yacht rock radio channel siriusxm

Cast Away Your Worries with Smooth-Sailing Yacht Rock

Drop your anchor and relax with our yacht rock channels and shows.

It’s yacht rock season all year long at SiriusXM as we bring you your favorite smooth-sailing hits from the 1970s and ’80s. With channels like Yacht Rock 311, Yacht Rock Deep Cuts, and Yacht Soul, you’ll be instantly transported to turquoise seas and cool breezes.

Yacht Rock Channels on SiriusXM

Yacht rock 311.

Yacht Rock 311 plays artists like Michael McDonald, Christopher Cross, Steely Dan, and other titans of the genre. It’s the kind of rock that doesn’t rock the boat!

An app-exclusive channel, Yacht Soul features nonstop soulful and funky (but still so, so smooth) R&B and soul from the late ’70s and early ’80s from artists like George Benson, Earth Wind & Fire, Lionel Richie, Bobby Caldwell, Quincy Jones, Kool & the Gang, Al Jarreau, and more.

Yacht Rock Deep Cuts

For the biggest yacht rock fans around, stream the Yacht Rock Deep Cuts channel — available exclusively on the SiriusXM app — for lesser-known (but still delightfully smooth) yacht rock songs.

What is yacht rock?

Yacht rock is more than just a musical style; it represents an era of laid-back sophistication and an easy-going lifestyle. While we may not all have a yacht, with yacht rock, we can still experience the vibes.

A genre of music that emerged in the late 1970s and early 1980s, yacht rock is characterized by its smooth melodies and polished production popular among yacht-owning individuals during this era. The music often features lush arrangements and a clean, polished sound that is easy on the ears, with catchy lyrics and harmonious vocals. The overall feel is relaxed and laid-back, suitable for leisurely activities — like sailing on a yacht.

Yacht rock often incorporates elements of jazz and R&B. Saxophone solos and Fender Rhodes electric piano are common. The lyrics in yacht rock songs often explore themes of romance, introspection, and escapism. The tone is generally positive and reflective, matching the easy-going nature of the music.

Some of the most iconic yacht rock artists include Steely Dan, Toto, Michael McDonald (both solo and with The Doobie Brothers), Christopher Cross, Kenny Loggins, and Hall & Oates.

Today, yacht rock continues to be celebrated for its timeless appeal. Its smooth sounds continue to evoke a sense of nostalgia and relaxation, making it a beloved genre for many music enthusiasts.

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Cast Away Your Worries with Smooth-Sailing Yacht Rock

Drop your anchor and relax with our yacht rock channels and shows.

It’s yacht rock season all year long at SiriusXM as we bring you your favorite smooth-sailing hits from the 1970s and ’80s. With channels like Yacht Rock Radio, Yacht Rock Deep Cuts, and Yacht Soul, plus exclusive shows like “Club Yacht Rock,” you’ll be instantly transported to turquoise seas and cool breezes.

Yacht Rock Channels on SiriusXM

Yacht rock radio.

Yacht Rock Radio has docked at satellite channel 17 for the 2024 summer season, playing artists like Michael McDonald, Christopher Cross, Steely Dan, and other titans of the genre. Plus, catch the brand-new weekly mix show “Club Yacht Rock.” It’s the kind of rock that doesn’t rock the boat!

Club Yacht Rock: Weekly Broadcast Schedule

An app-exclusive channel, Yacht Soul features nonstop soulful and funky (but still so, so smooth) R&B and soul from the late ’70s and early ’80s from artists like George Benson, Earth Wind & Fire, Lionel Richie, Bobby Caldwell, Quincy Jones, Kool & the Gang, Al Jarreau, and more.

Yacht Rock Deep Cuts

For the biggest yacht rock fans around, stream the Yacht Rock Deep Cuts channel — available exclusively on the SiriusXM app — for lesser-known (but still delightfully smooth) yacht rock songs.

What is yacht rock?

Yacht rock is more than just a musical style; it represents an era of laid-back sophistication and an easy-going lifestyle. While we may not all have a yacht, with yacht rock, we can still experience the vibes.

A genre of music that emerged in the late 1970s and early 1980s, yacht rock is characterized by its smooth melodies and polished production popular among yacht-owning individuals during this era. The music often features lush arrangements and a clean, polished sound that is easy on the ears, with catchy lyrics and harmonious vocals. The overall feel is relaxed and laid-back, suitable for leisurely activities — like sailing on a yacht.

Yacht rock often incorporates elements of jazz and R&B. Saxophone solos and Fender Rhodes electric piano are common. The lyrics in yacht rock songs often explore themes of romance, introspection, and escapism. The tone is generally positive and reflective, matching the easy-going nature of the music.

Some of the most iconic yacht rock artists include Steely Dan, Toto, Michael McDonald (both solo and with The Doobie Brothers), Christopher Cross, Kenny Loggins, and Hall & Oates.

Today, yacht rock continues to be celebrated for its timeless appeal. Its smooth sounds continue to evoke a sense of nostalgia and relaxation, making it a beloved genre for many music enthusiasts.

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Barrett Media

Ron Harrell is a columnist for Barrett Media. He founded Harrell Media Group, specializing in radio and audio brand consultation, fractional management, and talent coaching. He has worked in every role on the Programming and Branding side during his career, becoming management and executive-focused in the post-Telecom Act era. Ron has held leadership roles for media groups such as ABC/Citadel, CBS Radio, Chancellor Media, Cumulus Media, Hope Media Group, Hubbard Broadcasting, and WAY Media. 

Interested parties are invited to learn more about his company Harrell Media Group and reach out by email at [email protected] .

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If you follow the genre of music identified by soft rock artists like Michael McDonald, Hall & Oates, Steely Dan, Ambrosia, Pablo Cruise, and Kenny Loggins, you know Yacht Rock has become more than a weekend feature for radio station critics.

The Labor Day Weekend. It’s the first reminder of summer’s closing days. It’s back to school for the traditionalists. More importantly, it’s the final season of emotional significance for Yacht Rock.

If you follow the genre of music identified by soft rock artists like Michael McDonald, Hall & Oates, Steely Dan, Ambrosia, Pablo Cruise, and Kenny Loggins, you know Yacht Rock has become more than a weekend feature for radio station critics.

The smooth sounds of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s occupy full-time status on the SiriusXM satellite dial, Pandora and iHeart Radio’s streaming channels, and a few FMs like Key 97.3 , Key West, FL., and 106.3 Mac FM, Smooth Sailing , Cheboygan, MI. Cincinnati ’s Q102 programs Yacht Rock music on the WKRQ-HD2 station as the brand Smoothinati .

However, the SiriusXM channel receives the most attention in radio’s social media circles. I learned the genre’s name in the late 2000s through the Yacht Rock mockumentary video series. The opening music is the intro to Michael McDonald’s Sweet Freedom . For those of us DJ-ing on pop radio in the mid-’80s, that song intro is a jock favorite to ramp-up. 

For non-radio readers, ramp-up means talking over a song’s introduction. To take you even deeper into this non-scientific world, radio DJs often judged themselves on their ability to “walk up that ramp” to the point where the vocal begins or a noticeable music crescendo happens in the song intro. 

During a review of the performance, called an aircheck session, you might see a radio DJ smile and virtually high-five their Program Director and proudly say, “I hit that post!” Years later, we discovered the audience wasn’t as impressed with this tactic as we had hoped, but we continued to perform this emotionally satisfying high-wire act.

It’s a rhythmic piece of audio art not shared by every radio talent. If you think it doesn’t make a difference, watch JoJo Cookin’ Kincaid’s Q-106 San Diego video aircheck and convince me the audience didn’t feel it.

Back to the Yacht Rock mockumentary series. The grainy, primitive video was hosted by one of the show’s creators, Hollywood Steve. He would introduce each of the twelve episodes, telling the stories behind the origins of the smooth, soft rock movement. The acting, by design, was campy and exaggerated. I laughed and shared the link with friends and radio colleagues who grew up being influenced by that era of music.

The video series would pop up in my algorithm periodically through the years, but I didn’t think about Yacht Rock until radio talent coach Steve Reynolds started posting his opinions about the SiriusXM channel in 2019. His first post critiqued a song being played on the Yacht Rock channel. 

“Unfamiliar, stiff! Stop!” are the words used in Steve’s first Facebook post. It got the attention of his fellow radio comrades and became a fun way to engage and be sarcastic about a music genre many of us loved or disliked. Either way, the interaction and passion were created through music.

The radio industry Yacht Rockers community is opinionated, just like everyone listening to the radio. In our pending political election season, passion and opinion belong to the spoken-word formats. The News/Talk stations will benefit from increased audience listening and advertising spending through November 5th. 

However, music stations must be aware of the gift of emotional relief their stations offer in this hostile and noisy political season. Our audiences are non-verbally asking for something to remove their brains and hearts from the tension of the season. But we can’t just play it. We have to engage the conversation with the audience.

According to radio industry veteran consultant and analyst Guy Zapoleon, Top 40 music is showing signs of emerging from one of the format’s longest doldrum cycles. Before reading his data, I would’ve agreed. I’m listening to Top 40 radio more often these days. Whenever I tune in, I hear Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, or Teddy Swims songs, and I happen to like those new songs. If Top 40 is experiencing a Rebirth, as Zapolean claims, it’s good for all formats because it brings people to the radio dial and the radio devices.

How do we create audience engagement through our music? We can thank Taylor Swift for giving us a Masterclass during the Eras Tour. Smart radio programmers and marketers took advantage of the passion her music and personality created, and those stations aggressively aligned their products with the moment.

Whether you’re playing Guns N’ Roses on your Classic Rock station or TobyMac on your Contemporary Christian Music station, the audience found you because of the music. Yes, they stay or leave for other reasons, but the passion for the music opened the door of opportunity.

Radio DJs/Hosts/Presenters can be different by engaging with the music you play. Spotify and Pandora playlists can’t perform that magic. Maybe the engagement branches into social media, video, and event content. But it starts with your primary product’s connection through Top 40, Adult Contemporary, Hip/Hop, Country, Gospel, Classic Rock, Jazz, or Yacht Rock music. Let the audience know or feel that you’re aware of the music you’re playing. The audience is aware.

Find your Yacht Rock and create the engagement. But don’t include Christopher Cross’s “Arthur’s Theme.” That doesn’t fit the format. 

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