American Songwriter has highlighted three folk songs from 1972 that it argues deserve close study by aspiring songwriters, praising their lyrical craft and emotional honesty. The selection spans well-known names from the era's folk scene, each illustrating a different songwriting technique worth learning from.

The three tracks are:
– Neil Young's "Heart of Gold" — praised for its simple, searching lyrics that convey a universal longing for authenticity
– Jim Croce's "Time in a Bottle" — noted for its unusual structure, shifting between a melancholic verse and an upbeat chorus
– Townes Van Zandt's "Pancho and Lefty" — cited as a masterclass in storytelling, recounting the tragic tale of two outlaw companions