yacht rock revival female singer

Female musicians no longer second-class passengers on the yacht rock revival

This article was published more than 1 year ago. Some information may no longer be current.

Female indie rockers like Meg Remy, who performs under the moniker U.S. Girls, is one of a pack of female musicians new to the yacht rock trend. Emma McIntyre/Supplied

Memory rush over me, now I step into the sun – Steely Dan

In a wave that few saw coming, female indie rockers are now boarding the boat called yacht rock, a soft and sophisticated genre from the late 1970s and early ‘80s typically made by affluent men and often maligned as kitschy and dorky. Steely Dan is being rediscovered, Michael McDonald is hip for the first time and a bygone era of the recording industry is receiving new appreciation.

“It’s the music of excellence,” says Meg Remy, who makes music under the moniker U.S. Girls. The first track on her latest album, Bless This Mess, is the yacht-ready Only Daedalus.

Yacht rock, for the uninitiated, refers to slick, meticulous, melodic rock characterized by the sound of the Fender Rhodes electric piano and the lyrical inspirations of Africa, Rosanna Arquette and the things that fools believe.

Why “yacht” rock? Because yachts represent a certain lifestyle (extravagant) and locale (high-rent Los Angeles, where the albums were often made) that are unattainable to mere mortals.

Why is yacht rock sailing again, particularly among indie musicians? Because the processes and circumstances that produced the music are of a glorious audiophile era that can only be dreamed about today. It is neither nostalgia nor irony that results in new yacht rock music, but an appreciation for the pursuit of perfection.

“We simply don’t have that luxury this generation of experiencing that,” Remy says.

Today’s artists are not selling albums in anywhere near the numbers they once did. Recording budgets are slashed, and digital technology drastically reduces time and cost. Indie artists inspired by yacht rock today are pining for a lost era when precious music was made laboriously.

“It’s the sound of people given lots of time and money to fret over a sound in a way that you just can’t anymore,” says Alex Pappademas, author of the wry new deep dive Quantum Criminals: Ramblers, Wild Gamblers, and Other Sole Survivors from the Songs of Steely Dan . “The economics of the record industry doesn’t work that way and hasn’t in a long time.”

Quantum Criminals by Alex Pappademas and Joan Lemay. Supplied

Younger artists embracing yacht rock can be traced back to 2017, when progressive R&B bassist Thundercat collaborated with McDonald and Kenny Loggins on the bubbly groove of the single Show You the Way . British Columbian indie-rocker Mac DeMarco released the decidedly yachty album This Old Dog the same year.

In 2018, Greg Prato’s The Yacht Rock Book was published. Podcasts and playlists related to the genre have flourished, and Sirius XM satellite radio has a station dedicated to the smooth gloss of Christopher Cross and his kind.

Recent music from women including Remy and Emm Gryner marks a new chapter in the resurgence of a genre dominated by dudes. “The term yacht rock mostly brings up negative things for me, like white, male, money and power,” Remy says. “It makes me think of dads who cared more about their stereos than their children.”

Remy is specifically enthused with Steely Dan, the yacht rock flagship currently enjoying a revival – a “Steely Danaissance,” Pappademas writes in his book – of its own. She sees the lyrics of the Dan’s Donald Fagen as still state of the art: “He’s a close second to Bob Dylan when it comes to imagery and setting a scene. It’s something to strive for.”

The members of Steely Dan, from left to right: Donald Fagan and Walter Becker. Warner Brothers Music/Warner Bros Music

And in an age today in which laptop auteurs make no-fuss records in their bedrooms, the Dan’s one-more-take diligence and strive for flawlessness stand out. “They achieved something,” Remy says, “that lay people never could.”

Way back in ‘77, Steely Dan dropped Aja , a sonic masterpiece and the pioneer voyage of the style we now recognize as yacht rock. Three years later, the group (ostensibly Fagen and Walter Becker) released Gaucho , easily one of the most expensive albums ever made and a pinnacle in yacht.

Fagen and the late Becker were obsessive craftsmen working in an analogue era in which recording budgets were as sky-high as the people who made the music. In a bid to capture grace, warmth and magnificence on magnetic tape, the whims of precisionists were indulged: Dire Straits guitarist Mark Knopfler was hired for hours of work on Gaucho , but only 40 seconds of his efforts were ultimately used. Fagen and Becker even commissioned the invention of a US$150,000 drum-sampling machine.

“They had the greatest session drummers ever, but they wanted something slightly more perfect,” Pappademas says.

Some later sneered at the quest for the pristine. As Pappademas points out in his book, Steely Dan came to represent “an affront to the values that indie rock had inherited from punk – a genre often romanticized as having emerged as a necessary corrective to slick mainstream 1970s and ‘80s music made in expensive studios by self-regarding cocaine addicts.”

Gryner understands the snobbish attitude. “I’m as much to blame as anyone,” says the Canadian singer-songwriter, who released her debut album, And Distrust It, independently in 1995. “I championed the lo-fi aesthetic, but eventually who you are has to come out.”

Her new album, Business & Pleasure, was made with the purest of yacht intentions. She tried to pitch a song to Michael McDonald (of Doobie Brothers fame) through producer Fred Mollin. Instead, she ended up making an album with Mollin, whose credits appear on records by Jimmy Webb, Dan Hill, America, Johnny Mathis and others.

Some of the Business & Pleasure’ s lyrics (written by Gryner’s partner, the poet Michael Holmes) are tongue in cheek. The song Jack was inspired by General Hospital ’s Jack Wagner’s keening ballad All I Need from 1984 and the actor-singer’s love of golf. A bonkers interview Fagen gave during the pandemic motivated lead track, Loose Wig .

But the music is serious. Gryner decided to make Business & Pleasure when she realized the heavy musicians of the yachting era were dying off and taking their magic tricks with them. On the sessions were drummer Shannon Forrest, keyboardist Pat Coil and guitarist Pat Buchanan, who have toured with Toto, McDonald and Hall & Oates, respectively. One does not hire studio cats of that level for an exercise in irony.

“This isn’t indie cool,” Gryner says. “It’s showing our musical expertise and not being ashamed of it.”

The Steely Dan album Can’t Buy a Thrill turned 50 last year, and even in 1972 Fagen was already in a wistful state of mind. You can hear it on Midnite Cruiser – “The time of our time has come and gone / I fear we’ve been waiting too long” – and on Reelin’ in the Years : “Your everlasting summer and you can see it fading fast, so you grab a piece of something that you think is gonna last.”

Gryner sees no end to the allure of yacht rock and the Dan. “It’s going to live on,” she says, mentioning that her recording engineer has a Steely Dan cover band. “No matter what age you are, there’s something about the music that lets you get inside it.”

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Yacht Rock Revival

by Lesley Daunt | Aug 7, 2013 | Concerts & Festivals , Reviews

Similar to a late-night infomercial for a “best of the 70’s” album, Yacht Rock Revue performs songs to sing along to and songs to shake your booty to…and the Yacht Rock “Revival” show was a perfect example of just that. One might wonder how a group of guys who started playing light rock from the 70’s…as somewhat of a joke…just for fun…could years later fill up a venue the size of Chastain Park Amphitheater, yet this group of talented musicians did just that.

From the moment the band started the familiar melody of the keyboard intro to “What a Fool Believes,” this crowd was on board for some smooth sailing fun (captain hats encouraged).

“LA Lindsay” was an original song that stemmed from vocalists Nicholas Niespodziani and Peter Olsen’s original band Y O U. Yacht Rock Revue’s rendition of such 70’s classics as “Good Thing,” “You Make My Dreams Come True,” “Baker Street,” “Somebody’s Baby,” and “Rich Girl” were spot-on.

Yacht Rock finished off the show by bringing everyone on stage for their rendition of Boz Scaggs song “Lido.” All in all a good night was had by all, guest stars included. Here is what Bobby Kinball from Toto had to say:

“I just played a concert with “The Yacht Rock Review” (check out this band) in Atlanta at Chastain Park Amphitheater. Even though it rained a little bit that day, and a bit during the concert, everyone stayed, and I could easily tell they had so much fun. I was the last singer with them, and the other singers were Bill Champlin (Chicago), Jeff Carlisi (.38 Special), Robbie Dupree, Elliot Lurie (Looking Glass), & Walter Egan. This band is fantastic, and I promise you would love to hear them, because they all sing, and play their instruments so well.The Amphitheater was totally full, and what a fun night everyone had.”

• Chastain Park Amphitheater, Atlanta, GA
• July 20, 2013

www.pleaserock.com

Photos by  Jon Danovic

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The accidental success of Yacht Rock Revue

One night in 2008, singers Nicholas Niespodziani and Peter Olson and drummer Mark Cobb, then members of the Atlanta-based indie rock band Y-O-U, showed up to their weekly residency at 10 High with an unusual set list. “As a gag, we thought we’d play cheesy soft rock hits from the 1970s, stuff that you’d hear in the dentist’s office,” says Niespodziani. The fans ate it up, so they did it again. And again. It wasn’t long before Y-O-U had given way to Yacht Rock Revue.

Today the Atlanta tribute band/comedy troupe has become a booming business. On August 22, the act returns to Piedmont Park for the fifth annual Yacht Rock Revival, where thousands of so-called Nation of Smooth faithful sing along to hits from Hall & Oates, Steely Dan, and other soft rock icons—some of whom show up to play alongside the band. To keep up with booking demands, they’ve even spawned Yacht Rock Schooner, a second cover act. Recently Niespodziani discussed their career trajectory.

On playing alongside recording artists like Robbie Dupree, Firefall, and Journey singer Steve Augeri . . . They come and they realize that while we’re not taking ourselves seriously, we are taking the music seriously. We approach Little River Band as if it’s AC/DC.

On accidentally reuniting the Atlanta band Starbuck . . . Jimmy Cobb, the bass player in Starbuck, played with us a few times, and we put him and another former band member on the poster for the 2012 show. Before the gig, the band’s singer, Bruce Blackman, showed up with our flyer in his hand, asking, “What is this?” He was a little pissed. Backstage, these guys talked for the first time in 30 years. Bruce came on stage that night, and the next year they got the whole band back together.

On being named both “Best Overall Music Act in Atlanta” and “Best Place to Get Drunk With Your Dad” . . . We’re pretty proud of the “Drunk with Your Dad” distinction. We actually had a fan in Charlotte who came up to us with his pregnant wife and said, “Oh man, we got pregnant the last time you were here. We went in the club’s bathroom while you guys were on stage!” Clearly, we’re setting a mood.

On the calendar: On August 22, coast to the smooth sounds of easy-listening at Yacht Rock Revival at Piedmont Park. pleaserock.com

This article originally appeared in our August 2015 issue.

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• Mar 10, 2020

'The New Yacht Rock'- Reviving the Soundtrack to Your Summer

By: Scott Way

People never forget the song that played during their first dance, or the anthem to their high school years, or the songs that defined epic road trips with friends or family. Everyone has a soundtrack to their life. If you’re a boater, and depending on your age, you’ve probably got a playlist that’s been pretty consistent over the years, and it’s probably got some ‘yacht rock’ on it. For anyone uninitiated, yacht rock is the term for the quintessential soft rock jams that invaded every marina from ‘76-'84 (ish). Think Hawaiian shirts, white slacks, sunsets, daiquiris, and dock shoes. Think gentle rock grooves with a touch of R&B, smooth jazz, sun-soaked melodies, and lyrics overloaded with romantic escapism. The genre was all about good vibes. The term ‘yacht rock’ is actually relatively new, coined in 2005 for a YouTube web series of the same name. The show satirically portrayed the 80’s as the apex of bad style and ultra-lameness, but it spent an equal amount of time worshiping the soundtrack with genuine reverence. Boaters are comically guilty of this same worship- somewhere in the mid 80’s yacht rock became the definitive soundtrack to the boating lifestyle.

Yacht rockers include the legendary Jimmy Buffett, as well as second-level smoothies Michael McDonald, Hall & Oates, and The Doobie Brothers, among others. The Godfathers of Yacht Rock, for the artist who laid the groundwork for the genre’s respectful party vibes, likely goes to the Beach Boys, who taught everyone that although Kokomo was a fictitious place off the Florida Keys it was probably an ideal location for one of Buffett’s ‘Margaritaville’ restaurants. During yacht rock’s heyday, dock parties came with a Captain & Tennille guarantee from the DJ and record players spun tirelessly to Toto, Steely Dan, and Christopher Cross. While it’s impossible to capture all of yacht rock’s gentle jams and satisfy every boater’s taste, here’s a solid introduction to kickstart your summer playlist:

Christopher Cross- Sailing (1979)

Toto- Rosanna (1982)

Kenny Loggins- This Is It (1979)

Captain & Tennille- Love Will Keep Us Together (1975)

Hall & Oates- I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do) (1981)

Doobie Brothers- What A Fool Believes (1978)

Steely Dan- Hey Nineteen (1980)

Robert Holmes- Escape (The Pina Colada Song) (1979)

Player- Baby Come Back (1977)

Pablo Cruise- Love Will Find A Way (1978)

As a loosely defined genre, yacht rock also had a fringe collection of unofficial members. The cousins to yacht rock royalty include Bob Marley ( Jammin ’), Billy Ocean ( Caribbean Queen ), and a few other artists who flirted with the yachties including The Eagles, Boz Scaggs, and Fleetwood Mac. In the end, yacht rock was undone by its insatiable appetite for the saccharine, the breaking point arguably being Peter Cetera’s 1984 melodramatic synth-schmaltz ‘ The Glory of Love ’ from the Karate Kid soundtrack. After that, no number of roundhouse kicks in white slacks on the aft deck could bring the coolness back. The dream was dead. And so despite its sensual rhythms and sunset smiles, yacht rock faded into obscurity while New Wave commandeered the synthesizer. That being said, if you’d like to relive the magic 'yacht rock' is a searchable term on both Pandora and Spotify, so not all hope is lost.

Which brings us to now: the glory days are gone and sit sadly on the precipice of ‘dad rock’ territory. But like the return of 80's high-waisted jeans, a slow burning revival of yacht rock style has emerged from the ashes; a millenial revitalization that blends equal parts 70’s slow groove with contemporary pop and country. Research into terms like ‘boating music’ or ‘best boating songs’ will bring up the original jams, but The New Yacht Rock movement has taken the framework and added some zest (no sign of white slacks yet, though). The most obvious, and the strangest, new trait is that country music and boating have apparently coalesced. Where once country stood firm in its crooning about beloved pickup trucks and broken hearts through a crackly FM radio on a Tennessee backroad, it now twinkles with ballads about sandy beaches and nautical adventures. In fact, you could make an argument that a good chunk of country music has traded in its pickup truck for a pontoon boat. Simply put, you can’t search ‘boating songs’ from 2010-present without seeing country music sitting at the helm. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing; clearly they discovered that pickup trucks and powerboats offer comparable thrills. This new cooperative became formalized when The Zac Brown Band yanked Jimmy Buffett out of retirement for their 2010 dock party anthem ‘Knee Deep.’ It’s no big ruse either, they were looking to re-imagine Margaritaville in muddin’ country. Case in point: Buffett proclaims ‘(s)trummin’ my six string on my front porch swing’ while Brown counters with ‘is the tide gonna reach my chair.’ The cowboy boots have been traded in for sandals.

So with a new decade upon us and a catalogue of classics to draw from, the yacht rock revival has boaters poised for a new soundtrack to their dock party. Contemporary artists like Vampire Weekend, Thundercat, Foxygen, and Carly Rae Jepson (yes, of ‘Call Me Maybe’ infamy) have all infused some California calmness into their contemporary pop. Thundercat even pulled the ‘out of retirement’ trick, enticing Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald to appear on their 2017 slow jam ‘Show You The Way.’ There’s more ambient pop flair and slide guitar to the new stuff, but the heart and soul of the Reagan years is alive and well.

As the intermixing of young artists with old pioneers continues to usher in the new era, doing away with the original 'yacht rock' moniker seems necessary at this point. Today musical genres are more flexible than ever, and locking boaters into a small segment of musical preference isn’t fair (or as much fun). If you're looking at pop music from 2010-present to fill your boating playlist, you’ll find a consistent parade of songs from multiple genres carrying yacht rock’s torch of idealism. So let’s just call it ‘boat rock’ for now, until someone at Rolling Stone coins something more iconic.

Now, here’s the obvious disclaimer: suggesting music is an invitation to criticism. You cannot appease all genres, styles, and opinions. Therefore, in the name of inclusiveness, the new boat rock movement will cover as many genres as possible, consider mainstream popularity, and will give favour to tracks dubbed ‘summer songs’ by the popular press within the last 15 years (or so, let’s be flexible here. This is for fun). There are also considerations for any artist bearing yacht rock’s original influences including R&B, blues, jazz, reggae, and soft rock, and with lyrical content that promotes a good time. Here's a prototype playlist:

Thundercat ft. Kenny Loggins & Michael McDonald- Show You The Way

Kid Rock- All Summer Long

Chris Janson- Buy Me A Boat

Florida Georgia Line ft. Nelly- Cruise

Zac Brown Band ft. Jimmy Buffett- Knee Deep

Little Big Town- Pontoon

Sugar Ray- Highest Tree (from the Little Yachty homage to yacht rock album)

Zac Brown Band- Where The Boat Leaves From

Bedouin Soundclash- When The Night Feels My Song

Pharrell Williams- Happy

Nickelback- This Afternoon

As you can clearly see, country music has discovered its fondness for docktails and sandals. Honourable mentions go to Sublime, Weezer, Bob Marley’s entire catalogue, and everything Sugar Ray has released since their 1997 hit ‘Fly’ (which should be considered boat rock’s version of Margaritaville). The list could be endless with songs pulled from pop, reggae, indie, R&B, rock, and country. But as a starting point, the above track list should generate smiles while the kids are leaping off the swim platform and the smell of BBQ is wafting across the deck.

Going forward, the question to ask when deciding whether a song should enter the new boat rock pantheon is this: if I were enjoying a sunset over the water, would this song improve my vibe? If the answer is yes, it’s boat rock. The next time you're tied up at your local marina, or you’re anchored in a quiet bay watching the sun slip beneath the waves, try using the above playlist and let the good times roll. Whether it’s from the old era or the new, the key to any great adventure is a smoooooth soundtrack.

Honourable Mentions (Yacht Rock Era)

- Christopher Cross- Sailing

- Michael McDonald- I Keep Forgetting

- Ambrosia- Biggest Part of Me

- The Alan Parsons Project- Eye In The Sky

- Kenny Loggins- Heart To Heart

- Jackson Browne- Somebody’s Baby

- Toto- Hold The Line

- Hall & Oates- Rich Girl

- Steely Dan- Reelin’ In The Years

- Billy Ocean- Caribbean Queen

- Boz Scaggs- Lido

- Fleetwood Mac- Dreams

- Eddie Money- Two Tickets To Paradise

- The Eagles- Hotel California

- Peter Cetera (Chicago)- Glory Of Love

Honourable Mentions (Boat Rock Era)

- Sublime- Santeria

- Weezer- Island In The Sun

- Black Eyed Peas- I Gotta Feeling

- Sheryl Crow- Soak Up The Sun

- Kenny Chesney- No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem

- Garth Brooks- Friends In Low Places

- Zac Brown Band- Toes

- Daft Punk ft. Pharrell- Get Lucky

- Florida Georgia Line ft. Luke Bryan- This Is How We Roll

- Robin Thicke ft. Pharrell & TI- Blurred Lines

- Bruno Mars- That’s What I Like

- The Black Keys- Gold On The Ceiling

- The Weeknd- I Feel It Coming

- Magic!- Rude

#culture #news #music #yachtrock

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‘People Don’t Let Go of These Songs’: The Surprising Evolution of the Yacht Rock Revue

By Joseph Hudak

Joseph Hudak

“If you asked me five years ago to do a full original album with this band, I’d say, ‘Tear my heart out and leave it on the floor,'” Yacht Rock Revue singer Nick Niespodziani says.

It’s hard to tell if he’s being hyperbolic.

The 41-year-old frontman of the Atlanta-based tribute band has always been conflicted about his gum-chewing, polyester-wearing, hair-feathering throwback group. In his eyes, it was a way to make a living, not a serious creative outlet. Besides, he had other projects to flex that muscle, like the psychedelic and experimental rock of Indianapolis Jones. But as he slowly came to accept, nothing had the reach of Yacht Rock Revue.

Since forming in 2008, the seasoned party band has graduated into a national touring act, packing clubs, anchoring corporate events, and setting sail on themed cruises with their note-perfect re-creations of soft-rock’s smoothest jams, from “Brandy” by Looking Glass and “Lido Shuffle” by Boz Scaggs to Ace’s “How Long” and Toto’s irrepressible “Africa.” (Yacht Rock Revue cut it well before Weezer did .) Their crowds are far from passive too, buying tickets in advance and showing up in boat shoes, ascots, and aviators to recite aloud the sacred texts of saints Christopher Cross, Michael McDonald , and Robbie Dupree. Captain’s hats are ubiquitous.

It’s not an oldies fan base either. “Kids, young people, are the ones who have adopted this music, and they’re there to have a good time,” says Dupree, who often performs his 1980 hit “Steal Away” with the band at their all-star “Yacht Rock Revival” shows. “The audience looks like they used to [when these records first came out] — only you got older. But it’s more exciting now because these people know every single song in the show.”

Still, Niespodziani could never fully get on board the boat he helped build. When he and the band took a stab at releasing original material in 2012 with the on-the-nose “Can’t Wait for Summer,” they did so sheepishly. “Our hearts weren’t all the way in it,” he says now. “We were kind of apologetic about it.”

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As pop music evolved over the past eight years, however, so did Niespodziani’s perception of Yacht Rock Revue. The songs that make up the band’s set lists are now celebrated, “Yacht Rock” has transcended its gag tag to become a legitimate subgenre, and the icons of the scene are getting long-overdue recognition — in May, the Doobie Brothers will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Most important, Niespodziani peered over his onstage shades and recognized the happiness that he and his group were bringing to their crowds.

“When we started out, I wasn’t super proud of being in a cover band,” he says, “but as we’ve done this, I’ve seen that joy in people, which changed my thinking and changed my heart about it, and made me open to the vulnerability of doing an original album.”

In February, the seven-piece band of fortysomething musicians — along with Niespodziani, there’s fellow vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Peter Olson, bassist Greg Lee, sax player Dave Freeman, guitarist Mark Dannells, drummer Mark Cobb, and keys man Mark Bencuya — released its first full-length album of original music, Hot Dads in Tight Jeans . Like their live show, which features a vintage boutique’s worth of loud shirts and the titular constricting denim, there’s an element of humor to the record. But the 10 tracks aren’t parodies or goofs.

Songs like “The Doobie Bounce” and “Step,” with their layered production and Niespodziani’s sky-high falsetto, transform the staid notion of yacht rock — or, more broadly, soft rock — into something immersive and, dare one say, hip and cool. These are tracks that could slide in comfortably next to anything off Tame Impala’s latest, The Slow Rush . The sounds and tones employed by Tame Impala mastermind Kevin Parker actually served as validation for Niespodziani.

“We finished recording this album and were mixing it in spring and summer, and that’s when Tame Impala started to leak tracks from their new album,” he says. “They were really similar to the sounds we had on our record, and that made me feel really encouraged, that the sound that we had was not going to be throwaway or irrelevant.”

Olson, Niespodziani’s onstage foil in choreography (they’re experts at re-creating Paul Simon and Chevy Chase’s “You Can Call Me Al” routine ), says the band aimed to expand the boundaries of what yacht rock is, or could be, while in the studio.

“We felt free to redefine the genre a little bit, as more of an attitude than a sound,” Olson, also 41, says. “We weren’t tied to just having Rhodes pianos and super-lush harmonies and sax solos, but there are elements of that. We weren’t afraid to sing about something meaningful and not just piña coladas. Although there is a song about tequila, so…”

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“Bad Tequila,” with its pithy, made-for-merch payoff line — “when life gives you bad tequila/make a good margarita” — is insanely catchy but modern, more in line with something by Portugal. The Man and Daft Punk than Seals and Croft or Loggins and Messina. Yes, it has a yachty sax breakdown, but the woodwind fits in just as naturally as one of Lizzo’s flute solos .

The band credits producer Ben Allen with helping them connect the dots between yesteryear’s soft rock and contemporary flourish. The track “Another Song About California” opens with a synth line that nods to Hall and Oates’ “She’s Gone” before spiraling off on its own psych-pop journey.

“Ben has been instrumental in finding the middle ground between staying true to what the band has always done in the yacht-rock vibe, but not being afraid to make a record that could fit in a playlist with Justin Timberlake or Lizzo,” says Niespodziani, who also challenged the way the band approaches its lyrics. He used yacht-rock buzzwords (think “sand,” “ocean,” “sun,” and “girl”) as a gateway to convey deeper thoughts and mindsets.

“I’d take little nuggets of the yacht-rock vibe or culture and look at it through my own lens,” he says, citing “The Doobie Bounce.” “That song sneaks in little nods to nihilism and things that have meaning to me.”

Currently on a U.S. tour with gigs scheduled at the Wiltern in L.A., Webster Hall in New York, and the House of Blues in Boston, Niespodziani, Olson and the band are hopeful that their core fans will embrace the “new” yacht rock. They’ve already been slotting “Step” and “Bad Tequila” alongside perennials like “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” and “Baker Street.” Who knows — perhaps their own 21st-century yacht jams will one day become a part of the genre’s core canon.

After years spent wondering and worrying when the yacht-rock wave would crash, Niespodziani and Olson have come to just enjoy the ride.

“We always thought the fad would end. But people don’t let go of these songs. It’s evident in the way that doctors’ offices, Home Depots, and Bed Bath & Beyonds haven’t let go of these songs either,” says Olson. “These are the playlists of public areas.”

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Most Successful Rock Bands Fronted by Female Singers

W omen have been at the forefront of rock since its humble beginnings. They have defied stereotypes and captivated audiences with their powerful voices, jaw-dropping performances and groundbreaking contributions to the genre.

From the teen rebelliousness of the Runaways to the quintessential California vibe of Fleetwood Mac, these female singers and their bands continue to redefine the boundaries of rock 'n' roll. We ranked these female-led bands based on their success, which includes record sales as well as influence on the music industry as a whole.

15. The Runaways

Year formed: 1975 

From: Los Angeles, California

Record sales: 165,000

Songs: "Cherry Bomb," "Queens of Noise"

Bottom Line: The Runaways

Members of the Runways were about 15 years old when they first formed in Los Angeles in the mid-1970s with help from their abrasive and arrogant manager and producer Kim Fowley.

While they never sold millions and weren't together for very long, their blend of punk and hard rock influenced many a band that came after. After the Runaways, guitarists Joan Jett and Lita Ford went on to have very successful music careers and still play today. 

14. Patti Smith Group

Year formed: 1973

From: New York, New York 

Record sales: 407,000

Songs: "Because the Night," "Gloria"

Bottom Line: Patti Smith Group

The Patti Smith Group, fronted by iconic singer-songwriter Patti Smith, was another band that was an important part of the early punk scene in New York.

Known for her raw, poetic lyrics and passionate performances, Smith quickly established herself as a groundbreaking artist with a fiercely independent spirit and has continued in this manner as a solo artist. She still performs, but she's also now an author, having written books about her early days in New York. One of them, "Just Kids," is about her relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, to whom she remained close until his 1989 death.

13. Big Brother and the Holding Company

Year formed: 1965

From: San Francisco, California

Record sales: 1 million+ (with Janis Joplin)

Songs: "Ball and Chain," "Summertime," "Piece of My Heart"

Bottom Line: Big Brother and the Holding Company

Big Brother and the Holding Company have been together on and off since 1965, but they've never seen the success they had when none other than the legendary Janis Joplin was their lead singer. 

While Joplin's time with the band was extremely short (from 1966 to 1968), their second album, "Cheap Thrills," recorded with her, is considered a psychedelic masterpiece. It reached the top of the Billboard charts, and "Rolling Stone" ranked it as one of its 500 greatest albums of all time. 

Year formed: 1989 

Record sales: 2.6 million

Songs: "Doll Parts," "Violet," "Celebrity Skin"

Bottom Line: Hole

Courtney Love has been a polarizing figure for decades, but there's no denying she released at least one iconic album with her band, Hole. 

Known for their raw and cathartic blend of grunge, punk and alternative rock, the band's first LP, "Pretty on the Inside," didn't sell much when it was released in 1990, but it was a favorite of the British and American alternative press. 

However, it was the band's breakthrough album, "Live Through This," that helped them gain attention worldwide. There was a rumor that Love's then-husband, Nirvana's Kurt Cobain, who died by suicide a week before "Live Through This" was released, wrote much of the album, but this claim has been disputed by band members and producers ever since. 

11. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

Year formed: 1980

Record sales: 2.75 million

Songs:  "Bad Reputation," "Light of Day," "I Hate Myself for Loving You"

Bottom Line: Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

Following the Runaways' break up, Joan Jett formed Joan and the Blackhearts and continued personifying the rebellious rock 'n' roll attitude of her former band. Their breakthrough hit, a unique rendition of "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" released in 1981, became a Gen-X anthem and solidified Jett's place in rock history.

The band is still touring, and their new EP, "Mindsets," was released in June 2023. 

10. Jefferson Airplane

Record sales: 4.6 million 

Songs: "White Rabbit," "Somebody to Love"

Bottom Line: Jefferson Airplane

Believe it or not, singer Grace Slick was not the first female vocalist in Jefferson Airplane. That honor goes to Signe Anderson, who left the group to raise a family in 1966. A year later, the band's breakthrough LP, "Surrealistic Pillow," brought them commercial success via the powerful vocals of Grace Slick. 

In the 1970s and early 1980s, Jefferson Airplane continued as Jefferson Starship with other band members, but Slick remained and contributed to more hit songs, including "Miracles" and "We Built This City." She retired from music in 1990 and is now an artist. 

9. The Pretenders

Year formed: 1978

From: London, England

Record sales: 6.4 million

Songs: "Brass in Pocket," "Back on the Chain Gang," "I'll Stand by You"

Bottom Line: The Pretenders

The Pretenders burst onto the scene with their seminal self-titled debut in 1980. The band delivered a string of chart-topping hits and showcased frontwoman Chrissie Hynde's sultry yet edgy vocals. However, by 1982, that success seemed as if it were to be short-lived, as two members of the band, James Honeyman Scott and Pete Farndon, died within a few months of each other. 

Undeterred, Hynde and drummer Martin Chambers regrouped and continued to pump out hits through the 1980s and 1990s and still tour today. 

8. The Bangles

Year formed: 1981 

Record sales: 6.8 million 

Songs: "Walk Like an Egyptian," "Manic Monday," "Eternal Flame"

Bottom Line: The Bangles

This influential all-female rock band was a friendly competitor to the Go-Go's, but their sound was less new wave and more Beatles-influenced. 

The Bangles were known for their jangly guitars and catchy, power-pop hooks. Led by Susanna Hoffs' distinctive voice, the band was both nostalgic and contemporary, incorporating elements of 1960s melodies while adding their own modern (at the time) twist. And if you didn't already know, "Manic Monday" was written by none other than Prince!

7. The Go-Go's

Record sales: 7 million

Songs: "Our Lips Are Sealed," "We Got the Beat"

Bottom Line: The Go-Go's

The Go-Go's emerged from the L.A. punk scene of the late 1970s. By the time of their debut with "Beauty and the Beat" in 1981, their sound had become more polished pop and new wave. Their catchy hooks and melodic harmonies quickly caught on, and the band skyrocketed to success. They were the first all-female band who wrote their own songs and played their own instruments to top the charts.

The Go-Go's were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021. 

6. Paramore

Year formed: 2004

From: Franklin, Tennessee

Record sales: 7.1 million

Songs: "Misery Business," "Still Into You" "This Is Why"

Bottom Line: Paramore

Paramore is a three-piece band consisting of Hayley Williams on vocals, Taylor York on guitar, and Zac Farro on drums. A mix of pop-punk, emo and alternative, the band has released six albums — their most recent, "This Is Why," came out in February 2023. 

The band is currently opening for Taylor Swift and have courted controversy with their politics, coming out against Florida governor Ron DeSantis while playing shows in the state. In fact, Representative Maxwell Frost joined the band onstage at the time, and the clip went viral . He also sang a few bars of "Misery Business."

5. Florence + the Machine

Year formed: 2007 

Record sales: 8 million 

Songs: "Dog Days Are Over," "You've Got the Love"

Bottom Line: Florence + the Machine

Florence + the Machine's main members are Florence Welch (vocals), Isabella Summers (keyboards), Rob Ackroyd (guitar) and Tom Monger (harp). Known primarily for their massive hit, "Dog Days Are Over," the band has five studio albums, with the most recent being "Dance Fever," released in 2022.

Welch is a charismatic frontwoman known for her powerful vocals and theatrical stage presence. Most recently, "Dogs Days Are Over" was featured in the finale of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" and left an emotional impact on Florence — the video of her crying while watching it has gone viral on TikTok.

She said of the experience : “Thank you so much for all the love for this moment. The superhero-obsessed little girl in me can’t believe it happened.”

4. No Doubt

Year formed: 1986

From: Anaheim, California

Record sales: 33 million

Songs: "Don't Speak," "Just a Girl," "Spiderwebs"

Bottom Line: No Doubt

Gwen Stefani was originally No Doubt's backing vocalist — the band was started by her brother Eric and John Spence, the group's then-lead singer. Spence died by suicide in 1987, just a few days before No Doubt was to play a showcase for industry bigwigs. They disbanded for several weeks, and when they regrouped, it was decided that Gwen should take over as frontwoman. 

The band's third album, "Tragic Kingdom," propelled them to global success, as it showcased Stefani's powerful vocals and the band's infectious energy, particularly during live shows. No Doubt became one of the biggest bands of the 1990s and introduced Ska to a wider audience. While Stefani has since gone solo and has been involved with other projects, fans still clamor for a No Doubt reunion, and she says , "Anything can happen."

Year formed: 1973 

From: Seattle, Washington

Record sales: 35 million 

Songs: "Barracuda," "Magic Man," "Alone"

Bottom Line: Heart

Lead by sisters Ann Wilson (vocals) and Nancy Wilson (guitar), Heart's blend of hard rock, folk and pop has been resonating with listeners since the 1970s. That's because Heart dared to go where few women have ever gone — into the classic-rock pantheon. Notable fans include Eminem, Lil Wayne, G-Eazy and Nas (who have sampled Heart's songs) as well as Céline Dion, Fergie and Halestorm (who have covered the band outright).

Ann Wilson's vocals are so powerful she made Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant cry while covering "Stairway to Heaven" at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2012.

Year formed: 1974

From: New York, New York

Record sales: 40 million

Songs: "Heart of Glass," "Call Me," "One Way or Another"

Bottom Line: Blondie

Formed by Debbie Harry and Chris Stein, Blondie was an integral band in New York punk's first wave, but they were so much more than one-chord wonders. Seamlessly blending elements of power pop, new wave and rock and led by the charismatic Harry, Blondie captivated audiences worldwide with their infectious energy and catchy melodies.

Blondie's 1979 hit, "Rapture," was the first single to top the U.S. charts featuring rap vocals. Nearly 50 years on, they continue to play to a new generation of fans — their most recent appearance was at Coachella 2023.

1. Fleetwood Mac

Year formed: 1967

From: London, England/Los Angeles, California

Record sales: 120 million

Songs: " Go Your Own Way," "Dreams," "Rhiannon," "Sara," "Tusk"

Bottom Line: Fleetwood Mac

This biggest female-fronted band on this list did not always have women members. In fact,  Fleetwood Mac initially formed as an all-male, blues-rock band. It wasn't until the mid-1970s — when the band changed direction to melodic rock and pop with the addition of Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie and Lindsey Buckingham — that they achieved unprecedented success.

Albums like "Rumours" and "Tusk" produced massive hits that still resonate with audiences today, despite the often fractured personal dynamics within the group. (But let's face it — that friction made for many a timeless classic!)

For the richest female drummers, check out "Most Successful Female Drummers of All Time, Ranked."