Today Rick Astley celebrates the 35th anniversary of the release of “Never Gonna Give You Up”. One of the most recognizable singles of all time, “Never Gonna Give You Up”, was released on this day in 1987, the lead single issued from Astley’s landmark debut full-length, Whenever You Need Somebody. The single would quickly become a worldwide hit, charting at #1 in 25 different countries, including the United States. It topped the U.K. charts for five weeks, where it became the highest-selling single of 1987.
“Never Gonna Give You Up” has also just been certified five-times platinum in the United States by the RIAA. To celebrate the news and anniversary, fans can participate in a Spotify Canvas Competition this week. Fans are invited to film a video of themselves dancing like Rick, to be used as the visualizer canvas for the track while streaming it on Spotify. A different canvas will be featured each day this week.
Astley is enjoying a remarkable career resurgence. In May, he released a reissued and remastered 35th-anniversary edition of Whenever You Need Somebody, which led to key interviews and appearances, including Song Exploder, Questlove Supreme, a profile interview story with CBS Mornings, a surprise performance and interview on The Kelly Clarkson Show, plus USA Today, Associated Press, Consequence of Sound, Spin, Billboard, the Rob Brydon podcast and more. And just this past weekend he concluded the “Mixtape Tour” with New Kids on the Block, Salt-N-Pepa and En Vogue that visited 56 arenas across North America.
Astley returned to music in a big way in 2016, with 50. Entirely written, performed and produced by Astley, the album is certified Platinum, was a #1 UK hit that sold over 400,000 copies and led to performances on Good Morning America, a feature in the New Yorker and far beyond. Beautiful Life in 2018 followed, a top 10 UK release. Astley has since played with the Foo Fighters, made international headlines for performing the songs of The Smiths with Manchester band Blossoms and soundtracked a key late-season scene on Ted Lasso.
And while Astley continues to produce new music, the resonance of his debut recording never fades. Last year, “Never Gonna Give You Up” achieved a rare milestone in becoming one of 23 music videos from the pre-internet era to hit one billion views on YouTube. He has over six million monthly listeners on Spotify and is active on social media, where 2.9 million fans follow him on TikTok. In partnership with Jacqui and Kevin Hughes, Astley also recently launched BUB CLUB. The YouTube channel for pre-schoolers shows animations filled with original music and enhanced versions of classic nursery rhymes and songs. Astley is also co-writing and co-producing new songs for BUB CLUB.
The Deluxe Edition of Whenever You Need Somebody is now available. A brand new animated version of the ”Never Gonna Give You Up” video was also released tied to the reissue. Created by 50/50 Mediahouse, the animation lovingly recreates all of the most memorable moments from the original video. Watch BELOW:
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