Nikolay Rubtsov prozhil korotkuyu zhizn', no ostavil v russkoy poezii yarkiy sled Yego po-nastoyashchemu vystradannaya "tikhaya lirika" pronikayet v dushu, a mnogiye stroki tak i prosyatsya na muzyku i zvuchat - uzhe mnogo let - v nashikh lyubimykh pesnyakh: "Uleteli list'ya s topoley", "YA budu dolgo gnat' velosiped", "V gornitse moyey svetlo", "Nagryanuli"