Rick Astley's 'Never Gonna Give You Up' Named 'Worst 80s Drum Sound' in New List
When you think of the ultimate drum intros in music history, your mind probably goes to the thundering fills of Led Zeppelin, the driving beat of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean," or the iconic opening of U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday."
The music blog So Much Great Music tackled this exact topic with their comprehensive Best Drum Intro Songs Ever list. But while celebrating the greatest rhythmic openings to grace the airwaves, they couldn't help but take a side detour to hand out a less-coveted honor (among other noteworthy categories): a special mention for the "Worst '80s Drum Sound."
The "winner" of that title was Rick Astley's inescapable 1987 mega-hit, "Never Gonna Give You Up."
The Beat Behind Rick Astley's 'Never Gonna Give You Up'
Though the track is universally recognized today - thanks in no small part to its second life as the internet's favorite "Rickrolling" prank - the synthesized drum production apparently didn't sit well with the curators of the list. The heavy, machine-driven LinnDrum style of the late 1980s has always been polarizing, and Astley's signature track stands as a time capsule of that era's distinct sonic choices.
Ironically, it was that exact instrumental arrangement that originally won Astley over. Speaking about the track's inception, Astley recalled being smitten from the moment co-writer Mike Stock first sang it to him.
"I loved ‘Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now' by McFadden & Whitehead, and a lot of tunes with great strings," Astley told Billboard. "‘Never Gonna Give You Up' had that kind of vibe in the intro, so I was really excited about it. Yeah, that's pretty catchy."
'Never Gonna Give You Up' Dominated Charts
Bad drum mix or not, the world didn't care. Driven by Astley's remarkably rich, deep voice, the song achieved massive global success:
The debut single from his album Whenever You Need Somebody soared to No. 1 on the Official UK Singles chart in 1987. Remarkably, it hit the top spot before a music video was even filmed. "People bought into the record because of what they heard," Astley noted, "which I have always been proud of - rather than it being a hit because I had nice hair."
The track repeated its chart-topping magic across the Atlantic, crowning the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks beginning March 12, 1988. For a 22-year-old Astley, landing in a new country to find everyone already knew his name was nothing short of "amazing."
"Never Gonna Give You Up" launched a formidable run for Astley, who followed it up with another Stock, Aitken, and Waterman-produced No. 1 hit, "Together Forever." He would go on to secure three more Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles (including "She Wants to Dance With Me" and "Cry for Help") before stepping away from the industry in the mid-'90s.
So, does it actually feature the worst drum sound of the 1980s? That's up for modern listeners to debate.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 31, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published May 31, 2026 at 12:51 PM.