The Untold Story of the Legendary Bet Adam Levine Won Against Blake Shelton on ‘The Voice’ That Left the Country King Wincing in Total Defeat—Revealed for the Very First Time!
Adam Levine Won a Bet on The Voice that Left Blake Shelton Wincing: “I Demand…”
Levine and Shelton’s timeless fued on The Voice remains a cherished highlight of the NBC competition series.
Aside from the electrifying performances and spectacular showmanship of The Voice, many fans would agree that the playful banter among the Coaches is one of the most iconic hallmarks of the long-running singing competition. And that rivalrous dynamic began with none other than red chair icons Adam Levine and Blake Shelton.
From Season 1 of the NBC reality competition to the present day, The Voice O.G.s have delighted audiences with their playful rivalry and competitive spirit. While Shelton always rocked out in the country lane, Levine took pride in his pop-based teams, leading their Artists to inevitably duke it out for the season title on numerous occasions. Despite their timeless feud, Levine and Shelton have become close buddies over the years; Levine was even in attendance for Shelton’s 2023 Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony, giving a fun-filled speech at the event.
Shelton and Levine both celebrated big years in 2017; not only were they entertaining audiences on Season 13 of The Voice, but both Shelton and Maroon 5 released a new album in November of that year. And needless to say, there was a chucklesome exchange once The Voice Coaches realized they shared a release date.
Adam Levine and Blake Shelton made a “fun wager” about their albums
Adam Levine during an interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday, April 10, 2024; Blake Shelton at the 59th Academy of Country Music Awards from Ford Center at The Star on May 16, 2024 in Frisco, Texas
Photo: Todd Owyoung/NBC; Gilbert Flores/Penske Media via Getty Images
During a 2017 video from behind the scenes of The Voice, Shelton and Levine both chatted about the upcoming albums — Shelton’s Texoma Shore and Maroon 5’s Red Pill Blues. After swapping copies for their fellow Coach to hear, Levine was annoyed to discover Shelton planned to release his album on the same day as Maroon 5’s big release.
“You’re kidding, right?” Levine asked.
“Well, I’m sorry,” Shelton said, casually adding that his release would “squash” the band’s numbers.
“Honestly, I feel bad for you because we’re going to sell more albums than you are,” Levine said, but Shelton wasn’t having it. That inspired Levine to put his money where his mouth was, asking if Shelton wanted to make a “friendly wager.”
“OK, so if I sell more albums than you, then you have to call me Captain Country,” Shelton pitched, getting little reaction from Levine, who told him he felt like he’d called him that before.
Shelton quipped, “I know, I liked it.” Shelton was then eager to know what he’d need to ante up for the bet if Maroon 5 prevailed.
Levine told him, “You have to call me the greatest there ever was.”
“That’s long to say,” Shelton noted.
“That makes it more embarrassing,” Levine smiled, before the duo agreed that whoever lost the bet would have to carry out the larger-than-life nicknames during the next Live Show.
Meanwhile, Shelton then began playfully ridiculing the album art for Maroon 5’s Red Pill Blues, claiming it looked like someone doodled on it. Shelton reassured Levine that there was still time for the band to do an “actual decent album cover,” which successfully ruffled Levine’s feathers.
“As long as we’re gonna criticize covers,” Levine volleyed, telling Shelton that he should have found a shooting location for Texoma Shore that “didn’t look like a sewer.” Shelton had a big laugh as Levine added, “It looks like you’re standing in front of a place that smells absolutely terrible, like a swamp.”
Blake Shelton was begrudgingly a “man of his word”
Adam Levine attends the 2024 Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on April 13, 2024 in Los Angeles, California; Blake Shelton at “CMT Giants: Alabama” held on January 17, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee
Photo: Taylor Hill/Getty Images
After the singers shook on it, the following Live Shows were a thrilling affair as Carson Daly revealed the highly-awaited winner of Levine and Shelton’s friendly wager. After both releasing albums on November 3 in 2017, Daly revealed that Shelton’s Texoma Shore had topped at No. 4 on Billboard’s Top 200 albums chart, a “very impressive” feat.
Despite Shelton’s success, Daly then revealed that Maroon 5’s Red Pill Blues reached No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200, beating Shelton’s numbers. With that triumphant reveal, Levine was keen to rub the victory in Shelton’s face. “I demand a recount of the votes,” Shelton joked. But a man of his word, the country star faced the wrath as Levine reminded the cheering audience of Shelton’s punishment.
“You’re not gonna wiggle your way out of this. He has to call me on this show today for the rest of the show — what do you have to call me?” Levine asked Shelton to the audience’s delight. “Do you remember?”
“Greatest there ever was,” Shelton said, grimacing through each syllable.
“Greatest there ever was,” Levine teased, encouraging Shelton to use the new moniker loud and proud. “Try it in a sentence, like, ‘Hey, Greatest There Ever Was, I’m hungry.'”
“Hey, Greatest There Ever Was, can you make me a sandwich?” Shelton teased, getting a big laugh from Levine and the crowd.
Don’t miss Adam Levine’s return to The Voice in Season 29’s Battle of Champions, which kicks off with three two-hour telecasts during its first week on NBC:
Monday, February 23 at 9 p.m. ET
Wednesday, February 25 at 8 p.m. ET
Thursday, February 26 at 8 p.m. ET
New episodes of The Voice: Battle of Champions will be available to stream the next day on Peacock.
