David Crosby, Stephen Stills + Graham Nash to Exit Spotify in Support of Neil Young
We didn't exactly expect 2022 to be the year we'd see David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash and Neil Young agree on something, but it's happened. CSN have released a statement in support of Young, adding that they, too, plan to remove their music from Spotify.
The streaming service removed Young's catalog from their library after he demanded they choose between his music and Joe Rogan's podcast, which the musician argued has been spreading disinformation about vaccines. Several other artists have followed suit since Young set the precedent, including fellow folk icon Joni Mitchell.
"I’ve decided to remove all my music from Spotify. Irresponsible people are spreading lies that are costing people their lives. I stand in solidarity with Neil Young and the global scientific and medical communities on this issue," Mitchell wrote in a post on her website.
Earlier this week, Nash announced his plans to remove his music from the platform as well.
“Having heard the Covid disinformation spread by Joe Rogan on Spotify, I completely agree with and support my friend Neil Young and I am requesting that my solo recordings be removed from the service,” he said in a statement [via Rolling Stone]. "There is a difference between being open to varying viewpoints on a matter and knowingly spreading false information, which some 270 medical professionals have derided as not only false but dangerous.
"Likewise, there is a difference between misinformation, in which one is unaware that what is being said is false, versus disinformation which is knowingly false and intended to mislead and sway public opinion. The opinions publicized by Rogan are so dishonest and unsupported by solid facts that Spotify becomes an enabler in a way that costs people their lives."
Now, the trio of Crosby, Stills and Nash have written a joint statement in support of their former bandmate.
We support Neil and we agree with him that there is dangerous disinformation being aired on Spotify’s Joe Rogan podcast. While we always value alternate points of view, knowingly spreading disinformation during this global pandemic has deadly consequences. Until real action is taken to show that a concern for humanity must be balanced with commerce, we don’t want our music — or the music we made together — to be on the same platform.
Consequence reports that all of the CSNY music, that the members created both together and individually, will be pulled from the service.
"Rogan promotes anti vaxer shit that is getting people killed dead… he’s not that stupid so he knows it’s a lie. He sells it anyway to make a lot of money. I’d rather I wasn’t in the same market place," Crosby added in a separate tweet.
After one user on Twitter suggested Crosby listen to Rogan's podcast, the musician responded, "I have not and will not demand anything from Spotify or Joe Rogan... I just don't want my music on there if he's on there so I'm taking mine off... that is not censorship."
See the series of posts below.