In the opposite corner is Rogan, a former comedian and martial artist who has recorded close to 1,800 episodes since launching his podcast in 2009. For less comfortable artists, Spotify could be too big to quit. Last year, he sold 50% of the rights to his song catalogue to the investment fund Hipgnosis for a reported $150m. He has a loyal fanbase that will pay for top-dollar boxsets and subscriptions to his website archive. What’s more, he can afford to take the considerable financial hit. As a survivor of childhood polio, he might also have particularly strong opinions about vaccines. He is an obsessive audiophile who temporarily removed his music from all streaming services in 2015 and a purist whose 1988 single This Note’s for You decried licensing songs to commercials. Young, the most ornery of all boomer rock legends, is the perfect antagonist.
The director general of the WHO tweeted in support of Young’s boycott: “We all have a role to play to end this pandemic and infodemic.” Young’s walkout, followed later in the week by Joni Mitchell’s exit in solidarity, was prompted by an open letter calling on Spotify to counter Covid misinformation after Rogan recorded an interview with Dr Robert Malone, a virologist who has become a rightwing media star for his opposition to vaccines. He has also become explosively controversial.
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