What Makes a Pop Song Perfect? Maroon 5 Have a Few Ideas

Slam Maroon 5 for their squeegee-clean songwriting and you’re completely missing the point. The ease with which they harness hooks, the way they make hammering, rock-tinged R&B/blue-eyed soul hummable - especially on the recently released It Won’t Be Soon Before Long (A&M/Octone)- is exactly why they are to be embraced on a Top 40 chart otherwise dominated by rappers and post - American Idol pop stars.

“Our goal is to be respected as songwriters and prove ourselves. There’s always battles to be won no matter how well people think we’re doing,” says frontman Adam Levine, echoing the same problem that’s faced every sudden success story before him.

The twist? Maroon 5 weren’t an overnight success–at all. To begin with, Maroon 5 went by the name Kara’s Flowers at the tail end of the ’90s. At the time, they were on more of a modern rock tip, a direction they nixed after a name change and the addition of guitarist James Valentine to the already established lineup of Levine, keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, bassist Mickey Madden and drummer Ryan Dusick. (Ed. Note: Dusick quit the group in 2006 and was replaced by Matt Flynn.)

After spending a few years sharpening their new sound, Maroon 5 released their debut (Songs About Jane, initially pressed by the independent label Octone Records) to little fanfare in June 2002. The record became the longest wait-and-see hit in the history of the Billboard 200 chart, taking 26 months to peak at #6. In the end, it spawned four hit singles (the one-two sucker punch of “Harder to Breathe” and “This Love,” followed by “She Will Be Loved” and “Sunday Morning”), sold more than four million copies and even earned the not-so-new band a Best New Artist Grammy in 2005.

Needless to say, the stakes have been raised for It Won’t Be Soon Before Long, Maroon 5’s make-or-break moment in what’s become an incredibly fickle, impatient music industry. Lucky for Levine and company, the album’s first two singles, “Makes Me Wonder” and “Wake Up Call,” are both winners, subtly referencing everything from the Police to the Neptunes. Truth be told, we heard “Makes Me Wonder” playing in our friendly neighborhood bodega the other day and already made the connection between the song’s serrated synths/undeniable melodies and Maroon 5. Having only listened to the new album once before hitting the store, we literally thought, “What is that song? Oh yeah, it’s the new Maroon 5 single. Damn, they win.”

“If this record does well, it’ll be harder to ignore us or write us off,” says Levine. “I’m curious to see how this whole thing works. It’s fascinating to be in our position, really.”

Said position, somewhere between being a fluke hit and an artist with an actual career, certainly isn’t a new one. It’s the very foundation of pop music’s storied history. That’s why we asked Levine to run through what he considers the greatest examples of pop perfection, from the King (of Pop) to the Talking Heads.

Anything
Marvin Gaye

“What’s Going On” is one of my favorite songs ever. It’s totally timeless. If it came out tomorrow it would be huge.

Michael Jackson
“Rock With You”

Off the Wall is an amazing album. One of the coolest things about Michael and the production of this record is the simplicity of it. You have three things going on: a really simple guitar line, four-on-the-floor drums stepping over one another in a funky way and a mellow Rhodes playing chill keyboard lines. The foundation is simple, which is exactly why it stood out.

Michael Jackson
“Beat It”

Thriller blew the doors off everything. “Beat It” is pop perfection, my favorite combination of elements–you can dance to it, but it also has a classic rock ‘n’ roll riff. [Adam stops to hum it.] It’s one of the best riffs ever written, which is funny because people always think of Zeppelin or the Stones in that department.

Lauryn Hill
The Miseducation of …

The Fugees were incredible. Like Wyclef [Jean]’s first solo record, Lauryn’s was so much more diverse than you’d thought it’d be. The songs are beautiful, the lyrics are beautiful. I think that was one of the best records of the past decade.

The Talking Heads
“Once in a Lifetime”

That’s one of the best songs ever written. It’s lyrically profound, for one, as it gets into the everyday malaise of your typical American couple. But it also makes you dance, which makes it perfect. David Byrne is my hero in that way–because he took dark subject matter and gave it a poppy character.

The Police
“Roxanne”

When “Roxanne” first came on the radio, I’m sure people must have thought, “What was that?” and may not have even liked it. It’s great, though–one of rock’s best drummers, jangly guitar chords, this reggae-like bass line and a soaring, high-pitched vocal. None of that cheesy production crap, either. That was one of the coolest moments in pop music: hearing reggae, punk rock and pop come together. I think it’s great that they are back on the road because a lot of people don’t realize how influential they’ve been.

The Rolling Stones
Exile on Main Street

Most of U2’s catalogue

It’s really difficult to remain relevant the way the Stones or U2 have. You can’t really lose the musicality the Stones had because it was rough around the edges from the beginning. Bono’s voice is suited to sound more mature, too, so he’s taken more seriously when they’re not bopping around trying to be 20 again.

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