20 Best Sailing Songs To Add To Your Playlist – Seafari

Published January 15th, 2024

Whether you’re daydreaming about your next sailing adventure or putting together a playlist for your upcoming Florida yacht charter, this collection of sailing songs is for you!

Include some of these songs on your playlist if you enjoy listening to music themed around the experience of sailing. Some tracks incorporate sailing metaphors. They symbolize life journeys and relationships.

Dive Into Your Sailing Adventure With The Perfect Soundtrack

1. Enya — Orinoco Flow

This song by Enya from the late 1980s is undoubtedly a catchy tune. It continues to ring in the head of everyone who knows it each time the sail is set. Enya’s airy singing amplifies this song’s whimsical appeal, which complements the lyrics well.

2. Auli’i Cravalho — How Far I’ll Go

As one of the songs from the Disney film Moana; it’s a must-have in the list. It’s a great representation of what it’s like to be swayed by the water if you’re looking for songs about boats and sailing. It’ll always be an anthem to your adventurous spirit if you sing along to the lyrics.

3. Looking Glass — Brandy

This sailing song is one of the best of the 1970s, and it describes the lifestyle of a sailor. It’s about a girl who falls in love with a sailor that she can never steal from the sea. One of the song’s lines can be related to by anyone who has ever loved the ocean.

4. Van Morrison — Into The Mystic

This rock song about a homecoming sailor contains many hidden meanings and interpretations. The words in this piece have different interpretations for different people. This makes it a piece of excellent sailing music.

5. Crosby, Stills & Nash — Southern Cross

This song from the 1980s is about a failed relationship. It gained new life after Jimmy Buffett performed it live in the 1990s. This song’s sailing phrases and references make it an undeniable classic.

6. Christopher Cross — Sailing

This soft rock favorite from the 1980s reminds us that sailing is the ultimate freedom. It’s a song about sailing away from problems or worries. This song’s lovely melody and vocals make it difficult to forget.

7. Garth Brooks — The River

This country ballad employs the symbolism of a river and a boat. It expresses what it’s like to pursue your dreams and never give up. This concept resonates with so many sailors that it has to be included on this list!

8. Rod Stewart — Sailing

Even though this is not everybody’s favorite Rod Stewart song, it has earned a spot on this list. It’s an instant sing-along due to the song’s soft rock vibe and catchy chorus. Through and through, this is a classic sailing tune!

9. The Beach Boys — Sail on Sailor

The Beach Boys have many sailing songs, and this is the only perennial hit that’s still popular on the present FM radio formats. The theme of perseverance, both on the water and in life, is powerful in this song.

10. Dolly Parton — Islands In the Stream

Barry Gibb of The Bee Gees wrote this classic duet of Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers. It has all the emotions of a sailing love song and a karaoke appeal. Songs about sailing should include this one.

11. Zac Brown Band — Castaway

The song tells the story of a man longing to sail away to the Caribbean, influenced by Zac Brown’s love for Bob Marley’s reggae music.

12. Jimmy Buffett — Son Of A Son Of A Sailor

Jimmy Buffett has a remarkable career centered around sailing and beach life. “Son of a Son of a Sailor” is one of his most famous songs, beloved by his dedicated fanbase. The song tells the story of a man discovering his deep connection to the sea. This fuels his desire for legendary voyages.

13. The Beach Boys — Sloop John B

It recounts a tragic voyage on a sloop, which eventually grounds in Nassau. The Beach Boys’ rendition was previously beloved in the Bahamas. It gained widespread popularity due to its pop-infused, multilayered cappella treatment.