Posted on 01/09/2026 3:14:15 PM PST by nickcarraway
Rick Astley will always be grateful for his smash hit single Never Gonna Give You Up — and he has come to terms with the fact it'll be the track he'll always be remembered for.
The 59-year-old singer topped the charts all over the world with the 1987 song, which was written and produced by legendary pop trio Stock Aitken Waterman and included on his 15 million copies selling debut LP Whenever You Need Somebody.
Almost 40 years later, Never Gonna Give You Up remains a constant on the radio and online thanks to the Rickrolling internet meme, but Rick is fine with it and thankful to have had a hit that has endured for so long.
In an interview with the new issue of Classic Pop magazine, he said: "I mean, God bless that song. From the first time that Mike Stock sang it to me, I knew it was a banger. I've always felt that song's got stardust on it. I've always felt that song's got fairydust on it. I've never been embarrassed by it. But it was also strange, that record being so big [straight] off the bat. I never had the opportunity to go, 'What's going on?' I went from never having been on TV to being on TV every day, travelling all over the world."
Although he has accepted that Never Gonna Give You Up is the song that will define his career, Rick does wish that some of his other hits got a little bit of love.
He added: "I'm painfully aware that this song, that I did decades ago, is the thing that people are always going to remember me for, and I came to terms with that years ago. I just wish they'd always remember me for four or five other songs. Together Forever was also number one in the United States, but people never bring that one up."
The Rickrolling phenomenon began in 2007 and peaked in 2008 with the surprise appearance of Rick's music video pushing Never Gonna Give You Up to over a billion views on YouTube.
Rick was happy to embrace the Rickrolling phenomenon as he could see it was already huge and not going away.
He said: "It was happening anyway, you couldn't stop it. So I thought, 'Whatever, I'll run with this.'"
A few years later, Rick released his first album, titled 50, for over 10 years.
The LP — which was released to mark his 50th birthday, hence the title — topped the Official UK Albums Chart and was the start of Rick's career resurgence, something that felt like a "fairy tale" to him.
Rick — who wrote every song and played every instrument on the record — said: "I didn't make it for a record label, or even to be heard, really. I was making it for me. So the fact it was so successful... it was kind of like a fairy tale."
I remember Al Stewart saying much the the same thing about his biggest hit, "Year of the Cat". His other big hit was, "On the Border".
I remember Al Stewart saying much the the same thing about his biggest hit, “Year of the Cat”. His other big hit was, “On the Border”.
“Time Passages” is my favorite.
Dang, how did I fail to mention that one? After "Year of the Cat" it is my favorite.
“AI Overview
Rick Astley Bounced Back to Fame Thanks to the “Rickrolling ...
While exact figures vary, Rick Astley’s net worth is estimated to be around $20-$25 million, boosted significantly by his enduring hit “Never Gonna Give You Up,” which went viral again via the “Rickrolling” meme, and continued music sales and performances, with his classic song recently hitting 1 billion streams on Spotify. “
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Don’t complain too much, Rick. Yeah, it is a little weird and maybe unsatisfying. But $20 Mill is $20 Mill.
Hahahahaha...that is an awesome anecdote! Never heard that one!
The 80’s music was some of the best ever recorded. When my X was pregnant with our youngest, we would sit up and watch MTV for hours because she couldn’t sleep.
You ever been Rick rolled? Then you’ll know why.
I guess Rick Astley will be the last person on earth to ever get the joke.
You are not kidding! And the best thing about the 80s — the diversity of music. You had Peter Gabriel with his amazing output — from Melt, Security, and the sublime So — to the quirky one hit wonders like Sigue Sigue Sputnik (Love Missile will always be such a trip.)
I discovered Peter Murphy and the Cure, and went into my Goth rabbit hole (and I’ve met a lot of amazing people who are goth conservatives, which is a trip in itself.)
Then the sterile, stupid 90s came along, with all the NIN clones and the corporate hippies.
OK, played it on YT, and now remember it. Rush used it sometimes as ‘Bumper Music’.
Loved it! Rick has a great voice. I didn't know he played guitar, too.
Exactly. Be glad you had the one hit. You never know when a movie, such as “Guardians of the Galaxy,” will pick up your song and make you #1 again. Think Redbone’s “Come Get Your Love.”
BTW, around 1975 was in Hollywood with my band. Our mgr got us tickets to a “press party” for a new group, “Ace,” just out with a hit single, “How Long (has this been goin’ on)”. Long story short, I saw first hand why they were a one-hit wonder. They were terrible.
I can’t imagine anyone would want to partner back up with Morrisey. He seems to be an insufferable prick as every time he is back on stage there are all new musicians backing him up.
Not only a one hit wonder, but a long afterlife as a cultural meme. That’s like winning the lottery odds.
Sort of like Vanilla Ice. He even now hosts the classic Jim Carrey parody of Ice Ice Baby on his video channel.
Yeah, I like some of Morrissey’s music, but he is quite the prat.
I rather like a lot of the music from my elder sibling’s generation. To wit; The songs of Gilbert Sullivan. Quirky lyrics and chord changes. Yet he is remembered for only one song - “Alone again, naturally”.
Yet he is remembered for only one song - “Alone again, naturally”.
Or “Clair”
“Alone again, naturally” is, lyrically, an extremely well crafted song and, IIRC, won a Grammy for Song of the Year in early 70s.
I think Vanilla Ice performed at Mara Lago a few weeks back.
I really want ICE to blast out his song as they clean up the streets.
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