10 Best Soft Rock Albums Of The 2000s

In what might come as a shock to younger listeners out there, chart-topping pop group Maroon 5 were actually a pretty good rock band once upon a time.

Blending funk and alternative with soft rock sensibilities, the Los Angeles outfit impressed with a neat blend of memorable melodies, compelling hooks, and soulful, emotive vocals from Adam Levine. Far from The Voice judge and all-consuming frontman he became, Levine is often on unexpectedly edgy form here, blistering through heavy lyrical themes such as loneliness, rejection, heartbreak, and introspection.

Levine's on-point vocals find great support in James Valentine's intricate guitar work, with Levine's voice perfectly ricocheting off of the guitar riffs in tracks such as hit single Harder to Breathe. Slower, more romantic efforts such as She Will Be Loved see the group at their most soft rock-centric, diving deep into love sick fare. In what ultimately served as foreshadowing of the group's later pop rebirth, She Will Be Loved saw them get struck off by many alternative radio stations for simply being too soft.

Despite the controversy, Songs About Jane showcased a funky, well-paced look into 21st century soft rock, managing to both influence the genre and launch the band behind it all at once.