WASHINGTON, DC Jan.31 (DPI) – Podcaster Joe Rogan – who apparently has a regular Spotify audience of more than 10 million – began to soften his rhetoric as musicians like Neil Young and Joni Mitchell decided to ditch the radio-like platform to protest his anti-vax claims.

It was a remarkable back-down for an talk-show rouser, whose fiery breed isn’t generally known for conceding points or engaging in self-criticism. “If I pissed you off, I’m sorry,” Rogan said in an Instagram video posted yesterday. “It’s a strange responsibility to have this many viewers and listeners. It’s nothing that I’ve prepared for. I’m going to do my best to balance things out.”

Such apologies would be unheard of from the likes of Rush Limbaugh or Tucker Carlson. But long-term business prospects had a way of forcing Rogan to ease up – his podcast “The Joe Rogan Experience” is Spotify’s most popular, and Spotify is a public company whose management focuses on things like stock price and revenue growth.

The radio-style platform Spotify in recent days clearly put pressure on Rogan to soften his rhetoric, as musical legends Neil Young and Joni Mitchell demanded Spotify stop playing their music as Rogan continued to challenge, and often deny, the value of Covid protocols like vaccines and mask mandates. Many, including the famed musicians, felt Rogan has been spewing misinformation.

Readers and viewers were largely divided on whether Rogan had crossed any meaningful line between truth and fiction, especially given that Rogan, despite his popularity, is hardly a part of the mainstream media.

The episode has prompted many memes and humorous asides. But it’s an episode demonstrating again that shared business interests still supersede personal political views.