According the Wikipedia, that wondrous online encyclopedia dedicated to supplying the online world with essential definitions and explanations of anything your heart could desire, defines "Yacht Rock" as such:

"In the musical sense, yacht rock refers to the highly polished brand of soft rock that emanated from Southern California between 1976 and 1984. The term is meant to suggest the kind of smooth, mellow music that early yuppies likely enjoyed while sipping champagne and snorting cocaine on their yachts. Significant "yacht rockers" include Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross, and Toto."While the excessive '80s are long gone, the specter of Yacht Rock still floats on. Which is precisely why we decided to count down our Top 10 favorite Yacht Rock songs of all time (with a few "honorable mentions" tossed in for good measure).So grab your bubbly, your skipper's cap, and a scantily clad femme fatale with a fake tan and crank the Nakamichi up to 11.

Incorrectly labeled as one hit wonders, England Dan & John Ford Coley actually cracked the Top 40 with no less than six pop singles, four of those actually breaching the Top 10. The reason most people consider them a one hit wonder is because of this tune, arguably their most famous and best known. Contrary to their hoity-toity name, the duo actually formed in Texas. Interestingly enough, England Dan (aka Dan Seals) is the brother of Jim Seals of Seals & Croft fame, thus keeping the whole Yacht Rock vibe in the family.Comin' straight outta Brooklyn Robert Dupuis reportedly began his career swinging his vocal chords to the ditty bopping sounds of Doo Wop. He eventually moved through the Blues and R&B and began writing his own material in the early '70s. By 1978 he'd migrated to Los Angeles, what many consider to be the Mecca for Yacht Rock and by 1980 he'd recorded and charted this little ditty, which was a Top 10 hit.Peter Beckett was the unquestionable nucleus of Player, a Los Angeles based musical outfit that came together in 1977. Beckett, who commanded both singing and guitarist duties in the band, was joined by bass player Ronn Moss and guitarist/keyboardist J.C. Crowley and drummer John Friesen. The languid guitar and swirling keyboards mixed with Beckett's warm tenor make this ideal champagne sipping soniference. Oh yeah, bassist Moss went on to star in The Bold and the Beautiful. Boo-yaa!Mr. Loggins has had quite a varied career. From his early days as one-half of Loggins/Messina on down to his unforgettable soundtrack entries in the '80s, most notably "Danger Zone" (from Top Gun), "Footloose" (from, you guessed it, Footloose), and "I'm Alright" (yeah, you know what film that's from--if not, it's Caddyshack). While the aforementioned ditties have endeared him to the karaoke crowd, it was this track, however, with loping island rhythms and Loggins' breathy vocals that sounds like a soft breeze on a warm tropical expanse of ocean.As keyboardist and one of the main vocalists for The Doobie Brothers, McDonald was responsible for some of the most memorable mid-tempo rock to come out of the California pop scene in the seventies. McDonald was responsible for the group's unbridled hit "Takin' It To The Streets." But here, with the lead single off of his early '80s solo debut, he took the soft rock theatrics to a whole other level. The song not only cracked the Top 5 on the singles chart, but was a Top 10 R&B track, as well. Not bad for a cat who used to sing back-up for Steely Dan, eh?