American Songwriter has highlighted four Tom Petty songs it considers essential listening, marking the enduring appeal of an artist whose career spanned more than five decades before his death in 2017. The list mixes chart-topping hits with a fan favourite that never actually became a major radio success, illustrating how Petty's influence extends beyond conventional commercial performance.

The selections are "I Won't Back Down" and "Free Fallin'", both from his 1989 solo debut Full Moon Fever and co-written with Jeff Lynne; "American Girl", originally released in 1977 with The Heartbreakers and reissued in 1994, which despite never being a big hit was covered by Dierks Bentley in 2024 and reached the country Top 25; and "Saving Grace", a solely self-written track from 2006's Highway Companion that became Petty's final number one single.

– "I Won't Back Down" (1989) and "Free Fallin'" (1989) — both from Full Moon Fever, co-written with Jeff Lynne
– "American Girl" (1977, reissued 1994) — never a big hit, but later covered by Dierks Bentley in 2024
– "Saving Grace" (2006) — Petty's final No. 1 single, written solo