Synopsis
Trailers
Reviews (132)
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Legitimately every single song featured in this documentary is a certified, all capital letters BANGER. BANGERS. ALL OF THEM.
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Today I learned Michael McDonald was high AF the first time he saw the SCTV skit where Rick Moranis plays him speeding from session to session. McDonald thought he was hallucinating. “Is this really happening or am I just losing it?” This is MY JAM – and yours too if you dig learning about the stories behind the liner notes of albums by the kings of soft rock. A tribute to terrific musicianship. It’s the next best thing to seeing these acts in their heyday.
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Even before the film addresses this subject, it’s obvious: These guys, fabulous musicians though they may have been, were schlubs! These were not teen idols. They look like ordinary guys. They have bad haircuts, they wear stupid glasses. They’re nerds, musically and otherwise. The film eventually argues that’s what doomed yacht rock; when MTV arrives, it becomes about who looks good and cool in music videos. And Steely Dan, the Doobie Brothers, and Toto are many wonderful things, but they do not look good and cool in music videos (or ever, really). Of course, now that’s a big part of their appeal to a schlub like me. These guys didn’t get big because they were hot. They got big because…
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BBobby Wagner 8 月 24, 2026
when questlove says “it’s perfect sitting down dancing music” and I was doing the exact sitting down dance he imitates…help, I’m hit…
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Donald fagen is so cool to say he would only allow the doc to use Steelys music if they played the phone call where he (lovingly (I think)) told the director to go fuck himself Absolutely love this stuff Saw at ifc
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So I love the style balance of this “dock” being one of what it was, what is perceived and how it was an influence. I think it retained all of those elements without mocking it’s tone too much but also realizing that it also gained it’s resurgence because of it. I really enjoyed all the comments from the great musicians involved and have to admit that when the channel 101 Yacht Rock came out I was totally into it. This all be said it won’t be for everyone but I think that there is enough earnestness to the material and quality to make this a bonafide dock to tie you rock boat to. I get Donald Fagen’s response to this.
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Absolutely delightful and also super fascinating. I had no idea how much reach the guys from Steely Dan had? A must-watch if you’re into this music, which I definitely am.
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I give yacht rock a 10/10. I give this dockumentary at it was fine/10. Felt like they were too busy gassing up these old (mostly) white men to say anything else.
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J
Dying laughing at this alternate reality where ppl are fawning over Michael McDonald’s beautiful, angelic voice lmao
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STEELY DAN 4EVA
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They should make Michael McDonald do a cover of EVERY song, that way when you go to play a song you get to choose regular or yacht rock.
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my dad speaks of this documentary in the same way most dads speak of Dances With Wolves
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Michael McDonald cool as hell
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It’ll blow your mind how influential this music was.
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YACHT ROCK 4 LIFE i love every single song here so much, music is so healing 🥰
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J
No longer a guilty pleasure
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J
I need to listen to some Michael McDonald.
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MMarkus 8 月 14, 2026
To the guy who says that the feeling of being totally torn asunder by love is an experience “unique to yacht rock,” – I’m sorry but my friends and I would have been so mean to you in high school I don’t think you would have made it out alive bro
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Can’t believe this is how I discovered the music video for Toto’s hit song “Africa”
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____Nobody___ 8 月 13, 2026
I really hate the term “yacht rock” but damm we need to go back to making it
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BBea 8 月 10, 2026
WE’RE GOING BACK! JACK! DO IT AGAINNNN!
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Bbirdie✨ 8 月 10, 2026
I don’t think I realized before watching this how many yacht rock songs are about men who are sad, heartbroken fools.
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KKyle Nienaber 8 月 9, 2026
steely dans web connects them all… christopher cross had me cracking up. “we were doing 1985 by mccartney. of wings.” michael mcdonald is really the greatest voice of all time huh. the glue type shit. the creation of what a fool believes is like a seth mcfarlane missing his flight on 9/11 type event to me. thank god kenny loggins came to his door at that exact moment. this made me put some major respect on thundercat. need to get way more into his stuff. DOCUMENTARY NOW MENTIONED donald fagen goat moment
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This was fantastic. How did I not know this was out for a few years. I must’ve been living under a rock. Must not have been the Yacht Rock though.
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N
Such a fun doc. Had me dancing in my seat (just like Questlove said it would). I know what I’ll be listening to this week. It made me think of the Brat Pack doc because of how they both highlight people reacting to their unexpected labels and who let it get them down and who laughed with it.
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CChristopher Smets 8 月 8, 2026
The music itself is very much Not My Thing, but I liked meeting these guys — affable blue collar music dorks, pretty much all the way down — and I really enjoyed the Charlie-Day-at-the-murder-board manner in which it makes connections about the last fifty years of pop music that I’d never even thought about. As goofy as it sounds, it makes it feel like you’re watching a secret history unfurl, Lipstick Traces with more Fender Rhodes piano.
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good
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AAerin Atinsky 8 月 7, 2026
It’s not that it doesn’t rock, but it doesn’t rock too hard, know what I mean? It doesn’t 🤘, but it 🪨
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Is Questlove in everything???
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THE BILL SIMMONS PODCAST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE RINGER PODCAST NETWORK what a fool believes.
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Do I already know everything that’s in this doc? Sure, but it doesn’t mean it’s any less fun to watch and sing along.
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I text my dad asking him if he showed a picture of Michael McDonald to his barber in the 70s and never looked back bc he’s had that exact haircut and beard my ENTIRE life. Gonna listen to Toto front to back tomorrow.
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J
I had a craptastic evening. My depression has been in overdrive the last week or so and it’s made doing much of anything a challenge. I had a brief moment of reprieve and I said to myself, “Self, your wife recommended you maybe try and watch a music documentary. She seemed interested in that yacht rock doc. Let’s do that.” And so we did. My wife has adopted Michael McDonald as her Music Father. 🙏
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Watch out I’ll start comparing everything to the yachtski scale
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DDevon 8 月 2, 2026
I got chills when Africa by Toto was finally played. Really really cool dock about all these nerds (complimentary) who lived their lives jamming out together in studios in LA in the 1970s. I didn’t know what I didn’t know about Michael McDonald and his chops. As someone who has loved the doobie brothers for a long time and recently dipped my toes into Steely Dan, Toto, and a lot of this stuff, I didn’t know how they were all connected. I’m glad this exists and it made me very happy watching this on the plane.
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Went in for a couple laughs…came out realizing my mom had music cred. What a world we live in.
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Aaidanbaibee 8 月 1, 2026
pretty standard but great stories and fun concert footage still cant stand africa by toto. that human nature demo is tuff as nails tho
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Comfort food. Background noise. Maybe I just love the dulcet tones of Michael McDonald. We are all Thundercat.
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J
Such a fun documentary to watch and the ending of why Donald Fagen didn’t show up was hilarious. It also made me disappointed because there were singing his praises the entire documentary and he couldn’t show his face once. Very disappointing… But wow as a fan of “yacht rock” this was a great way to learn about how the term originated. I never knew the term came WAY after the era. There are plenty of songs the documentary dropped that I was unaware of and will have to add to some playlists.
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Turns out yacht rock is even cooler than I thought
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damn MJ killed yacht rock??!!
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Steely Dan summoning Michael fucking McDonald for the Aja sessions like he’s a Yacht Rock Avenger.
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Waking up in a hotel room at 3am, not being able to fall back asleep, and getting serenaded by Yacht Rock for 95 minutes was definitely a choice on my part
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JJerry 🎃 7 月 29, 2026
Michael McDonald my GOAT!
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This felt pretty good
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Yacht Rock summer is so back
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The background studio musician scene of the 70s was genuinly so interesting and this was a great way for anyone to appreciate the players they never knew, despite the awful derogatory diminishing term ‘yacht rock’. ‘Go fuck yourself’- Donald Fagen, clearly the only ‘yacht rocker’ left with any dignity
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its like pornography
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my goat michael mcdonald
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Great little documentary. Donald Fagen: “ Oh Yacht Rock. Well, I tell you what. Why don’t you go fuck yourself?”
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Maybe I do need a bed time routine. I hate most of these songs. EDIT: You know what I’ve been thinking about this but I don’t think you can be like “Oh this is cool music” and be like “oh wow MTV!” Christopher Cross is like a legit cool guy in this and when people pivoted to video he was crushed and all these talking heads were like “this dude is lame.”
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I love yacht rock and I think this documentary was very informative and also put me on to even more iconic bops!
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Well, that was quite a good time. I spent the afternoon pulling records after watching this.
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the perfect thing to watch if you want to go “Michael McDonald was on this?” every ten minutes
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Ya know, just as the MTV crowd had their downfall post 80s, the “yacht rock” crowd had their downfall prior, and it only goes to show that you can’t blame the next generation. Taste changes, the landscape changes. Sure sometimes for the better, although I beg of you to tell me what good has come out of the mainstream in the last 20 years? But it’s interesting to see these artists and their opinions and hear them speak. They’re so…
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ohhh i get it now
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watched with my coworkers
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Too much white guilt, not enough Gaucho!
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Only a fool would say that this documentary sucked (see what i did there)
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Amazing Steely Dan cameo
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“Yacht rock to me, it’s a very relaxing feeling, it’s like the singers saying “it’s all gonna be okay” “ Μακάρι όλοι να παραδεχόντουσαν πόσο φλωροι είναι και να άκουγαν λίγο παραπάνω doobie/ steely dan και λίγο λιγότερο system of a down/ Linkin Park. Παααααρα πολύ ενημερωμένο ντοκιμαντέρ που δεν άφησε τίποτα να διαφύγει, ούτε απτό πριν ούτε απτό μετά.
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this is basically the michael mcdonald documentary
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Love this shit man
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Great doc from my ringer boys Bill and Sean
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I think it’s just common knowledge how perfect Michael McDonald’s voice is…but has anyone acknowledged THAT HAIR?? 🤩
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My Toto era brought me here. Yacht Rock forever 🕺🎶🥁
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Fun look back and analysis of this style of music. All the musicians who participated in the film were both modest and passionate – which made it a very enjoyable watch.
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Kenny Loggins is really a genius.
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AAirCJordan 7 月 15, 2026
Thundercat wanting to write with Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins is really awesome. It’s so special to me when younger people show their admiration and appreciation for their elders instead of sneering at them with youthful derision.
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I no longer get Kenny Loggins confused with Kenny Rodgers and I’m better for it
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Aannie 7 月 13, 2026
michael mcdonald is to recording sessions what questlove is to documentary interview sound bites
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Saaaaiiiiiiilllllllliiinnnggggggg
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Nnadine 7 月 12, 2026
this should have had the video of dj quik & suga free singing “what a fool believes”
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they called steely dan yacht rock
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“one way to know if you’re listening to yacht rock or not is if you hear the sound of michael mcdonald’s voice” yacht rock has changed my life and made me who i am today
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AAndrew Walden 7 月 10, 2026
We used to fucking make music man
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Great job bill!
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History like this means everything to me. Kenny loggins is definitely shifting my consciousness as well as the other artists on this film. I appreciate how they admitted everything that they learned music wise was from a black musicians with no sugar coating. Watching this with my mom while also falling asleep was so comforting.
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Yacht dude ranking 1. Michael Macdonald: angelic voiced unc, invited to the cookout 2. Christopher cross: Chud (complimentary) 3. Dude from Toto I forgot his name: surprisingly cool 4. Kenny loggins: lowkey chill sellout 5: Steve lukather (other dude from Toto): still trying to siphon aura from Van Halen, thinks he’s the most important guy ever 6: Donald fagen: Chud (derogatory)
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As someone not very familiar with yacht rock, this was a great documentary. Tons of great artists were featured and it introduced me to a bunch of new music. Also did a great job of honoring the black musical styles that heavily inspired the genre.
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Just a throw on while my post concert doobie bros obsession continues
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Will be cueing up the Doobie Bros at work today
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CCarys 7 月 7, 2026
Questlove calling Michael McDonald a ‘funky muppet’
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My favorite music documentary through line: Black music is literally the fabric of so many of the genres, melodies & harmonies we love. I just love music. I love music so much.
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So, Christopher Cross self financed his first album with money he made selling weed and wrote “Ride Like the Wind” while he was tripping on acid. Maybe Yacht Rock is more hardcore than I thought.
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am I big into yacht rock? don’t even joke lad. I have always listened to soft rock from toto (who’s badass and apparently played on every great album), steely dan, michael mcdonald, doobie brothers, etc. but recently I had watched the yacht rock show (2005). oh my god. I cannot express how much I love that nerdy comedy show. it’s a bunch of fans of this particularly kind of jazzy element, smooth, rock in the 70s who linked that all…
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Video truly did kill the radio star
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Some controversy, they probably missed some important figures, but still enlightening. I’d watch again.
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Nnlowe 6 月 30, 2026
learned more about Michael Jackson in the 10 minute segment on him than i did in Michael what a great dockumentary
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BBenton Tarantella 6 月 30, 2026
Grooved out to this DOCKumentary on the treadmill over the course of three gym sessions. Will rewatch one day to collect the featured songs for my Spotify Yacht Rock playlist.
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Michael Fucking Mcdonald !
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Donald fucking Fagen and Micheal fucking McDonald
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My coworkers aren’t gonna let me touch the aux for at least a week
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I made a Spotify playlist after watching this. It’s titled “play yacht rock in my funeral”.
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Me, feeling heavy nostalgia vibes: 🥹 Donald Fagan: Go fuck yourself
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This is a very loving look at a movement and a moment in music, the title is just the hook.
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I was tricked into watching this, HBO labelled it “Music Box” with the synopsis “A collection of documentary films exploring pivotal moments in the music world.” Sorry but Yacht Rock isn’t one of them, LOL.
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If I hear “Yah Mo B There” one more time, Yah Mo burn this yacht to the ground
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People can joke all they want but Yacht Rock is so great and has been so influential, and this dock-umentary pays it the respect it deserves
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This was a pretty good documentary. I enjoyed seeing the origins of the music and how dope it was to see them all working together. I most definitely made a playlist after watching this.
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The Donald Fagen phone call is great
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Steely Dan is the Father, Michael McDonald is the son and Michael Jackson is the Holy Spirit.
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Ccinematichoe 6 月 23, 2026
shoutout to the lady who described yacht rock as “it’s like pornography”
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Such a good watch
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M
As in many things musical, I tend to share Donald Fagen’s attitude toward the idea of “yacht rock”. If you move past the funny but meaningless title this is an incredibly interesting documentary about the inside baseball of the 70’s/80’s SoCal music scene. Full of interviews with outstanding musicians who were on hand for all of it. I definitely gained some appreciation for the musicianship of some of these guys I had previously underrated. I heartily recommend to all music-heads.
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Literally one of my favorite documentaries of all time. Great array of interviewees, great coverage of the genre and the people and artists who influenced it. Even Yacht Rock haters would love it.
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A documentary that meets the ironic aestheticization of a meme’d subgenre with an exploration of the passion and artistic connectivity that defined its true context.
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Catch me listening to QuestLove’s playlist for the foreseeable future. Watched with 🥝🤠👺
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Loving tribute to a made up genre
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“I would rather listen to Fran Drescher for eight hours than have to listen to Michael McDonald. Nothing against him, but if I hear ‘Yah Mo B There’ one more time, I’m going to ‘Yah Mo’ burn this place to the ground.” Ah yes, a “seeking to understand” yet still mocking rock doc on a subset of soft rock which causes many a targeted artist to bristle at the classification. Much like “Brat Pack” and “Hair Metal” it’s a shorthand…
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Such an entertaining documentary about a subgenre of music that most people won’t admit to loving. Steely Dan, Christopher Cross, Kenny Loggins, Ambrosia, The Doobie Brothers and more great music as well as some hilarious stories from the studio. Highly recommended.
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Steely Dan has Yacht Rock songs but isn’t specifically Yacht Rock.
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Pretty good perspective on a branch of music that isn’t usually in the front and center of media.
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C
Surprisingly informative AND you get to hear some great songs. Also, how cool are Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins?
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there’s a non-zero chance i was also in Toto anyway this doc changed my brain chemistry
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So good I watched it twice!
- Synopsis
- This documentary chronicles the rise, fall, and rise again of the soft rock epitomized by artists such as Christopher Cross, Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Steely Dan, and Toto in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Retroactively dubbed "Yacht Rock," the easy-listening genre came to be gently mocked and even dismissed by rock lovers and critics. However, it has since reclaimed its place in music history and is celebrated in this groove-infused film.
- Director
- Garret Price
- Studio
- The Ringer Films, HBO Documentary Films, Margot Station
- Country
- USA
- Language
- English
- Year
- 2024
- Runtime
- 95 mins
- USA14 Nov 2024
- US Virgin Islands29 Nov 2024
- USA29 Nov 2024
- Northern Mariana Islands30 Nov 2024
- US Virgin Islands29 Nov 2024
- USA29 Nov 2024
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