Something I’ve been noticing in country music for the last couple decades …
The male country music singer has traditionally been a baritone, regardless of his particular subgenre. But it seems this only applies to solo country singers. As actual country bands have become more commonplace, I can’t help noticing that the lead singers in these bands – Lonestar, Diamond Rio, Restless Heart, Rascal Flatts, Ricochet, etc. – tend to be tenors rather than baritones. (Alabama, arguably the first modern country “band”, is a notable exception here.)
For the purpose of my question, I’ll say that acts such as the Oak Ridge Boys and The Statler Brothers don’t count as “bands” - they’re “vocal groups”. Also, Brooks & Dunn and Montgomery Gentry are duos, not bands.
Is there a good explanation for the apparent dominance of tenors in country “bands”, when otherwise baritones are the rule in country music? The best explanation I can come up with is that many of these country bands started out as rock/pop bands, were not having success, and decided to try their hand at country. Indeed, the musical styles of some of these groups backs up this idea.
I think you’re on to something. Rascall Flatts is what I’d call a guilty pleasure of mine, and around my house we’re known to call them The Country Boy Band.
My dad asked me the same thing about rock music, long ago. The answer, then and now, is speaker size. Back then, most listeners heard their music on car radios and little radios at home, so the tenors sounded better. Now, with a zillion iPods playing through eensy beensy ear buds, tenors sound good.
But that still doesn’t explain the divide between solo singers and lead singers in bands. I can comfortably sing along with 90% or more of the male solo singers, even without warming up my voice; singing along with Rascal Flatts or Diamond Rio is out of the question without considerable warmup.
I don’t think you can say that Trace Adkins and Josh Turner are catering to small speakers
Actually, I was always under the impression that rock/pop singers sang high because it was considered “kid’s music”, at least in the beginning. Can you imagine Teen Angel or any other '50s teen love song sung in a deep baritone? It would sound as ridiculous as that Chocolate Rain guy. And Ernest Tubb, a country singer with a deep baritone voice, was broadcast through the same small speakers as the Everly Brothers.
I am 100% convinced that Josh Turner is catering to my speakers, and my speakers only. No, I don’t care that he’s married and I soon will be. He is singing just for me.
Thanks to that “little growl”, I was sure that was Trace Adkins, and I thought the DJ had made a mistake the first time I heard him say “… the new song from Josh Turner…”.
