Sunday, August 8, 2021

Sunday Music: Never Gonna Give You Up

 


No, you're not being Rick-rolled; I'm serious.

When you look like the test tube love child from the DNA of Howdy Doody, Richie Cunningham, and Anthony Michael Hall, and you still crank out a pop hit on your debut album that rockets to Number 1 in 25 countries by 1988, you've accomplished something noteworthy. The Vevo video above has a billion YouTube views (not too shabby for a guy who peaked 30 years before Taylor Swift arrived), and that's not counting the rick-rolled gazillions, which phenomenon pre-dates when this version was originally uploaded.

Rick (Don't call me Jon) Astley was such a good sport about the whole thing that he pitched in to rick-roll the entire world on live TV in person for the 2008 Macy's Thanksgiving Parade.

4 comments:

Swede said...

I remember this back then. I liked that he had a strong voice (compared to most pop singers), and sang in full voice.

Charlie said...

Love the 'Jane's Getting Serious' video. Have watched it almost everyday since it was posted.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut0O1Y_n24I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VsmF9m_Nt8
Adriano Celentano

John said...

For about a year, Pugsley would Rick-roll me at every opportunity. Alarm clock goes off? Never going to give you uuuupp . . .

The Overgrown Hobbit said...

Okay, I saw the original back in the day on MTV... How did I not notice the videographer was having the protagonist sing his plaint to the black bartender? Huh.(No shade on Mr. Astley. But... huh.)

Great tune. Great male voice.

This is a fun version: Don't hurt the camels!
https://youtu.be/ur560pZKRfg