Rickrolling began as an online bait-and-switch prank in 2007, when misleading links promised one thing and instead played Rick Astley's 1987 hit Never Gonna Give You Up. The joke spread through forums, video sites and social media because the song was already famous enough for the switch to be instantly understood, yet cheerful enough to stay harmless. It later became a shared internet meme, appearing in livestreams, April Fools jokes and surprise appearances, and it still works today because new audiences keep discovering the trick while older viewers recognise it immediately.