Yacht Rock is an 12-part series following the fictionalized lives and careers of American SoftRock stars of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Created by JD Ryznar, Hunter D Stair and Lane Farnham, it is one of the most successful projects to come out of Website/{{Channel101}}.

J. D. Ryznar and Hunter D. Stair devised the series after noticing the incestuous recording careers of such bands as Music/SteelyDan, Music/{{Toto}}, and Music/TheDoobieBrothers and the singer-songwriters Music/KennyLoggins and [[Music/TheDoobieBrothers Michael McDonald]]. For example, [=McDonald=] co-wrote Loggins' "This Is It" and Loggins co-wrote [=McDonald's=] band Music/TheDoobieBrothers' "What a Fool Believes" and also performed backing vocals for several other 'yacht rock' artists, including Steely Dan and Christopher Cross. Yacht Rock's episodes were "hosted" by [[AsHimself "Hollywood" Steve Huey]], a legitimate music critic for Allmusic. It should be noted that the term "Yacht Rock" is never used throughout the series by any characters except for by Huey during his introductions, instead it is always referred to as "Smooth Music". The look of the series was the responsibility of the show's editor Lane Farnham.

The storyline of the series employs a [[AnachronicOrder non-linear chronology,]] jumping back and forth in various points in time. Also, [[InSpace Space.]]

After the series became a web hit, the term ''yacht rock'' was retroactively popularized as the genre name for the style of soft rock featured in the show, marked by high production values, JazzFusion and RAndB influences, and lyrics about romantic longing and personal follies, acting as an American equivalent to the SophistiPop and CityPop scenes in the UK and Japan, respectively. Ryznar and Stair further specified their definition of the term as encompassing usage of upbeat rhythms, prominent usage of electric piano, and a reliance on elite producers and musicians from UsefulNotes/LosAngeles. Owed to their discontent with what they saw as the label's dilution, the pair went on to host two podcasts -- ''Beyond Yacht Rock'' and ''Yacht or Nyacht?'' -- in which they debate whether individual songs count as being part of their definition of the genre.

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!Trope examples:
* ArcVillain: Jimmy Buffett, who functioned as an insane cult leader in his lone episode.
* AffectionateParody: While the show makes fun of the songwriting process, it does still hold the music featured in high regard.
* BatmanGambit: Most of episodes show the "origins" of several yacht rock classics by way of this trope, from "[[Music/{{Toto}} Rosanna]]" to "[[Music/MichaelJackson Human]] [[Music/{{Thriller}} Nature]]"
* BigBad: Gene Balboa runs his entertainment business like a Bond villain.
* BeethovenWasAnAlienSpy: Several (real life) characters are revealed to be aliens.
* TheBet: Cartoonishly downplayed in episode 7 where Loggins and [=McDonald=] bet a dollar on which one of their songs will end up number 2 on the music charts. [[spoiler: [=McDonald=] gets the last laugh, though]].
* BrainwashedAndCrazy
* CarpetOfVirility: John Oates, albeit [[RuleOfFunny made out of construction paper]].
* CanonCharacterAllAlong: Hall and Oates' first manager, Gino Basareli turns out to be [[spoiler: Gene Balboa after a drastic makeover]].
* CerebusSyndrome: PlayedForLaughs in the Hollywood Steve host segments for the last two episodes. While Episode 10 ends with him falling in love with the girl he saves from choking, Episode 11 opens with said girl leaving him and Episode 12 with Steve on his death bed.
* DreamingOfThingsToCome: Parodied:
** In episode 2, when Koko hears Chris Geppert plays his song.
-->'''Koko''': I heard this same song in my childhood dreams played by a man named Christopher Cross. You must take that name and sing to the world.
** Happens twice to Ted Templeman, first in episode 8 involving smooth music from a singing walrus being interrupted by two ugly women and in episode 9 with [[CallForward visions of impalement]].
* DownerEnding: Episode 2 and 12
* EasyAmnesia: [=McDonald=] after he gets run over by Warren G.
* InsistentTerminology: Only Hollywood Steve refers to it as "Yacht Rock" in his introductions. Everyone else calls it "Smooth Music"
* {{Jerkass}}: John Oates is depicted as an abusive foulmouthed control freak.
* JerkJock: Don Henley and Glenn Frey of the Eagles are depicted as this.
* HalloweenEpisode: Episode 5, complete with a Creator/VincentPrice led exorcism.
* HistoricalInJoke:
** The doo-wop section of Music/VanHalen's song "I'm the One" is the result of an in-studio scuffle between Koko Goldstein and Ted Templeman.
** "[[Music/{{Thriller}} Human Nature]]" got recorded thanks to [[spoiler: Koko's spirit harpooning Music/MichaelJackson's [[GroinAttack crotch]].]]
** "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)" got sampled in "Regulate" because Nate Dogg and Warren G ran over [=McDonald=].
** [[Music/TheEagles Glenn Frey and Don Henley]] sang background vocals for Steely Dan's song "FM" because they beat the crap out of them after as revenge.
** The title of "Yah Mo B There" came from a drunk Michael [=McDonald=] and James Ingram making fun of Kenny Loggins saying over the phone that he would be by to record some music with them later (with a mouthful of apple so it came out as "Yah Mo Be There")...they kept it up the whole time.
--> '''James Ingram:''' [[RunningGag "Yah mo]]kay to drive...." *falls over*\\
'''Michael [=McDonald=]:''' [[RunningGag "Yah m']]alright?"
* HostileShowTakeover: Happens twice in the series, with Hollywood Steve's dad in episode 6 and Creator/DrewCarey in episode 9.
* HumanAliens: Music/GiorgioMoroder, who hails from Planet Synthos.
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: [[spoiler: In episode two, Koko dies by being impaled with his lucky harpoon]].
* ManchurianAgent: [[Music/VanHalen David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen]] use a magical amulet on Ted Templeman so that he'll produce their debut album when he hears Micheal [=McDonald's=] voice.
* NobodyLovesTheBassist: Provides the page quote.
* OffTheShelfFX: In Episode 11, Jimmy Buffet's cassette player is an [[http://herculesworkshop.com/images/d/4717/Atari_1010_Program_Recorder__nice_.JPG Atari 1010 Program Recorder]].
* OriginsEpisode: Episode 8 shows how yacht rock got started, from [=McDonald=] leaving Music/SteelyDan for Music/TheDoobieBrothers to Loggins and Messina in happier days.
* PostScriptSeason: Downplayed as there were two more episodes made after the "finale" with episode 10.
* ThePowerOfRock : All over the place, especially the crotch laser Loggins shoots to defeat [[Music/JimmyBuffett the Parrotheads]].
* RecordProducer: [[BunnyEarsLawyer Koko Goldstein]], [[BadBoss Gene Balboa]] and [[ManchurianAgent Ted Templeman]].
* TheReveal: Papa Moroder is [[spoiler: Koko, and his body was only a vessel.]]
* RunningGag:
** Hollywood Steve introducing the episodes in inconvenient moments, like [[BreadEggsMilkSquick using the bathroom, attending a funeral, killing a homeless woman]].
** Descriptors for Loggins and [=McDonald=].
** Gene Balboa makes increasingly bizarre demands to his unseen manservant Manuel.
* ShoutOut: The final battle in episode 12 resembles the Death Star approach from ''[[Film/ANewHope Star Wars]]''. It even has a BigDamnHeroes moment by the Millennium Falcon!
* SpecialGuest: Episode 11, Creator/JasonLee as Creator/KevinBacon and [[Series/TheDailyShow Wyatt]] [[Series/PeopleOfEarth Cenac]] as James Ingram.
* StoryArc: Throughout the series, Loggins tries to move away from the smoothness of yacht rock to straight hard rockin' to make his way up to the top. This is shown to be like him sliding to "the dark side", but RuleOfFunny of course.
* StorybookEpisode: Episode 6 uses the plot of episode 1 to tell a fairytale version of both the historical and modern Music/JethroTull.
* TakeThat: Most of the parody is affectionate, but the invectives against Jimmy Buffett are particularly strong.
--> '''James Ingram:''' [[RunningGag "Yah mo]] murdered a lot of people out here tonight."\\
'''Michael [=McDonald=]:''' "They're not people, James Ingram. They're Jimmy Buffett fans."\\
\\
'''Jimmy Buffett:''' "...with a cheeseburger in paradise..."\\
'''[[BigBad Gene Balboa:]]''' "Fuck you, Jimmy Buffett!"\\
'''Creator/KevinBacon:''' "Your music is shit!"
* TheUnintelligible: [[Music/SteelyDan Donald Fagen]], with some exceptions.
-->'''Donald Fagen:''' "[[BatterUp Eat. Bat. Prick.]]"
* TheUnReveal: [[spoiler: Koko Goldstein's killer, as Hollywood Steve died while narrating it.]]
* VitriolicBestBuds: Michael [=McDonald=] and Kenny Loggins
* WeUsedToBeFriends: Loggins and Messina, especially when Loggins starts going solo and Messina ends up being a drunk.
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