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I kept this one simple. I averaged the Yachtski scores of all the songs of the album that had been rated. The albums with the highest scores made the list. Well, sort of. As with the Top 25 YR Songs list, I instituted a one-per-artist rule. Just so you know, that means you should also seek out Steely Dan's Gaucho (1980), Al Jarreau's Breakin' Away (1981), Christopher Cross's Another Page (1983), the Doobie Brothers's One Step Closer (1980), and Robbie Dupree's Street Corner Heroes (1981). That would round you out to a nice Top 25.
Yachtski Average: 59.56
YR Tunes: 6 ("Runaway", "Take It Uptown", "One Way Ticket", "Satisfaction", "Without You", "Gotta Get Back To Love")
YR Regulars: David Foster, Jay Graydon, Steve Lukather, Jeff Porcaro, Tom Scott, Tom Kelly, Richard Page, Kenny Loggins
Commentary: An album that probably should have produced a series of hits and made Champlin a star, but had that happened, he probably would never have joined Chicago (some people might think that wouldn't have been a good thing, but I'm not one of them).
***
Yachtski Average: 59.67
YR Tunes: 3 ("One Hundred Ways", "Something Special", "Betcha Wouldn't Hurt Me")
YR Regulars: Patti Austin, James Ingram, David Foster, Paulinho da Costa, Michael Jackson, Steve Lukather, Greg Phillinganes, Rod Temperton, Stevie Wonder
Commentary: I think the score on this would have been higher if the "Yacht or Nyacht" guys had scored more songs. They also don't consider "Just Once" to be a YR song! Go figure.
***
Yachtski Average: 60.65
YR Tunes: 4 ("All Night Long", "Running With The Night", "The Only One", "Love Will Find A Way")
YR Regulars: Greg Phillinganes, David Foster, Paulinho da Costa, Richard Marx, Steve Lukather, Jeff Porcaro
Commentary: The first of a small handful of surprises on this list, in that they didn't earn a place in the top artists or songs categories. I listened to this album a ton when I was a kid, which might partly explain my affinity for YR.
***
Yachtski Average: 60.98
YR Tunes: 3 ("Can't Stop Runnin'", "Seasons Of Change", "Not The Same")
YR Regulars: None
Commentary: Maybe the most committed front-to-back YR album of any on this list, which is all the more impressive considering Duke did it without any of the usual YR players or producers.
***
Yachtski Average: 61.03
YR Tunes: 4 ("Hasty Heart," "Got Me Where You Want Me," "I Hear You Breathing," "Sentimental")
YR Regulars: Steve Lukather, Mike Landau, Lenny Castro, Carlos Vega
Commentary: Reed Nielson and Mark Pearson's final album together doesn't have their YR Essential ("If You Should Sail") but it does have a suite of solid YR tunes.
***
Yachtski Average: 62.23
YR Tunes: 5 ("Africa", "Rosanna", "Waiting For Your Love," "Good For You," "Make Believe")
YR Regulars: Lenny Castro, Tom Scott, Tom Kelly, Timothy B. Schmidt
Commentary: Even if it only consisted of "Africa," "Rosanna," and a bunch of polka instrumentals, it'd still deserve to be on this list. But as it is, IV also includes three additional YR songs, and five more that come pretty darn close. I'd actually argue that the hit "I Won't Hold You Back" is YR, too, but the Yacht or Nyacht guys disagree (with me and with each other).
***
Yachtski Average: 62.68
YR Tunes: 7 ("What a Fool Believes", "Minute By Minute", "Open Your Eyes", "How Do Fools Survive", "You Never Change", "Dependin' On You", "Here To Love You")
YR Regulars: Nicolette Larson
Commentary: When Michael McDonald joined the Doobies in 1975 the band ended up with a sound that added a dash of soul to Steely Dan's piano-driven boogie, inventing YR as we know it. It took them two practice albums (1976's Takin' It To The Streets and 1977's Livin' On the Fault Line) before they were able to fully perfect it.
***
Yachtski Average: 64.18
YR Tunes: 6 ("Livin' It Up", "Dream On", "Look Who's Lonely Now", "Comin' Back", "Nobody's Fool", "Slow Fade")
YR Regulars: Steve Lukather, Greg Phillinganes, Steve Gadd, Jeff Porcaro, David Sanborn, Lenny Castro, Patti Austin
Commentary: LaBounty's fourth album is the one that put him the the YR hall of fame. And even the four songs that they Yacht or Nyacht guys didn't classify as YR are prime examples of AM Mellow Gold, especially "Didn't Want To Say Goodbye" and "Never Gonna Look Back," both of which feature James Taylor on background vocals.
***
Yachtski Average: 64.2
YR Tunes: 5 ("Do You Love Me", "Every Home Should Have One", "Baby, Come To Me", "The Way I Feel", "Oh No, Margarita")
YR Regulars: James Ingram, Greg Phillinganes, David Foster, Rod Temperton, Steve Lukather, Quincy Jones, Paulinho da Costa
Commentary: Because of its unique constitution combining several seemingly disparate genres (disco, soul, jazz, soft rock) YR has a remarkable diversity in its artists. Patti Austin, for instance came firmly from the R & B side of things, but slid effortlessly into YR, as evidenced by this consistently enjoyable album.
***
Yachtski Average: 64.69
YR Tunes: 5 ("Got You Where I Want You", "So Deep In Love", "Simple", "Love Never Felt So Good", "Right Here Right Now", "The Best Is Yet To Come")
YR Regulars: Paulinho da Costa, James Ingram, Michael Jackson
Commentary: The second of our three surprise entries, all the more impressive for the fact that it was released outside of the official YR window and used barely any of the usual YR personnel. More about Mathis in our upcoming Yacht Rock Dabblers article.
***
Yachtski Average: 65.11
YR Tunes: 7 ("Nobody's Business", "Your Imagination", "Keep A Light On", "The Higher You Rise", "Don't Try To Stop Me Now", "What You Give", "Where Were You")
YR Regulars: Mike Landau, Michael Omartain, Paulinho da Costa, Bill Champlin, Tommy Funderburk
Commentary: This whole album is comprised of songs that could soundtrack montages in Steve Gutenberg movies. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but in my mind it's a bit too much Journey to qualify as true YR. I think the Yacht or Nyacht guys overrated it.
***
Yachtski Average: 66.36
YR Tunes: 7 ("Beautiful People", "Release Yourself," "Lost In The Hurrah", "Generalities", "I'm A Camera", "From Nowhere To This Town", "Tattooed Lady")
YR Regulars: Michael Omartin, Jay Graydon, Ray Parker Jr., Jeff Porcaro, Bill Champlin
Commentary: What this album does that almost no other on the list does is to make you feel like you're really cool.
***
Yachtski Average: 67.33
YR Tunes: 4 ("Love Is A Mystery", "Hot Rod Hearts", "Steal Away", "I'm No Stranger")
YR Regulars: Bill LaBounty
Commentary: Another YR classic made with only one YR Regulars (Bill LaBounty on background vocals and a co-write on "Hot Rod Hearts." Not completely sure who's responsible for the McDonald-esque backing vocals, but they're a nice touch.
***
Yachtski Average: 68.5
YR Tunes: 6 ("Jarreau", "Hello People", "Two Eyes", "New York Bars", "It's Something", "I Want Love To Find Me")
YR Regulars: Bill LaBounty, David Foster, Michael McDonald, Jeff Porcaro, Paulinho da Costa, Christopher Cross, James Ingram, Al Jarreau, Randy Crawford, Stevie Wonder
Commentary: This album is full of what the kids call "bangers," but you can inject the song "Hello People" directly into my veins. Finally, I believe this is also the only YR album to contain an ode to another YR artist ("Jarreau").
***
Yachtski Average: 69.22
YR Tunes: 6 ("O.C.O.E.", "You Need A Hero", "Tell Me", "Come On Home", "Only A Dreamer", "Fearless")
YR Regulars: Jay Graydon, Tom Scott, Jeff Porcaro, Paulinho da Costa, Al Jarreau
Commentary: "You Need a Hero" rated quite a bit higher on the Yachtski scale, but for my money "Come On Home" is the epitome of YR. Anyway, the real star of this record is Steve George's keyboard work.
***
Yachtski Average: 75.64
YR Tunes: 9 ("Sailing", "Ride Like The Wind", "Spinning", "Never Be The Same", "I Really Don't Know Anymore", "Minstrel Gigolo", "The Light Is On", "Say You'll Be Mine", "Poor Shirley")
YR Regulars: Michael Omartian, Jay Graydon, Lenny Castro, Nicolette Larson, Michael McDonald
Commentary: Some YR records lean more toward the disco elements, others more toward the jazz, and still others toward the rock and soul. Christopher Cross's music is propped up by the fourth leg, soft rock. That is to say, this album doesn't always feel as "yacht rocky" as others, and may be partially responsible for the lumping of Mellow Gold and YR into a single category.
***
Yachtski Average: 76.33
YR Tunes: 6 ("Mornin'," "Boogie Down", "Trouble In Paradise", "I Will Be There For You", "Love Is Waiting", "Step By Step")
YR Regulars: Jay Graydon, David Foster, Michael Omartian, Richard Page, Steve George, Steve Porcaro, Jeff Porcaro, Bill Champlin, Steve Gadd
Commentary: The best of Al Jarreau's music just gives me a cozy feeling of well-being. As Brenda Russell put it, "he's like warm sunshine in the evening time."
***
Yachtski Average: 78.5
YR Tunes: 6 ("Goin' Down", "Gotta Have More Love", "(That's) How Long", "Heart To Heart", "(I'm) Givin' It Up", "Darlin' It's You")
YR Regulars: David Hungate, David Sanborn
Commentary: The final surprise entry, especially considering how high it landed in the rankings. Greg Guidry was a St. Louis native who ran in the same circles as Michael McDonald when they were both teens. Guidry made it to L.A. on his own merit as a songwriter and performer, though, and signed with CBS to write and serve as a back-up for others. His chance at the spotlight came in 1982, and he produced a YR feast for the ears. Despite the tune "Goin' Down" reaching the top 20 on the charts, Guidry struggled to make a go of it in the music business. His second and final album was released in 2000, and Guidry took his own life in 2003.
***
Yachtski Average: 80.33
YR Tunes: 8 ("Believe In It", "I Gotta Try", "I Keep Forgettin'", "That's Why", "No Such Luck", "Love Lies", "Playin' By The Rules", "If That's What It Takes")
YR Regulars: Randy Goodrum, Greg Phillinganes, Michael Omartian, Steve Lukather, Mike Porcaro, Steve Gadd, Jeff Porcaro, Lenny Castro, Paulinho da Costa, Tom Scott, Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross, Brenda Russell, Amy Holland
Commentary: From a musical standpoint, McDonald's first solo album is the pinnacle of Yacht Rock. So so why is it number 2? Well, the easy answer is that the Yacht or Nyacht guys really like Steely Dan...
***
Yachtski Average: 80.85
YR Tunes: 7 ("Josie", "Peg", "Black Cow", "Deacon Blues", "I Got The News", "Home At Last", "Aja")
YR Regulars: Steve Gadd, Tom Scott, Jay Graydon, Michael McDonald, Michael Omartian, Timothy B. Schmidt
Commentary: I recently learned it's pronounced "Asia" but I prefer my old way, "A-ha." Anyway, though I'd argue that it's really proto-YR, there's no denying there'd be no Yacht Rock without it.
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