The softest music you mock had the hardest working musicians in LA.
58 minSeason 1 • Episode 2
LatestKatie charts the progress of yacht rock through the 1980s, when it became the soundtrack to America in the Reagan era, and when artists like Toto, Hall & Oates and George Benson created a technicolor second wave of a super smooth sound.
Offers a reappraisal of "yacht rock", a critically neglected era of music popularized by a boom in FM radio stations and its smooth sound. The gleaming yacht sound was, in part, always defined by a group of LA-based session players and composers who worked across a range of yacht bands, informing their specific tone and level of musicianship. Some of these artists talk about the yacht phenomenon and being part of the scene back in the day. The series explores how the music adapted from the the bearded sensitivity of the '70s to the bombast of the MTV '80s, and how a satirical online drama contributed to a revival of interest and enthusiasm for these sounds in the digital era.
Direction
Katie Puckrik's infectious enthusiasm sells every absurd detail.
Production
Cleverly weaves original footage with the infamous Yacht Rock web series.
Writing
Turns studio musician nerdery into genuinely compelling storytelling.
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The term 'yacht rock' didn't exist during the era itself—it was coined by the 2005 Channel 101 web series starring J.D. Ryznar, who appears in this documentary.
The same core session musicians—Jeff Porcaro, David Paich, Steve Lukather—played on essentially half of all radio hits from 1977-1984, yet most listeners never knew their names until this revival.
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