Neil Young has surprisingly performed his song “This Note’s For You” for the first time in 28 years. The performance took place during a concert at Toronto’s Budweiser Stage on August 18, 2025.
Serving as a pointed critique of corporate sponsorship in music, the performance directly mocked the venue’s naming rights while referencing brands like, Budweiser, Pepsi, and Coca-Cola. These particular brands are targeted in the song’s thought-provoking lyrics.
Neil Young raised awareness in the midst of causing controversy
Originally released in 1988, the track was a response to artists licensing their music for commercials and corporate endorsements. The title famously parodied Budweiser’s “This Bud’s For You” slogan. The live rendition marked a significant moment, reigniting the song’s anti-corporate message on stage, after a long hiatus. The song is a direct critique of artists who allow their music to be used in commercials. This is a practice that Young has always viewed as a betrayal of artistic integrity.
The accompanying music video, directed by Julien Temple, parodied the advertising aesthetics of the era, including commercials for Michelob (featuring Eric Clapton), Pepsi (with a Michael Jackson impersonator), and Diet Coke (with a Whitney Houston lookalike), as well as the Calvin Klein “Obsession” campaign.
Neil Young’s music video raised eyebrows and still came out on top
The video was initially banned by MTV due to its product mentions, a move that Young criticized as prioritizing corporate sponsors over music. However, the controversy ultimately led to the video winning Video of the Year at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards. Beyond music, Young is an active advocate for environmental and social causes, including co-founding Farm Aid to support small-scale farmers.
To date, Neil Young has received numerous accolades throughout his career, including two inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: One as a solo artist in 1995, and another as a member of Buffalo Springfield in 1997. In 2010, he received the MusiCares Person of the Year Award for his artistic and philanthropic accomplishments. He has also won multiple Grammy Awards, including Best Rock Song for “Angry World” in 2011.
