Jimmy Buffett Cracks Top Ten with #1 Boating Song

Seattle is a little boat-crazy. Remember that “Got to get out on the water!” jingle? But it’s not all investment bankers and yachts. Our Lake Union Duck Dodge, Tuesday nights in the summer, has been called “the ultimate beer can race” by Sailing World.

You may or may not be surprised, during the race, to hear the strains of Jimmy Buffett songs floating through the air. If you’re sailing anywhere near a San Juan called the “Ig” (“Tiger” having mostly worn away) the chances are very great indeed that you’ll be treated to some Buffett or Herb Alpert. Occasionally–I’ve seen this–you get a live band on the foredeck of a boat longer than 21′.

As it turns out, Discover Boating has confirmed Jimmy Buffett’s pride of place in the hearts of sailors everywhere. They asked their 195,481 Facebook fans “what music best captures the fun and joy of boating” and over 1,500 responded to the call. At #1 with a flying spinnaker is Jimmy Buffett’s “A Pirate Looks at 40.” (Sadly, no Herb Alpert shows up, though you can’t do better than A Taste of Honey and some island rum.) Buffett actually appears twice, thanks to his duet with Alan Jackson. UPDATE: Three times! Reader Jojo points out he sings with Zac Brown on “Knee Deep.”

1. A Pirate Looks at 40 (Jimmy Buffett)                                            
2. Come Sail Away (Styx)                                                                              
3. Redneck Yacht Club (Craig Morgan)                                              
4. Southern Cross (Crosby, Stills & Nash)                                       
5. 5 O’Clock Somewhere (Jimmy Buffett & Alan Jackson)
6. Knee Deep (Zac Brown Band)                                                            
7. Boats (Kenny Chesney)                                                                          
8. Sloop John B (The Beach Boys)                                                         
9. If I Had a Boat (Lyle Lovett)                                                                  
10. Rock the Boat (Hues Corporation)

I might trade a few of these out for more Buffett, come to think of it. “Havana Daydreamin’”? Well, best not to get started. For the purists, though, here’s the “Buffett 10” that you would hear at a concert, per Wikipedia:

With the success of the Alan Jackson duet “It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere“, and the rising popularity of “One Particular Harbour“, the list of songs played at every show went from 8 to 10. The “Big 8″ were:

1. “Margaritaville“
2. “Come Monday“
3. “Fins“
4. “Volcano“
5. “A Pirate Looks At Forty“
6. “Cheeseburger in Paradise“
7. “Why Don’t We Get Drunk or Why Don’t We Get Lunch at School” — Only played occasionally, as of 2007
8. “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes“