Maroon 5, Part 2: Are We In Agreement?

So here's part two of my thoughts on Maroon 5. Think of this like a game we can play on a road trip somewhere. Maybe we're going to Six Flags, and we need something to pass the time.

Imagine it: We're sitting in a dark green Toyota Camry, blasting A.C. because Stephanie always gets really hot. I've got my legs stretched out on the backseat, shoes and socks off, aimlessly wiggling my toes. While I'm trying to spread them as wide apart as possible--and while Stephanie is driving, and while you are digging through the snack sack for that bag of peanuts I asked for fifteen minutes ago--I present this question to the car...

Is Maroon 5 the most universal act in pop music right now?

This is a concept I think about quite a bit. At any given time in music history, are there acts that everyone can agree on?

Obviously I mean "everyone" in a very loose way. There will always be someone who doesn't like something. But you know what I mean... The Beatles are an obvious choice. When they were making music, I think most people dug them.

And let me clarify: I'm talking about artists who scored general approval when they were actually releasing music. It's different for everyone to agree on The Beatles now. That's received wisdom. I'm talking about the merging of the contemporary and the universal.

Now... I once read an article that said the splintering of radio into such distinct genres has sort of eliminated the possibility of another Bruce Springsteen, Beatles, Madonna, or Michael Jackson emerging to stir the entire nation into a frenzy. Maybe that's true, but I don't think the nation has given up its taste for musical unification.

Because in the late 90s, didn't everyone sort of agree on Lauryn Hill?

And right now, doesn't it seem like most people sort of like Kelly Clarkson? Or Maroon 5? Again, I'm not talking about L-O-V-E, but I've never encountered anyone who loathes Kelly C. or Maroon 5. They seem to leap across boundaries.

And that's where the rest of you in the car have to jump in. Want to clarify our terms? Want to challenge my assertions? Make your own? Go right ahead. There's a traffic jam on I-75, so we're not getting to Six Flags for another two hours.