Music Times believes that it's never too late to go back and try something old. Throwback Thursdays will go back and pull out an album that's at least 10 years old, so that you can find something new, or revisit something you've forgotten about.
Week of 2/6/14
Who: Rick Astley
What: "Never Gonna Give You Up," Whenever You Need Somebody
When: Aug. 3, 1987
Today, February 6, may be best known as the day in music history when reggae legend Bob Marley was born, and that's totally fine and good. Perfectly valid, at that. Marley's impact on musical culture is undeniable and should be celebrated. However, he shares a birthday with one other popular musician... one who has also deeply affected culture, albeit in a different way. Yes, February 6 is also the birthday of Rick Astley. And for this week's #ThrowBackThursday, it's time to get Rick Rolled.
Astley first burst onto the scene with "Never Gonna Give You Up" in the summer of 1987, a time that was really pretty odd for music. The singer himself is an oddity, a red-haired pasty white Englishman with the voice of someone with a ton of deep soul. And though the song may be funny now, it was a massive hit back in the day, hitting No. 1 in 14 countries, including the US, UK and Canada.
Shockingly, he then went on to have even MORE hits, including "Together Forever," "Whenever You Need Somebody" and "She Wants To Dance With Me." It may be hard to believe, but in the '80s, this Astley was a huge star.
Eventually, for the modern audience, he saw a resurgence in popularity with the introduction of "Rickrolling" in 2007, wherein an interesting-sounding link would eventually just lead a singer to Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" video. The meme eventually led to Astley performing the track at the 2008 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, eventually Rickrolling the entire nation.
So now, let's relive that wonder with "Never Gonna Give You Up." Enjoy.
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