Why the fade at the end of pop songs represents eternity

Tom Service analyses his favourite fade, "Together in Electric Dreams" by Giorgio Moroder and The Human League's Philip Oakey. According to Tom, the classic fade heard at the end of many pop recordings represents "the refusal of the ontology of the music work concept."

That's his story, anyway. No matter how you interpret it, there's little doubt that the fade at the end of a song invites us to keep listening long past the end of the track.

This is a clip from The Listening Service's exploration of the art of the ending.