Originally released back in June, the debut from this L.A. quartet has gained attention based on a strong single ("Harder to Breathe") and acclaim from a handful of like-minded rockers, most notably John Mayer. With their vaguely funky white-soul stylings, tunefulness and vocals that recall that guy from Jamiroquai, songs such as the pretty, down-tempo "Must Get Out" sound poised to mount an assault on Mayer's college fan base. Adam Levine's urban-romantic swoonings work best when his band really gets up on the good foot, as on "This Love," which uses piano and James Brown-like guitars to create a foundation on which Levine can obsess about beauty (including his own).

“Everyday People”

"Everyday People" managed to trailblaze in two different ways -- it was one of the first pop hits to deal with the subject of racial harmony, and it utilized Larry Graham's "slap" technique on the bass guitar, which would soon be copied by countless other bassists. Graham once said about his pulsating style, "I'd never done that before … that's where the freedom of creativity came in for the band, that we'd be allowed to do that." In 1978, the song's line "Different strokes for different folks" would be borrowed for the title of the hit television show Diff'rent Strokes.