20. Lonely Benson + Mr. and Mrs. Muffin — Give Me The Night Time (Craig Ruhnke cover)
In 2020, Netherlands record label Fadeawayradiate Records released Cruise Control: A Yacht Rock Cover Comp. It includes a dozen-plus independent artists taking on Steely Dan, Captain and Tenille, and all the rest. The highlight is the closing track, a synths-and-horns smooth run through Canadian singer Craig Ruhnke’s big yacht-y hit by two artists, Seattle jazz singer Lonely Benson and orchestral-pop duo Mr. and Mrs. Muffin. The whole album is worth a listen, and makes a good companion to this list. — Ray Padgett
19. Christian McBride — Aja (Steely Dan cover)
“Aja,” the title track of Steely Dan’s 1977 album that infused a greater dose of jazz into the band’s sound, features two of my favorite instrumental parts in a “rock” song—jazz great Wayne Shorter’s tenor sax solo, and studio legend Steve Gadd’s drum solo. Nevertheless, it is recognizably a rock song, with jazzy elements. When Christian McBride, one of jazz’s great bass players, decided to cover the song, he and his band played it live for months, and McBride tweaked the arrangement “several times” before settling on breaking the song into shifting sections of 3/4 and 4/4 time, which is how it was recorded on his 2000 album Sci-Fi. This is a little unsettling, especially to those of us who grew up on the original, but it helps nudge the song further toward the jazz world. Also, where Shorter’s sax soared, there’s a tasty guitar solo from David Gilmour (although sax player Ron Blake has a fine solo) and a nice piano lead from Shedrick Mitchell. Rodney Green’s drumming (and McBride’s bass) support the whole thing without the flashiness of Gadd, which fits the mellower, less rocking, more swinging cover. — Jordan Becker
18. Tukuleur — Afrika (Toto cover)
“Africa” goes to Africa. Even if you don’t know any French, you likely can follow right along with this cover, channeling whatever memory Toto’s “Africa” takes you to (you know you have one). The verses are delivered as a rap while the iconic melody hovers faintly in the background with a little extra pluck from a guitar adding some texture to the more heavily produced backbeat. Then the choruses are faithful returns to the original; sing along in whatever language you choose. You’ll have to bring your own back-up “I’ll bless the rain” wails, though. — Sara Stoudt
17. The Four Tops — Save It for a Rainy Day (Stephen Bishop cover)
Singer-songwriter Stephen Bishop’s first three albums—released 1976-1980—are tuneful, memorable, embracingly quirky soft rock masterpieces. Every song on every one of ’em sounds like a single (compliment!). All the tracks feel eminently coverable, which is why it is somewhat disappointing that his songbook has yet to be truly ravaged by excited and discerning bands seeking ’70 softies songs to cover. In the seemingly eternal meantime, there is this sweet, more historic (1977!) thing. The Four Tops cover of Bishop’s first U.S. single and hit “Save It For A Rainy Day” is sung not by primary vocalist Levi Stubbs but by bandmate Lawrence Payton (whose voice has a genuinely Stubbs-ian timbre to it). While the original is breezy-beautiful, cruising-down-the-highway smooth, the Tops take is a straight-up Northern Soul-flavored, hands in the air, swirling and twirling stomper. — Hope Silverman
16. The Mountain Goats — FM (Steely Dan cover)
“FM” was written as the theme song for a pretty forgettable movie that pitted music loving DJs against their money loving corporate overlords (which was released at a time when the corporate overlords had pretty much already taken over radio from those who saw FM as a place for idiosyncratic art). Despite having lyrics that arguably tilt towards the commercial, the music is complex and jazzy. Recorded during the same sessions that produced Aja, “FM” did feature a couple of jazz musicians (and a string arrangement from noted jazz arranger Johnny Mandel), but presaging radio’s turn toward a more commercial sound, also includes a member of Toto and three Eagles.
On the spectrum from Yacht to Not, Steely Dan and The Mountain Goats are at very different ends. It is unclear why John Darnielle, the leader of the Mountain Goats, chose to include a short (1:46) cover of “FM” on the band’s second album, 1995’s Sweden, but he did. And like most Mountain Goats songs of the era, it has, as one review noted, “zero production values.” Essentially, it is Darnielle strumming an acoustic guitar, with maybe some bass from Rachel Ware, and Darnielle singing into what sounds like a tape recorder bought at a yard sale. Like so many of the rough early Mountain Goats songs, it somehow works, in spite of its sound. — Jordan Becker
15. Rumer — Sailing (Christopher Cross cover)
Adult contemporary has long been Rumer’s sweet spot. She’s recorded a full album of Burt Bacharach covers, and this is not going to be one of the few posts about her that doesn’t mention her vocal resemblance to Karen Carpenter. It makes sense that she would be right at home visiting the stylings of Christopher Cross. “Sailing” conveys the same peace in Rumer’s version that it does in Cross’s, but where his version suggested the warmth of the coastal sun, hers is about the cool of the ocean breeze. It’s just as effective, and it shows Rumer proving that the canvas can indeed do miracles. — Patrick Robbins
14. Sara Isaksson & Rebecka Törnqvist — Green Earrings (Steely Dan cover)
Sara Isaksson & Rebecka Törnqvist recorded one of the best cover albums of the century thus far with Fire in the Hole, their 2012 tribute to Steely Dan. First, the Nordic duo takes on material that’s notoriously hard to cover–musically and lyrically the Dan were idiosyncratic and perfectionistic; they were sophisticated composers with a sophomoric urge to bait their lyrics with arcana and in-jokes. Second, Isaksson and Törnqvist as women had additional barriers to entry; I mean, the Dan fan base must be 98.02% male, and the songs are about men who don’t quite see the point of women older than 19. Nevertheless, Isaksson and Törnqvist persisted. And they succeeded: they turn Becker and Fagen’s vexing and acerbic narratives into statements that seem to have the ring of haunting personal truths; they transform over-engineered songs like “Green Earrings” into compact, minimalistic gems. — Tom McDonald
13. Billy Paul — Takin’ It To The Streets (The Doobie Brothers cover)
“You know, the other day I was walking down the street.” Let us now go back, back to when vocal preambles by ’70s soul men were truly a thang. While no one can top the unofficial king of such preambles, Mr. Bobby Womack, legendary Philly soul man Billy Paul deserves a nod for his luscious, horn-fueled, piano pounding, slower-tempoed-with-a-spoken-intro, 1977 cover of the Doobie Brothers “Takin’ It to the Streets.” After Paul’s preamble mentioning the famous tagline of The United Negro College Fund (“A mind is a terrible thing to waste”), he truly digs in, serving up a trademark gigantic, breathy ‘n” bold vocal that concludes with a shower of fabulously sloppy-cool ad-libs in the coda (“There’s no rain, sun and hail, the truth will still prevail!” Prevail! — Hope Silverman
12. Postmodern Jukebox – Africa (Toto cover)
Postmodern Jukebox is a revolving collective that is spearheaded by pianist Scott Bradlee. Founded in 2011, this group has been known for its creative time-traveling covers. Their gospel and rock and roll meets big band “Africa” features vocalist and bassist Casey Adams at the forefront. Out with the smooth, soft-pop synth, and in with a rolling, lively rhythm. The vocals (once lullabyish, gliding) now have a bit of grit, an edge. The backbeat emphasis keeps everything red-hot. And as they reach the chorus, it unfolds into a crepe cake of brass licks, drum hits, blossoming into a wildfire guitar solo. — Aleah Fitzwater
11. alt-J — Lovely Day (Bill Withers cover)
The original “Lovely Day” is one of those songs that can impart a woozy warm feeling in the pit of the stomach, in part graced by the richness in Bill Withers’ glorious buzz of a voice, in part the repetitions so important to the arrangement, and then to the lift, as his voice soars into the title. It is just so elemental and at one with nature. Alt-J know that feeling but, on a rainy day in Leeds, seem intent on replicating that feel with something artificial and, even possibly, illicit. Smacking of pharmaceutical psychedelia, it ticks all the right boxes, if in the wrong order. — Seuras Og
Thanks for this, but 3 minor quibbles: the original version of Love Will Keep Us Together was by Neil Sedaka, the original version of What a Fool Believes was by Kenny Loggins, and, most egregiously, you posted a photo of Loggins and Messina, along with Christopher Cross the ultimate yacht rock kings, but no Loggins and Messina songs (What a Fool Believes doesn’t count)! What, no Angry Eyes by the Pointer Sisters? And, since their versions of House at Pooh Corner and Danny’s Song were themselves covers (even though Kenny Loggins wrote them both) you might have chosen to use their versions, though Mary Travers did sing the former and Neko Case (!) and Me First & The Gimme Gimmes (!!) sang the latter. Still, great fun. Thanks.
Mmm, Joe, re LWKUT, whilst it was, of course, a Sedaka song first, no way could it have been deemed yacht, whereas the later C&T hit epitomised the genre, right down to the peaked hat worn by Daryl Dragon. Plus, I forgot to remember to nail my Cover credentials around the O Carol hitmaker, straining to meet my overshot deadline for inclusion. I can’t speak for the mighty Kenny and Jim, but it is good to see egregiously in your response.