London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

Jon Stewart weighs into Spotify controversy, says artists pulling music over Joe Rogan are making a 'mistake'

Jon Stewart weighs into Spotify controversy, says artists pulling music over Joe Rogan are making a 'mistake'

Musicians Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and more have requested the streaming platform remove their music

Jon Stewart believes the musicians boycotting Spotify over Joe Rogan are overreacting.

The former "Daily Show" host shared his hot take on musicians Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and more who have requested their music be removed from the streaming platform on a recent episode of his podcast "The Problem with Jon Stewart."

"First of all, I love Neil Young and I love Neil Young's music but the idea that it was worth $4 billion in value to Spotify caught me off guard," Stewart said. "When he pulled his music off of Spotify and Spotify went that I was like, hm, that didn't seem right."

Stewart said he doesn't think Joe Rogan is an "ideologue in any way."

A handful of musicians have requested their music be removed from Spotify because of their opposition to the coronavirus-related content published via Joe Rogan's podcast, which is exclusive to the streamer.


His advice to artists is: "Don't leave, don't abandon, don't censor, engage."

"We all exist in this world and on this planet. There's no question that there is egregious misinformation that's purposeful and hateful…and that being moderated is a credit to the platforms that run them," Stewart said. "But this overreaction to Rogan, I think, is a mistake."

He went on to call the musicians' reactions to Rogan's comments about the coronavirus "overblown."

"I think there are dishonest bad actors in the world and identifying those is so much more important to me," he added.

Spotify agreed to remove Neil Young's music from the platform.


David Crosby and Stephen Stills are the latest artists who have joined their Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young bandmates and asked that the platform remove their music.

"We support Neil [Young] and we agree with him that there is dangerous disinformation being aired on Spotify's Joe Rogan podcast," Crosby, 80; Stills, 77; and Graham Nash, 80, said in a joint statement shared on Twitter on Wednesday.

Nash had already removed his music from Spotify.

Joni Mitchell attends The 2020 NAMM Show – 35th Annual NAMM TEC Awards on January 18, 2020 in Anaheim, California. 


"While we always value alternative points of view, knowingly spreading disinformation during this global pandemic has deadly consequences," the rockers continued. "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."

Young was the first artist to pull his content from the streamer over the information in Rogan's podcast.

Other artists to have pulled their music from Spotify in protest of Rogan's content include Joni Mitchell, India.Arie and Nils Lofgren.

Rogan broke his silence on the controversy on Sunday in a nearly 10-minute-long video. He spoke about the challenges of preparing for his shows that are unscripted and free-flowing. He defended his interviews with Dr. Peter McCullough, a cardiologist, and Dr. Robert Malone, an infectious disease specialist, that resulted in some criticism and apparently led to Young's decision to call on his songs being removed from the platform.

He challenged the word "misinformation" given that so much is still being learned about COVID-19. He said Spotify will begin to put a disclaimer at the beginning of these sorts of interviews, and he will also consider following them up with an expert with a different opinion.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
Nationwide 'No Kings' Protests Challenge Trump's Leadership
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
Germany Holds First Veterans Celebration Since WWII
U.S. Health Secretary Dismisses CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
×