Famous alto singers Toni Braxton, Sade and Annie Lennox.

Toni Braxton, Sade, Annie Lennox and Brandy – what do all of these divas have in common? They are among the few female artists in the music industry who have full control over their lower registers and the ability to sing alto!

Whether they dip to depths of their ranges or roar notes of unbelievable power, the altos set themselves apart from their peers with their androgynous tones. Yes, many people appreciate the colourful high notes of the Pop music’s sopranos but it takes real skill and courage for singers to venture into the same territory as their male counterparts.

Watch some of the the most talented altos in action below:

Anita Baker – ‘Sweet Love’

Annie Lennox – ‘No More I Love You’s’

Brandy – ‘Full Moon’

Mariah Carey  - ‘You & I’

Phyllis Hyman – ‘Living All Alone’

Sade – ‘No Ordinary Love’

Sarah Vaughan – ‘And I Love Her’

Toni Braxton – ‘Let It Flow’

In Pop music, the term ‘alto’ is often mistaken for ‘contralto’. Basically, contralto refers to a vocal type – the lowest vocal profile among female vocalists – whereas alto denotes the role a singer would perform in choral music and is often handled by a person of a higher vocal type than a contralto; usually a mezzo-soprano. The easiest way to remember the difference is to note that all contraltos are altos but all altos are not contraltos.

That is why Mariah Carey is listed above. As a result of her massive vocal range and her ability to perform any role, there is no clear definition of Carey’s vocal type. However, as that rendition of ‘You & I’ demonstrated and Carey herself stated, she is very comfortable singing in her lower range as an alto.

Listening to all of these woman really highlighted a glaring fact: there are no powerful altos on mainstream radio. In 1990s, Toni Braxton, for instance, enjoyed major success but with the exception of the occasional hit by Brandy or Jazmine Sullivan, few altos have made an impact post-2000.

Is it that the diminished demand for vocal complexity and diversity has also forced the altos off the charts? Yet, maybe they are still out there but simply diluting their sound and singing lighter notes in an effort to be successful. Really, I refuse to believe that Britney Spears is the most successful alto singer of the current generation.

Watch Spears singing ‘Silent Night’ below:

Thoughts?