Never Gonna Give You Up was released by Rick Astley in 1987 and became the centre of the rickroll prank in the late 2000s, when people shared disguised links that led unsuspecting viewers to the music video instead of the promised content. The joke spread across forums, social media and video platforms because the song was instantly recognisable and the surprise was harmless. Louder, boosted versions later appeared for Discord calls, streams and short videos, where the extra volume makes the familiar bait and switch feel more startling and still works because almost everyone knows the opening notes.