# The ''fade'' in popular songs: a useful technique, or lazy?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fade-in-popular-songs-a-useful-technique-or-lazy/647182>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [January 14, 2013, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fade-in-popular-songs-a-useful-technique-or-lazy/647182 "2013-01-14T17:04:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\
**Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fade-in-popular-songs-a-useful-technique-or-lazy/647182/41 "2013-01-16T17:19:56Z")

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> [@Pitchmeister](#):
>
> Do tell? I can’t think of a single one. Classical as in pre-20th century? How would that work?

> [@EmilyG](#):
>
> George Crumb’s “Vox balaena” and Holst’s “Neptune.” Both 20th-century works, admittedly.
> 
> I’ve heard that the Holst is/was the first piece of music to ever employ the fade technique, but I don’t have as much popular-music knowledge as I would need to confirm this.

I was wondering whether you were thinking of Haydn’s “Farewell” symphony. That’s not _exactly_ a fade, but it’s sort of similar.

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