On Thursday (April 20), Twitter began removing the blue check marks from all non-paying verified legacy accounts.
Videos by American Songwriter
Official accounts of countless, high-profile artists, including The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Tom Petty, David Bowie, Lionel Richie, Mariah Carey, Robert Plant, Led Zeppelin, Beyoncé, and Fleetwood Mac among others, are no longer showing up as verified, “blue-checked” accounts on Twitter.
The checks formally authenticated the accounts of public figures, including musicians, athletes, politicians, and journalists. CEO Elon Musk started to remove the check marks unless users subscribe to Twitter Blue, which costs $8 per month.
“I honestly don’t know anything about all this blue checkmark stuff,” wrote guitarist Joe Bonamassa after losing his check. “To be honest there are so many impersonators on both Twitter and Instagram that a check mark won’t make a difference.”
The Monkees‘ Micky Dolenz also seemed unbothered by the removal. “Blue check gone,” wrote Dolenz. “It’s become meaningless anyway.”
While some artists seemed indifferent or oblivious to the change in their status on the social media platform, which accounted for 368 million active users worldwide in 2022, according to Statista, others expressed some concern over their unverified status.
“Blue check gone,” wrote Dave Davies (The Kinks). “This is my only Twitter account.”
In response to Davies’ post, one fan listed several fake accounts using the artist’s name.
“Please get a blue tick on Twitter,” wrote one fan, along with a list of the other accounts. “Otherwise, this is what faces Kinks fans.”
At first, St. Vincent seemed puzzled by the disappearance of the blue check.“Where the F did my blue check go?” she wrote. Shortly after, she followed up with another tweet and added, “So you’re telling me I have to pay top dollar to be allowed into a new velvet rope circle of hell? I thought our brilliant collective musings, time, attention, and the depression/anxiety resulting from said attention were the payment.”
Though most artists had their checks removed, including Adele, Nicki Minaj, Bruno Mars, Katy Pery, Sam Smith, Selena Gomez, Harry Styles, Megan Thee Stallion, Demi Lovato, and Lil Nas X, among others, the accounts for Eric Clapton, Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Cardi B, Morgan Wallen, Miley Cyrus, and Red Hot Chili Peppers, have retained their verified account status.
It’s unclear whether they are paying the new Twitter Blue subscription fee or if Musk funded their accounts. In a recent tweet, Musk said he would fund the blue checks of some verified accounts.
Mötley Crüe‘s Vince Neil still has a verified account, while bandmates Tommy Lee and Nikki Sixx lost their blue check. “Oh nooooooo my blue check is gone?” wrote Lee, along with a gif of actor Woody Harrelson sobbing. “How on earth will I ever survive?”
Check out more reactions in music to the unverified accounts on Twitter below.
Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images
