Mention the band Steely Dan in conjunction with the concept of yacht rock, and many people will have a passionate reaction. Yacht rock is often erroneously believed to be bad music and is frequently conflated with soft rock. But the opposite is true: According to MasterClass, part of what defines yacht rock is the harmonic sophistication and jazz influences of the music. In other words, yacht rock was often composed and recorded at a very high level of musical ability.
That’s where Steely Dan comes in. Famed for their complex arrangements and overt jazz influences, the band produced smooth, melodic songs that perfectly captured the late-1970s California vibe. Rolling Stone considered the band’s sixth studio album, “Aja,” a pinnacle for the musical genre. The songs are intricate, the production is pristine, and the mood is mellow. Decider was even more enthusiastic in their praise, establishing the album as essential listening to any fan of yacht rock and notes that by the time Steely Dan (Walter Becker and Donald Fagan) recorded “Aja” they weren’t really a band — they were two guys with a lot of session musicians, musicians who often played on other yacht rock bands’ recordings, resulting in a similar sound on many of these records. And Michael McDonald of The Doobie Brothers even sings backup on some songs.
Ultimate Classic Rock ranks one of the songs from the “Aja,” “Peg,” as the second-best yacht rock song of all time and describes “Aja” as having “impeccable airtightness that falls somewhere between soft pop and jazz.”
