Heart of Gold: 80 Artists Celebrate Neil Young on His 80th Birthday
Neil Young turns 80 this week—an age that feels both monumental and somehow irrelevant for a man who’s always lived outside of time. Few artists have reinvented themselves as many…
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 26: Neil Young performs onstage during the Light Up The Blues 7 Concert celebrating Autism Speaks’ 20th Anniversary at the Greek Theatre on April 26, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Neil Young turns 80 this week—an age that feels both monumental and somehow irrelevant for a man who’s always lived outside of time. Few artists have reinvented themselves as many times, or inspired as many generations, as the Canadian-born legend behind Harvest, Rust Never Sleeps, and Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere.
To mark the milestone, the music site Stereogum asked 80 artists to pick their favorite Neil Young song. The results form a kind of collective love letter to an artist who’s never chased trends—only truth. From rock icons to indie voices, the choices span his sprawling catalog, revealing how deep Young’s music runs in the bloodstream of modern rock.
The Poets and the Rebels
Michael Stipe of R.E.M. chose “Pocahontas,” a track from 1979’s Rust Never Sleeps. Stipe recalls seeing Young perform it at the Hollywood Bowl one night in Los Angeles:
“He did this amazing song about Marlon Brando and Pocahontas and it blew my mind. I called Peter [Buck] afterwards and said, ‘He did this song I’ve never heard before!’ Peter laughed and said, ‘Michael, that’s one of his best-known songs.’”
That revelation sums up Young’s reach: even those who thought they knew him keep finding something new.
For Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine, Young’s “Hey Hey My My (Into The Black)” was formative—loud, distorted, and alive with danger. Morello once nervously suggested to Neil that he open his set with it instead of closing.
“Neil looked at me like, ‘Son, I’ve been writing setlists before you were born,’” Morello recalled. But then, to his shock, Young did open the show with it. “It was awesome. I was yelling, ‘Hey, I suggested this!’ Nobody believed me.”
Rebellion meets reverence—exactly the tension that defines Neil Young’s best work.
The Emotional Core
Many artists found their emotional compass in Young’s quieter songs. Sammy Hagar picked “After the Gold Rush,” calling it “extremely special and from a very deep place.” He added,
“When you’re standing in front of Neil Young, he can be intimidating—so intense and so real. Scorpios are like that, and Neil is a Scorpio.”
Dave Matthews echoed that sentiment, also choosing “After the Gold Rush,” describing it as a “lullaby for a breaking world”:
“He paints a perfect picture of despair, rejoicing, ruin, escape, and fear… He may have peers but there’s no better songwriter that ever lived. It’s not possible.”
Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes went with “New Mama,” a song she calls ancient and rule-breaking. “There is no format or songwriting rules to follow,” she said. “That’s what makes Neil so brilliant.”
Jim James of My Morning Jacket picked the luminous “Harvest Moon,” recalling the honor of singing it with Young himself:
“It was the first song of his I ever heard—the song that changed my life and cracked open the door to what is possible in this world just a little bit wider, to let the moonlight in, and we danced.”
The Witnesses to History
A few choices came from artists whose lives intersected with Neil’s in history-shaping ways. Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo chose “Ohio,” written in the aftermath of the Kent State shootings in 1970.
“I was a student there when the National Guard shot and killed four protesters. Neil’s response captured the raw emotion of that moment and gave voice to what so many of us were feeling. That song shaped my worldview and inspired the formation of Devo.”
That story alone is a reminder of how Young’s protest songs did more than soundtrack an era—they defined it.
The Dreamers and the Storytellers
Frank Black of the Pixies called “Winterlong” “one of the greatest pop songs ever,” comparing it to “Duke of Earl” and Roy Orbison. Its elegance and casual perfection, he said, make you feel like you’ve “lived the chorus a few times before you get there.”
Matt Berninger of The National chose “Without Rings,” a deep cut from 2000’s Silver & Gold:
“I know I’ve copied it—or at least been inspired by it.”
Matt Quinn of Mt. Joy picked “Out on the Weekend,” finding solace in its lonely-boy lyrics when he first moved to Los Angeles. “It feels powerful to know great songs can be very simple but express a feeling,” he said.
Maggie Rogers reached back to a live 1970 performance of “Cowgirl in the Sand” from Carnegie Hall:
“It haunts me. I first heard it walking through knee-deep snow in Cambridge, and I’m transported there every time. The audience isn’t sure what song it is at first—they wait to clap until the lyric begins. That’s magic.”
The Musicians’ Musician
Several guitarists paid tribute to Neil’s raw, unmistakable sound. Kim Thayil of Soundgarden singled out “Cinnamon Girl,” saying, “I just love that riff. Ever since I first heard it, it was like, ‘Who is this? That’s Neil Young?’”
Dave Stewart of Eurythmics cited “Southern Man” and “Cowgirl in the Sand” as early inspirations:
“They were the first two songs I played because I loved the riffs.”
And Jeff Tweedy of Wilco summed up what makes Young so singular:
“Certain people have a built-in thing that helps establish individuality. For Neil Young, it’s his voice. He didn’t hide it or try to sing like someone else. There’s nobody that sounds like Neil Young.”
Molly Tuttle, one of bluegrass’s modern stars, chose “Helpless”:
“I’ve played it on stages around the world. It always transports me to an otherworldly, peaceful place. The imagery is so beautiful, and the lyrics full of nostalgia that pulls at my heart.”
Eighty Years of Neil
Eighty years after his birth in Toronto, Neil Young remains an artist who refuses to be categorized. Folk hero, electric outlaw, environmental activist, sonic experimenter—he’s all of it and none of it. His songs remain alive because they’re built from instinct, not polish.
As Stereogum’s survey shows, he’s influenced everyone from stadium headliners to indie introverts, from Kent State survivors to twenty-something dreamers trudging through the snow with headphones on.
For half a century, Neil Young has given musicians—and listeners—a road map for how to be uncompromisingly yourself.
Happy 80th, Neil. Keep on rockin’ in the free world.
