1970 Soft Rock Classic, That Became a Career-Defining Song for '70s Legend, Ranked Among ‘Greatest Songs of All Time'
More than 50 years after it first appeared on the landmark 1970 album Moondance, Van Morrison's beloved soft rock ballad "Into the Mystic" is still being celebrated as one of the greatest songs ever recorded.
Rolling Stone ranked the track at No. 462 on its updated list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time," once again placing the dreamy classic among music's most respected recordings. The recognition adds another major milestone to a song that many fans and critics consider Morrison's defining masterpiece.
Released in 1970 on the album Moondance, "Into the Mystic" became one of the songs most closely tied to Morrison's career. Rolling Stone described the track as "delectably arranged" and "transportingly sung," calling it "the definitive Morrison song." The magazine also praised the song for feeling "like a lover's whisper."
The publication highlighted how the recording sessions for Moondance helped shape the song's warm and natural sound.
Even Morrison himself admitted that the song's deeper meaning remained mysterious to him. Reflecting on his songwriting during that era, he said, "So many of my songs from that Seventies period, I haven't a clue what they're about. A lot of the time, I was just picking up on a vibe."
Recorded between September and November 1969 at A&R Recording Studios in New York City, "Into the Mystic" quickly stood out as one of the emotional centerpieces of Moondance. The song blended soft rock, folk, soul, jazz and spiritual themes into a sound that became closely linked to Morrison's style.
Music critics have long praised the song's poetic writing and emotional pull. A review from Rolling Stone famously called it "the heart of Moondance," praising lyrics including: "I want to rock your gypsy soul/Just like in the days of old/And magnificently we will fold/Into the mystic."
The song's dreamy atmosphere also sparked many interpretations over the years. Morrison once explained that the title was originally written as "Into the Misty" before he changed it because the music carried "something of an ethereal feeling."
Critics often connected the song to spiritual searching, love and transformation. Per JSTOR, Johnny Rogan described the recording as something that sounded both heavenly and deeply connected to Morrison's Belfast roots.
The song's lasting impact has only grown stronger with time. In earlier editions of Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time," "Into the Mystic" ranked at No. 480 in 2004 and No. 474 in 2010 before rising to No. 462 in the magazine's 2021 update.
More than five decades after its release, "Into the Mystic" remains one of Morrison's most popular songs worldwide.
The track is currently Morrison's second most-streamed song on Spotify, behind "Brown Eyed Girl." It also reached No. 5 on Billboard's Rock Digital Song Sales chart and hit No. 1 on Ireland's radio airplay chart in 2022.
Over the years, many famous artists recorded their own versions of the track. Musicians including Joe Cocker, Michael McDonald, Zac Brown Band, The Wallflowers and Bob Dylan have all performed or recorded the song.For Morrison, whose career began in the 1960s before exploding with albums like Astral Weeks and Moondance, "Into the Mystic" remains one of the clearest examples of the soulful and spiritual style that made him one of music's most respected artists.
Related: '90s Country Music Icon Released First No. 1 Hit Song 27 Years After Beginning Career
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published May 2, 2026 at 6:37 PM.