yacht rock sirius

Yacht rock; the secret soundtrack to summer

The sound started in the late 1970s and early 1980s and was categorized as adult-oriented rock, dominating the dial in your dad’s old Dodge.

Today, it’s called Yacht Rock and it dominates summer days on the boat and summer nights around the fire pit.

Yacht rock is known by its smooth, mellow sound, often featuring catchy melodies, soft rock instrumentation, and polished production.

What channel is Yacht Rock Radio?

Every summer, SiriusXM offers a dedicated channel for yacht rock enthusiasts. The channel, known as “Yacht Rock Radio,” is available on SiriusXM from Memorial Day through Labor Day, so you still have several weeks of easy listening to enjoy.

This year,  Yacht Rock Radio  is on SiriusXM Channel 17. You can also search the SiriusXM app for Yacht Rock Radio.

Boat music?

Yacht rock  offers an easy soundtrack for a leisurely day on the water, a laid-back summer evening, or chill day at the beach.

Yacht rock — your less hip friends might call it boat music — features a variety of artists and hits from the late ’70s and early ’80s, including some quintessential tracks:

• “Sailing” by Christopher Cross - A classic yacht rock anthem
• “What a Fool Believes” by The Doobie Brothers - Featuring Michael McDonald’s signature vocals, this song defines yacht rock.
• “Ride Like the Wind” by Christopher Cross - Another hit by Cross, this song is a yacht rock favorite.
• “Africa” by Toto - This track has become an iconic yacht rock tune.
• “Rosanna” by Toto - Known for its rhythm and harmonies, this song is typical of yacht rock.
• “Steal Away” by Robbie Dupree - This track’s breezy sound and catchy hook make it a yacht rock staple.
• “You Make My Dreams” by Hall & Oates - Known for its upbeat tempo and infectious chorus, this song is a yacht rock must.

New yacht rock songs; what is nu yacht

Despite the late 20 century nostalgia most yacht rock evokes, new artists are making music inspired by the yacht rock genre, often referred to as "nu yacht" or "yacht rock revival." 

Here’s a few new yacht rock artists to check out:

• Young Gun Silver Fox: This duo marries the  essence of the classic yacht rock sound with modern production  techniques. Check out: "Emilia," "Lenny," "Midnight in Richmond"
• Tuxedo: Tuxedo  blends yacht rock with funk  for a modern twist. Check out: "Do It," "Number One," "Shy"
• Thundercat:  Thundercat's music  gives off yacht rock-inspired vibes. Check out: "Show You the Way" (featuring Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins), "Them Changes," "Dragonball Durag"
• Poolside:  Poolside's music  often gives off the laid-back vibe associated with yacht rock. Check out: "Harvest Moon," "California Sunset," "Feel Alright"

Does SiriusXM have a Halloween channel?

Seriously? We’re just getting into the swing of summer and you’re thinking about doing the Monster Mash?

Yes. SiriusXM does have a  Halloween station .  SCREAM radio  last year aired on SiriusXM Channel 107, though the satellite radio company hasn’t yet announced information on SCREAM 2024, including a start date.

The spooky songs, ghost stories and Halloween antics usually go live in early October and last through mid November.

What channel is SiriusXM Holly?

Christmas, already? Well, we are nearing Christmas in July, so it makes sense.

The annual winter  holiday channel lineup features a selection of stations  for different genres of holiday music.

The mainstay, Holly plays modern Christmas and winter holiday songs. Last year, Holly went live in early November and ended on the day after Christmas.

No announcement has been made yet on what channel Holly will land on this year.

Thurston Howell Band: Your Premier Yacht Rock Spectacular

Set Sail with SiriusXM’s Yacht Rock: Tune to 14 & 311

Embark on a Smooth-Sailing Musical Voyage with Yacht Rock Radio

Welcome aboard the musical cruise of Yacht Rock Radio on Sirius XM! If you’ve been searching for “what channel is yacht rock on Sirius XM?”, you’ve just found your smooth-sailing destination. Yacht Rock Radio, also known as Yacht Rock 311, offers a commercial-free haven where the soft rock songs of the late ’70s and early ’80s come to life.

Your Port of Call for Classic Soft Rock

Yacht Rock Radio celebrates the very best of ’70s/’80s smooth-sailing soft rock. It’s where the iconic voices of Michael McDonald, Christopher Cross, Hall & Oates, and other titans of this mellow musical era’ll serenade you. This station encapsulates the essence of what was once known as the West-Coast sound or adult-orientated rock (AOR), now lovingly termed ‘Yacht Rock’, thanks to the 2005 online video series that coined this term.

Where to Tune In

Find your musical getaway on Sirius XM Radio 14 during the summer months, and on Sirius XM Radio 311 for the rest of the year. Yacht Rock Radio ensures that your listening experience is always top-notch, whether you’re basking in the summer sun or cozying up during the cooler months.

Why Choose Yacht Rock Radio on Sirius XM?

• Non-Stop Music: Immerse yourself in hours of uninterrupted soft rock classics.
• Expertly Curated: Each song is a handpicked gem, ensuring the finest listening experience.
• Seasonal Variations: Two channels for year-round enjoyment – Channel 14 in summer and 311 otherwise.

Set Sail with Sirius XM’s Yacht Rock Radio

Join the legion of yacht rock enthusiasts who’ve made Sirius XM’s Yacht Rock Radio their go-to station for smooth tunes. Whether you’re a die-hard fan of this genre or exploring it for the first time, channels 14 and 311 are your gateways to an era of music that soothes the soul and lifts the spirits.

Stay Connected with Thurston Howell

Keep in tune with the latest from Yacht Rock Radio and other yacht rock news by staying connected with us here at Thurston Howell. We’re your guide in the world of yacht rock, bringing you closer to the music that makes life a smooth sail.

First Listen: SiriusXM’s Yacht Soul

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Each year SiriusXM’s Yacht Rock Radio reignites some ongoing, mostly playful skirmishes among radio people and music fans. Is “Yacht Rock” what the term’s creators define it as — ’70s/early-’80s soft rock with some element of R&B/jazz/disco fusion? Is it what SXM plays — a wider version of soft pop from the late ’70s/early ’80s? Why are we canonizing this music from pop music’s doldrums in the first place?

But if you’re eager to play along with that discussion, SXM has just launched Yacht Soul, as a pop-up format currently appearing on SiriusXM’s channel 105 through July 8, after which time it will remain available on the SXM app. The channel is hosted by George Benson, whose reminiscences about songs and artists are interspersed several times an hour.

The new channel is a reminder of R&B’s place at the center of yacht rock. However much weight you want to put on them at a fraught time for pop music, I’d rather hear Benson’s “Give Me the Night” or “Turn Your Love Around” than a lot of other hits from the same period. In turn, Benson, Quincy Jones, Al Jarreau, and George Duke & Stanley Clarke were chief among the artists who were able to cross over during the worst moments of the “disco backlash” that kept other great things happening in R&B away from pop radio in 1980-82.

Like SXM’s Yacht Rock Radio, Yacht Soul is a broad mix of mellow R&B from the same era. The hook promos include some things that seem defining (Dennis Edwards’ “Don’t Look Any Further,” Bobby Caldwell’s “What You Won’t Do for Love,” Chaka Khan’s “Through the Fire”) and others that feel less likely (Evelyn King’s “Love Come Down,” Diana Ross’ “Love Hangover,” Natalie Cole’s “Sophisticated Lady”). Chances are you just disagreed with at least one of my characterizations. Such is the discussion.

Here’s Yacht Soul at 9:30 a.m. on July 3:

• Fourplay, “101 Eastbound” — early ’90s instrumental that seems like more of a fit for Smooth Jazz
• Brothers Johnson, “Strawberry Letter 23”
• Quincy Jones f/Patti Austin, “Something Special”  
• Kool & the Gang, “Too Hot” — preceded by a vignette of George Benson talking about witnessing the band’s ascent
• Brenda Russell, “New York Bars” — her hits (“So Good So Right” and “Piano in the Dark”) were nearly a decade apart, in 1979 and 1988; this is from a 1983 album
• Bill Withers, “Lovely Day”
• Patti Labelle, “New Attitude”
• Manhattans, “Shining Star”
• Average White Band, “School Boy Crush”
• L.T.D., “Love Ballad” — Benson talks about hearing the original for the first time: “One of the best songs I ever heard.” Later, he would have a 1979 hit with his own uptempo version
• Atlanta Rhythm Section, “So Into You” — It did crack the R&B chart (No. 93) in 1977. Not the hit single, but what sounded like a longer album version
• William DeVaughn, “Be Thankful for What You Got” — 1974 hit that seems prescient in this context
• Bee Gees, “How Deep Is Your Love”
• Lionel Richie, “All Night Long (All Night)”
• El DeBarge, “Someone”
• George Benson, “This Masquerade” — Benson talks about not knowing the Leon Russell original, or Russell, when the song was brought to him, and his initial reluctance to cover it, or include a vocal on the Breezin’ album

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Hey Sean, Checking out Yacht Soul a bit. A little surprised to hear some cover versions (Everbody Plays The Fool – Aaron Neville and I Never Can Say Goodbye – Issac Hayes), but they are smooth and the channel is inyeresting and easy to listen to. JH

Caught Yacht Rock Radio for the first time, today. Channel 311, had to go looking. In 45 minutes’ time, listening….never heard a single female singer.

I like the mix mainly because it stretches about 25 years, more than double the approximate 10 years of traditional yacht rock. My only complaint so far is “Caravan of Love” being listed as by the Isley Bros.

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Sean Ross is a radio business researcher, programming consultant, conference speaker, and a veteran of radio trade journalism at Billboard, Radio & Records, M Street Journal, and others. For more than a decade, his weekly writings have been collected in the Ross On Radio newsletter; subscribe for free here. https://tinyurl.com/mhcnx4u

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Yacht Rock Radio Ch. 17 rock

Yacht Rock Radio celebrates the smooth-sailing soft rock from the late '70s and early '80s. You'll hear artists like Michael McDonald, Christopher Cross, Steely Dan and other titans of smooth music. It's the kind of rock that doesn't rock the boat!

Times Played: 82

Still The One

Times Played: 78

Baby Come Back

Times Played: 76

Make It With You

So In To You

• Atlanta Rhythm Section  

Times Played: 75

• Bill Withers  

Times Played: 74

Laughter In The Rain

• NEIL SEDAKA  

I'd Really Love To See You Tonight

• J.F.Coley  

Shower The People

• James Taylor  

Times Played: 73

Biggest Part Of Me

Times Played: 72

Goodbye Stranger

• Supertramp  

• Robbie Dupree  

• Boz Scaggs  

Times Played: 70

I Love a Rainy Night

• Eddie Rabbitt  

• John Stewart  

Make a Little Magic

• Nitty Gritty Dirt Band  
• Nicolette Larson  

Escape (The Pina Colada Song)

• Rupert Holmes  

I Just Wanna Stop

• Gino Vanelli  

Diamond Girl

You're The Only Woman

Times Played: 69

Kiss You All Over

Lido Shuffle

Times Played: 68

Feels So Good

• Chuck Mangione  

• Paul Davis  

Baker Street

• Gerry Rafferty  

Smooth Operator

Times Played: 67

That Girl Could Sing

• Jackson Browne  

We're In This Love Together

• Al Jarreau  

Times Played: 66

Times Played: 65

You’re Only Lonely

• J.D. Souther  

Heart To Heart

• Kenny Loggins  

Times Played: 64

After The Love Has Gone

• Earth, Wind & Fire  

• Kool & The Gang  

Fooled Around And Fell In Love

• Elvin Bishop  

Times Played: 63

Morning Dance

• Spyro Gyra  

Cool Change

• Little River Band  

Times Played: 62

Let Your Love Flow

• Bellamy Brothers  

Brandy (You're A Fine Girl)

• Looking Glass  

• Andrew Gold  

Whatcha Gonna Do

• Pablo Cruise  

Wishing You Were Here

I Believe In Love

Times Played: 61

Turn Your Love Around

• George Benson  

Show and Tell

• Al Wilson  

Running On Empty

Devil Woman

• Cliff Richard  

Times Played: 60

• Kim Carnes  

Thunder Island

• Jay Ferguson  

Love Will Find A Way

Searchin' So Long

Times Played: 59

Fool (If You Think It's Over)

• Chris Rea  

• Bob Welch  

• Samantha Sang  

Summer Breeze

Reminiscing

How Much I Feel

HOLD THE LINE

• Bertie Higgins  

Times Played: 58

• Dobie Gray  

How 'Bout Us

• Champaign  

Times Played: 57

Never Too Much

• Luther Vandross  

Stumblin' In

• Chris Norman, Suzi Quatro  

What You Won't Do For Love

• Bobby Caldwell  

Afternoon Delight

• Starland Vocal Band  

Couldn't Get It Right

• Climax Blues Band  

Times Played: 56

Give Me the Night

• Christopher Cross  

Moonlight Feels Right

Nobody Does It Better

• Carly Simon  

Times Played: 55

Show And Tell

Into The Night

• Benny Mardones  

Sentimental Lady

Ride Like The Wind

Times Played: 53

Leather And Lace

• Stevie Nicks  
• Don Henley  

It Never Rains In Southern California

• Albert Hammond  

Just Remember I Love You

Times Played: 52

• Michael Martin Murphey  

Times Played: 51

Save It For A Rainy Day

• Stephen Bishop  

Silly Love Songs (Remastered)

Right Down The Line

Times Played: 50

Times Played: 49

• Daryl Hall  
• John Oates  

One Of These Nights

Times Played: 48

Listen To The Music

• Doobie Brothers  

Times Played: 47

Heart Of The Night

• Fleetwood Mac  

Times Played: 46

Arthur's Theme

Every Kinda People

• Robert Palmer  

Times Played: 45

You Can Do Magic

I Keep Forgettin' (82)

• Michael McDonald  

Times Played: 44

You Are The Woman

The Things We Do For Love

Love Is The Answer

So Far Away

• Carole King  

Times Played: 42

Magnet And Steel

• Walter Egan  

Times Played: 41

I Really Don't Know Anymore

Sister Golden Hair

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