It was late 2013. The world was still humming along to "Blurred Lines" and "Get Lucky," and The Voice was basically the only thing people watched on NBC. Then, People magazine dropped their annual bombshell. They named Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine the hottest man alive 2013.
He was the first musician to ever grab the title. Think about that for a second. Before him, it was a heavy rotation of actors—your Brad Pitts, your George Clooneys, your Channing Tatums. Suddenly, a guy known for high-pitched falsettos and a torso covered in old-school tattoos was the "Sexiest Man Alive." It felt like a shift.
Honestly, the reaction was all over the place. Some fans were thrilled. Others? Not so much. People have very strong feelings about Maroon 5, and those feelings leaked into the conversation about whether Adam actually deserved the crown. But looking back over a decade later, that choice says a lot about what we thought was "cool" in the early 2010s.
The Tattoos and the Yoga: Defining the 2013 Aesthetic
By the time 2013 rolled around, Adam Levine wasn't just a singer. He was a brand. He was the "mean" but charismatic judge on The Voice. He was dating Victoria's Secret models. He was doing yoga.
A lot of yoga.
Levine famously credited his physique to intense Vinyasa sessions rather than traditional weightlifting. In his People cover story, he talked about how he had trouble sitting still, and yoga helped him focus. This was a massive part of why he was chosen as the hottest man alive 2013. He represented a specific kind of modern masculinity: lean, flexible, and heavily decorated with ink.
The "California Cool" vibe was peaking.
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His tattoos were a major talking point. Back then, having a full sleeve wasn't as common for a mainstream pop star as it is now. He had the "Los Angeles" script on his shoulder, the tiger on his arm, and that massive eagle on his chest. It gave him an edge that felt slightly different from the polished Hollywood leading men who usually won the award. He was the "bad boy" who had actually settled down (well, sort of) and was busy building an empire.
Why Some People Hated the Choice
Every year, people complain about the People magazine pick. It’s a tradition. But 2013 felt particularly heated. If you go back and look at the forums or Twitter (now X) archives from that November, the "Not My Sexiest Man" crowd was loud.
The competition was fierce that year. People were rooting for Idris Elba. They were rooting for Benedict Cumberbatch, who was at the height of his Sherlock fame. They were even rooting for Ryan Gosling, who has famously never won (and apparently doesn't want to).
So when a pop-rock singer took the title, it felt like a snub to the "serious" actors.
There’s also the "Levine Fatigue" factor. He was everywhere. You couldn't turn on the TV without seeing his face. When a celebrity is that overexposed, people start to find their confidence annoying. Some critics called the choice "safe" or "commercial." They felt People was just trying to tap into the massive ratings of The Voice.
Was it a marketing play? Maybe. But you can't deny the guy had the numbers. Maroon 5 was churning out hits like "One More Night" and "Daylight." He was a certified A-lister.
The Evolution of the "Sexiest Man Alive" Title
Looking at the hottest man alive 2013 through a 2026 lens is fascinating. Before Adam, the list was dominated by guys like Richard Gere, Harrison Ford, and Mel Gibson. It was very... traditional.
Levine’s win broke the mold. It paved the way for other non-actors to be considered seriously. It showed that "hotness" in the eyes of the public was moving away from the rugged, stoic movie star and toward the multi-hyphenate entertainer.
- 2011: Bradley Cooper (Classic Movie Star)
- 2012: Channing Tatum (The Action Hero/Dancer)
- 2013: Adam Levine (The Rock Star/TV Judge)
- 2014: Chris Hemsworth (The Superhero)
See the pattern? Adam was the outlier. He brought a certain "street style" to the title that wasn't there before. He wore plain white t-shirts and slim-fit jeans. He made "looking like you just rolled out of bed but actually spent two hours on your hair" an art form.
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The "Voice" Factor and the Bromance with Blake Shelton
We can’t talk about Adam Levine in 2013 without mentioning Blake Shelton. Their "bromance" on The Voice was a cultural phenomenon. It made Adam more likable to a demographic that might not have bought Maroon 5 albums.
Blake, of course, spent the entire next season making fun of Adam for the title. Ironically, Blake would go on to win the same title in 2017, which many people also found controversial.
But in 2013, the chemistry between those two was peak television. It gave Adam a platform to show a self-deprecating side. In his interview for the magazine, he said he was "amazed and stunned" and that it almost felt like a joke. That humility—whether it was real or just good PR—helped soften his image as a cocky rock star.
The Lasting Legacy of the 2013 Selection
Does it still matter? In the grand scheme of things, it’s just a magazine cover. But these picks serve as a time capsule.
The year Adam Levine became the hottest man alive 2013 was the year the "Pop Star as Lifestyle Icon" fully solidified. We started caring as much about his workout routine and his fashion line (remember his collection at Kmart?) as we did about his music.
It also marked a point where tattoos became fully "sanitized" for middle America. If the Sexiest Man Alive had sleeves, then tattoos were no longer just for rebels; they were for the guy your mom liked on a Sunday night singing competition.
Maroon 5's music also began to shift around this time, moving further away from the funk-rock of Songs About Jane and deeper into the high-gloss pop that has kept them on the charts for decades. Adam was the face of that transition. He was the ultimate "Pop Prince."
What We Get Wrong About the Selection Process
A lot of people think People just picks the guy they think is the most physically attractive. That’s rarely the case. It’s about the "Year of."
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To be the hottest man alive 2013, you had to have:
- Massive visibility: Adam had The Voice.
- Commercial success: Maroon 5 was topping charts.
- A clean enough image: He was settling down with Behati Prinsloo (they married in 2014).
- A "look" that defined the moment: The skinny-fit, tattooed, yoga-practicing musician.
If you were a fan of Henry Cavill in Man of Steel that year, you were probably disappointed. Cavill was "hot," sure, but he didn't have the omnipresence that Levine had.
Actionable Insights for Celebrity Branding
If you're looking at why certain celebrities dominate the cultural conversation like Adam Levine did in 2013, there are a few takeaways that still apply today.
- Diversify your platforms: Don't just do one thing. Adam was a singer, a TV personality, and a fashion designer. This creates multiple "entry points" for different audiences to find you.
- Own a specific "look": Whether it's the tattoos or the specific fitness niche, having a recognizable visual brand is key to staying relevant.
- Leverage partnerships: His banter with Blake Shelton did more for his public image than ten years of music videos ever could. Relatability often trumps perfection.
- Timing is everything: 2013 was the sweet spot for his career. He capitalized on every bit of momentum he had.
While the debate over whether he was "actually" the sexiest man will never truly end, his impact on the 2013 celebrity landscape is undeniable. He bridged the gap between the old-school Hollywood hunk and the modern, multi-platform influencer-star we see everywhere now.
To truly understand the 2013 pop culture moment, you have to look at the other finalists from that year. The list included David Beckham, Idris Elba, Luke Bryan, and even Pharrell Williams. It was a diverse group, but Levine stood at the center because he occupied the most space in the collective consciousness. Whether you loved him or changed the channel when "Sugar" came on, you knew exactly who he was.
Next Steps for Pop Culture Historians:
- Compare the 2013 list to the 1993 and 2003 lists to see the massive shift in body types and "vibe" that People prioritized.
- Watch early Season 5 clips of The Voice to see how the show leaned into the "Sexiest Man Alive" branding for ratings.
- Review the Maroon 5 discography from 2012-2014 to hear how the music was specifically engineered for the widest possible pop appeal during his "reign."