For the episode of The Vampire Diaries, see Fade into You (The Vampire Diaries).
Fade into You
single
CoverFadeIntoYou Single Cover.JPG
ArtistMazzy Star
AlbumSo Tonight That I Might See
B-side
  • "I'm Gonna Bake My Biscuit"
  • "Under My Car"
  • "Bells Ring" (acoustic)
  • "Halah"
ReleasedSeptember 1993[1]
Genre
Length4:55
LabelCapitol
ComposerDavid Roback
LyricistHope Sandoval
ProducerDavid Roback
Prev year1993
Next year1995

"Fade into You" is a song by American band Mazzy Star from their second studio album, So Tonight That I Might See (1993). The song was written by lyricist Hope Sandoval and composer David Roback, who also served as producer.

The song reached number three on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in 1994 and is Mazzy Star's only single to appear on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 44. The song also charted at number 48 on the UK Singles Chart and number three in Iceland. It has also made several decade-best and all-time lists from publications such as Rolling Stone and Pitchfork. In 2025, the song eclipsed one billion plays on Spotify.[5][6]

Reception

In 2021, Rolling Stone ranked "Fade into You" at number 468 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".[7] Pitchfork included the song at number 19 on their list of the "Top 200 Tracks of the 90s".[8] Listeners of Australian alternative music radio station Triple J ranked the song the 32nd greatest of 1994.[9] Evan Rytlewski of Pitchfork conferred the title of "the dreamiest single of the '90s" on the track.[10]

In August 2025, United States vice president JD Vance said that "Fade Into You" was probably his "favorite song of the entire 90s rock era."[11]

In November 2025, the song reached over a billion plays on Spotify.[5][6]

Music videos

Two music videos were made for "Fade into You". The first was directed by Merlyn Rosenberg and premiered on MTV's late-night alternative rock program 120 Minutes in October 1993,[12] a few weeks after the album's release. Known as the Black and White version for its monochromic content throughout, the intentionally grainy, distorted footage shows the band performing in a darkened Burlesque-era ballroom, and is interspersed with footage of Sandoval and Roback at various sites around San Francisco, including the All Seasons Hotel (now the Crescent Hotel)[when?] and neighboring Stockton Street tunnel, coupled with genuine footage of the same sites shot in the 1930s.

The second music video was directed by Kevin Kerslake and first aired in March 1994.[13] The video features the band performing in front of a projection screen depicting white clouds in a black sky, and is interlaced with slow-motion footage of the band in various locales in the Mojave Desert. The tree that can be seen in the video behind Sandoval could still be seen standing in 2024. It has the initials JC and SW carved into the tree in tribute to a deep connection of two of the bandmates. It is located just off of Route 66.[citation needed] Conversely, the old building seen in the video has decayed significantly and is partially collapsed, though it can still be found off of Interstate 40. Only the first music video was broadcast internationally.

Track listings

All songs were written and composed by Hope Sandoval and David Roback except where noted.

  • US and Australasian CD single (C2 7243 8 58121 2 5; 88114482)[14][15]
  1. "Fade into You" – 4:52
  2. "I'm Gonna Bake My Biscuit" – 3:37 (Minnie McCoy)
  3. "Under My Car" – 3:35
  4. "Bells Ring" (acoustic version) – 4:36
  • US cassette single (4 km 7243 8 58286 4 5)[16]
  1. "Fade into You" – 4:52
  2. "Halah" – 3:12
  • UK CD single (CDCL 720)[17]
  1. "Fade into You"
  2. "Blue Flower" (Peter Blegvad, Anthony Moore)
  3. "I'm Gonna Bake My Biscuit" (McCoy)
  • UK 10-inch vinyl (10CL 720)[18]
  1. "Fade into You"
  2. "Five String Serenade" (album version) (Arthur Lee)
  3. "Under My Car"
  4. "Bells Ring" (acoustic version)
  • Australian cassette single (8814484)[19]
  1. "Fade into You" (LP version) – 4:52
  2. "I'm Gonna Bake My Biscuit" (McCoy) – 3:37
  • US limited-edition in-store play CD (DPRO-79401)[20]
  1. "Fade into You" (album version)
  2. "Into Dust" (live from MTV Europe)
  3. "Ride It On" (live from MTV Europe)
  4. "Ghost Highway" (live from MTV Europe)
  5. "Blue Light" (live from MTV Europe)
  6. "I'm Gonna Bake My Biscuit" (McCoy)
  7. "Under My Car"
  8. "Bells Ring" (acoustic version)
  9. "Fade into You"

Charts

Weekly charts

1994–1995 weekly chart performance for "Fade into You"
Chart (1994–1995)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[21]72
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[22]3
US Top 100 Pop Singles (Cash Box)[23]33
2025–2026 weekly chart performance for "Fade into You"
Chart (2025–2026)Peak
position
Greece International (IFPI)[24]50
Israel International Airplay (Media Forest)[25]20
Lithuania (AGATA)[26]99
Netherlands (Single Tip)[27]13
Norway (IFPI Norge)[28]98
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[29]6

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "Fade into You"
Chart (1994)Position
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[30]51
US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)[31]18

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Fade into You"
RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.
United StatesSeptember 1993Modern rock radioCapitol[1]
April 1994CD[32]
United KingdomAugust 15, 199410-inch vinyl · CD[33]
AustraliaOctober 10, 1994CD · cassette[34]

Cover versions

  • The British band Bleach Lab covered the song in their Studio Session EP (2023)
  • Chamber pop band The Wild Birds covered the song in 2026 in a mainly acoustic version, using using a Loar Archtop and brass slide instead of electric guitar and bottleneck. Their version can be heard on their YouTube site.
  • Gregory Alan Isakov and Sylvan Esso released a cover of the song in 2026.
  • J. Mascis covered the song in 2014.

Usage in media

In 2013, Vulture named "Fade into You" the most overused song in film and television, giving examples such as Gilmore Girls, ', The Following, Psych, Starship Troopers and End of Watch.[42] The song was used in several additional films and television shows, such as American Horror Story: Hotel, Showtime's Yellowjackets, ABC's Desperate Housewives, Netflix's Virgin River, Hulu's Dopesick and The Handmaid’s Tale, and Amazon Prime Video's Catherine Called Birdy.[43]

References

  1. ^ Borzillo, Carrie (August 13, 1994). "Capital Catches a Rising Mazzy Star". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 33. p. 7. Capitol has been working the first single, 'Fade Into You,' since last September, but modern rock radio only began to show serious support in the last few months.
  2. ^ Terich, Jeff (April 5, 2012). "10 Essential Dream Pop Albums". Treble. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  3. ^ "The 50 Best Alt-Rock Love Songs". Spin. February 12, 2021.
  4. ^ Moreland, Quinn (June 14, 2020). "Mazzy Star: So Tonight That I Might See Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  5. ^ Dirst, Andrew (2026-03-06). "Gen Z Totally Missed The Point Behind These 5 Classic Hits That Went Viral". Grunge. Retrieved 2026-03-10.
  6. ^ Armstrong, Sam (2025-11-24). "Mazzy Star’s 'Fade Into You' Joins The Spotify Billions Club". uDiscover Music. Retrieved 2026-03-10.
  7. ^ "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. September 15, 2021. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  8. ^ "The Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s: 20-01". Pitchfork. September 3, 2010.
  9. ^ "The Hottest 100 Archive: 1994". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. November 11, 2017. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  10. ^ Pitchfork (2022-09-28). "The 150 Best Albums of the 1990s". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2025-06-07.
  11. ^ Eaton, Sabrina (2025-08-15). "VP JD Vance reveals personal side: Magic cards, Mazzy Star, memes and ice cream". cleveland. Retrieved 2026-02-04.
  12. ^ "MTV 120 Minutes". Gavin Report. November 5, 1993. p. 44.
  13. ^ "MTV 120 Minutes + Dreamtime (March 20, 1994)". YouTube. March 20, 1994. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  14. ^ Fade into You (US CD single liner notes). Capitol Records. 1994. C2 7243 8 58121 2 5.
  15. ^ Fade into You (Australasian CD single liner notes). Capitol Records. 1994. 88114482.
  16. ^ Fade into You (US cassette single sleeve). Capitol Records. 1994. 4KM 7243 8 58286 4 5.
  17. ^ Fade into You (UK CD single liner notes). Capitol Records. 1994. CDCL 720, 7243 8 81534 2 3.
  18. ^ Fade into You (UK 10-inch vinyl sleeve). Capitol Records. 1994. 10CL 720, 7243 8 81534 0 9.
  19. ^ Fade into You (Australian cassette single sleeve). Capitol Records. 1994. 8814484.
  20. ^ Fade into You (US limited in-store play CD liner notes). Capitol Records. 1994. DPRO-79401.
  21. ^ "Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – Week Ending 12 Mar 1995". The ARIA Report. – via Imgur
  22. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (24.–29.11 '94)" (in Icelandic). DV. November 24, 1994. p. 16. ISSN 1021-8254. – via Timarit.is
  23. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Pop Singles – Week Ending November 12, 1994". Cash Box. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
  24. ^ "Official IFPI Charts − Digital Singles Chart (International) − Εβδομάδα: 43/2025" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on October 29, 2025. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
  25. ^ "מדיה פורסט – המצעד הבינלאומי השבועי – Week 26 – 22/06 – 28/06/2025" [Media Forest – International Weekly Chart – Week 26 – 22/06 – 28/06/2025] (Select the year 2025 and the option "26 22-06-25 28-06-25" from the stretched lists, then click "שירים מובילים - רדיו - בינלאומי" to see the chart.) (in Hebrew). Media Forest. June 29, 2025. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
  26. ^ "2025 40-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. October 3, 2025. Retrieved October 3, 2025.
  27. ^ "Dutch Single Tip 10/01/2026" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
  28. ^ "Singel topp 100 − Uke 37, 2025" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norge. Retrieved September 13, 2025.
  29. ^ "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 47, 2025". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved November 22, 2025.
  30. ^ "Árslistinn 1994" (in Icelandic). DV. January 2, 1995. p. 25. ISSN 1021-8254. – via Timarit.is.
  31. ^ "The Year in Music 1994 – Hot Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 52. December 24, 1994. p. YE-62. ISSN 0006-2510. – via Google Books
  32. ^ Borzillo, Carrie (April 23, 1994). "Capital Catches a Rising Mazzy Star". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 17. p. 1. CD-5 with unreleased bonus tracks out now.
  33. ^ "Single Releases". Music Week. August 13, 1994. p. 25.
  34. ^ "New Release Summary – Product Available from : 10/10/94: Singles". The ARIA Report. No. 243. October 9, 1994. p. 19.
  35. ^ Matthew Neale (July 24, 2020). "Inhaler share sweeping cover of Mazzy Star's 'Fade Into You'". nme.com. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  36. ^ Strauss, Matthew (18 June 2020). "Perfume Genius Covers Mazzy Star’s “Fade Into You”: Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  37. ^ Murray, Robin (June 4, 2022). "American Football Share Their Take On Mazzy Star's 'Fade Into You'". Clash Music. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
  38. ^ Disalvo, Tom. "Listen to Mallrat's new cover of Mazzy Star's 'Fade Into You'". nme.com. NME. Retrieved 20 February 2025.
  39. ^ Danielle Chelosky (October 10, 2024). "Sponge – 'Fade Into You' (Mazzy Star Cover)". stereogum.com. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  40. ^ "Behind The Rubens' cover of Mazzy Star 'Fade Into You' for Like A Version". triple j. 2024-08-15. Retrieved 2025-04-18.
  41. ^ Muzz - Topic (2020-12-08). Fade Into You. Retrieved 2025-04-18. – via YouTube.
  42. ^ Riesman, Abraham Josephine (October 1, 2013). "Video: Is Mazzy Star's 'Fade Into You' the Most Overused Song in Film and TV?". Vulture. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  43. ^ December 8, Jessica Leon & EST, 2022 at 10:00 AM. "Best of 2022: How the song 'Fade into You' made its way into multiple shows (and a movie)". EW.com. Retrieved August 28, 2023.