Bethany Cosentino of the band Best Coast contends that the greatest song of all time is the Beach Boys’ “Don’t Worry, Baby.” She said, “A more classic song could not exist. The melody, the harmonies, the lyrics. Everything is so perfect it’s unreal.”

My response to her was this: “Beth, I have a difficult time disagreeing with you. You are 100 percent right. However, I have a difficult time ranking songs in any order, other than saying I have 10 favorites. The order changes day to day. On some days, I am tempted to argue that ‘Kiss Me, Baby’ is a better Beach Boys song. Or ‘The Warmth of the Sun.’ But ‘Don’t Worry, Baby’ is probably the most accessible of the three songs. And its greatest cannot be disputed. The performance is breathtaking.”

I then laid out a list of my favorites. I suppose the list will be amended over time. It changes every few months, as some songs fall out of personal favor and something else, such as “Dover Beach” by the Bangles, finds renewed affection.

Don’t Worry, Baby (Beach Boys)

Because the Night (Bruce Springsteen)

Go All the Way (Raspberries)

Sueltame (John Doe)

Love Will Tear Us Apart (Joy Division)

True Faith (New Order)

Annette’s Got the Hits (Redd Kross)

Storms (Fleetwood Mac)

Heatwave (Martha Reeves)

Thirteen (Big Star)