Rick Astley Reflects on the Unlikely Success of “Rickrolling” in New Memoir

Rick Astley is known worldwide for his viral hit “Never Gonna Give You Up,” but the singer admits he never actually started the “Rickrolling” trend himself. The prank, which redirects users to his 1987 music video, took off in 2007 and has since become a cultural staple, amassing over 1 billion views on YouTube.

Astley’s track, which topped charts in the U.S. and U.K., gained new life when a YouTube user posted a link disguised as a video game trailer that led to the cheesy, catchy tune. The meme, dubbed Rickrolling, catapulted the pop star into the spotlight again, and it didn’t take long for Astley to become a pop culture icon once more.

In his new memoir Never: The Autobiography, released January 21, Astley opens up about his surprising return to fame. The singer, now 58, shares how his journey from teenage stardom, a brief “retirement,” and his reemergence through the viral meme shaped his career.

Astley reveals that while he has played along with the prank at live events, he’s never initiated it himself. “I’ve never really appreciated what it is,” he admits, explaining that his distance from the meme helped him handle its success. His teenage daughter even gave him advice to ignore it. “She said, ‘Don’t sweat it. It has nothing to do with you,’” Astley recalls.

Despite the meme’s overwhelming success, Astley embraces the song’s popularity and its role in reviving his career. “It introduced that song to a lot of people and a generation that would have no clue,” he says. "That’s kind of gold dust really."

Astley acknowledges that his success is partly due to luck. “There’s people who probably have more talent than me who didn’t get their goal for whatever reason,” he says, reflecting on the rare chance of having a life-changing hit record.

Now, Astley continues to perform “Never Gonna Give You Up” at the end of his concerts, grateful for the song's lasting legacy and its unexpected impact on his life and career.