Photo of Rick Astley
Photo: Alterna2 http://www.alterna2.com · CC BY 2.0

Solo Artist

Rick Astley

Active1985-present
OriginNewton-le-Willows, Lancashire, England
Albums9
Tracks101

Most frequent collaborator: Gary Stevenson  ·  32 tracks

PopDance-popSoul
73%
Authorship
Songwriter

Holds writing credit on 74 of 101 tracks

Did Rick Astley write his own songs?

Not at first. Rick Astley's famous 1980s hits, including 'Never Gonna Give You Up' and 'Together Forever,' were written and produced by the hit team Stock Aitken Waterman, with Astley as the voice rather than the writer. That changed on his comeback albums, especially 50 (2016) and Beautiful Life (2018), which he largely wrote and self-produced.

By the Numbers

9
Studio Albums
101
Tracks Credited
73%
Self-Written
about 40 million
Records Sold
41
Years Active
54
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 74 / 101 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 101 tracks: how many Rick Astley wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.

Rick Astley has a writing credit73%
52%
21%
27%
Sole author53tracks52%
Co-written21tracks21%
Outside writers27tracks27%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
Rick Astley's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 101 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)73%
Composer (music)73%
Producer62%
Performer100%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

Rick Astley's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.

avg 73%
40%
50%
73%
100%
100%
0%
100%
100%
100%
1987Whenever You Need Somebody
1988Hold Me in Your Arms
1991Free
1993Body & Soul
2001Keep It Turned On
2005Portrait
201650
2018Beautiful Life
2023Are We There Yet?
Early · 55% written
Mid · 62% written
Late · 100% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

45%
1980s
Whenever You Need Somebody, Hold Me in Your Arms
86%
1990s
Free, Body & Soul
46%
2000s
Keep It Turned On, Portrait
100%
2010s
50, Beautiful Life
100%
2020s
Are We There Yet?

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where Rick Astley sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.

Rick Astley
Other artists on the site

Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.

Whitney Houston5%
Backstreet Boys25%
NSYNC41%
Michael Jackson51%
Cyndi Lauper60%
Pink85%
Madonna95%
73%Rick Astley
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

Never Gonna Give You Up
Whenever You Need Somebody
Written by Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, Pete Waterman, Michael Stock, Matthew James Aitken, Peter Alan Waterman
Outside writers
Whenever You Need Somebody
Whenever You Need Somebody
Written by Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, Pete Waterman, Michael Stock, Matthew James Aitken, Peter Alan Waterman
Outside writers
Together Forever
Whenever You Need Somebody
Written by Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, Pete Waterman, Michael Stock, Matthew James Aitken, Peter Alan Waterman
Outside writers
It Would Take a Strong Strong Man
Whenever You Need Somebody
Written by Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, Pete Waterman, Michael Stock, Matthew James Aitken, Peter Alan Waterman
Outside writers
She Wants to Dance with Me
Hold Me in Your Arms
Written by Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, Pete Waterman, Michael Stock, Matthew James Aitken, Peter Alan Waterman
Outside writers
Take Me to Your Heart
Hold Me in Your Arms
Written by Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, Pete Waterman, Michael Stock, Matthew James Aitken, Peter Alan Waterman
Outside writers
Hold Me in Your Arms
Hold Me in Your Arms
Written by Rick Astley, Richard Paul Astley
Wrote it
Cry for Help
Free
Written by Rick Astley, Rob Fisher, Richard Paul Astley
Co-wrote
Move Right Out
Free
Written by Rick Astley, Rob Fisher, Richard Paul Astley
Co-wrote
The Ones You Love
Body & Soul
Written by Rick Astley, Dave West, Richard Paul Astley
Co-wrote
Hopelessly
Body & Soul
Written by Rick Astley, Rob Fisher, Richard Paul Astley
Co-wrote
Sleeping
Keep It Turned On
Written by Rick Astley, Chris Braide, Richard Paul Astley
Co-wrote
Keep Singing
50
Written by Rick Astley, Richard Paul Astley
Wrote it
Angels on My Side
50
Written by Rick Astley, Richard Paul Astley
Wrote it
Beautiful Life
Beautiful Life
Written by Rick Astley, Richard Paul Astley
Wrote it
Dippin My Feet
Are We There Yet?
Written by Rick Astley, Richard Paul Astley
Wrote it

Discography 9 albums

Covers all nine released Rick Astley studio albums (1987-2023). The unreleased album My Red Book (recorded 2008-2013) is omitted because it was never commercially released and has no published producer or per-track credits to verify.

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

Rick Astley101 tracks
GS32 PC13 CB11 BR11 SA10 MS9

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. GS Gary Stevenson · PC Peter Collins · CB Chris Braide · BR Ben Robbins · SA Stock Aitken Waterman · MS Mike Stock

The Writers & Producers Behind Rick Astley 6 key collaborators

GS
Gary Stevenson
Producer
Free / Body & Soul / Keep It Turned On32 tracks
PC
Peter Collins
Producer
Portrait13 tracks
CB
Chris Braide
Songwriter & Producer
Keep It Turned On11 tracks
BR
Ben Robbins
Producer
Keep It Turned On11 tracks
SA
Stock Aitken Waterman
Producer
Whenever You Need Somebody / Hold Me in Your Arms10 tracks
MS
Mike Stock
Songwriter
Whenever You Need Somebody / Hold Me in Your Arms9 tracks

The Authorship Story

Data Insight

Rick Astley's catalog tells a two-part authorship story. On his first two albums he was the voice of the Stock Aitken Waterman machine: most early tracks were written and produced by Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, and Pete Waterman, so his own name appears on only a handful of songs. From Free in 1991 onward the pattern flips. He co-writes, then writes, almost everything, and by his comeback records 50, Beautiful Life, and Are We There Yet? he writes, produces, and plays nearly every part himself. The composer column reflects this shift, moving from the SAW team's legal names early on to his own birth name, Richard Paul Astley, across the later self-made albums. The covers album Portrait is the clearest non-authored chapter.

Quick Facts

  • Signature hit'Never Gonna Give You Up' hit number one in more than 25 countries
  • Internet fameThe song became the basis of the 'Rickrolling' meme in 2007
  • Early hitmakersHis 1980s smashes were written and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman
  • Comeback controlWrote and self-produced much of his later albums 50 and Beautiful Life
  • Records soldAbout 40 million worldwide
  • Studio albumsNine, from Whenever You Need Somebody (1987) to Are We There Yet? (2023)

Creative Fingerprint

A singer who became a writer: Rick Astley's 1980s hits were written for him by Stock Aitken Waterman, but on his comeback albums he wrote and self-produced most of the material himself.

The Story

Rick Astley is an English singer-songwriter who became one of the biggest pop stars of the late 1980s as the breakout voice of the Stock Aitken Waterman hit factory. His 1987 debut single 'Never Gonna Give You Up' topped charts around the world, and his deep, soulful baritone made him an unlikely teen idol whose early records were written and produced almost entirely by the SAW team. After walking away from fame in the early 1990s, he rebuilt his career on his own terms, writing and producing the large majority of his later albums himself and playing most of the instruments. His 2016 comeback album 50 returned him to the top of the UK chart, and a new generation found him through the 'Rickrolling' internet phenomenon. His catalog traces a clear arc from outside-written pop idol to self-contained album artist.

Awards & Recognition

'Never Gonna Give You Up' reached number one in more than 25 countries (1987-1988)
Brit Award for Best British Single, 'Never Gonna Give You Up' (1988)
50 debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart (2016)

Frequently Asked Questions Rick Astley

Did Rick Astley write his own songs?
Not at first. Rick Astley's famous 1980s hits, including 'Never Gonna Give You Up' and 'Together Forever,' were written and produced by the hit team Stock Aitken Waterman, with Astley as the voice rather than the writer. That changed on his comeback albums, especially 50 (2016) and Beautiful Life (2018), which he largely wrote and self-produced.
Who wrote 'Never Gonna Give You Up'?
'Never Gonna Give You Up' was written and produced by Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, and Pete Waterman, not by Rick Astley. His 1987 debut single became a number one in more than 25 countries and, decades later, the centerpiece of the 'Rickrolling' internet meme.
What is Rickrolling?
Rickrolling is an internet prank that began in 2007 where a link that appears to lead somewhere else instead opens the music video for Rick Astley's 'Never Gonna Give You Up.' The meme gave the song a massive second life and reintroduced Astley to a new generation.
Did Rick Astley write his comeback albums?
Yes, largely. On his later albums 50 (2016) and Beautiful Life (2018), Astley wrote or co-wrote most of the songs and produced them himself, a sharp contrast to his Stock Aitken Waterman years. 50 became a UK number one album.
How many records has Rick Astley sold?
Rick Astley has sold approximately 40 million records worldwide. 'Never Gonna Give You Up' alone was one of the best-selling singles of the late 1980s and remains his signature song.
How many albums has Rick Astley released?
Rick Astley has released nine studio albums, from his 1987 debut Whenever You Need Somebody through Are We There Yet? in 2023. His career splits into a 1980s pop-idol era and a self-directed comeback from the 2010s on.
Who wrote 'Cry for Help'?
'Cry for Help' was co-written by Rick Astley himself with Rob Fisher for his 1991 album Free, as he began stepping away from the Stock Aitken Waterman sound. It became a top-ten hit in both the UK and US.
What was Rick Astley's comeback?
After stepping back from music in the 1990s, Rick Astley returned with the self-written album 50 in 2016, which debuted at number one in the UK. The comeback re-established him as a credible singer-songwriter rather than just a 1980s pop act.

Sources

Wikipedia: Rick Astley discography Wikipedia: Rick Astley Never Gonna Give You Up - Wikipedia