We first met Adam Levine and Maroon 5 in 2002.
In music biz years, that’s about a century ago.
I didn’t realize they’d only released seven albums in that time. I guess this was because Levine was so ubiquitous on TV with “The Voice” and as a celebrity.
A few weeks ago — three– Maroon 5 released its eighth album, called “Love Is Like.” When it appeared on the iTunes chart at number 5 last week I was stunned I’d heard nothing about it.
A few critics that heard the album in advance, panned it.
Now, “Love is Like” is like, gone. Off the iTunes top 100. Luminate says it sold 45,000 copies of which 12,000 were CDs or downloads.
The fact is, Maroon 5 — which had hits with “Moves Like Jagger” and “Payphone” — may have reached its natural conclusion. Pop bands rarely last this long even with hits and the change of generations.
Now, Maroon 5 can hit the oldies circuit like Backstreet Boys and others of their ilk. Levine is back on “The Voice” after time away, and there’s a reason. He knows that personal celebrity is his calling card going forward. That will fuel gigs. But record sales a thing of the past.
Call this “Maroon 5” graduates to pop heaven.
