Rock Songs of All Time, Ranked

Inside this ranking: 15 headline-making yachts, following the source's published order and reported estimates. Prices can change and should be read as editorial estimates rather than live appraisals.

• Johnny B. Goode — Chuck Berry — Johnny B. Goode — Chuck Berry. Berry's guitar introduction feels like a starting gun because it compresses rhythm, melody, and attitude into one instantly legible gesture.
• A Day in the Life — The Beatles — A Day in the Life — The Beatles. This studio construction turns contrast into architecture.
• Gimme Shelter — The Rolling Stones — Gimme Shelter — The Rolling Stones. An uneasy guitar figure establishes the weather before the band fully arrives.
• Stairway to Heaven — Led Zeppelin — Stairway to Heaven — Led Zeppelin. The song's familiar reputation can obscure its most useful lesson: scale is created gradually.

Tap any name above to jump in, or start at entry #40 and count down to number one.