Never Gonna Give You Up was released by Rick Astley in 1987 and became one of the most famous bait-and-switch pranks on the internet, known as rickrolling, when disguised links in the late 2000s led unsuspecting viewers to the music video instead of the promised content. Synthwave remixes later gave the joke a new life, dressing the familiar chorus in retro electronic production popular with meme editors and streamers. The format endures because almost everyone recognises the hook instantly, so the surprise still works even when people expect it.