Bruce Springsteen Guitarist, Nils Lofgren, Joins Neil Young, and Joni Mitchell in Removing Music from Spotify

Longtime rock guitarist Nils Lofgren, who has worked extensively with both Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young, has decided to follow in Young’s path and remove his music from Spotify.

Lofgren, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducted guitarist, who has played with both Neil Young’s band Crazy Horse and Springsteen’s E Street Band, wrote on Saturday (January 29) via the Neil Young Archives page:

“A few days ago, my wife Amy and I became aware of Neil and Daryl [Hannah] standing with hundreds of health care professionals, scientists, doctors, and nurses in calling out Spotify for promoting lies and misinformation that are hurting and killing people. When these heroic women and men, who’ve spent their lives healing and saving ours, cry out for help you don’t turn your back on them for money and power. You listen and stand with them.”

Daryl Hannah is Young’s wife.

The artist has also been vocal on Twitter this past week, writing on Thursday, “Thank you @jonimitchell#DeleteSpotify#StandWithNeilYoung End the misinformation campaign that is stressing our health care workers.”

Lofgren added that the past 27 years of his songs have already been removed from the popular streaming platform Spotify and he is working with labels to get his earlier songs removed.

As we have been reporting all week, Spotify is facing major backlash for its role in hosting the podcast from popular host Joe Rogan, who, hundreds of doctors say, is spreading damaging and dangerous misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccinations to his ten-plus million listeners.

Young was the first to draw a line in the sand saying Spotify had to make a choice: either him or Rogan. Spotify chose Rogan. Then Mitchell followed in Young’s footsteps. The question remains, who is next after Lofgren?

In the wake of both Neil Young and Joni Mitchell leaving Spotify, the audio streaming platform’s stock has plummeted about 25%, Loudwire reports.

If that wasn’t all, rumors are beginning to swirl that other big-name artists are set to follow suit in Young and Mitchell’s footsteps. Makes sense. Many of the rockers today view both Young and Mitchell as heroes. And you listen to your heroes.

Even Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, is thanking Young, writing on Twitter: “.@NeilYoungNYA, thanks for standing up against misinformation and inaccuracies around #COVID19 vaccination. Public and private sector, in particular #socialmedia platforms, media, individuals – we all have a role to play to end this pandemic and infodemic.”

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