I’m not sure who asked for this, but there’s documentary on yacht rock coming this month

The term “yacht rock” used to be an insult. It was used on slick, highly produced, super-smooth, melodic soft rock that appealed to yuppie types too uptight to let their hair down. But then in 2006, the term was embraced by the producers of a video series of the same name. And now, thanks to outlets like SiriusXM and its annual Yacht Rock channel (and year-round on their app), we have genre that’s spreading like H5N1.

Kenny Loggins, Michael McDonald-era Doobie Brothers (and his solo work), America, later Chicago, Lionel Ritchie, Boz Scaggs, Steely Dan, Poco, Player, Dan Fogelberg, Paul Davis, Hall & Oates, Pablo Cruise, Orleans, and many others are in this bucket.

Curious about what this is all about? Have a sloop with a cassette player? Think that Christopher Cross deserved that Album of the Year Grammy over Pink Floyd’s The Wall in 1980? (Yes, someone actually let that happen.) Then this new HBO documentary is for you.