A lot of online memes have come and gone over the years, but there’s one that people are never gonna give up:
Rickrolling is the not-so-subtle art of tricking someone into watching Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” video, which just topped 1 billion views on YouTube.
“That is mind-blowing,” Astley said on Twitter. “The world is a wonderful and beautiful place, and I am very lucky.”
Variety reported that just three other music videos from the 1980s have passed the 1 billion mark: “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses, “Take On Me” by A-ha and “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson.
Know Your Meme traced the rickroll to 2006 ― just a year after YouTube’s birth ― as explained in this video:
Astley said in 2016 that he learned about rickrolling when he became a victim of the prank himself.
″(He) sent me an email — he rickrolled me. It was a really long time ago. I know this guy really, really well. He’s one of my best friends,” Astley told the “Today” show. “Then he sent me another one. He just kept doing it.”
Calling all HuffPost superfans!
Sign up for membership to become a founding member and help shape HuffPost’s next chapter