How a 1987 dance-pop hit became the internet's most enduring bait-and-switch prank
In short: Rickrolling is a digital prank where users are tricked into clicking a disguised link leading to Rick Astley's 1987 music video. Originating on 4chan in 2007, this bait-and-switch phenomenon evolved from a niche joke into a global cultural staple, eventually revitalizing Astley's career and reaching over one billion YouTube views.
The phenomenon traces its roots to 2006, when 4chan users popularized 'duckrolling,' a bait-and-switch prank involving an edited image of a duck with wheels. On 15 May 2007, nineteen-year-old Shawn Cotter, an airman stationed in South Korea, uploaded the music video for Rick Astley’s 'Never Gonna Give You Up' to YouTube, disguising it as a trailer for the highly anticipated game Grand Theft Auto IV. Cotter, who discovered the song while researching popular tracks from his birth year, is widely credited with launching the meme.
Rickrolling exploded into the mainstream in 2008. The hacker group Anonymous utilized the song during protests against the Church of Scientology, while YouTube famously redirected all homepage links to the video for an April Fools' Day stunt. That same year, Astley was voted 'Best Act Ever' at the MTV Europe Music Awards via an online campaign, and he eventually embraced the meme by performing at the 2008 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Despite the song's massive viral success, Astley initially received minimal financial compensation, earning only about US$12 in performance royalties from YouTube by 2010.
The prank’s longevity is unique among internet memes. It has been deployed by political figures like Nancy Pelosi and the White House, used as a protest tactic against the Islamic State, and integrated into major film and television marketing. By July 2021, the official music video surpassed one billion views on YouTube. Astley, who once found the prank 'bizarre,' has since celebrated its role in his career, noting that the joke was never truly about him, but rather a shared, evolving piece of digital folklore.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Rickrolling
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