You’d think that after all these years, we’d seen the extent of what Rickrolling could do. It turns out, however, that people are still finding new ways to prank the internet with that iconic Astley tune.
Over on X/Twitter, user Matty McTech posted about the video being “removed” from YouTube. As soon as people clicked the link, though, they were taken directly to it, in all its 80s glory. The video is not gone, not retired, and very much alive. Thus, we’ve all been rickrolled once again.
End of an era…
After 14 years and 1.7 billion views, YouTube removed the original Rick Roll.
https://t.co/BpDmQVJswD
Let your friends know. pic.twitter.com/FeaoKR6gdI— Matty McTech (@setupspawn) July 31, 2026
Honestly, this is such a brilliant Rickroll. Like, you’re walking people right into it with full knowledge of the clip. It’s not the standard bait-and-switch rickroll of the past.
It’s funny how many people have actually been got by this too. From one person saying “B***h why you lie I’m on it now,” to another adding, “Please tell me this is a joke. The Rick Roll is internet culture at its finest.”
The Legacy of Rickrolling
Rickrolling dates back to the early years of internet culture: 2006. It started on the image board site, 4chan, with users tricking their peers into clicking on links that went straight to Astley’s song.
Back in 2023, Astley offered some comments on Rickrolling, saying he ultimately believed it was beneficial to him. Specifically, it got him invited to perform at the Glastonbury festival. “Without my old songs and without the Rickrolling thing and people being aware of that video on the internet in the way that they are,” he said, per PEOPLE, “it’s got its own little universe almost — I wouldn’t have got the invite for Glastonbury.”
More recently, he spoke with Q‘s Tom Power about his initial feelings toward the online prank. However, his daughter made him realize it was more of an endearment than ridicule.
“She’s just like, ‘Don’t sweat it. It’s got nothing to do with you,’” Astley recalled in 2025. “I’m like, ‘Ex-squeeze me? What do you mean it’s got nothing to do with me? I’m the dude in the video! It’s my song.’ And she’s like, ‘Yeah, but that’s the internet. It’s got nothing to do with you.’”
Photo by Bernd Mueller/Redferns
The post Rickroll Forever: After All These Years, People Are Still Finding New Ways to Prank the Internet With Rick Astley’s Iconic 80s Tune appeared first on VICE.
