January 30, 2022

Rock Stars Continue to Unplug From Spotify Over Covid Misinformation

Podcaster Joe Rogan’s anti-vax commentary prompts Neil Young and others to leave the streaming service.

Friends, Canadians, polio survivors, and Spotify deserters Joni Mitchell and Neil Youngby Larry Hulst/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty

Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.

The Neil Young–inspired exodus from Spotify continues apace.

Last week, the Canadian rock star pulled his music from the streaming service, citing Spotify’s willingness to let megapopular podcast host Joe Rogan push misinformation on his show about Covid vaccines. Since Wednesday, Young has been joined by two other musical luminaries: fellow Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, and Crazy Horse and E Street Band member Nils Lofgren.

Even though Rogan, who attracts about 11 million listeners per episode, has nearly two times as many Spotify fans as Young (and nearly three times as many as Mitchell), the company’s market value plummeted last week amid the controversy. Apple Music moved to leverage the debacle to its advantage, advertising Young’s music with a featured collection labeled “Neil Lives Here.” Whether or not more artists join the boycott, it’s clear that Young’s move has been effective in causing a major stir. 

As an aside, James Blunt, composer of some of the most god-awful adult contemporary music ever to tarnish the airwaves, has joined in the free speech debate with some healthy self-deprecation:

Young was also deft in deflecting criticism of his move, in light of the public-health stakes. “I support free speech,” he wrote on his website Friday. “I have never been in favor of censorship. Private companies have the right to choose what they profit from, just as I can choose not to have my music support a platform that disseminates harmful information.”

Spotify posted an announcement on its website Sunday afternoon saying that it would add content advisories to podcast episodes discussing Covid. No word yet on whether that’ll be enough for Neil, Joni, and Nils.

THE FACTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.

At least we hope they will, because that’s our approach to raising the $350,000 in online donations we need right now—during our high-stakes December fundraising push.

It’s the most important month of the year for our fundraising, with upward of 15 percent of our annual online total coming in during the final week—and there’s a lot to say about why Mother Jones’ journalism, and thus hitting that big number, matters tremendously right now.

But you told us fundraising is annoying—with the gimmicks, overwrought tone, manipulative language, and sheer volume of urgent URGENT URGENT!!! content we’re all bombarded with. It sure can be.

So we’re going to try making this as un-annoying as possible. In “Let the Facts Speak for Themselves” we give it our best shot, answering three questions that most any fundraising should try to speak to: Why us, why now, why does it matter?

The upshot? Mother Jones does journalism you don’t find elsewhere: in-depth, time-intensive, ahead-of-the-curve reporting on underreported beats. We operate on razor-thin margins in an unfathomably hard news business, and can’t afford to come up short on these online goals. And given everything, reporting like ours is vital right now.

If you can afford to part with a few bucks, please support the reporting you get from Mother Jones with a much-needed year-end donation. And please do it now, while you’re thinking about it—with fewer people paying attention to the news like you are, we need everyone with us to get there.

payment methods

THE FACTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.

At least we hope they will, because that’s our approach to raising the $350,000 in online donations we need right now—during our high-stakes December fundraising push.

It’s the most important month of the year for our fundraising, with upward of 15 percent of our annual online total coming in during the final week—and there’s a lot to say about why Mother Jones’ journalism, and thus hitting that big number, matters tremendously right now.

But you told us fundraising is annoying—with the gimmicks, overwrought tone, manipulative language, and sheer volume of urgent URGENT URGENT!!! content we’re all bombarded with. It sure can be.

So we’re going to try making this as un-annoying as possible. In “Let the Facts Speak for Themselves” we give it our best shot, answering three questions that most any fundraising should try to speak to: Why us, why now, why does it matter?

The upshot? Mother Jones does journalism you don’t find elsewhere: in-depth, time-intensive, ahead-of-the-curve reporting on underreported beats. We operate on razor-thin margins in an unfathomably hard news business, and can’t afford to come up short on these online goals. And given everything, reporting like ours is vital right now.

If you can afford to part with a few bucks, please support the reporting you get from Mother Jones with a much-needed year-end donation. And please do it now, while you’re thinking about it—with fewer people paying attention to the news like you are, we need everyone with us to get there.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate