There’s a team of powerhouse songwriters behind Maroon 5’s hit, “Memories.” The doo-wop style melody elevates the nostalgic nature of the lyrics that focus on loss. The song was inspired by the passing of Maroon 5’s manager and frontman Adam Levine’s childhood friend, Jordan Feldstein, who died of cardiac arrest in 2017 at the age of 40. Feldstein was also brother to actors Jonah Hill and Beanie Feldstein.
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“I needed this song,” Adam Levine said in a 2019 interview on The Howard Stern Show (quote via Entertainment Tonight). “In a world that’s increasingly chaotic and crazy and angry in a lot of ways… rather than fight about things, it’s nice to have common ground and all of us have had loss… [It’s about loss] and celebrating them too, which I think is important.”
Meet the Writers of “Memories”
“Memories” was written by Maroon 5 lead singer Levine, along with Jon Bellion, Jacob Kasher Hindlin, Michael Pollack and the hit songwriting-production team of Jordan K. Johnson and Stefan Johnson known as The Monsters & The Strangerz. Levine has long been known as the frontman of Maroon 5. Born and raised in Los Angeles, he also worked as a writer’s assistant on Judging Amy. He was also famously a coach on The Voice for 16 seasons.
The Johnson brothers are two of the five members of The Monsters & The Strangerz. With the talent separated into two groups, Stefan and Jordan K Johnson are part of The Monsters. Originating in Miami, Florida, Stefan Johnson formed the songwriting and production team with Alexander Izquierdo of The Strangerz in 2008. Collectively, the team has written and produced for Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Dua Lipa, Camila Cabello and Rihanna, to name a few. They lent a hand to such hits as “The Middle” by Zedd, Maren Morris and Grey, “Break My Heart” by Lipa and “Liar” by Cabello.
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An artist in his own right, Bellion has released two studio albums, The Human Condition in 2016 and Glory Sound Prep in 2018. In addition to “Memories,” his name is also behind such hits as “The Monster” by Eminem and Rihanna, and “Trumpets” by Jason Derulo. Selena Gomez, Cabello and Katy Perry are among the other superstars who’ve cut his songs.
Pollack is also no stranger to hit songs. He had a viral moment while he was a college student at Vanderbilt University in Nashville when he joined Billy Joel on piano on his hit “New York State of Mind” when Joel hosted a Q&A with students. Pollack got a publishing deal his sophomore year of college and moved to Los Angeles after graduating. Having not even turned 30 yet, Pollack has amassed several hits as a songwriter, including Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers.” Ed Sheeran, Kelly Clarkson, Jonas Brothers and John Legend are some of the few superstar acts he’s written or produced for.
Virginia Beach native Hindlin scored several pop hits in the mid-2000s with Selena Gomez & The Scene’s “Round & Round,” Kesha’s “We R Who We R” and Derulo’s “Wiggle.” He’s also behind many of Charlie Puth’s hits, including “We Don’t Talk Anymore,” “Attention” and “How Long.”
Jamaican songwriter Vincent Ford is also a credited writer. Ford is the writer of one of Bob Marley’s signature hits, “No Woman, No Cry,” with some noticing a resemblance between “Memories” and “No Woman.” In addition to writing songs, Ford also ran a soup kitchen in Trenchtown, Jamaica. He passed away in 2008 after battling diabetes.
“Memories” was a worldwide hit, topping the Billboard Adult Contemporary and Adult Top 40 charts, among others. It also reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Singapore, Canada and Poland are among the other countries where it hit No. 1.
Photo by Shlomi Pinto/Getty Images
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