Maroon 5: Everything you need to know about the band

Maroon 5 are one of the world's most well-known music acts. They released 'Songs About Jane', their first album as Maroon 5, back in 2002, and have continued to go from strength to strength.

Having formed under the name Kara's Flowers, lead singer Adam Levine and his bandmates have released seven studio albums, had nine tours and had a whopping 11 Top 10 songs in the UK. To celebrate Maroon 5's incredible career, we've gathered together everything you need to know about the band.

Who are Maroon 5?

Maroon 5 are an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. The band is made up of members Adam Levine on lead vocals and guitar, Jesse Carmichael on keyboards, rhythm guitar and backing vocals, James Valentine on lead guitar and backing vocals, Matt Flynn on drums, PJ Morton on keyboard and backing vocals and Sam Farrar on bass.

Mickey Madden, who announced he was leaving the band in 2020, played the bass guitar. In a statement to PEOPLE he said: "I have some things that I need to deal with and address right now and so I have decided to take a leave of absence from Maroon 5 for the foreseeable future."

He was replaced by Sam Farrar.

Why did Ryan Dusick leave Maroon 5?

From 1994 to 2005, Ryan Dusick was the drummer for Maroon 5. He had to leave due to injuries sustained in his arm while on tour, and was replaced by Matt Flynn. He remained an active helper with the band, being credited as musical director for their album 'It Won't Be Soon Before Long'.

When were Maroon 5 formed?

The band first started making music in 1994, whilst they were still in High School! The original members Adam Levine, Jesse Carmichael, Mickey Madden and Ryan Dusick even self-released an album called 'We Like Digging?'. We wish we were this cool at school.

What were Maroon 5 originally called?

When Maroon 5 formed in 1994, the group included Adam Levine, Jesse Carmichael, Ryan Dusick and Mickey Madden under the name Kara's Flowers. They were signed by record label Reprise Records and released an album called 'The Fourth World' in 1997. The album had little success and the band were released from the label.

However, they vowed to stay together, and brought in James Valentine to play lead guitar and started working on songs that strayed away from the sound of their previous songs. The band scored a new deal with Octone Records under the new name and sound, releasing 'Songs About Jane' in 2002.

The tracks were mostly inspired by one of Adam's failed relationships with 'Jane' from the album title 'Songs About Jane'. It's not known where the band Maroon 5 name came from, but Adam has always said in interviews that he will never reveal the truth as it's "too embarrassing". WE NEED TO KNOW!

Who is Jane from 'Songs About Jane'?

The infamous Jane that the album ‘Songs About Jane’ is based on, is frontman Adam Levine’s former girlfriend and high school sweetheart, Jane Herman, who he says he first spotted at a petrol station.

The pair dated for a few years between 1997 and 2001, before eventually splitting, but Adam states they are still friendly. Every song on the album features at least one reference to Adam and Jane’s relationship.

'Songs about Jane' 20th anniversary

In 2022, Maroon 5 celebrated 20 years of 'Songs About Jane', the album was the first to be released under the name Maroon 5 and included their massive hits 'This Love' and 'She Will Be Loved'.

A post from Universal Music congratulated the band on their milestone, revealing how successful the album has been saying: 'Celebrating 20 years of @Maroon5’s ‘Songs About Jane’! 🎶 In two decades, their debut studio album has sold more than 20 million copies and produced four iconic pop singles: "Harder To Breathe," "This Love," "Sunday Morning" & "She Will Be Loved" with a combined 62+ million singles sold 🙌'.

Where did the members of Maroon 5 meet?

The original members of Maroon 5 come from Los Angeles, California, except for James Valentine, who was born in Lincoln, Nebraska. Ryan Dusick (drummer) and Adam Levine (singer, guitar) had known each other since they were children, and met Mickey Madden and Jesse Carmichael at high school.

Maroon 5's studio albums and tours

The band's debut album, 'Songs About Jane', was a hit after its release in 2002, with five of its songs being released as singles. It then became the seventh best-selling album of 2002 and went Platinum in 2004.

The success of their first album earned them a Grammy award for Best New Artist in 2005, and the following year, the band won Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with with their upbeat track 'This Love'.

Their second studio album was released in May 2007, entitled 'It Won't Be Soon Before Long', reaching Number 1 on the US Billboard 200 chart. After the album's success, the band embarked on a world tour, playing all the biggest songs from the album.

Not long after, the band recorded and released their third studio album in 2010, 'Hands All Over'. The album didn't debut as well as previous albums, but after the success of its singles it shot up the album charts to Number 7 in the US, selling 500,000 copies.

'Overexposed', the band's fourth studio album strayed away from their original pop funk sounds, to try and appeal to a wider audience. Taking on a pop vibe was a success, debuting at Number 2 in the charts, with sales of 220,000 in its first week. The album marked Maroon 5's best sales week since their debut album back in 2004.

In the United States, their fifth album 'V' debuted at Number 1 on the Billboard 200, with the first week's sales reaching 164,000 copies and earning them their second US Number 1 album. It was their first since 'It Won't Be Soon Before Long' released in 2007.

How many studio albums have Maroon 5 released?

When it comes to studio albums, the band have produced an impressive seven. Albums 'Songs About Jane' and 'It Won't Be Soon Before Long' topped the album charts, and 'Hands All Over', 'Overexposed' and 'V' all made it to the Top 10. Their sixth album, 'Red Pill Blues', was released in 2017, and the title was inspired by the Matrix film franchise.

Then, in 2021 the band released 'Jordi', which was their seventh album. It included their 2019 hit 'Memories' and was named after Jordan Feldstein, their late manager. The song 'Memories' was also dedicated to Jordan.

Adam Levine on The Voice US

Adam Levine has been in huge demand, and in 2011 he was booked on NBC's version of The Voice, coaching Season 1 winner Javier Colon to victory during the inaugural season. Since then, he's won a further three Seasons.

However, Adam's involvement in the show wasn't without controversy, such as when he instructed viewers to not vote for his own act, DeAndre Nico. He asked the audience to vote for Reagan Strange, as she was too sick to perform her 'Instant Save' song. Adam's plan worked, and his own artist DeAndre was eliminated from the competition.

DeAndre said online that he felt he'd been 'sold out' by Adam, and he received backlash on social media for throwing his own artist under the bus, with fans calling for him to be axed from the show.

Adam left his role on the panel after series 16 in May 2019.

Maroon 5 songs

After the release of 'This Love' from their debut album, Maroon 5 won the MTV Video Music award for Best New Artist, soon followed by 'She Will Be Loved,' sweeping up the charts and placing it at Number 5.

The music video for 'She Will Be Loved' featured Kelly Preston, the late wife of John Travolta, who died after a two-year battle with breast cancer. Adam Levine paid tribute to the actress on Instagram saying, 'My first pretend kiss...We will miss you Kelly. You’ll always hold a special place in my heart.'

Maroon 5 - 'Makes Me Wonder'

Once their second album, 'It Won't Be Soon Before Long' had been released, the first single, 'Makes Me Wonder', became the band's first Number 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100. The song impressively snagged the GRAMMY Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal at the 50th Annual GRAMMY Awards.

Maroon 5 - 'Misery'

The melody for the song 'Misery' is infectious with Adam Levine employing his signature falsetto in all the right places. It was the lead single from their third studio album 'Hands All Over', and it shot to the top of Billboard’s U.S. Adult Top 40 chart and received a GRAMMY nomination for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

Maroon 5 - 'Daylight'

'Daylight' was the third single from 'Overexposed' and is arguably one of the band’s most romantic, slow-danceable and singable tracks. Like several previous hits, the soft ballad hit Number 1 on the mainstream and adult Top 40 charts.

Maroon 5 - 'Maps'

'Maps' was released as the fifth album's first single, with the teaser of the song being uploaded on the band's Facebook page. The hysteria for the song meant it peaked at Number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100, giving the band their ninth Top 10 hit in the country. It also reached the Top 10 in an additional 14 countries, including a peak of Number 2 on the UK chart.

Maroon 5 - 'Sugar'

'Sugar' was then released as the album's third single and was the most successful single from the album, reaching the Top 10 in 24 countries, including Number 6 in Australia, Number 7 in the UK, and Number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Maroon 5 - 'Memories'

Maroon 5 released 'Memories' after teasing fans with snaps of their own memories on Instagram. The song reached Number 5 in the UK and is certified 2x Platinum.

Now take a look at Maroon 5's most popular songs from 'Moves Like Jagger' to 'Sugar'.

Who have Maroon 5 collaborated with?

Maroon 5 have an impressive back catalogue of tracks with some of the world's biggest artists. They recorded a version of 'If I Never See Your Face Again' with Rihanna, stormed the charts with 'Moves Like Jagger', which featured Christina Aguilera, and Gwen Stefani joined them for the track 'My Heart Is Open' on their album 'V'.

Wiz Khalifa rapped on 'Payphone', with Kendrick Lamar featuring on 'Don't Wanna Know', whilst LunchMoney Lewis, SZA, Future, Julia Michaels and A$AP Rocky all featured on tracks on the album 'Red Pill Blues'. Country band Lady Antebellum also teamed up with Maroon 5 for 'Out Of Goodbyes'.

Why are Maroon 5 banned from China?

In 2015, Jesse Carmichael wished the Dalai Lama a Happy 80th Birthday in a tweet, that was later removed. This led to Maroon 5's tour date in Shanghai being cancelled - however, there's no evidence to suggest that they're banned from entering the country!

Did Maroon 5 write a song in 24 hours?

Yes, Maroon 5 did write a song in 24 hours! Working with Coca Cola on a charity campaign called the 24 Hour Project, the band wrote and recorded 'Is Anybody Out There' within 24 hours. These guys have some serious talent.

Are Maroon 5 on tour in the UK?

Not at the moment. Maroon 5 headed on a tour across Europe in 2023, which concluded with a show at The O2 in London on Monday 3rd July 2023.

Take a look at Maroon 5's Adam Levine through the years:

You can hear songs by Maroon 5 on Hits Radio.

Now read:

Maroon 5's most popular songs from 'Moves Like Jagger' to 'Memories'

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