
Moverfan George58 8 months ago
Leader Of The Band, maybe?
Moverfan 8 months ago
13/13--I suppose being old enough to remember all these songs helped quite a bit. On the other hand, I thought they might have mentioned that Jim Seals of Seals & Crofts is the brother of Dan Seals, aka England Dan (& John Ford Coley).
JoltinJody 13 months ago
13/13. It's a bit of a stretch to include Steely Dan and the Doobie Bros. in a list of Yacht Rock acts.
JERRY6 13 months ago
7??aangas not my type muzac
Cherokee316 26 months ago
Honestly kind of embarrassed I aced this one, while some of these songs most were just awful.
GTStang08 26 months ago
13/13...#10 was kinda funny. I grew up with these cool tunes as a child...many of which I still enjoy.
JDnHuntsvilleAL 36 months ago
I attended college in little Shawnee, Oklahoma -- Oklahoma Baptist University, enrollment about 2,000. Somehow, whoever booked acts for us had great foresight. OBU couldn't afford the big names, of course, but in 1972 we had this act called "Seals and Crofts". Their first hit "Summer Breeze" had come out just one month before.

In 1973 we had Jim Croce. I think we were the second-to-last concert he gave before his death.
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DirkHoffman 56 months ago
Love your station. Only a few artists I don't like,but over all a great selection of songs.
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