Never Gonna Give You Up was released by Rick Astley in 1987 and became a worldwide pop hit. Two decades later it became the centre of rickrolling, an internet bait-and-switch prank in which a disguised link promises one thing and plays Astley's song instead. The joke spread through forums, video sites and social media in the late 2000s, helped by how instantly recognisable the chorus is. It endures because the prank is harmless, the song is catchy, and new audiences keep discovering the trick for the first time.
About this sound
A clip of Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up used for rickrolling, surprising listeners who click expecting something else and hear the chorus instead.
This is the instantly recognisable opening and chorus of Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up, with its bright eighties drums, bouncy bassline and Astley's deep, confident vocal promising never to give you up or let you down. It begins like any ordinary link or video, then the familiar melody lands and the joke clicks into place. Listeners usually laugh, groan or sing along within seconds, because the song is so well known that the surprise is the point. It works best as a short, cheerful bait-and-switch, turning an expected reveal into a shared in-joke.
