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Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up Has Been Streamed One Billion Times On YouTube

Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up Has Been Streamed One Billion Times On YouTube

After being added to YouTube back on 25 October 2009, it has now garnered a whopping one billion views on the platform

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

Rick Astley's 'Never Gonna Give You Up' has had one billion views on YouTube, and unsurprisingly the singer is absolutely buzzing. Check out his reaction here:

The song, which was released back in 1987, was the debut single for Astley and made him a household name.

It was a worldwide number one track and even became the best-selling single in the UK in 1987 - having stayed at the top of the chart for five weeks.

After being added to YouTube back on 25 October 2009, it has now garnered a whopping one billion views on the platform.

Astley took to Instagram to share his delight, writing: "1 BILLION views for Never Gonna Give You Up on @youtube! Amazing, crazy, wonderful!"

In an accompanying video, filmed from somewhere sunny, he said: "So I've just been told that 'Never Gonna Give You Up' has been streamed a billion times on YouTube.

"That is mind-blowing. The world is a wonderful and beautiful place, and I am very lucky."

Instagram/Rick Astley

In a later post, he announced he would also be releasing a limited signed blue vinyl of the single, saying: "To celebrate 1 billion views for Never Gonna Give You Up I'm releasing a limited & numbered 7" blue vinyl of the song, 2,500 of them and I'll be signing them all! Link in bio."

The song may have been a hit when it first debuted, but it's also become hugely popular in the internet age after it became the 'rickrolling' meme - which is a prank where 'Never Gonna Give You Up' pops up unexpectedly, sometimes using a hyperlink that leads to the music video.

According to a 2016 Associated Press report, Astley was originally annoyed by the idea of rickrolling.

However, he was later convinced by his daughter that it was a positive meme to be associated with, and that it had helped keep him in the spotlight decades after the song's release.

"The idea of me releasing a new record now - I need every bit of help I can get," he told AP.

PA

Agreeing that had been 'good' for him, he continued: "I think if you're doing anything like music or movies, there is so much competition.

"And also there have been some really, really clever things done with that song. It has not just been rick-roll. There have been so many different things.

"One of my favorites is they got (President Barack) Obama to sing 'Never Gonna Give You Up' (in a mash-up video) or say it at least, which I thought was brilliant.

"I mean, it's obviously somebody with too much time on their hands, but they also did that with Mad Men as well."

Featured Image Credit: RCA

Topics: Entertainment, Music, YouTube