1982 Yacht Rock Masterpiece, Ranked Among the Greatest Songs of All Time, Hid an Incredible 20 Year Secret
Few songs capture the breezy, sun-soaked sound of yacht rock quite like this 1982 classic. But behind its smooth exterior lies a surprising twist.
The track's most iconic musical moment wasn't entirely new at all. It borrowed from a song written more than 20 years earlier, hiding in plain sight inside one of the soft rock's most celebrated hits.
Michael McDonald's "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)" is considered one of the greatest Yacht Rock songs ever written. But before the genre even emerged, McDonald's biggest solo hit was a soft-rock blockbuster that leaned heavily on a 1962 tune penned by an iconic songwriting duo.
"I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)" peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Top 100 in October 1982. Additionally, the song would rank among the Best Yacht Rock Songs of All Time on the Music Influence Substack.
RELATED: 1982 Punk Rock Classic Becomes a Surprise No. 1 Hit-9 Years After Its Debut
Parade Daily🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬
According to American Songwriter, McDonald penned the song with Ed Sanford of the Sanford-Townsend Band. The men used a refrain from a 1962 song, "I Keep Forgettin'" performed by Chuck Jackson and written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.
RELATED: Iconic 1980s Snack Is Getting a Modern-Day Revamp
However, McDonald didn't just borrow elements from the original Lieber and Stoller song. He credited the duo as additional songwriters on the tune.
The song tells a story about a couple whose relationship has ended. McDonald plays the part of the man who is convinced they're still together when they are apart.
"I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)" featured Toto members Steve Lukather and Jeff Porcaro, along with Greg Phillinganes, Louis Johnson, and McDonald's sisterMaureen.
After years of singing and performing with the Doobie Brothers, this song was McDonald's breakout solo single after the band split in 1982 reported Songfacts.
Ironically, McDonald's hit would also move forward into the future when, 12 years after its release, the song was sampled by Warren G and Nate Dogg on their 1994 hit "Regulate."
Warren G told Buzzfeed, "My parents used to play 'I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)' when I was a kid, and that's one of the songs that stuck in my head. I was thinking I wanted to do something different instead of the same old hip hop. I thought, 'Why don't I take a song that I liked from back then and recreate it in hip hop style?'"
That quiet musical connection adds a new layer of appreciation to an already timeless track. For yacht rock fans, including those who love the unmistakable sound of Michael McDonald, it is another reminder that some of the genre's smoothest moments have deeper roots.
MORE: 1979 AM Radio Gold Tearjerker Named One of Yacht Rock's Greatest Songs Ever
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published May 20, 2026 at 3:57 AM.