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It’s been a decade since Maroon 5, the Adam Levine-led pop band from LA came bounding out of the gate with their multi-platinum debut, Songs About Jane. And for those who may have only have come to love the band recently thanks to their newer hits — “Moves Like Jagger” and “Payphone” — there’s some serious catching up to do. Because Songs Like Jane is stacked with hits. “This Love,” “She Will Be Loved”, “Sunday Morning.”  The list goes on. And now, thanks to Levine’s participation as a judge on NBC’s The Voice, Maroon 5 has catapulted to even greater levels of popularity. Next week, the band will release the special tenth-anniversary edition of Songs About Jane, and only a few short weeks later, they drop their fourth studio release, Overexposed.  To that end, we thought what better time than now to revisit some of Maroon 5’s classic songs for this edition of Flashback Friday.

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“This Love” (2002)
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While “Harder to Breathe” would be the first single to put Maroon 5 on the map, it was this tale of unrequited love that made them global superstars. Even more incredibly, this was just the start of an amazing run of singles all stemming from their debut album: after already dropping two hit singles in “Harder To Breathe” and “This Love, the band would quickly release “She Will Be Loved,” and “Sunday Morning.” Going into their second album, which shockingly would not come for five more years, it’s safe to say expectations were soaring high for Maroon 5.
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“Makes Me Wonder” (2007)
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What’s most intriguing is that despite that even though “Makes Me Wonder” would become the band’s first to top the Billboard chart, Maroon 5’s sophomore album, It Won’t Be Soon Before Long, was actually a bit of an artistic misstep. Sure, there were songs like this one that performed well commercially. But on the whole the album lacked the same ferocity and pop craftsmanship that Jane so effortlessly conveyed. Nonetheless, the album still debuted at Number One on the charts, and has sold over three million copies to date. Not bad for a misstep, huh?
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“Moves Like Jagger” (2011)
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After releasing 2010’s Hands All Over, an extremely highly-anticpated album, particularly after the band announced they had linked up with iconic Swiss producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange, the public and critical reaction to the band’s third album was, well, very minimal. That’s in large part because, aside from lead single “Misery,” there were a surprisingly small number of catchy tunes to be found. No worries, though: After signing on for The Voice, Levine linked up with fellow judge Christina Aguilera and dropped what would go on to become Maroon 5’s biggest hit to date. “Moves Like Jagger,” an homage to The Rolling Stones frontman, was everywhere — including on Hands‘ deluxe edition. With its disco-inflected flavor and pop hookiness, it became one of 2011’s biggest smash hits, and officially put Maroon 5 back on the map.
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“Payphone” (2012)
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For their forthcoming album, Maroon 5 changed up the course, working with established songwriters. And if ‘Payphone,” their Wiz Khalifa-featuring lead single is any indication, this was a smart move. The jangly pop jam, although a bit odd to be featuring a rapper, is classic Maroon 5: poppy, happy, catchy, and downright fun. Now, as anticipation builds for Overxposed’s June 26th release date, fans can only wonder if the rest of the LP’s tracks can match this delicious first taste. Regardless, one can always revisit Songs About Jane and instantly remember why Maroon 5 first caught their ear.
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