With their special brand of sophisticated pop/rock blended with neo-soul sexiness, Maroon 5 has broken out as one of the most popular bands of the new millennium. The band is composed of high school friends from Los Angeles, California including, Adam Levine (lead vocals, guitar), James Valentine (guitar, backing vocals), Jesse Carmichael (keyboards, backing vocals), Mickey Madden (bass guitar) and Matt Flynn (drums). Maroon 5 hit the big time with the release of the album Songs About Jane in 2002. Though the album was not an immediate success, its popularity sprea
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d, and the single “
Harder to Breathe" became a radio staple 17 months later and was soon followed by the radio friendly "This Love," which featured a steamy video of frontman Levine and a barely clothed girlfriend, effectively wooing the TV-watching crowds at MTV. Songs About Jane entered the Billboard Top Ten in August 2004, more than two years after the album's release, and its subsequent singles-- "
She Will Be Loved" and "
Sunday Morning" --helped the album go triple platinum around the world. In 2005 Maroon 5 won the Grammy for Best New Artist.
After taking some time off from recording,
Maroon 5 released their second studio album, It Won't Be Soon Before Long, in May 2007, five years after Songs About Jane. This sophomore effort debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 with first week sales of nearly half a million. Maroon 5 songs off the album including “
Makes Me Wonder” and “
Wake Up Call” soon became radio staples, and the band further raised their profile by touring throughout the summer and fall of 2007 in support of the album. Despite their popular appeal, Maroon 5 has not gone without its share of controversy. Critics have accused the band of promoting misogynistic lyrics and of making sexually explicit videos which crossed the boundaries of decency. Frontman Levine has called these allegations “ridiculous,” and appears that most of the band’s fans agree. Before its release, "Makes Me Wonder" was the #1 selling single and video on iTunes. It was also on the #1 selling album, with more than 50,000 digital pre-sales. After its release, the album broke iTunes sales records for its week of release, selling over 101,000 albums. With popularity like this, the band is sure to continue to leave its special mark on pop scene.
