Maroon 5

Maroon 5's debut, Songs About Jane, was one of the biggest underdog uprisings of the past decade, taking a record-setting 26 months to finally crack the Top 10. All thanks to the grinding guitar hooks of "Harder to Breathe", which suddenly picked up steam and paved the way for the crossover success of neo-soul singles like "This Love", "Sunday Morning", and "She Will Be Loved" — each one tailor-made for singing at the top of your lungs with the shades drawn. But the group's second album, It Won't Be Soon Before Long, avoids taking the same laid-back approach. That'd be too easy, so Maroon 5 recorded a killer collection of blue-eyed soul with a 21st-century bent instead, including the serrated disco grooves of "Makes Me Wonder", the simmering synths and seething lyrics of "Wake Up Call", and the steady, stargazing build of "Won't Go Home Without You".