Maroon 5

Maroon 5 Music

The music by Maroon 5 is influenced by many different sources, including traditional rock, soul, and pop. In the band's history, they have released only two albums, putting them into the marketplace a full five years apart. Their songs are typically played on top 40 radio stations.

This hugely popular band has won several awards including the illustrious Grammy. Currently, the American band is signed under A&M/Octone Records, a label that operates under the Universal Music Group umbrella.

Group Members

• Adam Levine (lead singer, guitar)
• James Valentine (guitar, backup vocals)
• Jesse Carmichael (keyboards, backup vocals)
• Mickey Madden (bass guitar, backup vocals)
• Matt Flynn (drums) -- replaced Ryan Dusick in 2006

Band History

Maroon 5 didn't always go by that name. The four original members -- Adam, Jesse, Mickey, and Ryan -- actually knew one another while they were attending junior high school at Brentwood School. They formed a garage-grunge band in 1995, naming it Kara's Flowers. They released The Fourth World, the band's only album, in 1997 when three of the four members were still in high school. Unfortunately, Kara's Flowers enjoyed very limited success.

After attending different colleges across the United States, the four original band members got back together in 2001 to stay playing again. Jesse Carmichael stopped playing the guitar and switched to keyboards, and it was also during this time that James Valentine joined the band. This new band was christened Maroon, and months later, they decided on Maroon 5 as their official name.

In September 2006, Ryan Dusick left the group for medical reasons and was replaced by Matt Flynn on the drums.

Discography and Singles

Under the Maroon 5 name, this band has only released two albums.

The first, Songs About Jane, received much popular and critical acclaim. It was released on June 25, 2002. To date, over 8 million copies have been sold, achieving quadruple platinum status in the United States, as well as multi-platinum certification in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. Some of the most memorable singles from this record include Harder to Breathe, Sunday Morning, and Must Get Out.

Five years later, they finally released their sophomore effort -- It Won't Be Soon Before Long -- on May 22, 2007. James Levine has been quoted as saying that the new offering is "sexier and stronger", gaining inspiration from many great 1980s artists. "Makes Me Wonder" was the first single and it was released to radio a full two months before the actual release of the album.

This Love Controversy

There has been some controversy over the music video for This Love. The reason for this is there is a segment in the video that depicts some rather hot and heavy sex scenes. The directors used creative camera angles and cuts to ensure that no outright explicit content is displayed, but this didn't stop a small uproar among certain viewers. Band member Mickey Madden called the entire situation "an absurd over-reaction." The video was later edited to include digital flower petals. The censored version was then distributed for use "in more conservative markets."

You can view the uncensored music video on YouTube.