songs of pablo cruise

Top 10 Pablo Cruise Songs

Photo: F. J. Jasinski, MYi2U™ / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

Our Top 10 Pablo Cruise Songs looks back at a 1970s band that had a couple of significant hits in the 70s that defined adult contemporary rock. Pablo Cruise was just one of those bands you associated with summer like you did the Beach Boys, Chicago, and, to some extent, The Mamas and The Papas. The band had their two biggest hit singles released a summer apart in 1977 and 1978 on the albums A Place In The Sun in 1977 and Worlds Away  in 1978.

Pablo Cruise released seven albums throughout their career. Their first album was released in 1975, entitled Pablo Cruise . The band’s lineup on their first record consisted of David Jenkins, Steve Price, Bud Cockrell, and Cory Lerios. That lineup would release the band’s first three albums, Pablo Cruise, Lifeline, and A Place In The Sun . On the band’s fourth album, Bruce Day replaced Bud Cockrell on bass. The group would release three more albums after Worlds Away, including Part of the Game , Reflector, and Out Of Our Hands.

Our top 10 Pablo Cruise songs list presents ten of our favorite Pablo Cruise songs. A good majority of them were released on their two spectacular albums released in 1977 and 1978. However, we have included songs from many of the band’s other albums to show the band’s music and career progress.

# 10 – Raging Fire

We open our top 10 Pablo Cruise Songs list with the song “Raging Fire.” While we always preferred the up-tempo Pablo Cruise songs over their ballads, they did have some great moments on some of their albums that were filled with sweet-sounding mid-tempo ballads. The harmonies on the track “Raging Fire” echo The Eagles just a bit on this one. The song was released on the band’s breakthrough album, A Place In The Sun .

# 9 – Worlds Away

Pablo Cruise released two blockbuster albums in a row in the late 1970s. The album Worlds Away was the follow-up record to their hit album A Place In The Sun . These two albums elevated the band’s status as hit makers and artists. In the ninth spot on our top 10 Pablo Cruise songs list, we present the title track from the Worlds Away album. This is a great one.

# 8 – I Want You Tonight

It’s incredible how many rock bands went disco in the late 1970s looking to cash in on the craze that swept the world. Pablo Cruise was no exception. Some bands did it better than others, depending on their original style. Pablo Cruise already had an R&B dance feel to some of their songs, so this was not a stretch compared to when bands like Kiss and Queen went the disco route for an album. The single “I Want You Tonight,” was released in 1979 on the album Part of the Game . 

# 7 – Zero To Sixty In Five

If you were a loyal Pablo Cruise fan in the 1970s or have ever seen the band live, then you would agree that besides the band’s great vocals harmonies, this was a group of musicians that could play their butts off.  We can think of no better way to argue that fact than by presenting this great instrumental entitled “Zero To Sixty In Five.” The song was released on the band’s album Lifeline . The album was released in 1976. It was the group’s second record.

# 6 – Island Woman

Continuing with our top 10 Pablo Cruise songs list, we turn to the band’s first album, Pablo Cruise . The album was released in 1975.  “Island Woman” was the album’s opening track. The song was written by David Batteau, David Jenkins, and Cory Lerios. The song opens with that great Pablo Cruise rhythm piano comp that welcomes the band’s great vocal sound and introduces the world to the sound of Pablo Cruise. The song was released as a single but just missed breaking the Billboard Top 100. Still, it was an excellent start for the band that would break into the Billboard Top 100 not too far in the future. There is some excellent guitar playing on this track!

# 4 – Cool Love

With the release of the single “Cool Love,” the band’s commercial success that they had enjoyed with the A Place In The Sun . and Worlds Away albums would begin to fade away. “Cool Love” would become the band’s last top 20 single in the United States. It peaked at number thirteen on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The song was released on the album Reflector . The record was released in 1981.

# 3 – I Go To Rio

If there is one song that always got the audiences up and dancing at Pablo Cruise concerts, it is the excellent track “I Go To Rio.” The song was released on the Worlds Away album. The song was written and originally recorded by Peter Allen. “I Go To Rio”  was the third single released from the Worlds Away album.

# 2 – Love Will Find A Way

As we close in on the number spot on our top 10 Pablo Cruise songs list, we turn to the follow-up single and album, A Place in the Sun . The song “Love Will Find A Way” was a strong follow-up for the band and kept them at the top of the charts again. The album Worlds Away was an even more substantial effort than A Place in the Sun . Every song on the record was great.  “Love Will Find A Way” served as the lead single from the album.

The song reached the number six position on the Billboard Hot 100 during the summer of 78, matching the success of  “Whatcha Gonna Do,” released in 1977. Along with Walter Egan’s “Magnet and Steel” and Toby Beau’s “Angel Baby,” “Love Will Find Away” was one of the most popular songs on the radio that summer.

# 2 – Whatcha Gonna Do?

The Pablo Cruise single “Whatcha Gonna Do” was the band’s breakout single that made them a household name in 1977.”Whatcha Gonna Do” would become the biggest hit of the band’s career. The song hit number six on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the band’s only top 10 U.S. hit. “Love Will Find A Way” would reach the top 10 the following year. The song did even better in Canada, hitting number one in 1977. I guess they dream of the hot sun in the land of the cold. “Whatcha Gonna Do” was released on the album A Place In The Sun . The song was written by David Jenkins and Cory Lerios

# 1 – A Place In The Sun

The great Pablo Cruise song “A Place In The Sun” was the title track to their 1976 album  A Place In The Sun. Bud Cockrell and Cory Lerios wrote the song . While the band had bigger hits than this, the song has become the group’s signature song among the band’s most loyal fans. This is probably the highlight of the group’s concerts. We have always loved this one. It has a classic chorus as if it’s been around forever. We just had to place this at number one.

Updated January 31, 2024

Top 10 Pablo Cruise Songs article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2024

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About the author.

Brian Kachejian

Brian Kachejian was born in Manhattan and raised in the Bronx. He is the founder and Editor in Chief of ClassicRockHistory.com. He has spent thirty years in the music business often working with many of the people who have appeared on this site. Brian Kachejian also holds B.A. and M.A. degrees from Stony Brook University along with New York State Public School Education Certifications in Music and Social Studies. Brian Kachejian is also an active member of the New York Press.

One Response

Man, these guys are/were so good. Loved hearing them in the 70s. Cool Love is a treat as well. Can’t help but note how I Want You Tonight sounds so 80s, even before the decade commenced! Good selection here, but you missed Don’t Wanna Live Without It.

One thing one easily notes listening to great music like this, particularly Love Will Find a Way, we don’t have this great guitar rock anymore. Vocals, great guitar solo. Songs like these as well as Cliff Richard’s Carrie (1979). This kind of music continued into the 80s, but today, it”s gone.

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Pablo Cruise

As 1970s breezy as the t-shirts which bore their name, ruled adult contemporary with its jazz-influenced pop sound.

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Album Highlights

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Discography, moods and themes.

LARRY ANTONINO

Bass, Vocals

SERGIO GONZALEZ

Drums, Percussion

STEVE PRICE

          Drums, Percussion

DAVID JENKINS

Guitar, Vocals

CORY LERIOS

 Keys, Vocals

ROBBIE WYCKOFF

 Vocals, Percussion

In 1975 Pablo Cruise released its first A&M album simply entitled Pablo Cruise. The album cover was shot in the tropical gardens of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park and it featured a huge gorilla standing front and center. The band, David Jenkins (guitars, vocals), Cory Lerios(keyboards, vocals), Bud Cockerel (bass, vocals) and Steve Price (drums, percussion) were no where in sight. At that point there was a bit of a mystique surrounding Pablo Cruise and when asked what Pablo Cruise meant, the well-rehearsed answer went something like this: “Pablo”, represents an honest, real, down to earth individual, and “Cruise” depicts his fun loving, easy going attitude towards life: In essence that’s what Pablo Cruise music is all about. Honest, real down to earth vocals, accompanied by fun yet elegant, infectious grooves. To hear Pablo Cruise on record is one thing, but to experience the band live is an exhilarating event!

From 1975 to 1985 the band toured the United States, Canada and Japan extensively, welcoming fans to “Climb Aboard The Good Ship Pablo Cruise.” Reaching the top 10 with mega hits like “Whatcha Gonna Do When She Says Goodbye?” and “Love Will Find A Way,”and several other top 20’s, the band went on to sell several million albums and singles collectively and established themselves as well respected writers and performers within the industry. They appeared on numerous TV shows, including Dick Clark’s American Bandstand, The Merv Griffin Show, The Dinah Shore Hour and in 1979 they broke Elvis Presley’s attendance record at the Sahara Tahoe in South Lake Tahoe, Nevada, becoming the first rock band to play a casino showroom. They also became the first rock band to grace the stage at the Grand Ole Opry, but by 1985 after completing several national tours and releasing 7 studio  albums in all, the band decided to take a hiatus……one that lasted nearly 20 years.

Fast forward 20 years…. In 2005 a reunited Pablo Cruise picked up where they left off and today the band performs all over the U.S. and Canada and they’re enjoying it more than ever… Since getting back together, they have released two live CD’s and a DVD all through Sony Music documenting their exceptional live shows.  During the Pandemic the boys wrote and produced a new single (through Sony) entitled “Breathe” which received considerable critical reviews!  One of the great things about playing shows after all these years, is that primary songwriters David Jenkins and Cory Lerios are still on board!  “Cory says, going out and playing shows these days, gives us the opportunity to not only pay tribute to our timeless repertoire, it also gives us a chance to see old friends and fans from back in the day, as well as gaining a whole new audience!”  Today Pablo Cruise is bringing more energy and excitement to the stage than ever before and with the addition of Larry Antonino (bass, vocals), Robbie Wyckoff (vocals, percussion) and Sergio Gonzalez (drums, percussion) the band has never sounded better!   If you get an opportunity to see Pablo Cruise live, don’t pass it up……IT’S GOOD TO BE LIVE!   www.pablocruise.com

Founding Members

DAVID JENKINS (guitar, vocals)

Throughout the late 80’s, original lead vocalist David Jenkins continued touring and garnered acclaim in world of country music with  the slightly ahead of their time country-rock band Southern Pacific. As they racked up hits like “Midnight Highway,” the chart topper  “New Shade of Blue” and “Honey I Dare You” (co-written by Jenkins) the band toured all over the U.S. In 1992 Dave connected with  Hawaii’s native son Kapono Beamer, and in ’95 the duo released the album “Cruisin’ on Hawaiian Time,” that became a critics  favorite as well as being nominated for Hawaii’s prestigious Hoku Award for “Album Of The Year”. Dave has recorded with many  music industry greats such as: Micky Hart, Buddy Miles, The Jefferson Starship, Huey Lewis, The Doobie Bros. to  name just a few!….Since ’99 Jenkins has joined forces with the composite group, Rock & Pop Masters, that includes some of the

great singers of the ’70’s and ’80’s. In May of 2011, Dave traveled to Iraq to perform for the troops with Bobby Kimball (Toto) and Bill  Champlin (Chicago)… The troops were thrilled to have them even though the band barely escaped being blown off the stage…. for  real!!! (Dave’s credits)  http://jaimekylemusic.com/www.Jaimekylemusic.com/Dave_Jenkins.html

CORY LERIOS (keys, vocals)

Pianist, vocalist Cory Lerios decided to turn his writing and producing skills to Film and Television. In 1986 he landed his first scoring  opportunity when he was asked to write the music for the now “cult classic” “One Crazy Summer” starring Demi Moore and John  Cusack. In 1987 Lerios landed his first network series, scoring ABC’s critically acclaimed “Max Headroom.” ABC’s “O’Hara and  “Police Story” immediately followed. Writing to “picture” became Cory’s new found passion and in 1989 Cory partnered with long  time friend and composer John D’Andrea. Together they formed Lerios D’Andrea Musicworks and aside from scoring 300 episodes  of “Baywatch,” they garnered several Emmy Nominations and won the coveted award for “Music Direction for soap “Days Of Our  Lives.” Lerios D’Andrea Musicworks went on to produce countless hours of TV scores and themes including “Diagnosis Murder,” “Flipper,” and “Marshall Law.” In 2005 Lerios and D’Andrea parted ways and Cory has continued to write themes and underscore for  several shows including Disney’s “Kim Possible,” Universal’s “Land Before Time.” In 2015 Cory released an EP under his  pseudonym, “Cory Charles”  corycharles.com  entitled “If I Could Change Anything, It Would Be You.” (Cory’s credits)

www.corylerios.com

New Members

LARRY ANTONINO (bass, vocals)

Bassist and vocalist extraordinaire Larry Antonino is a very busy musician and aside from playing with Pablo Cruise, Larry has kept

his calendar full through the years, playing with the some of music’s finest. Air Supply, Barry Manilow, Ronnie Laws, Jeff Beck and

Al Jarreu, Jennifer Holiday, Bobby Caldwell all share one thing in common and that’s Larry Antonino. Larry also had a classic role in

the Tom Hanks movie “That Thing You Do” where he appeared as “The Wolfman”…. If you saw the movie, Larry’s role was

unforgettable! Pablo Cruise is thrilled to have him on board as his rich vocals and extraordinary bass playing fills out the Pablo

Cruise signature sound! (Larry’s credits)  www.facebook.com/larryantonino

ROBBIE WYCKOFF (vocals, percussion)

The newest member of Pablo Cruise, Robbie Wyckoff, Lead Vocals and percussion has a huge history in not only live performance,

but television and film as well. Robbie recently finished up  5 years of international touring with The Roger Waters Band. (Pink Floyd) Robbie has also shared the stage with Michael  McDonald, Keith Emerson, The Gregg Rolie Band, Jackson Brown, and Barbara Streisand to name a few. His voice can be heard  on several Disney T.V. series including Phineas and Ferb, The Emperor’s New Skool, The Replacements and he’s appeared on The  Voice, The Tonight Show With Jay Leno. As soon as Robbie hit the stage with his amazingly powerful voice and presence it was as  if he’d been singing with Pablo Cruise since it’s inception! (Robbie’s credits)  www.robbiewyckoff.com

SERGIO GONZALEZ (drums, percussion) Veteran Drummer, Sergio Gonzalez has played, recorded and performed live with many top artists including Jennifer Lopez, Queen Larifah, Steve Martin, Gavin Degraw, Don Was, Jessie J and Keb Mo.  Simply said, Sergio likes to hit things. A professional "hit man" if you will, but he hits them in such and extraordinary way, that it has allowed him to perform all over the world, twice over. He has performed privately for the Queen of England and the Sultan of Brunei. After high school he was invited to play with a traveling gospel group and traveled around the world for three years. His highlight was playing in Bethlehem, Israel on Christmas Eve. Soon after that he auditioned for the main show Band at Walt Disney World in Florida, working there for three years, then transferring over to Disneyland, California for three more years. It was there where he started meeting and playing with some very talented and special friends whom he is very grateful to have in his life. Sergio's has a vast range of experience from World music, Jazz, R&B, Rock and Latin meld together to create his unique and personal style and groove. Sergio continues to make his mark in the music industry currently performing with the band Pablo Cruise. (Sergio's credits)  www.sergiodrums.com

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