Neil Young returning to Spotify, ends protest against Joe Rogan
ByBob D'Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
Neil Young: The rock 'n' roll legend said he was returning to Spotify after pulling his music from the streaming service two years ago. (Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images)
(Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images)
ByBob D'Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
Rock ‘n’ roll Hall of Famer Neil Young is returning to Spotify, two years after withdrawing his music as a protest against podcast host Joe Rogan.
Young, 78, made the announcement on his website on Tuesday.
“My decision comes as music services Apple and Amazon have started serving the same disinformation podcast features I had opposed at Spotify,” Young wrote. “I cannot just leave Apple and Amazon, like I did Spotify, because my music would have very little streaming outlet to music lovers at all, so I have returned to Spotify.”
Neil Young said he will allow his music to return to Spotify, two years after the singer pulled his catalog over opposition to the streaming service’s relationship with podcaster Joe Rogan https://t.co/quMcLG7ztPhttps://t.co/quMcLG7ztP
Rogan previously had an exclusive deal with Spotify, The New York Times reported The deal has since been renewed. Last month, The Wall Street Journal reported that the actor-comedian had reached a deal that would allow “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast to be distributed more widely.
The deal, estimated to be worth as much as $250 million during the life of its multiyear deal, allows Rogan’s podcast to be distributed across several platforms, according to the newspaper.
Young removed his music from Spotify in January 2022, according to The Hollywood Reporter. At the time, the “Heart of Gold” singer said that Spotify represented 60% of his streaming revenue worldwide, which was “a huge loss for (his) record company to absorb,” the entertainment news website reported.
He decided to remove his music because he “could not continue to support Spotify’s life-threatening misinformation to the music-loving public.”
Rogan said that he was a longtime fan of Neil Young, and had no desire to hurt anybody despite repeatedly questioning the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines to his large audience, Rolling Stone reported.
“I’m not trying to promote misinformation,” Rogan said at the time, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. “I’m not trying to be controversial. I’ve never tried to do anything with this podcast other than to just talk to people … I do not know if they’re right. I don’t know because I’m not a doctor; I’m not a scientist. I’m just a person who sits down and talks to people and has conversations with them.”
Singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell followed Young’s lead in 2022 by removing her music from Spotify several days after the “Harvest” singer, the Times reported.
Billboard estimated that Young’s protest had cost him approximately $16,000 in royalties per month.
Young is a two-time inductee in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was inducted as a solo artist in 1995, and as a member of Buffalo Springfield two years later with fellow 1960s bandmates Stephen Stills, Richie Furay, Dewey Martin and Bruce Palmer.
As a solo artist, Young has placed 11 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including “Heart of Gold,” his only top-10 hit. The song went to No. 1 in early 1972.
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Photos: Neil Young through the years 1985: Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young, playing a Gibson Les Paul guitar, smiles while performing during the Live Aid concert for famine relief at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia on July 13, 1985. (AP Photo/George Widman)
Photos: Neil Young through the years 1986: Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, left, Neil Young, center, and Chuck Berry perform together at the finale of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Awards in New York City on Jan. 24, 1986. (AP Photo/Frankie Ziths)
Photos: Neil Young through the years 1986: Neil Young, John Cougar Mellencamp and Willie Nelson are among the country and rock superstars featured on The Best of Farm Aid, an American Event, on Feb 8, 1986. (AP Photo)
Photos: Neil Young through the years 1995: Neil Young waves from the podium as presenter Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam applauds in the background during the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 10th annual induction ceremony at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York on Thursday January 12, 1995. (AP Photo)
Photos: Neil Young through the years 1999: Musicians Stephen Still (left), Neil Young, Graham Nash (sitting) and David Crosby pose for a photo at the Pierre Hotel on Oct. 13, 1999, in New York City. (AP Photo/Jim Cooper)
Photos: Neil Young through the years 2006: Neil Young speaks before the premiere of the film "Neil Young: Heart of Gold" at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Monday, Jan. 23, 2006. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)
Photos: Neil Young through the years 2009: Willie Nelson and Neil Young attends the press conference for Farm Aid 2009 at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater on October 4, 2009, in St. Louis. (Taylor Hill/Getty Images)
Photos: Neil Young through the years 2010: MusiCares Person of the Year Neil Young, Pegi Young and musician Elton John attend the 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year Tribute to Neil Young at the Los Angeles Convention Center on January 29, 2010, in Los Angeles. (Larry Busacca/Getty Images for NARAS)
Photos: Neil Young through the years 2011: Inductee Tom Waits and Neil Young perform onstage at the 26th annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Waldorf-Astoria on March 14, 2011, in New York City. (Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
Photos: Neil Young through the years 2012: Musicians Billy Talbot, Frank Sampedro and Neil Young of the band Crazy Horse perform onstage at the 2012 MusiCares Person of the Year Tribute to Paul McCartney held at the Los Angeles Convention Center on February 10, 2012, in Los Angeles. (Larry Busacca/Getty Images for the Recording Academy)
Photos: Neil Young through the years 2013: Singer Neil Young performs onstage at the 2013 MusiCares Person of the Year Gala Honoring Bruce Springsteen at Los Angeles Convention Center on February 8, 2013, in Los Angeles. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Photos: Neil Young through the years 2014: Singer/songwriter Neil Young performs at the Dolby Theatre on March 29, 2014, in Los Angeles. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Photos: Neil Young through the years 2015: Singer Neil Young performs onstage at the 25th anniversary MusiCares 2015 Person of the Year Gala honoring Bob Dylan at the Los Angeles Convention Center on February 6, 2015, in Los Angeles. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Photos: Neil Young through the years 2016: Sir Paul McCartney (left) and Neil Young perform onstage during Desert Trip at the Empire Polo Field on October 8, 2016, in Indio, California. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Photos: Neil Young through the years 2017: Neil Young performs during 2017 Farm Aid on September 16, 2017, in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania. (Matt Kincaid/Getty Images)
Photos: Neil Young through the years 2018: Neil Young and Chris Stills perform during the fifth annual Light up the Blues Concert an Evening of Music to Benefit Autism Speaks at Dolby Theatre on April 21, 2018, in Hollywood, California. (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
Photos: Neil Young through the years 2019: Neil Young performs at Harvest Moon: A Gathering to benefit the Painted Turtle and the Bridge School at Painted Turtle Camp on September 14, 2019, in Lake Hughes, California. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
