Fade to Black (Metallica song)

"Fade to Black"
Promotional single by Metallica
from the album Ride the Lightning
ReleasedSeptember 30, 1984
RecordedFebruary 20 – March 14, 1984
StudioSweet Silence (Copenhagen)
GenreHeavy metal
Length6:55
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Metallica singles chronology
"Jump in the Fire"
(1984)
"Fade to Black"
(1984)
"Creeping Death"
(1984)

"Fade to Black" is a song and the first power ballad by the American heavy metal band Metallica, released as the first promotional single from their second studio album, Ride the Lightning (1984). The song was ranked as having the 24th-best guitar solo ever by Guitar World readers.

The song peaked at number 100 on Swiss Singles Chart in 2008. The song is certified 2× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. In March 2023, Rolling Stone ranked "Fade to Black" at number 35 on their "100 Greatest Heavy Metal Songs of All Time" list.