Never Gonna Give You Up was released by Rick Astley in 1987 as a polished dance-pop single, but it became a global prank in the late 2000s when internet users began disguising links to its music video as something else entirely. The bait-and-switch, known as rickrolling, spread through forums, social media and video platforms, and later through April Fools jokes, live events and mainstream references. It endures because the song is catchy, instantly recognisable and harmless, making the trick feel like a shared joke rather than a genuine deception.
About this sound
The Rick Roll sound plays the opening of Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up, the classic internet prank used to surprise viewers expecting something else.
The Rick Roll sound is the instantly familiar opening of Rick Astley's 1987 hit Never Gonna Give You Up, usually the bright synth intro and the first confident vocal line that everyone recognises within a second. It sounds upbeat, polished and cheerfully earnest, which is exactly why it works as a joke: the listener expects a serious link, a shocking clip or an important announcement and instead gets a catchy pop chorus. The effect is immediate recognition followed by a laugh, a groan or a singalong, turning a trick into a shared in-joke that feels playful rather than mean.
