Fans Ready to “Riot” After Spotify Removes Classic Hank Williams Jr. Album From Platform

Updated:

March 20, 2024 7:21 am

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Even before Hank Williams Jr. stepped on stage to perform his first concert, the singer already had a rich history of music thanks to his father, Hank Williams. Although having to find his own footing in the industry, the star made his first television appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. Only 14 at the time, he performed numerous hits from his father, which helped catapult his career. With his time in music spanning six decades, fans recently noticed that Spotify unexpectedly removed one of the singer’s most popular albums, which consisted of hits like “Weatherman.”

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Given the rise of streaming platforms, many music lovers depended on services like Spotify to get all their music in one place. While the streaming service offers a wide range of music, fans learned that at any moment – it can all vanish. For Williams Jr., that moment came when the platform took down his 1981 hit album, The Pressure Is On. Although many of the songs listed on the album can be found on his 1982 Greatest Hits album, songs like “Weatherman” are no longer available.

Fans Demand Hank Williams Jr. Album Be Return

Sharing their thoughts on the sudden change, fans voiced their disdain online with comments like “I just found out The Pressure is On and Weatherman are not on Spotify anymore. This has ruined my day and probably my week.” Another person insisted, “If I can’t blast “Weatherman” and the rest of “The Pressure is On” by Hank Williams Jr. on Saturday I will riot. I know that s**ts on Soundcloud!!! Put that classic tape back up.” Some even threatened to leave the platform if the music wasn’t brought back. “Why did you pull “Weatherman” and the album “The Pressure is On” by @HankJr Hank Williams Jr. off of your site? There is no reasonable explanation I can think of. Fix it or I will find another music streaming site.”

https://twitter.com/BK_2023/status/1769554372029980917?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1769554372029980917%7Ctwgr%5E5d28175cec5ca6e950cb4df433c220a3f20bc2b3%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.whiskeyriff.com%2F2024%2F03%2F19%2Fhank-williams-jr-s-weatherman-removed-from-spotify-fans-arent-happy%2F

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“If I can’t blast ‘Weatherman’ and the rest of ‘The Pressure is On’ by Hank Williams Jr. on Saturday I will riot,” one fan wrote. “Put that classic tape back up.”

With no explanation given surrounding the removal of the album, some speculated it might have to do with licensing or even a royalty issue. Although fans are longing for the album to return, they can still get their fix as The Pressure Is On is still available to stream on Apple Music.

(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Stagecoach)