LOS ANGELES – Legendary rocker Neil Young, a vocal critic of corporate power and political excess, announced Wednesday he’s yanking his entire music catalog from Amazon in a fiery protest against founder Jeff Bezos, whom he accuses of backing the Trump administration amid the ongoing government shutdown. The 79-year-old Canadian-American musician, known for hits like “Heart of Gold” and anthems railing against authority, posted a blunt manifesto on his Neil Young Archives website, urging fans to “forget Amazon” and “buy local” to starve the tech behemoth.
In bold caps, Young’s header blared: “BEZOS SUPPORTS THIS GOVERNMENT. IT DOES NOT SUPPORT YOU OR ME.” He lambasted Amazon for enabling what he called the “Corporate Control Age,” tying it to the federal shutdown’s 10th day, which has furloughed 2.1 million workers and shuttered services. “They shut down our government, your income, your safety, your family’s health security,” Young wrote. “Take America back together—stop buying from the big corporations. Support local business. Do the right thing. Show who you are.” He extended the boycott to Whole Foods and Facebook, decrying Meta’s AI policies and Amazon’s grip on daily life.
Young’s move echoes his 2022 Spotify exodus over Joe Rogan’s COVID misinformation, from which he returned after two years. Last month, he released “Big Crime,” a scathing anti-Trump track decrying “fascists” and “big crime in D.C. at the White House.” The timing aligns with Bezos’s overtures to Trump, including a $1 million inauguration donation and a Mar-a-Lago dinner, despite past feuds over The Washington Post’s coverage.
Amazon representatives declined comment, but the platform’s vast music library—home to Young’s decades-spanning discography—faces a symbolic hit. Fans and activists rallied online, with #BoycottAmazon trending briefly, though skeptics noted Young’s history of platform skirmishes. “Neil’s always been the conscience of rock—boycotting Bezos is peak protest,” said one supporter. As the shutdown drags on, Young’s stand spotlights a broader revolt: Artists versus empires, in a nation fraying at the seams. Will it dent Amazon’s $500 billion empire? Unlikely. But in Young’s world, every chord counts against the machine.
