Sometime in 2006, the site moderator, Christopher 'm00t' Poole, implemented a word filter replacing the word 'egg' with 'duck' as a gag. The use of the song for rickrolling dates to 2006, originating from the 4chan imageboard in an early meme known as 'duck rolling'. The accompanying music video, Astley's first, features him performing the song while dancing. The song, his solo debut single, was a number-one hit on several international charts, including the Billboard Hot 100, Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks, and the UK Singles Chart. 'Never Gonna Give You Up' appeared on Astley's 1987 debut album Whenever You Need Somebody. Since then, Astley has seen his performance career revitalized by the meme's popularity. Īstley, who had only returned to performing after a 10-year hiatus, was initially hesitant about using his newfound popularity from the meme to further his career but accepted the fame by Rickrolling the 2008 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with a surprise performance of the song. The meme gained mainstream attention in 2008 through several publicized events, particularly when YouTube used it on its 2008 April Fools' Day event. The video bait-and-switch trick grew popular on 4chan by 2007 April Fools' Day and spread to other Internet sites later that year. The meme grew out of a similar bait-and-switch trick called 'duck rolling' that was popular on the 4chan website in 2006. Astley himself has also been Rickrolled several times.

The meme has also extended to using the song's lyrics, or singing it, in unexpected contexts.

When victims click on a seemingly unrelated link, the site with the music video loads instead of what was expected, and they have been 'Rickrolled'. The meme is a type of bait and switch, usually using a disguised hyperlink that leads to the music video. Rickrolling or a Rickroll, is an Internet meme involving pranking an unexpected appearance of the music video for the 1987 song ' Never Gonna Give You Up,' performed by the English singer Rick Astley. Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up (Official Music Video)

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