Rickroll

The sheer absurdity of being tricked into watching a cheesy 80s music video evokes laughter and a sense of shared experience, making it irresistible to share.

Rickrolling is the ultimate bait-and-switch prank that redirects you to Rick Astley's iconic music video.

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Never Gonna Give You Up

— Rick Astley in his 1987 hit song 'Never Gonna Give You Up', which became the centerpiece of the rickrolling meme.

People share disguised links that seem relevant but lead to the 'Never Gonna Give You Up' music video. For example, someone might say, 'Check out this shocking news article!' and link to the video instead.

Rickrolling began on 4chan as a twist on an earlier prank called duckrolling. The first known instance of the bait-and-switch occurred when YouTuber Erik Helwig prank-called a radio station in August 2006, playing 'Never Gonna Give You Up' over the phone.

1. 2006-08YouTuber Erik Helwig prank-called a radio station, playing 'Never Gonna Give You Up'.
2. 2007-05YouTuber Cotter548 uploaded the video 'Rickroll'D', marking a key moment in the meme's spread.
3. 2008-02'Never Gonna Give You Up' was played during the Project Chanology protests against the Church of Scientology.

Rickrolling exploded in popularity after a YouTube video titled 'Rickroll'D' was uploaded on May 15, 2007. It became a cultural phenomenon, especially during the 2008 Project Chanology protests, where the song was played to mock the Church of Scientology.