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Les Paul Google Doodle Gets Rickrolled

Of course it did. Yesterday’s nifty Les Paul-inspired Google Doodle was put to good, familiar use by an artist named Joe Sabia, who is very gifted at remixing web videos. While I’m sure th...
Les Paul Google Doodle Gets Rickrolled
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  • Of course it did. Yesterday’s nifty Les Paul-inspired Google Doodle was put to good, familiar use by an artist named Joe Sabia, who is very gifted at remixing web videos. While I’m sure there were many different attempts at various songs, check out Josh’s article for some examples, Sabia was wise enough to record his creation.

    Sabia, as pointed out by Boing Boing, covers the unforgettable tune by Rick Astley, a song that was made even more famous by becoming an unforgettable meme. That’s right, you just got Rickrolled by a Google Doodle. Concerning the RickRolled phenomenon, KnowYourMeme.com has an extensive background:

    The bait-and-switch phenomenon had its beginning on imageboard site 4chan as a spin-off of an earlier practical joke known as duckrolling, in which an external link with a sensational title (i.e., a specific picture or news item) would be redirected to an edited image of a duck with wooden wheels.

    According to 4chan founder m00t, the “Rickroll” phenomenon began on /v/ (videogame board) circa May 2007[2], when someone posted a link to Rick Astley’s music video disguised as a sneak preview for the then newly released videogame Grand Theft Auto IV. Due to the the trailer’s high demand at that time, GTA fans on /v/ fell victim to the bait-and-switch prank and the joke became quite popular on 4chan. This account has been further corroborated by Wikipedia as well as Google Insights, which shows that search interest in “rickrolling” apparently began in April / May 2007.

    So yeah, you can blame 4chan, but if you do, do it quietly, lest you become a victim of an Anonymous-style DDoS attack.

    Here are a few other creative uses of the Les Paul Google Doodle, including “Stairway to Heaven” for all you Zeppelin fans out there.

    The Star Spangled Banner:

    Sad Song:

    The Godfather Theme:

    Imagine:


    Did we leave any out you might have enjoyed? Let us know in the comments.

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