Rickrolling
Rickrolling is an internet meme in which online users are tricked into clicking a link to the song "Never Gonna Give You Up", a 1987 single by English singer Rick Astley. It is a form of prank in which a person is unexpectedly met with the catchy 1987 synth-pop hit, in lieu of what they were actually seeking. Instances of rickrolling peaked in 2008, although the meme continues until today. It has even revitalized Rick Astley's career, with his other major hits, "Together Forever" and "Hold Me in Your Arms", experiencing a major resurgence in streams.
History[edit | edit source]
Origin[edit | edit source]
Rickrolling first emerged as a variant of an earlier 4chan meme called "Duckrolling", wherein users would be tricked into clicking a hyperlink to a picture of a duck with wheels on it, hence the term, "duckrolling." User cotter548 had tricked 4chan users into clicking a link to what was supposed to be a trailer to Grand Theft Auto IV, but was instead Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up."
The meme quickly spread beyond 4chan, and was even featured on an episode of Family Guy, which would normally spell doom for a nascent internet meme. Despite Seth MacFarlane's attempted kiss of death, the meme has nevertheless persisted.
Mainstream appearances[edit | edit source]
In 2008, Rick Astley made a surprise appearance in the 2008 Macy's Day Parade, hiding inside the Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends float. His lipsynced cover of "Never Gonna Give You Up" was considered the largest rickroll in history, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.[citation needed]
In 2015, members of Anonymous rickrolled the Islamic State by hacking into ISIS websites, replacing terrorist propaganda with a computer virus which would instead play "Never Gonna Give You Up", a song not considered acceptable in the strictest interpretations of Islamic jurisprudence.
In 2017, the Foo Fighters brought Rick Astley to perform a mashup of "Never Gonna Give You Up" and "Smells Like Teen Spirit", two songs which are noticeably different from one another. Fans at the Tokyo Concert met Astley's appearance with mild amusement and a measure of enthusiasm somewhat unusual to the Japanese.
In 2018, rickrolling reached its lowest point, when it was referenced in the marketing for the Disney animated sequel, Ralph Breaks the Internet.
COVID-19 resurgence[edit | edit source]
The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent global quarantines led people to seek comfort in the memes and traditions of the past, in memories of a time which seemed simpler and lamer. Rickrolling, which had long since been considered a "stale meme" only brought back by lazy corporate interns, found new appreciation among both nostalgic Millenials and Zoomers, who were rediscovering classic songs from the 80's through the app Tiktok.
The 4K remaster of the original music video now has over 1.7 billion views, as of December 2025.
Impact[edit | edit source]
Rickrolling, unlike other bait-and-switch memes like Meatspin or Lemon Party, is generally seen as an innocuous prank, and Rick Astley himself has gained many new fans who would've otherwise never listened to his oeuvre. The song, which was only a minor hit in its heyday, has also contributed to the ongoing, newfound appreciation of 80s music, a phenomenon which has otherwise long overstayed its welcome.
