Watch Rick Astley’s reaction to the ‘Ted Lasso’ funeral scene
Ahead of his slot on New Kids on the Block’s The Mixtape tour, singer Rick Astley plays ’80s trivia with USA TODAY’s Melissa Ruggieri.
Entertain This!, USA TODAY
No, Mr. Astley, this isn’t a fake-out. You’re streaming royalty now.
British pop star Rick Astley, whose inescapable ’80s hit “Never Gonna Give You Up” found an unexpected renaissance in the digital age, has joined the ranks of Spotify’s “Billions Club,” according to a June 2 press release. The soulful synth-pop track, taken from Astley’s 1987 debut album “Whenever You Need Somebody,” has exceeded one billion streams on the music platform.
“I never could have imagined back in 1987 that ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ would still be going strong decades later,” Astley, 59, said in a statement. “Thanks to streaming platforms, a whole new generation has been able to discover music like mine. Reaching one billion streams is something I never dreamed of and to everyone who’s ever listened, thank you.”
The song, written and produced by the all-star dance-pop production team Stock Aitken Waterman, peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks and has sold five million copies to date.
In the late 2000s, “Never Gonna Give You Up” received an unlikely revival when the “Rickrolling” internet meme became a viral sensation. The digital prank consists of a bait-and-switch maneuver in which someone opens a disguised hyperlink containing the music video to Astley’s song. When the individual opens the link and is confused to discover the song, they have been “Rickrolled.”
Thanks to the “Rickrolling” effect, “Never Gonna Give You Up” earned tens of millions of YouTube views (the music video currently has 1.6 billion), was played at various sporting events and was even referenced on X, formerly known as Twitter, by The White House during the Barack Obama administration.
“I don’t know how my career would have turned out without Rickrolling,” Astley reflected in his 2024 memoir “Never.” “But it would be stupid to say it hasn’t ultimately done me a lot of good.”
While “Never Gonna Give You Up” remains Astley’s signature song, his other hits include “Together Forever,” “She Wants to Dance with Me,” “Cry for Help” and “It Would Take a Strong Man.” His most recent album, 2023’s “Are We There Yet?,” peaked at No. 2 on the charts in his native U.K.
Contributing: Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY
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