Ask any two music fans what qualifies as yacht rock, and an argument is sure to ensue.

Does Steely Dan count? (Absolutely.) What about Hall & Oates? (No, too East Coast.)

In the late 1970s and early ’80s, the term “yacht rock” was not yet a thing. But everyone knew the music of the Doobie Brothers, Toto and Christopher Cross — who swept the 1980 Grammys with his shimmering ballad “Sailing.”

Those acts topped the charts in an era when slick production, smooth melodies and expert chops ruled the radio waves alongside the country-tinged hits of the Eagles. That would all change when MTV crashed the scene. Suddenly the likes of “What a Fool Believes” and “Africa” were consigned to the uncool “soft rock” heap. After the rise of Madonna and Michael Jackson, some of the earlier wave of musicians moved on to soundtracks, like Kenny Loggins with the “Top Gun” hit “Danger Zone.”

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