Thank you, Neil Young

Now let's see if other artists follow....#Spotifyexodus

Oh my how refreshing it is to witness an artist taking a stand. And not just any artist — one like Neil Young, whose catalog is thick with classics like After The Gold Rush that drive listeners to streaming services like Spotify.

With this breaking news, posted a few minutes ago on the New York Times digital editions, Young becomes the first big-name artist to take action in protest of Spotify’s original programming — specifically, the vaccine-related misinformation shared on a regular basis by overpaid podcast host Joe Rogan. The Rogan-Spotify deal has been reportedly valued at over $100 million.

It’s a rare instance of a rock star calling out Spotify for something other than measly royalty payments. A note posted on Young’s website described Spotify as “the home of life threatening Covid misinformation,” and lamented that lies about the pandemic were “being sold for money.”

Now: Who else takes this stand? Will other artists join Young, whose most recent release is Barn, with longtime collaborators Crazy Horse? Who is worth more to Spotify? A longwinded talker or an engimatic rocker who has contributed works of beauty and insight to popular culture for seven decades?

Is it too soon to dream about #spotifyexodus?