Rickrolling began around 2007 on the imageboard 4chan, where links promising one thing instead opened Rick Astley's 1987 single Never Gonna Give You Up. The bait-and-switch spread across forums, email chains and April Fools pranks, eventually pulling in millions of views and even Astley himself, who leaned into the joke with surprise live appearances. Nearly two decades on, the gag survives because the title trick still works: an innocent promise, a familiar drum beat, and instant recognition.