Rickrolling
Meaning
Rickrolling is an internet prank where someone is tricked into watching the music video for Rick Astley's 1987 song "Never Gonna Give You Up."
Origin
The mischievous roots of Rickrolling trace back to 2007, deep within the notorious /b/ board of 4chan, an anonymous imageboard. A user posted a link promising a new trailer for Grand Theft Auto IV, only to redirect unsuspecting clickers to Rick Astley’s iconic music video for "Never Gonna Give You Up." The prank quickly escalated, moving beyond 4chan to YouTube and other platforms, becoming a viral phenomenon. What started as a simple bait-and-switch grew into a global cultural touchstone, a harmless and often charming way to surprise and prank others, cementing Astley’s track as the anthem of unexpected internet hijinks.
Examples
- I thought I was clicking on an important news article, but it turned out to be another classic Rickrolling attempt by my friend.
- The IT department accidentally Rickrolled the entire company during the all-hands meeting when the presentation link went wrong.