27 Best Maroon 5 Songs, Ranked - Music Grotto (2024)

Today, Maroon 5 is one of the best-selling music acts in history with some of the most downloaded tracks of all time in their discography. They never really started from humble beginnings though, becoming a worldwide success with their debut album Songs About Jane. In the years since then, they’ve continued releasing their own brand of pop music and finding success. In this article, we’ll take a look at the 27 best songs Maroon 5 have ever released.

1. This Love

Maroon 5 has released so many great songs that picking the very best for the top of a list is incredibly difficult. I’m going with This Love, as it became a signature defining track for the band and remains to this day one of their most recognizable tunes. It served as the second single from their debut album Songs About Jane in 2004.

Written about Adam Levine’s breakup with an ex-girlfriend, the distinctive piano lines and repetitive guitar riffs made this an instantly recognizable pop track. It entered the top 10 of most charts worldwide, topping several US charts in the process. It rose to number one on the US Mainstream Top 40 and US Adult Top 40, peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot 100.

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2. Sugar

From the very beginning of the band to something a bit more recent. Sugar was released on Maroon 5’s fifth studio album, aptly titled V, in 2014. A funky disco and soul-pop song, it took a veritable orchestra to provide the instrumentation for the track. It ended up becoming their third top-10 single to come from the album and their eighth consecutive single release to break into the US top 10.

It quickly rose on the charts, peaking at number two on the US Hot 100 and spending a total of 20 weeks within the top 10 of that chart en route to a diamond certification from the RIAA.

3. Makes Me Wonder

Makes Me Wonder is one of the best songs to come from Maroon 5’s pop-rock era. Released as the first single to come from their second studio album It Won’t Be Soon Before Long in 2007, it scored a major hit and set chart records.

It took the record for the biggest jump to number one in the history of the Billboard Hot 100, rising from number 64 to the pinnacle of the chart in a single week. That record would be broken two years later by Kelly Clarkson, but it was the biggest jump at the time. It was their very first number-one single on the Hot 100 and won the group a Grammy Award the following year.

4. Moves Like Jagger

Very few songs in history are as recognizable as Moves Like Jagger, and even fewer will get stuck in your head as easily as this track can. It served as the fourth and final single to come from the re-release of Maroon 5’s third album Hands All Over Me, coming out in 2011. The electropop sensation became their second number-one single and is one of the best-selling singles of all time. It was a massive international number-one hit, breaking the top 10 of the year-end and top 20 of the decade-end Billboard Hot 100 charts.

5. She Will Be Loved

She Will Be Loved is another early Maroon 5 track that established them as the legendary band they eventually became. It was the third single to be released from their debut album Songs About Jane in 2004. Eventually, it rose to number five on the US Hot 100 and topped the Mainstream and Adult Top 40 charts. It did get them removed from alternative stations, with them citing that their music was too light for the alt-rock genre, but I doubt that was a big blow for them.

6. Harder to Breathe

We would be completely remiss if we left off Maroon 5’s debut single. Harder To Breathe was the first single the band ever put out, serving as the lead single for their debut album. While it didn’t bring the same level of chart success as other singles from the album and might not define the sound they turned to as their time together went on, it remains one of their best. It eventually rose to number six on the Airplay Monitor ranking and appeared on the Alternative Songs chart, peaking at number 31.

7. Don’t Wanna Know

Don’t Wanna Know was released in 2016 as the lead single for Maroon 5’s sixth studio album Red Pill Blues. Critically, it might have been a bit of a let-down. The sign featured a verse from Kendrick Lamar and marked a shift in their style. This didn’t actually hurt them, as it was an international hit single and rose as high as number six on the Hot 100. That ranking marked their 12th top-10 single in the US.

8. Memories

Memories was an amazing song released from Maroon 5’s seventh studio album Jordi in 2019. It served as the lead single for the album and was meant to pay homage to the memory of a loved one who has passed away. It ended up being a divisive track, with some thinking it was sweet and others calling it pandering.

It is based on Canon in D Major, a song composed by Johann Pachelbel. It eventually peaked at number two on the US Hot 100 and was an international number-one hit. It was also the final track released before bassist Mickey Madden departed from the band in 2020 in the wake of a domestic violence scandal.

9. Sunday Morning

Not to be confused with The Velvet Underground’s single from the 1960s, Maroon 5’s Sunday Morning was the fourth single released from their debut album Songs About Jane. It helped solidify their place in the music landscape, becoming their fourth consecutive single to reach the top 40 of the US charts. It would eventually be featured in the 2003 film Something’s Gotta Give and the TV series Third Watch.

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10. Misery

The lead single for the band’s 2010 album Hands All Over, Misery proved to be yet another major success for them. It’s often compared to This Love, with some even thinking that it’s just a rework of the song. In reality, it’s a return to the sound that helped make them famous and is a quintessential Maroon 5 track. The love-hate relationship in the song saw it soar to number 14 on the Hot 100 and top the Adult Top 40 charts in the US.

11. Maps

Maps was the lead single of Maroon 5’s 2014 album V, but like our previous entry, received a bit of criticism for being too much like another one of their hit singles. This time, it was thought to be too close to a previous lead single in Payphone, though that didn’t stop fans from loving the chill melodies of the song.

It eventually rose to number six on the Hot 100 and number two on the UK Singles Chart, peaking within the top 20 in more than 25 different countries. Remix versions were eventually released, coming from featured artists like Big Sean and Circuit Jerks.

12. Animals

Animals was the sexy and sad*stic second single to come from V and ended up being one of the songs you just couldn’t get away from. The high-pitched voices of Maroon 5 and this track were in all sorts of ads, both on the radio and on television. It eventually gave them their 10th top-10 single on the US Billboard Hot 100 when it peaked at number three on that chart. Remix versions would be released by J. Cole and Big Boi—separately—and the song would go down as one of the best and most exciting singles of the year.

13. Cold

Cold was released in 2017 as the second single for their Red Pill Blues album and was also included in its deluxe edition. It featured prominent rapper Future and was another smashing success. It eventually peaked at number 16 on the US Hot 100 but broke into the top five of the US Dance Club Songs chart.

14. Lost

Lost was the fourth single of the band’s seventh studio album Jordi and was released at the same time as the album in 2021. According to Adam Levine, it was one of his all-time favorite songs, at least when it came to the ones they had done together. It was meant to capture their essence, and I would say the tropical house-pop sound does just that. On the charts, it wasn’t one of their biggest successes. It missed out on the Hot 100 but did manage to hit number 13 on the US Adult Top 40 chart.

15. One More Night

One More Night is a bit different than the other songs we’ve already covered on the list, inspired by reggae music and infusing it into Maroon 5’s brand of pop. It was the second single to come from their 2012 album Overexposed and became one of the most popular songs of the year. It reigned at the top of the Hot 100 for nine consecutive weeks, breaking into the top 10 of the best-selling tracks of 2012. An international hit, it also topped the Adult Top 40, Mainstream Top 40, and US Radio Songs charts.

16. Won’t Go Home Without You

Won’t Go Home Without You was the third single released from Maroon 5’s 2007 album It Won’t Be Soon For Long. Critics and fans alike likened the guitar licks in the song to Every Breath You Take by The Police. In 2022, Billboard ranked it as their best track of all time, an interesting placement. In 2009, it won a BMI Pop Award, but its chart run was lackluster. It only made it to number 48 on the Hot 100 and barely broke the top 15 of the Adult Contemporary chart. It did peak at three on the Adult Top 40 though.

17. Girls Like You

Girls Like You in its original form was an album track from the band’s 2017 studio album Red Pill Blues. The single version of the song that featured Cardi B was written later and released as the album’s fifth and final single, eventually being included on the re-release. At the time, it tied the record for the most weeks spent in the top 10 of the Hot 100 at 33 weeks and reigned at the top of that chart for seven weeks. It also set the record for most weeks on top of the Adult Contemporary chart at 36 weeks.

18. Payphone

Payphone was released as the lead single for Maroon 5’s 2012 album Overexposed and featured rapper Wiz Khalifa. Yet again, it wasn’t a song that would receive particularly great critical reviews but that hasn’t ever stopped them. It debuted at number three on the Hot 100 and eventually gained one spot to peak at number two on that chart. It spent eight weeks on top of the Canadian chart and was their first song to get to the top of the UK Singles Chart.

19. Daylight

Daylight was the third single released from Overexposed in 2012, and it was a standout track on the album, both in terms of success and style. While much of the album was dedicated to dance tracks, this one was more of a soft-rock ballad. It went on to reach number seven on the Hot 100 and topped the Adult and Mainstream Top 40 in the US.

20. What Lovers Do

Maroon 5 and SZA teamed up for What Lovers Do, a song that served as the third single from their Red Pill Blues album. It peaked at number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100 and became their 13th single to break into the top 10 of that chart. Eventually, it reached double-platinum status in the US and became their 10th single to reach the top 10 in Australia.

21. Wake Up Call

Wake Up Call was the second single released from the band’s second album in 2007 and had an unrecorded remix version that was meant to feature Eve. While this never happened, an official remix was eventually released that featured Mary J. Blige instead. The original single of the song broke into the top 20 of the US Hot 100 and the top five of the Adult Top 40 charts.

22. If I Never See Your Face Again

Rihanna and Maroon 5 teamed up for If I Never See Your Face Again in 2008. The single was meant for the re-release of their album It Won’t Be Soon For Long and ended up as the fourth single to be released from the album. Originally intended to be a duet with Janet Jackson, label disputes kept the collaboration from happening. The version with Rihanna was a huge hit regardless, eventually earning a Grammy Award nomination and peaking at number 10 on the US Adult Top 40 chart.

23. Beautiful Mistakes

Alongside Megan Thee Stallion, Maroon 5 released Beautiful Mistakes as the third single to come from their 2021 album Jordi. Poor critical reviews of the song weren’t enough to stop its chart run, as it peaked at number 13 on the Hot 100 and rose to the top of the US Adult Top 40 chart.

24. Love Somebody

Love Somebody was the final single released from Overexposed, and it was one of the most intriguing songs on the album. Equating love and physical intimacy and describing them as salvation on the dance floor resonated with fans. It became their fourth top-10 hit on the Hot 100, peaking at number 10 on that chart.

25. Just A Feeling

Just A Feeling is the 10th track on the band’s album Hands All Over but might be the most emotionally powerful song on the album. It deals with the emptiness that follows the breakup of a loving relationship where the two parties simply can’t be together anymore. It’s a heart-tugging single that frankly could have been a single from the album.

26. Never Gonna Leave This Bed

Never Gonna Leave This Bed is another awesome track from Hands All Over, but this one served as the third single from the album. Released in 2011, it marked a rare time that critics actually raved about one of their songs. Significant airplay in the US saw it reach number four on the Adult Top 40 chart and the top 20 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

27. Let’s Stay Together

Let’s Stay Together is one of the slept-on songs to come from Overexposed. It’s one of the most sweet and soft love tracks Maroon 5 has ever written, serving as the perfect ode to a partner you’re deeply in love with.

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