Yacht Rock’s Hidden Gems: 4 Smooth Hits You Didn’t Know Were One-Hit Wonders

Are you a big fan of yacht rock? These four tracks are considered by many to be one-hit wonders in the yacht rock genre. We’ll let you decide if that label fits the respective song. But one can’t deny that these four songs are really addictive tunes.

1. “Key Largo” by Bertie Higgins

If you were around in the early 1980s, you probably remember the 1981 hit yacht rock song “Key Largo” by Bertie Higgins. It’s one of the most well-known songs of the genre. The song hit no. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart when it was first released.

Higgins said he was inspired to pen this tune depicting a man desperately trying to avoid a breakup after watching the 1948 film Key Largo. Higgins never saw the same success that he got with “Key Largo” again (though “Just Another Day In Paradise” came close), but he’s still considered a staple musician in the genre.

2. “Lonely Boy” by Andrew Gold

This 1977 hit by Andrew Gold hit no. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and for good reason. It’s one of the best storytelling-focused yacht rock songs from the late 1970s, and certainly one of the best to come out of SoCal. It was Gold’s biggest hit, and many consider him to be a bit of a one-hit wonder because of it.

“Lonely Boy” has also historically been the subject of conjecture. Quite a few people believe the tale is autobiographical despite Gold himself saying it was simply about a young boy feeling abandoned after the birth of his sibling.

3. “Steal Away” by Robbie Dupree

There are a few memorable yacht rock one-hit wonders on this list. However, nothing hits quite like the 1980 song “Steal Away” by Robbie Dupree. This classic was released over three decades ago, and it’s still heard in grocery stores, waiting rooms, offices, elevators, yachts, and beyond today. It even made it to the third season of Better Call Saul. 

It makes sense that the song aged well, considering it earned Dupree massive (though somewhat short-lived) success upon its release in 1980 and hit no. 6 on the Hot 100.

4. “Moonlight Feels Right” by Starbuck

This classic 1975 track by Starbuck is considered by many to be a one-hit wonder, though that’s up for debate. Still, many people of a certain age remember “Moonlight Feels Right” and its melody, though they may not remember the band who produced it. 

Starbuck was the band behind “Moonlight Feels Right”, and the band enjoyed some significant success when the track hit no. 3 on the Hot 100 that year. That marimba solo is legendary.

Photo by David Redfern/Redferns

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