False rumors, on the heels of Peter Frampton and Neil Young. Only One Man is Enough Barry Manilow, now Joni Mitchell says she will pull her music from Spotify, because she cannot tolerate “Irresponsible people spreading lies.”
Neil, you are very kind.
I’ve always been an Apple guy for streaming. I’m not a Joe Rogan fan, thank you. @neilyoung @SpotifyUSA— Peter Frampton (@peterframpton) January 28, 2022
Starting at Variety:
Joni Mitchell pledged to delete her Spotify music, just days after Neil Young made the same promise.
In a note on her official website titled “I Stand With Neil Young!,” Mitchell wrote: “I’ve decided to remove all my music from Spotify. People are being killed by lies spread by irresponsible individuals. I stand in solidarity with Neil Young and the global scientific and medical communities on this issue.”
Joni Mitchell Says She’s Removing Music From Spotify: ‘Irresponsible People Are Spreading Lies’ https://t.co/OtKRraUINQ
— Variety (@Variety) January 29, 2022
Then let’s hope she writes another note condemning Dr. Anthony Fauci and her Canadian government, too. They have been complicit in spreading lies, and are costing lives.
The last Neil Young song I recall listening to was “Harvest Moon” in 1992. His last album was December 2021. He continues to write and record. But if the Billboard charts are any indication, it didn’t stir a demand for more of Young’s music.
Jerry Wilson, my co-worker wrote this:
Young does not have to worry about his album being cancelled as there’s nothing currently. The album he just released is his latest. Barn, released in December, was on the album charts for a whopping two weeks, never going higher than #66. If he wants a reason to pull his music off of Spotify, a streaming service he despises, a far better reason would be the pathetic pittance it pays while Young is handsomely covering the rent with listeners paying him directly to stream his music.
Don’t know how much juice you need? YootsSpotify listeners even make donations to the geriatric musician. I don’t think Young cares about the money since, as my colleague Brad Slager pointed out, he sold off his catalog for $150 million.
Young made $150 million selling his catalogue last year, which is just grandstanding for the government’s approved narrative.
You are such a rebellious, edgy rocker.
He can be called Kneel Young. https://t.co/3ts7iR1otW
— Brad Slager – Incontinent On Another Continent (@MartiniShark) January 27, 2022
The attention, on the other hand, well….
Peter Frampton last appeared in an episode of The TV Series. Madam Secretary.It was just as thrilling as Frampton’s music. The obscure Florida band, Will to Power, did a better cover of his well-known hit, “Baby I Love Your Way,” than Frampton did originally. Frampton did a recent nostalgia tour in advance of COVID. He received more press attention as his condition, an autoimmune rare disease, might hinder him from continuing his tour. His music is not as popular? He’s not shaking the world, that’s for sure.
And what of Graham Nash’s muse, the iconic Joni Mitchell? Her music is more universally established, timeless, sampled, and re-recorded than probably Young’s and definitely Frampton’s. In terms of reach, many of us hear her music, even if we don’t know she wrote or produced it. Her influence continues to be felt by artists all over the globe, which is a right thing. Singer Lana Del Rey is obsessed with reawakening Mitchell’s signature work and style, and the late, great, Prince used to pen fan letters to her when he was a teenager. While “Both Sides Now” was made popular by Judy Collins, Joni Mitchell wrote it, and is still getting the dollars in terms of publishing for that song and a host of others.
What is exceptionally curious about all this is these artists who celebrated free love (“Show Me The Way”), protested wars (“Ohio”), championed freedom of expression (“Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World”), and condemned the destruction of the environment and over development (“Big Yellow Taxi”) are now condemning another’s right to their free thought and expression. These artists were radicals when they were younger and disruptors that challenged the status quo.
Now, they’re just parroting the establishment narrative that they would have roundly condemned back in their day.
Spotify is losing a lot by getting rid of these old fossils. It’s probably not much. Young has sold to the record company last year. It is this label that is taking the hits. Mitchell hangs on to her catalog, but it’s not like streaming original recordings of her songs are the main draw or even her main moneymaker.
These artists may see this as an opportunity to speak out again, aside from all the publicity and presumed solidarity. Maybe they’re looking to start another cultural movement.
You’re welcome.
Apart from Baby Boomer nostalgia or the Covidians, I don’t think any of these rockers can make a difference in terms of Joe Rogan being removed from popular streaming service.
According to one report, Spotify lost 3 billion market share in the past few days. Spotify paid $100 million to bring Joe Rogan into their stable, so we’ll see whether the investment pays more than the fallout.
Spotify is still my favorite streaming service, keeping Rogan their money cow. He has likely heard more from his audience because of the publicity.
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