More than a billion people have officially been RickRolled.
The official video for Rick Astley’s 1987 smash hit “Never Gonna Give You Up” has crossed 1 billion views on YouTube.
As lasting as the song is, it’s hard to say that this happened for any reason other than the longest running joke in internet history, as people have spent the better part of the last two decades tricking people into clicking on the Rick Astley video in a joke that became affectionately known as the Rickroll.
“Amazing, crazy, wonderful!” said Astley a video posted to Instagram, saying “the world is a wonderful and beautiful place, and I am very lucky.”
While the joke peaked in 2008, when Astley Rickrolled the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade and the San Diego Padres interrupted the traditional playing of “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond with Astley’s hit instead, the joke has never died, with 2.3 million views coming on April Fool’s Day 2021 alone. The joke has even made its way into Fortnite culture, spanning multiple generations.
Astley celebrated his induction into the billion plays club with a limited 7-inch blue vinyl pressing of his biggest hit, but it’s already sold out.
Oh, and while you’re here, did you see what happened to the Burj Khalifa?
