American Songwriter has published a nostalgic list highlighting three songs that were especially popular with teenagers in 1972, a year many young people were getting behind the wheel for the first time. The piece frames car ownership as a rite of passage tied closely to music, arguing these tracks became the soundtrack to teenage independence at the time, even though not all of them were 1972 chart-toppers or even released that year.

The three songs are Don McLean's "American Pie", which topped the Hot 100 in 1972 despite being released in late 1971; Alice Cooper's "School's Out", the title track from his 1972 album, which captured the euphoria of the last day of school and became a global hit among youths; and Gallery's "Nice To Be With You", a soft rock love song from their 1972 album that suited quieter, sentimental moments for young couples.