Christopher Cross Revs Up Yacht Rock Nostalgia with Electrifying “Ride Like the Wind” Video

More than 40 years after it first soared up the charts, Christopher Cross’s “Ride Like the Wind” has finally been given the cinematic treatment it deserves and the result is pure, high-octane nostalgia. Released as part of the expanded edition of his Grammy-winning debut album Christopher Cross, the new music video arrives with heat, horsepower, and a bold reimagining of yacht rock’s legacy.

Initially released in 1979, “Ride Like the Wind” introduced the world to Cross’s breezy yet emotionally charged songwriting. The track fuses soft rock elegance with an urgent rhythm, reflecting the adrenaline-fueled escape of a wanted man on the run. Featuring the unmistakable background vocals of Michael McDonald, the song became a defining moment in the yacht rock genre and set the stage for Cross’s meteoric rise.

The long-awaited music video delivers a visual story as compelling as the song itself. Shot in the desert with vintage anamorphic lenses, the video channels ‘70s cult films like Vanishing Point and Zabriskie Point, yet flips the narrative with an all-female cast behind the wheel. These are not side characters—they’re outlaws, heroes, and forces of nature chasing their destinies on sun-scorched roads.

Director Andrea Calvetti captures the tension and thrill of the open highway with flair, leaning into Cross’s original vision of momentum and resistance. The muscle cars tear through the landscape as if time has never passed while the crackling energy of the track drives the story forward. It’s a reinvention that pays tribute without playing it safe.

“Ride Like the Wind” reminds us why yacht rock still holds power: it’s timeless, cinematic, and always ready to take you somewhere else. With this new visual, Christopher Cross doesn’t just revisit the past; he revs it back to life with new meaning and modern grit.