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Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley reaches one billion views [video]

290 points| Sea-n | 4 years ago |youtube.com | reply

135 comments

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[+] nippoo|4 years ago|reply
Rick is one of the loveliest people in the business. I've had the pleasure of meeting him a couple of times when we've worked on shows together (as well as various members of his band) and he takes a genuine interest in everyone's lives, insists that his band and crew are put up in the same luxury hotels as him, etc. A rare gem in the industry!
[+] sillysaurusx|4 years ago|reply
Rick did a great AMA four years ago. A redditor asked him "Will you ever give me up?" and he said "Go fuck yourself." https://www.reddit.com/r/Music/comments/56cdgm/ama_im_really...

He seems like a neat person. His success is well-deserved.

[+] travisjungroth|4 years ago|reply
The commenter first said to Rick Astley “tell me to go fuck yourself” and then edited his comment.
[+] squarefoot|4 years ago|reply
From that same reddit:

> Really Rick Astley: "I'm rereading the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy AS WE SPEAK." ...

Ok, from now on I won't complain anymore if someone rickrolls me.

[+] ydnaclementine|4 years ago|reply
Not to steal views, but the 4k enhanced version is crazy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-YBDTqX_ZU
[+] bredren|4 years ago|reply
That is interesting. Some shots appear to have been done with modern equipment, like a new iPhone. In some shots the backgrounds give off that deep dream vibe.

Presumably all older media will eventually get updated to whatever contemporary standard exists. For example, the entire series of Saved by the Bell in 4k using the latest AI.

I wonder how long until we have 2D media that is turned into fully 3D experiences where you can go into the scenes and watch them from any angle.

Or to go further, the characters are aware of your presence and will go off script based on your actions. Seems almost within reach.

[+] TomVDB|4 years ago|reply
This video gives me some serious uncanny valley-like vines. It looks like all moving characters have been photoshopped on top of their environment.
[+] tbyehl|4 years ago|reply
Gives me hope that some day we can give the ST:TNG treatment to other 90s Sci-Fi that was unfortunately shot on tape and Video Toaster'd.
[+] interestica|4 years ago|reply
Agreed. Crazy. Was this just created from the 720 version??
[+] fotta|4 years ago|reply
The thing I love about rickrolling is that I genuinely love the song too. It's so catchy I end up listening to it through anyway.
[+] zinckiwi|4 years ago|reply
and so do I
[+] paxys|4 years ago|reply
I'm surprised it took this long. How many seconds do you have to watch a video before YouTube counts it as a view? There are definitely a lot of frustrated people out there who would have closed the tab immediately after getting rickrolled.
[+] codetrotter|4 years ago|reply
They ought to special-case the rickroll video because of this and count any page load for the rickroll URL as a view for the video :D
[+] rasz|4 years ago|reply
Afaik zero. YT assumes autoplay is always enabled and counts a view as soon as link is visited.
[+] rhizome|4 years ago|reply
I do think "views" in the title and story should be scare-quoted.
[+] ibejoeb|4 years ago|reply
Would have been a quality submission even if it hadn't actually reached a billion views.
[+] peterburkimsher|4 years ago|reply
To my surprise and amazement, 1 billion still isn't enough to reach the top 30 List of most-viewed YouTube videos.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most-viewed_YouTube_vi...

Highlights:

In December 2012, "Gangnam Style" became the first video to reach one billion views.

1. "Baby Shark Dance" Pinkfong Kids' Songs & Stories 9.04 billion

[+] sundvor|4 years ago|reply
Wow, Take On Me doesn't even hit that list. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djV11Xbc914

Maybe it's because it's the 4k remaster, only out for 11 years? Nonetheless, it's got a couple of hundred views from this household - but tuning more into the acoustic one now which is a masterpiece - and was also featured in Deadpool 2 (sadly not prominently in the Disney Plus version). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xKM3mGt2pE

Sorry a bit OT; it's kind of my lullaby for getting daughter to sleep, (trying to) sing along with Morten.

[+] User23|4 years ago|reply
Baby shark is arguably the most played song ever.
[+] mooreed|4 years ago|reply
Of all the random internet memes and love affairs. I am always grateful that the internet chose this one early on. It just as easily could have landed on Selena Gomez, or insert other artist who has catchy ear worms - but might not have aged so gracefully.
[+] weavie|4 years ago|reply
My daughter has recently discovered the joys of Rickrolling. She finds it hilarious. Especially when she managed to get her granddad recently. He didn't have a clue what was going on though..
[+] Dotnaught|4 years ago|reply
Is the video monetized? And if so, how much has one billion views brought in?
[+] yoursunny|4 years ago|reply
Does the one billionth rickroll recipient receive an award of sorts, like an MP3 player that plays Never Gonna Give You Up on repeat?
[+] zamadatix|4 years ago|reply
And after 7 rickrolls it plays 1 "It's not unusual" before continuing on.
[+] nonameiguess|4 years ago|reply
I can't remember the exact number any more, but I was some big round number like a billion or something'th person to ever enter Disneyland, in I think 1989. They gave me a Sony Walkman.
[+] tyingq|4 years ago|reply
The sad irony of the link is that it no longer rickrolls anyone because of the mandatory pre-roll ad. You have plenty of time to see what video you're about to see.
[+] thom|4 years ago|reply
Rick Astley headlined a festival in the UK over the weekend. A couple of nights before appearing on the main stage he randomly appeared unscheduled in another tent to do a small set. I choose to believe this counts as rickrolling.
[+] sethammons|4 years ago|reply
my favorite rick roll, and I'm not even sure how to find it, was this long elaborate story / post. It was about a guy accidentally picking up a prostitute and confusing her offer for a pb&j sandwich and getting pulled over and trying to explain this all to the cop. At the end, you are told to go read the first word of every line (or sentence, I forget).... "never gonna give you up...". Got me good.
[+] laumars|4 years ago|reply
When I moved house literally the first post I had sent to me at my new address was Rick Astleys album. Took me years to find out who Rickrolled me IRL too.
[+] salimmahboubi|4 years ago|reply
I have been Rickrolled countless times; I have willingly watched it many times, I'm surprised it isn't the most watched video on YouTube
[+] Austin_Conlon|4 years ago|reply
In middle school I set the video as my AIM status, then someone in a grade above me messaged me with a rant about how it wasn't funny.
[+] arduinomancer|4 years ago|reply
Was anyone here around when the song was first released?

Always wondered what people thought of it back then

[+] yabatopia|4 years ago|reply
It was received as a typical Stock, Aitken and Waterman product, very, very, very similar to Jason Donovan, Mel&Kim, Kylie Minogue and the likes. It was like a train of one hit wonders: one smash hit, a few less popular songs and then forgotten. By the end of the eighties, most people had enough of the Stock, Aitken and Waterman formula. And then for some reason, Rickrolling happened.
[+] chiph|4 years ago|reply
I was more into Duran Duran and the Thompson Twins at the time, but it was a catchy song, and I would find myself humming along. I was amazed as everyone else when it got a second life via the internet.
[+] bestouff|4 years ago|reply
I was 14, in France, and as others said it was a hit like many others, even if a catchy one. I also don't know why Rickrolling took off but I distinctly remember the feeling of surprise, then joy the first times it happened to me. Being tricked plus the nostalgia feeling gave me really good vibes about this, I guess it was the same for many people and why it worked so well.
[+] dave_sid|4 years ago|reply
Eh yeah! The charts were full of that kind of thing so seemed kind of normal.
[+] BurningFrog|4 years ago|reply
It was one of many pop hits of the time.

If I remember right, I mildly enjoyed it.

[+] Mountain_Skies|4 years ago|reply
I thought it was "cheesy" but the cute girl who sat behind me in homeroom loved it so I didn't give her too hard of a time about it.
[+] rnd0|4 years ago|reply
I was but punk and metal were more my thing, so I ignored it along with Tiffany, Poison, and Belinda Carlisle...

No one seemed to play it anywhere in Seattle that I went to, for whatever it's worth.

[+] mr_toad|4 years ago|reply
Back then I was a teenager and I would have told you exactly what I thought of it.