Top 10 Maroon 5 Songs

Maroon 5

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01
of 10

"Moves Like Jagger" featuring Christina Aguilera (2011)

Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera

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Early in 2011 sales of the album Hands All Over were disappointing, and it looked like Maroon 5's commercial prospects were on the wane. Lead vocalist Adam Levine signed up to be a mentor on the new music competition show The Voice. Few observers predicted the show would become a major hit. Counter to predictions, it was a hit from the beginning. In the wake of the show's success, Maroon 5 recorded a new single "Moves Like Jagger" with fellow mentor Christina Aguilera. The result was an irresistibly catchy #1 pop hit single that became the biggest hit of the group's career to date only to be eclipsed a year later. "Moves Like Jagger" also reached the top of the adult pop radio chart while reaching the top 10 at adult contemporary radio and on the dance chart. It earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Duo or Group Performance.

The accompanying music video for "Moves Like Jagger" was directed by Jonas Akerlund, well known for his work with Lady Gaga. The Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger appears in the clip courtesy of archive footage. "Moves Like Jagger" was included on a special re-release of Hands All Over which resulted in the album climbing into the top 10 nearly a year after its initial release. 

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02
of 10

"This Love" (2004)

Maroon 5 - "This Love"

 A&M / Octone

"This Love" is arguably the song that turned Maroon 5 into pop stars. It was the second single from Songs About Jane, the group's debut album. Adam Levine says that it was written at one of the "most emotionally trying times" of his life following a break-up. The accompanying music video generated controversy over steamy scenes with Adam Levine and his then-girlfriend, model Kelly McKee. Maroon 5 won their first Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance By a Duo Or Group With Vocal for "This Love." The song reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 becoming the group's first top 10 hit. "This Love" went to #1 at both mainstream and adult pop radio while reaching #3 on the adult contemporary chart.

Adam Levine has stated that "This Love" has some of the most erotic lyrics included in a Maroon 5 song. He told Rolling Stone, "I thought the more explicit I got without being totally explicit was a nice approach. The little girls would enjoy them, and it would go right over my grandparents' heads. But it would hit my ex-girlfriend like a ton of bricks. It was perfect."

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03
of 10

"One More Night" (2012)

Maroon 5 - One More Night
Maroon 5 - "One More Night".

A&M / Octone

Maroon 5 adopted a sun-splashed reggae beat here, and the result was the group's biggest pop hit. Adam Levine co-wrote the song with Max Martin and his frequent collaborators Shellback and Savan Kotecha. "One More Night" spent nine weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and sold over four million copies making it Maroon 5's biggest hit. It also reached #1 at both mainstream and adult pop radio. "One More Night" crossed over into the Latin songs chart. The accompanying music video was directed by film director Peter Berg and features Adam Levine as a boxer whose work conflicts with his home life. "One More Night" was one of the 10 bestselling songs of the year worldwide in 2012.

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04
of 10

"Harder To Breathe" (2002)

Maroon 5 - "Harder To Breathe"

 A&M / Octone

Maroon 5 wrote "Harder to Breathe" in the midst of frustration with their record label. The group believed they had enough material for their debut album, but the label pushed them to write more. The frustration is evident in the agitated rock feel of the song, but it is also a key part of the song's success. Adam Levine told MTV, "That song comes sheerly from wanting to throw something. It was the 11th hour, and the label wanted more songs. It was the last crack. I was just pissed. I wanted to make a record and the label was applying a lot of pressure, but I'm glad they did." 

"Harder To Breathe" was the first single released from the album Songs About Jane and brought the group their first hit peaking inside the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100. In the early days of Maroon 5's stardom, their music was widely played at alternative radio. "Harder To Breathe" reached #31 on the alternative chart while climbing to #15 at adult pop and #5 at mainstream pop radio. An acoustic version of "Harder To Breathe" is included on Maroon 5's 2004 EP 1.22.03.Acoustic.

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05
of 10

"Makes Me Wonder" (2007)

Maroon 5 - "Makes Me Wonder"

 A&M / Octone

Maroon 5 introduced their album It Won't Be Soon Before Long with the single "Makes Me Wonder." It became the band's first #1 pop hit single and won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance By a Duo Or Group With Vocal. The song incorporates a funkier feel in an effort to make the band sound more urban and contemporary. Adam Levine first wrote "Makes Me Wonder" years before the group would decide to record it. The song was revisited because the record label loved it. The lyrics of "Makes Me Wonder" are seen as having two different meanings. One is frustration with politics in the US around the Iraq War. The second is a statement about love after a relationship goes horribly wrong. "Makes Me Wonder" reached the top 10 across mainstream, adult pop, and adult contemporary radio while topping the dance chart.

The accompanying music video was directed by John Hillcoat, who directed multiple videos for Depeche Mode. It was shot at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). In the clip, the band appear at gate M5 for Maroon 5.

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06
of 10

"Payphone" featuring Wiz Khalifa (2012)

Maroon 5 - "Payphone" featuring Wiz Khalifa

 A&M / Octone

"Payphone" is the first single from Maroon 5's fifth studio album Overexposed. The band worked with producer Benny Blanco and debuted the song with a live performance on The Voice. "Payphone" debuted at a powerful #3 on the Bilboard Hot 100 and eventually rose to #2. The song reached #1 at mainstream and adult pop radio.

The accompanying music video earned an MTV Video Music Awards nomination for Best Pop Video. It was directed by Samuel Bayer, known for his work with Green Day, and was shot like a mini action film. It does feature Adam Levine using a payphone, something which is gradually disappearing from the American landscape. 

The album Overexposed debuted and peaked at #2 on the US album chart. It ultimately received a platinum certification for sales and has sold more than 1.5 million copies in the US alone.

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07
of 10

"Animals" (2014)

Maroon 5 Animals
Maroon 5 - "Animals".

Interscope

"Animals" was the second single released from Maroon 5's fifth studio album, the #1 charting platinum-certified V. Adam Levine co-wrote the song with Benny Blanco and frequent Max Martin collaborator Shellback. The accompanying bloody music video made headlines for charges that it dehumanized women and glorified violence. It was directed by Samuel Bayer, best known for his work with Green Day and Nirvana. Despite the controversy, "Animals" became the band's seventh consecutive top 10 pop hit peaking at #3. It went all the way to #1 at mainstream and adult pop radio. 

A portion of "Animals" was included in a TV commercial promoting the Kia Soul car. Consequently, the song was available as a free download for a limited time on the Kia website.

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08
of 10

"She Will Be Loved" (2004)

Maroon 5 - "She Will Be Loved"

A&M / Octone 

Maroon 5 released "She Will Be Loved" as the third single from their breakthrough album Songs About Jane. The slinky, soulful sound turned it into the second consecutive top 5 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 for the group. It was a top 5 hit in the UK as well and has sold more than two million digital downloads. The song kept the band soaring at pop radio, but it was their last single to be played extensively on alternative radio. "She Will Be Loved" reached #1 at both mainstream and adult pop radio while reaching the top 5 on the adult contemporary chart. "She Will Be Loved" earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocals.

The accompanying music video was directed by Sophie Muller and depicts a triangular relationship between Adam Levine, his girlfriend, and her mother, portrayed by Kelly Preston. Many saw echoes of the classic film The Graduate in the clip.

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09
of 10

"Sugar" (2015)

Maroon 5 Sugar
Maroon 5 - "Sugar".

Interscope

"Sugar" was released as the third single from Maroon 5's fifth studio album V. It was co-written by Mike Posner and Dr. Luke among others. The song was originally going to be included on Mike Posner's album Pages. Adam Levine was interested in the song, but Mike Posner turned him down until the record label chose different music for Pages. Mike Posner provided background vocals on the Maroon 5 recording.

The accompanying music video portraying Maroon 5 as surprise wedding crashers earned both praise and some criticism for "staging." Despite the controversy, the music video was a significant success generating more than two billion views on YouTube. "Sugar" climbed to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 while topping both adult pop and mainstream pop radio. It earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

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10
of 10

"Don't Wanna Know" featuring Kendrick Lamar (2016)

Maroon 5 don't wanna know
Maroon 5 - "Don't Wanna Know" featuring Kendrick Lamar.

Interscope

"Don't Wanna Know" is the first single from Maroon 5's 2017 album Red Pill Blues. The band worked with producer Benny Blanco and a big team of songwriters. Many observers believed that Kendrick Lamar's rap sounded like a bit of an afterthought, but his appearance likely gave an extra commercial boost to the song with his high profile among both critics and hip-hop fans. "Don't Wanna Know" was a #6 pop hit and went all the way to #1 at adult contemporary, adult pop, and mainstream pop radio. It broke into the top 40 of the dance chart.

The accompanying music video directed by David Dobkin, known for his work on the film Wedding Crashers, is a spoof of the extremely popular video game Pokemon Go. Group members appear as creatures from the game. Sarah Silverman, Shaquille O'Neal, and Vince Vaughn all make cameo appearances in the clip.

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