Rick Astley “Try”

2018 marks the 30th anniversary of Rick Astley‘s entrance onto the international pop music scene. Stemming from the Fall 1987 release of his first album, Whenever You Need Somebody, in 1988 Astley hit the Top 10 on Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart with three songs, including the chart-topping hits “Never Gonna Give You Up” and “Together Forever.” Exactly 30 years ago right now, the third song from that trio, “It Would Take a Strong Strong Man,” was in the Top 20, having just peaked at number 10. And that’s just his success in the United States. “Never Gonna Give You Up” hit number one around the world from Canada to Austria to New Zealand.

Astley would eventually make nine appearances on the Hot 100 chart, with seven of those songs reaching the Top 40 and five hitting the Top 10, all stemming from his first four albums. Astley took eight years before releasing his fifth album in 2001 and his sixth in 2005. Then, after an eleven-year hiatus during which he became prominently connected with the phenomenon known as rick-rolling, Astley returned in 2016 with his seventh album, 50, which got its name from his turning 50 years old that year. Earlier this year, Astley released his eight album, Beautiful Life, and this past Friday, he released the album’s third single, “Try.”