The Jerks is a rock band from the Philippines formed in 1979, and perhaps, is the original alternative rock and blues band in the country. The band has undergone a lot of member changes and notably a lot of the previous members of the band are now certified icons themselves in the music scene. Members like Chickoy Pura, Nitoy Adriano, Jun Lopito, Angelo Villegas, and others have carved names in their respective niches. Other performers who have played with the Jerks are former Put3ska drummer Brutus Lacano as a session musician, and drummer Benjie Santos.
Despite having been formed in 1979, they only released their debut record in 1994 entitled The Jerks Live, released under Gary Granada's Backdoor Records. It was recorded live at the legendary Mayric's bar and showcases the raw, passionate musicality of the band never before put into record. The Jerks also released a self-titled album in the late '90s.
By 1998, Star Music managed to convince the band to record a major label album called Haligi Ng Maynila, produced by ABS-CBN's Gabby Lopez, which gave the band the opportunity to reach a wider audience.