Caesars, Jerk It Out | 1 Hit WONDERful

In the 49^th edition of 1 Hit WONDERful (2025), we highlight “Jerk It Out” performed by Swedish indie rock band, Caesars. 

It only takes ONE hit to solidify a musical legacy 💯! On 1 Hit WONDERful, we highlight songs that were the SOLE hit by a given musician.  It is possible that the artists appearing on this list earned a minor hit or two, BUT for the most part, that ONE hit earned them recognition. So, in the 49^th edition of 1 Hit WONDERful (2025), we dive into “Jerk It Out”, the one-hit wonder by Caesars.

Ah, so begins “Jerk It Out” by the Swedish 🇸🇪 indie rock band, Caesars. Caesars comprises César Vidal (vocals), Joakim Åhlund (b. 1970, guitar and vocals), David Lindqvist (bass), and Nino Keller (drums). “Jerk It Out” is the sixth track from their third album, Love For The Streets, released in 2002. “Jerk It Out” earned success throughout the world to varying degrees.  In the United States, it modestly impacted the pop charts, peaking at number 70 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Even though it never came close to the top 40, eventually, the single was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. While “Jerk” was the band’s only hit stateside, it was a good one! Joakim Åhlund penned it and produced it with Phat Fabe. Notably, it samples the drums from “Mary, Mary” by The Monkees.

“Jerk It Out” stands out from the first time you hear it.  The sound of the record embraces old-school, garage rock with some vintage sounds.  The indie vibes are turned up, and we wouldn’t have it any other way! ‘That recurring riff’ is inescapable and infectious, part of the charm of the record.  The distorted guitar is also kind of a big deal, not to mention those pummeling drums that. César is locked in vocally, bringing the lyrics to life in all their glory. “Shut up, hush your mouth, can’t you hear, you talk too loud,” he sings in the second verse, and adds, “No, I can’t hear, nothing ‘cause I got my head up in the clouds.” Woo! Beyond the striking lyrics from the two verses, the pre-chorus and chorus are a blast. “You feel it runnin’ through your bones,” Vidal sings in the pre-chorus, and adds in the chorus, “And you jerk it out, when you jerk it out.” Word.  The final chorus adds some extra spice, all centered around, you guessed it, jerking it out! Caesars may have only struck gold once, but “Jerk It Out” is one of those truly unforgettable indie rock gems from the 2000s.  More than two decades later, that sugar, honey, iced tea still slaps!

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Caesars » Love For The Streets » Woah Dad / Telegram Music / Warner Music Sweden AB » 2002

Caesars, Jerk It Out: 1 Hit WONDERful No. 49 (2025) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Woah Dad / Telegram Music / Warner Music Sweden; Antoni Shkraba, KoolShooters, Pavel Danilyuk, Photo By: Kaboompics.com, RDNE Stock project from Pexels; AcatXIo, OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay]

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