Maroon 5's Adam Levine's Playlist: Top 5 Songs That Impacted Rocker's Style

Nov. 17, 2011— -- Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine has felt music beating in his veins since he was a little boy.

Growing up in Los Angeles, Levine has been playing with almost all of the same guys who make up Maroon 5 since high school, and the group has earned numerous awards, including three Grammys. Their smash hit singles -- "This Love, " "She Will Be Loved," "Harder to Breathe," "Makes Me Wonder" -- have garnered the band worldwide acclaim.

In an interview with "Nightline" at the RdV Lounge in New York City, the rock star talks about the top five songs on his playlist that have made an impact on his musical style.

1. "Electric Avenue," Eddy Grant

Adam Noah Levine was born in Los Angeles on March 18, 1979. His father, Fred Levine, owns a boutique chain in downtown L.A.

"[Electric Avenue] was the first tape I ever bought, and I made my parents listen to it all the time," Levine said. "I probably drove them a little crazy with that, so I am sorry to my parents for that. My family is a very musical family, they appreciate music, but I was obsessed with this tune. I loved that song so much, still to this day. It's irresistible. It's just one of those songs."

2. "Thriller," Michael Jackson

One of the fondest memories of his childhood, Levine said, is making the winning shot in a basketball game at age 6. The experience gave him the confidence to succeed in anything he wanted to pursue -- mainly music.

"I remember 'Thriller' was just everyone's soundtrack. It was the biggest record on earth and everybody wanted to be Michael Jackson," Levine said.

"Michael Jackson was probably his biggest at this time, it was the early to mid-80s," he continued. "I'd dance around the living room with my glove on like every other kid at that age during that time. It's almost as if pop music is kind of something I loved so much as a kid, and then when I was 13, 14, 15, I kind of left it behind because I didn't think it was particularly cool."

3. "Longview," Green Day

Levine first began making music with his friends, guitarist Jesse Carmichael and bassist Mickey Madden, while attending the Brentwood School, a K-12 school in L.A. In 1994, the trio added drummer Ryan Dusick and formed the alternative rock band Kara's Flowers.

"When I was in high school, I was a little rebellious," Levine said. "I wanted to play music. I didn't want to do the things they were teaching me. I picked up a guitar and that was it. The second I picked up a guitar, I never really put it down again. I fell so madly in love with it, it's all I did. It consumed my every thought, and I'd have friends over that didn't even play instruments and I would just put instruments in their hands."

"I remember hearing Green Day for the first time and being kind of blown away," Levine continued. "When I heard 'Longview' on the radio, I was just kind of enamored by it. I was like, 'Wow, what's this?' It was very accessible, melodic rock and roll music, but it was a little pissed-off and obnoxious."