Relax to the soothing sounds of Easy Listening in the trailer for Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary

The subgenre, Yacht Rock, is a relatively new term given to easy-listening older tunes of the 70s, 80s and 90s. HBO has now released the trailer for a new documentary in their Music Box series.

Directed by acclaimed director Garret Price (Daisy Jones & The Six; Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage; Love, Antosha), MUSIC BOX: YACHT ROCK: A DOCKUMENTARY chronicles the emergence and popularity of the West Coast, soft rock pop culture epitomized by such prolific musical artists like Christopher Cross, Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Steely Dan, and Toto. It’s rare to see so many Yacht Rock artists in front of the camera telling their iconic stories, but finally viewers will get a rare glimpse into their worlds. 

The HBO Original documentary MUSIC BOX: YACHT ROCK: A DOCKUMENTARY is executive produced by The Ringer’s Bill Simmons (HBO’s “Andre The Giant,” “Showbiz Kids”), debuts FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29 (9:00-10:35 p.m. ET/PT). The next installment of the Music Box series, which focuses on pivotal moments in music, will debut on HBO and be available to stream on Max.

The film foregrounds the musicians and producers of the yacht rock scene, giving them their own platform to detail the genesis, evolution, and downfall of the sound, which was appreciated for its high-quality production, soulful vocals, and breezy, emo lyrics. Michael McDonald, Christopher Cross, Kenny Loggins, and other indelible musicians of the time, along with rock journalists and scholars, define the music as taking its cues from jazz, funk, and R&B, laying out its crossover origins and wide reach. The emergence of MTV and slick music videos crowded out the genre but, in the 1990s, hip-hop artists started to sample yacht rock and the music gained a new audience and new respect for its high standard of songwriting excellence, becoming a cultural touchstone for playful ribbing by comedians. Filled with the sounds of the era, incredible archival footage of recording sessions and performances, and humorous, self-reflective interviews, the film lovingly embraces the key players of the scene and the genre they didn’t even know they were creating.

The film includes soulful insight from musical artists Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross, Michael McDonald (Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers), Steve Porcaro (Toto), Steve Lukather (Toto), David Paich (Toto), Prince Paul (De La Soul), Brian Robert Jones (Vampire Weekend), Thundercat, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson (The Roots), Mac DeMarco and more; “Yacht Rock” web series creator J.D. Ryznar and host Steve Huey; comedian Fred Armisen; music producers, journalists, scholars, and rock critics.