Source: The New York Times
Neil Young wrote an open letter to Spotifyβs podcast channel from Joe Rogan, spreading misinformation about the coronavirus and vaccines. The contents of the letter ask Spotify to choose between him and Joe, which is an act of Neil rejecting Spotifyβs decision in Joeβs statement that could mislead the general public.
A second statement from Young was posted to his personal website calling Spotify βhome of misinformation against life-threatening Covid.β He also added, βLies are sold for money.β His rebuke of Rogan, a comedian and actor who has become Spotifyβs most popular podcast host, sometimes spoke at length with controversial figures such as Dr. Robert Malone, an immunologist who promotes βsome lies about the Covid-19 vaccineβ.
Youngβs most famous songs, such as βHeart of Gold,β βHarvest Moonβ and βOld Man,β have been a staple of radio for decades, and have attracted hundreds of millions of streams on Spotify. On Wednesday, Young said that Spotify represents 60 percent of its music streams worldwide. Youngβs music is expected to be completely removed from Spotify within hours of the statement coming out. News that the service was deleting his songs was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
