Maroon 5 Used to be GOOD and here's how! (Songs About Jane Tracks Ranked)

Overview

The video is a personal, track-by-track defense of Maroon 5’s Songs About Jane. The host argues that the band’s 2002 debut had a distinctive, funky pop-rock sound and strong musicianship that later gave way to safer, more generic pop.

The album has personal significance for the host: it was one of his first CDs, and its songs accompanied his early drum lessons. He traces the band’s roots, from Adam Levine and Jesse Carmichael meeting at camp to the group’s earlier incarnation as Kara’s Flowers. He credits the album’s sound to its blend of New York hip-hop and R&B influences, pop-rock songwriting, and the musicians’ individual contributions.

Track Ranking

From lowest to highest:

• 12. “Must Get Out” — The poppiest and, to the host, least distinctive track. He likes its simple keyboard part and an unusual chord change near the end.
• 11. “She Will Be Loved” — Overplayed when he was younger, but he has grown to appreciate its piano embellishments and its thoughtful idea that relationships require effort from both people. He jokes that he once misheard “eighteen” in the opening lyric as “eighty,” imagining Levine had a thing for old ladies.
• 10. “Secret” — A low-key favorite for its chromatic chords, vocal harmonies, and car metaphors, which the host teases are really about Levine being intensely horny.
• 9. “Sunday Morning” — A warm, wholesome groove whose relaxed piano and funky instrumental break make it a bridge between the album’s softer and more forceful songs. He compares the joyful band jam in the outro to “Hey Jude.”
• 8. “Harder to Breathe” — A punchy opener that introduces the album’s breakup themes. The host praises its urgent groove while noting that some of its angry lyrics make Levine sound threatening.
• 7. “Not Coming Home” — His pick for the album’s funkiest track, with loose, syncopated guitar work, soulful vocals, and lyrics about walking away from a toxic relationship.
• 6. “This Love” — A sentimental favorite: it was the first Maroon 5 song he remembers hearing and the first he learned on drums. He loves its catchy rhythm and mournful-but-playful feel, and jokes that someone should mash it up with Pantera’s “This Love.”
• 5. “Sweetest Goodbye” — A satisfying, funky closer with an exciting chord progression, a soulful guitar solo, and a big, celebratory ending. The host jokes that the romantic-sounding farewell may also be about one last sexual encounter.
• 4. “Shiver” — A tense, seductive track with a standout James Valentine solo. The host remembers it as his favorite guitar solo before discovering Guitar Hero and credits it with inspiring his own interest in soloing.
• 3. “Tangled” — Praised for its futuristic production, unusual drum patterns, and Levine’s unusually vulnerable lyrics about accepting responsibility for his mistakes. The host especially admires its distinctive wah-guitar sound.
• 2. “Through With You” — The album’s heaviest and most forceful song, with a complex structure, dramatic harmonies, and a band performance he describes as almost “thrashing.” A playful musical imitation of the song’s climactic moment underscores his enthusiasm.
• 1. “The Sun” — His top pick, which he hears as a summation of the album’s best qualities: a relaxed groove, funky guitar, inventive production, and an emotional lyric about looking back on a difficult relationship without regret. He highlights its hazy, almost cinematic atmosphere and Valentine’s jazzy solo.

Retrospective

In the closing retrospective, the host recounts how the original lineup changed and argues that Maroon 5 increasingly moved toward radio-friendly pop. He jokes about the band’s expanding membership by calling its successive versions “Maroon 6” and “Maroon 7,” and pokes fun at the group’s Super Bowl performance and Levine’s notorious DMs.

His conclusion is affectionate rather than dismissive: Songs About Jane remains an excellent pop-rock album, and he hopes the band’s earlier musical character is still somewhere beneath its later, safer output.

Personalities Featured or Discussed

• Rainer/Shades, the narrator
• Maroon 5 members Adam Levine, Jesse Carmichael, Mickey Madden, Ryan Dusick, and James Valentine
• Later members Matt Flynn, PJ Morton, and Sam Farrar