Top 10 Maroon 5 Songs

Photo: Justin Higuchi from Los Angeles, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Maroon 5 is a pop/rock/neo soul band. The band is from Los Angeles, California. The original members were Adam Levine (lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist), Jesse Carmichael (keyboardist and rhythm guitarist), Mickey Madden (bassist) and Ryan Dusick (drummer). They originally called themselves Kara’s Flowers. The band got together when they were in high school. They went the independent route when they released their debut album.

Maroon 5 self-produced their first album called We Like Digging. After they did their independent album, they were signed to Reprise Records. They released the album The Fourth World in 1997. The album didn’t do well on the charts. It was a flop. The label dropped the band. The band decided to put their education before their music. Music was in their blood and they decided not to give up on music.

In 2001, they renamed themselves Maroon 5. A fifth member was added to the band. James Valentine (lead guitarist) joined the band. They signed with Octone Records and released Songs About Jane in 2002. This CD was more successful than their previous albums. This album contains the hit songs “Harder To Breathe,” “This Love” and “She Will Be Loved.” The album has sold over 4 million copies.

They won a Grammy for best new artist. Unfortunately, they lost another member of the band. Ryan Dusick left the band because he had injuries. He was replaced with drummer Matt Flynn. They released their second major album in 2007 titled It Won’t Be Soon Before Long. It debuted at number one on the charts. It features the hit single “Makes Me Wonder.” This is their first number one single.

In 2010, the band released their third album Hands All Over. Maroon 5 dealt with mixed reviews from critics when they released this album. They decided to re-release the CD and include the hit single “Moves Like Jagger.” This was another number one single for the band.

Maroon 5 had similar roster changes to Destiny’s Child. The band lost another member. Jesse Carmichael left the band in 2012. He was replaced with keyboardist PJ Morton. They released their fourth CD Overexposed in 2012. The CD features the number one song “One More Night.” It was on the charts for nine weeks. In a strange turn of events, Carmichael returned to the band. The band changed labels again. They joined Interscope and Levine’s record label 222 Records.

Maroon 5 released the CD V in 2014. This CD debuted at number one on the charts. The band went through another band member change. It is a revolving door for them. Bassist Sam Farrar joined the band in 2016. The band now consists of six members instead of five. They released their sixth album Red Pill Blues in 2017. It contains the hit single ”Girls Like You.” In 2019, they released the single “Memories.” It reached number one on iTunes and peaked at number 22 on the charts.

Lead singer Adam Levine decided to moonlight as a judge on the reality show The Voice. Fans of the band were worried that the band was breaking up when he was on the reality show. He remained with the band while he was on the show. He was a judge for a remarkable 16 seasons. He decided to leave the show in order to spend time with his family.

Maroon 5 is not a band you would immediately think of when you think about rock music. They’re also not one of the first bands you think of when you think about r&b and pop music, but they managed to make their mark on the music scene doing all of these genres of music. They are an underrated band despite all of their hit songs.

Maroon 5 have a lot of hit songs that you may be familiar with, but weren’t aware that they were the ones singing the songs. All of their songs have a familiarity to them and could all be singles. If you aren’t a fan of their work or are just familiar with some of their songs, this Top 10 Maroon 5 Songs List may help you appreciate their music.

# 10 – Girls Like You ft. Cardi B

Our first pick on the Top 10 Maroon 5 Songs list is “Girls Like You.” This upbeat song is the fifth single off of Red Pill Blues. This is a remix of the original song. This is a pop-rock love song. The remix sticks with the same formula as the original version. The only difference is Cardi B is overdubbed in the song.

The remix gives the song more of an urban edge as well as crossover appeal. Adam Levine has a distinct voice similar to Akon. He usually sings in a tenor voice. He chose to use some versatility in this song. He sings the verses in his tenor pitch while he sings the chorus in a lower pitch. He goes even lower on the bridge. Towards the end of the song, he sings in falsetto.

He takes risks with his voice, which could have been a disaster. Fortunately, the risks were suitable for the music. Cardi B appears after the bridge. Her part isn’t that big, but it was enough to make an impact on the song. She rhymes in time with the beat. Levine and Cardi B are not the first people you would think of to perform a duet, but they managed to make it work.

# 9 – One More Night

Our next pick for the Top 10 Maroon 5 Songs list is “One More Night.” This phenomenal reggae/pop song is the second single off of the smash hit album Overexposed. This song is a sample of “The Bed’s Too Big Without You” by The Police.

Don’t let the music fool you. It may seem like a feel-good song, but it actually isn’t. It has a dark side to it, which makes it catchy and different. Lyrically, the song is about his role in a failing relationship. He wants to spend one more night with the woman. This song sounds tailor-made for Justin Timberlake since Max Martin co-wrote it.

Mickey Madden’s bass is on point and sensational. It really sells the music. James Valentine’s guitar riffs reach heights unknown. Matt Flynn does an amazing job on drums. PJ Morton’s keyboarding brings everything together. Everything about this song works from Adam’s vocals to the band’s instrumentation.

# 8 – Love Somebody

This uplifting dance/pop song is the fourth single off the Overexposed album. This album is filled with gems and this is one more. This song is a metaphor for sex by comparing it to being on the dance floor. This song sounds similar to a song OneRepublic would sing. Critics weren’t too fond of this track.

They were particularly harsh about Levine’s vocals. The critics were wrong about this track. Levine’s vocals were strong on this song. He soared into higher octaves than he did on previous songs. He even took a chance and held little notes.

The melodic music gave him a chance to focus on his lyrics, which was a good call. The music was a great combination of funk and rock. This song was a hit for the band so this just proves that critics aren’t always right.

# 7 – If I Ever See Your Face Again ft. Rihanna

This infectious pop and r&b song has a rock edge to it. The song is featured on It Won’t Be Soon Before Long and Rihanna’s Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded CDs. Here’s some trivia about the song: Janet Jackson was originally supposed to sing the duet with Levine. It was supposed to appear on Janet Jackson’s Discipline album.

There were problems with their labels and the collaboration never happened. Levine and Janet Jackson may not have been a match made in heaven vocally. Levine decided to ask Rihanna to add her vocals to the remix and she agreed.

It was a good decision to ask Rihanna to sing the duet because their voices are a better fit together. Levine sings in different tones. He sings the verses in a lower tone while he sings the chorus is falsetto. He sounds similar to Justin Timberlake in the song. The instrumentation of the guitar and keyboard gives the music something extra.

# 6 – Harder to Breathe

The next pick on our Top 10 Maroon 5 Songs list is the first single off of the hit CD Songs About Jane. This incredible song has a funk and rock beat. This song has a misleading subject. You may think it’s about a relationship gone wrong, but that wasn’t the case.

It is about the band’s record label. Levine wrote the song to express how he felt about the label pressuring the band to have a certain sound. He felt as if the label was suffocating them. You get hooked into the song as soon as you hear the gritty guitar riffs. Levine is singing the song as if he’s trying to rap the lyrics.

He showed that he could be a soulful crooner. He has good vocal timing with the beat change. This is a perfect rock and funk sound that was designed to please fans of both genres.

# 5 – Makes Me Wonder

This out-of-this-world song was the lead single from It Won’t Be Soon Before Long. It is the perfect way to introduce this infectious CD. This song had one of the biggest leaps in history on the charts because it went from 64 to number one. This appeared on the best 100-song list in 2007.

This song has two different meanings. It is about politics disguised as a love song. This is a creative way to write a love song. There aren’t many songs that combine politics and love. This dance and r&b song is melodic. You can clearly tell that Stevie Wonder was the inspiration for the music.

The critics bashed Levine’s vocals. They felt as if he sounded cold in the song. The critics were wrong again because he does a great job with his vocals. He sounds passionate about love or politics. He is a little hard to understand in some of the lyrics, but it doesn’t change the fact that he does a good job.

The band sounds phenomenal and they always know the right keys to play, which are suitable for his voice. The label made the right decision by releasing this as the first single from the album. It’s a magnificent way to introduce them to new fans.

# 4 – Moves Like Jagger ft. Christina Aguilera

This impressive song is from Hands All Over Me. It is the fourth single off of the album. This is one of Maroon 5’s biggest hit songs. This song has an electro-pop and dance beat. It is about a man trying to impress his woman with his dance skills.

He compares himself to singer Mick Jagger. Levine and Christina Aguilera worked together on The Voice. This song isn’t really a duet because she doesn’t sing much in it. She appears in the bridge of the song. She may not have been in the song long, but she made her presence known. She manages to use her soulful pipes and famous runs.

Christina Aguilera stole the song from Levine. He does a good job, but he does under sing in comparison to Christina Aguilera. Her part should have been bigger, but the best was saved for last. The band does an outstanding job with the music. There is no way to sit still while listening to fantastic music.

# 3 – She Will Be Loved

This exceptional slow jam entitled “She Will Be Loved,” has a rock and pop sound. It appears on the album Songs About Jane. This is the third single off of the album. It is about a man being in love with his best friend.

The song starts off with a tranquil sound and bursts into a more powerful song towards the chorus. The music goes back and forth between tranquil and powerful. This is a credit to the band’s ability to control the speed of the instruments. Levine sings with an intense passion to match the changes in the music.

He controls his falsetto vocals, which kept his voice from cracking and sounding sharp. He showcases good timing after the bridge. There is a musical pause and he never misses a beat once he starts singing again. He holds notes in a baritone vocal, which was a different route for him to take. Most singers choose to hold notes in a higher key, but he chose to do it in a lower key. It was a nice change to the song.

# 2 – This Love

This magnificent Maroon 5 song called “This Love,” is the second single off of the successful CD Songs About Jane. This CD has a lot of radio-friendly tracks. This song is one more radio-friendly track. This is a soulful alternative rock song. The song opens with an amazing piano sound.

It grabs you the second you hear the bars. It has rip-roaring guitar riffs as well as a thumping drum beat. This music is channeling old-school r&b with an upbeat pop sound. Stevie Wonder influenced this song. You can practically hear Stevie Wonder singing this song. It sounds like a faster version of Wonder’s “Superstition.” Levine tries to sing the song like Stevie Wonder.

He sings the song with a lot of emotion. He was going through emotional problems because of his breakup. He was also dealing with pressures from the label. This is such a tremendous song. It is no surprise that it won a Grammy. “This Love,” is one of their most successful songs and it is easy to see why it is. This song is flawless. It could have been number one on the list, but it got beat out.

# 1 – Wake Up Call

We have reached the number one spot on the Top 10 Maroon 5 Songs list. This anthemic song is the second single off of It Won’t Be Soon Before Long. This impressive track is about a man finding out his wife is cheating on him with another man. The band wanted Eve to do a duet with them, but it didn’t work out.

There is a remix with Mary J. Blige, but the original version is the better one. The music and Levine’s vocals are in perfect sync with each other. It’s not every day that you hear a song about a man killing someone. It’s a touchy subject because he’s committing a crime of passion. Speaking of passion, Levine sings with a lot of passion as if he has gone through this.

The riffs are loud and Levine manages to project his voice so he can be heard over the music. He combines the hook and the ad libs simultaneously towards the end of the song and it sounds excellent. There are no words to describe how marvelous this song is. This song deserves to be number one on the list.