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Rock

Joni Mitchell’s Classic Catalog Back on Spotify After Neil Young’s Return to Service

Mitchell pulled her music from the streamer in solidarity with Young in 2022 in protest to Joe Rogan's COVID-19 misinformation on his podcast.

Joni Mitchell performs in concert during Joni Jam honoring her at Gorge Amphitheatre on June 10, 2023 in George, Washington.

Joni Mitchell performs in concert during Joni Jam honoring her at Gorge Amphitheatre on June 10, 2023 in George, Washington.

Gary Miller/Getty Images

A week after her old friend Neil Young‘s return to Spotify, Joni Mitchell‘s catalog has been restored to the streaming service. Mitchell pulled her music from Spotify in early 2022 in solidarity with Young over their concerns about the vaccine and COVID-19 misinformation being spread on the platform’s popular Joe Rogan Experience podcast.

Though Mitchell, 80, had not commented on her music’s return to Spotify at press time, in a note on her official website posted at the time of the boycott she explained, “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.”


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Last week, Young said in a post on his Archives site that the end of Spotify’s exclusive deal with Rogan led to the restoration of his music to the service. “My decision comes as music services Apple and Amazon have started serving the same disinformation podcast features I had opposed at Spotify,” Young’s post read – in a clear reference to the Rogan podcast, though he never mentioned the show, or its host, by name. Since last month, the Rogan podcast has been available on a variety of platform, including Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and YouTube.

“I cannot just leave Apple and Amazon, like I did Spotify, because my music would have very little streaming outlet to music lovers at all, so I have returned to Spotify,” Young explained about his turnabout.

At the time of Mitchell’s boycott not all of her music was actually removed from Spotify. While such iconic titles as 1970’s Ladies of the Canyon, 1971’s Blue and 1974’s Court and Spark went away during the pull-out, her four Geffen Records albums from the 1980s and early 1990s — Wild Things Run Fast (1982), Dog Eat Dog (1985), Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm (1988) and Night Ride Home (1991) — were still available. In fact, Billboard reported at the time that in the first four days after the wider catalog removal, songs from Mitchell’s Geffen albums across all streaming services saw at 484% increase in on-demand streaming activity in the U.S.

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Young’s original 2022 boycott was also supported by several other artists, including his Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young bandmates David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash, as well as India.Arie, though CSN/CSN&Y and Arie’s music were back on the service in short order.

This article was originally published by Billboard U.S.

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Angine de Poitrine photographed by Gabriel Di Sante at Billboard Canada Power Players in Toronto in June 2026.
Gabriel Di Santé / Billboard Canada
Angine de Poitrine photographiée par Gabriel Di Sante lors de l'événement Billboard Canada Power Players à Toronto en juin 2026.

Angine de Poitrine, Lou-Adriane Cassidy et JF Pauzé en tête des nominations au Gala de l'ADISQ 2026

Le duo extraterrestre devenu viral et son album Vol. II ont récolté pas moins de 11 nominations, dont plusieurs dans les catégories les plus prestigieuses de la cérémonie. Cassidy et Pauzé suivent avec six nominations chacun. Le gala de cette année se tiendra le 8 novembre à la Place des Arts de Montréal.

Angine de Poitrine pourrait vivre une soirée mémorable dans sa province natale.

L’ADISQ a dévoilé les nominations de son gala 2026, et le duo de Saguenay est en tête avec pas moins de 11 nominations, dont plusieurs dans les catégories les plus prestigieuses.

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