Never Gonna Give You Up was released by English singer Rick Astley in 1987 and became a worldwide hit. Two decades later, internet users began disguising links to its music video as links to something else, creating the bait-and-switch prank known as Rickrolling. The joke spread through forums, social media and video sites, helped by the song's catchy chorus and instantly recognisable opening. It has since appeared in pranks, live events and mainstream media, and remains popular because the reveal is familiar, harmless and funny rather than cruel.
About this sound
A short clip of Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up, the song behind the Rickroll prank, played when a promised link turns out to be a bait-and-switch joke.
This clip opens with the instantly familiar synth-pop intro of Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up before his smooth, upbeat vocal arrives, turning an ordinary moment into a knowing joke. Listeners recognise the melody within a second or two, and that recognition is the whole point: the surprise lands, smiles spread, and the prank feels harmless rather than mean. It sounds bright, polished and cheerfully eighties, with a driving beat and a chorus that almost everyone can sing along to. Played at just the right moment, it transforms confusion into laughter and makes the reveal feel like a shared in-joke.
