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British pop artist Rick Astley had a reason to celebrate on Monday as his iconic song “Never Gonna Give You Up” achieved an impressive milestone.
“Who would have thought that after all these years ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ would reach a billion streams on Spotify?” Astley expressed in a video posted to Instagram. “That’s one billion streams. Incredible! Thank you for your support and much love. Hope to see you all soon.”
Before concluding the video, he playfully added: “A billion and one, who knows?”
As of now, only 956 songs have reached one billion streams on Spotify. These tracks are available on the platform’s “Billion’s Club” playlist.
The pop-dance anthem, released in 1987, is from Astley’s debut album “Whenever You Need Somebody.”
Astley was merely 21 years old at the time.
The song was crafted by the songwriting and production trio Stock Aitken Waterman (Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, and Pete Waterman). It earned Astley the Brit Award for Best British Single the following year and dominated the charts in 25 countries, including the U.S.
In the late 2000s, “Never Gonna Give You Up” experienced an unexpected revival due to the internet phenomenon known as “Rickrolling.” This playful prank tricks someone into clicking a disguised link that leads to the music video for Astley’s famous track, and the unsuspecting victim is said to have been “Rickrolled.”
Shawn Cotter, often credited with creating the “Rickrolling” meme, told Vice in 2022 that he stumbled upon Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” while searching for songs from the year he was born.
“I started watching the video and right from the first moment—the drum intro, the foot tapping, the Rick Astley dance, and then his voice. His deep voice was unexpected for his appearance, and I instantly knew I wanted to turn it into a meme,” he shared.
Cotter’s humorous internet project, while lighthearted, brought renewed attention to a song that had faded from popularity, albeit inadvertently. The YouTube video for “Never Gonna Give You Up” has amassed 1.6 billion streams.
The track has also been a staple at numerous sporting events and was even performed at the White House during the Obama administration.
While “Never Gonna Give You Up” stands as Astley’s most significant hit, he has also released other popular songs including “Together Forever,” “She Wants to Dance with Me,” “Cry for Help,” and “It Would Take a Strong Man.”
Now 59, Astley continues to create music. In 2023, he launched his album “Are We There Yet?,” which reached No. 2 on the charts in the U.K. Last year, he unveiled a remastered edition of his third studio album, “Free,” featuring 18 bonus tracks, seven of which have never been released before.
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