You have been to the boat dealer and have selected your Sea Ray sport boat, cruiser, yacht or Harris Flotebote pontoon. Now that you have adopted the boating lifestyle it’s time to pick your nautical anthem with some excellent boating themed music! Obviously, any “best of” list is going to be a subjective proposition. That said, we believe that our list is probably the best!
"Changes in latitudes" - Jimmy Buffet
Any list of nautically themed musical selections would be completely discredited without the inclusion of at least one Jimmy Buffet song. As such, it makes sense to us that the song we include his breakout favorite, Changes in Latitude.” This 1977 groundbreaking tract epitomizes the island lifestyle.
"Come Sail Away" - Styx
As it turns out, 1977 was a good year for boat themed music because that was also the year that the progressive rock group Styx released their acclaimed seventh album The Grand Illusion with “Come Sail Away” as the lead single. The song invites you to do what you have always wanted to do, and now you can because you have the boat to do it.
"Brandy " - Looking Glass
Dipping into the “one hit wonder” bin, “Brandy,” by Looking Glass, tells the story of a port town barmaid who loved a sailor whose first passion was the sea. Although the song’s title character was roundly appreciated by those sailors that remained, her heart set sail with the unnamed paramour. The haunting melody is especially poignant when you are all tied up on a foggy night.
"Wreck of Edmund Fitzgerald" - Gordon Lightfoot
In addition to being an excellent song in its own right, Lightfoot’s “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” is a haunting reminder of the dangers we sailors can sometimes face when dealing with the capricious temperament of Mother Nature.
"If I had a boat" - Lyle Lovett
You loved this song before you went to the boat dealer, and now that you are enjoying the boating lifestyle you are in a great position to live the dreams that the lyrics promise. With the right boating themed music your hours on the water will slip away like the slow rippling current of your favorite anchorage.
Bonus Song “Pontoon” - Little Big Town
Little Big Town’s hit, Pontoon, is the perfect summertime boating song. Whether you hear it during work, and brings back all those enjoyable memories from your last time on the water, or turning the song up while you’re on your pontoon.
What’s your all time favorite boating song?
