Until recently I had no idea that 'Yacht Rock' was a legitimate music genre, but now that I am aware of its existence, it makes perfect sense, and it turns out I’ve been a giant fan of Yacht Rock since its inception, somewhere between 1976 and 1982. Wikipedia defines Yacht Rock as a 'broad music style and aesthetic identified with soft rock, drawing on sources such as smooth soul, smooth jazz, R&B, funk, and disco. Common stylistic traits of the genre include high-quality production, clean vocals, and a focus on light, catchy melodies.' Enter Rupert Holmes, who might as well have invented the exercise. Everyone on the planet knows, and either loves or hates, the Pina Colada song. But this genius songwriter and singer had several other, less air-played songs, one of which is among my favorites from that time era: Him. Holmes was a storyteller whose songs were the ancestor of audio-books; as he’s singing, a story unfolds and you’ve become unwittingly enwrapped. This song is about a love triangle, but as much as I love the storytelling, in this case it’s more about the yacht-rocky music and Holmes’ straight-forward but earnest vocals. What won me over was the symphonic melodies toward the end of the song that drift off into the sunset, and like many of the songs on all my countdowns, the instrumental could go on endlessly and I could close my eyes and ride its current.
From the historical writing archive. Original date: November 28, 2018. Recovered from local source material; editorial review is still in progress.