Rick Astley’s ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ Rolls Past 1 Billion YouTube Views

I bought the single years ago. His first 2 singles went to #1. Glad he's still around.

He seemed like a one-hit wonder, but he was so good and it was such a good song. I wish he had delivered more music way back when.

He's still handsome too, R1!

I wonder if this "viral stunt" is making him any money?

I don't think it's a viral stunt, if it is, it's one of the most successful of all times because it's been going on for years on Reddit among other sites.

But I have always wondered how and if the original artist gets paid when their official or original video is played on YouTube. There's no way something like that would be in their original contract, but I have to think they are getting something.

The real story

Is the video monetized on YouTube? Who gets the money? The rando who uploaded it?

I think that's the way it works, R7.

More clicks on your video, the more you make.

There might be an exception though, if a record company owns the rights to the music. The person who uploaded the video has to put that on there, as a disclaimer.

In which case, they might not make any money from it.

Good for him. Always seemed like a nice guy.

[quote]I wonder if this "viral stunt" is making him any money?

Nope. It was written and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman.

I am not one of his fans, one hit wonder but he should get money from this. Uncool that you get made into a global joke and someone else profits from it. Sadly, I doubt he's getting a dime from it since it's not his Youtube channel and the song came out long before Youtube was around.

Why do you say he's a global joke, R11?

Rick thinks that having GenZ newly rediscover his songs, is pretty great.

The joke is about the goofy lyrics to a catchy song, it isn't about Rick himself as a person or a performer. It's all in good fun and fortunately Rick realizes that.

Vanilla Ice is a joke. Rick Astley is merely a singer of silly radio songs from the late 80s.

Embarrassed to admit but, back when cassettes were a thing, I bought the album (is it still an album if it's a tape??). I was into walking and aerobics back then; a lot of the songs on the tape were good for that.

Rick on Graham Norton talking about the video, and that trenchcoat.

His daughter told him "You, realize, this isn't about YOU." Guess he forgot.

He was a Northern soul singer packaged into Eurobeat pop star. It worked well.

I STILL laugh when I get Rickrolled.

He's more famous in the US than Kylie or Robbie Williams. He deserves credit for that.

He was one of the few SAW-produced acts that was the real deal in terms of talent and a vocalist. Donna Summer was another.

His daughter is very pretty. Looks a little like Melissa McCarthy.

Damn it! Rickrolled again!

I agree, R20.

She's gorgeous!

I bought Rick's first TWO cassettes...and I still have them!

R5 Rick Astley earns the money, his account uploaded the video

Oh my God, R23! How fun!

R23 Yes! I listened to Whenever You Need Somebody on my Sony Walkman on the bus ride to school.

Yes, I wore out that tape. Didn't care for the second cassette Hold Me In Your Arms. She Wants To Dance With Me was the only interesting song.

Super handsome R3

Rick Assy

Rick is HOT!

His daughter had to teach him about "Rickrolling."

Re-arrangement with Bastille.

R19 Pete Burns of Dead or Alive was good too. Underrated songwriter as well.

R29, see R15.

He was very cute and twinkish when young. I'm sure Pete Waterman tapped that.

I wonder if he has ever Rickrolled anyone... or was Rickrolled. hahaha

I've never before heard of a "one hit wonder" who had five top ten hits including two number ones.

The lack of cultural literacy among street level homosexuals today is repellant.

Nice voice.Nice guy.

R35, people often forget. Most people don't have encyclopedic knowledge of music. Yes, calling Rick a one hit wonder is incorrect, but it's not surprising. Even those VH1 One Hit Wonder shows labeled some acts as one hit artists when yes, technically, they had a strong follow up hit but most people dont remember the secondary hits. A good chunk of music is lost through time.

One hit wonder is a term that's almost always wrongly used in everyday conversation because most people aren't technical about charts, they just go by what they remember. I consider MC Hammer a one hit wonder. Was he? Idk, I think he had more. But sometimes one song majorly overshadows everything else, especially through a nostalgic lens

Yes, I get it, but Rick didn't have one big hit and then a number 11. That many top ten hits and another number one, FFS, do not make a one hit wonder. It's on the person who uses that term to justify their stupidity.