Rickrolling began as an internet bait and switch prank built around Rick Astley's 1987 hit Never Gonna Give You Up. The trick spread in 2007 when users on forums and early YouTube posted disguised links that led to the song's music video instead of the promised content. Astley's earnest delivery and the catchy pop chorus made the joke easy to recognise and hard to resent. Decades after its release, the short intro alone signals the prank instantly, keeping it alive in memes, streams and social posts.