Trivial question: why do men sing in such high voices in pop songs?

[aileen]

I thought that falsetto or at least very high tenor voices were a feature of 1970s disco music. From my experience of singing in choirs, most men are naturally basses rather than tenors (or altos). However, when it comes to pop music generally many men seem to sing in the tenor or alto ranges (I can sing along with them). A recent example is Pharrell Williams in Daft Punk's hit 'Get Lucky'. Why do men sing in such high voices? Does it appeal to teenage girls, rather in the way that more feminine looking (male) pop stars and actors appeal to teen and pre-teen girls? Are male pop singers a self-selecting bunch with the result that men with deeper voices go into a different branch of music? I'd be interested to hear from any vocal coaches and, of course, anyone else who has an opinion?

[taxi4ballet]

Perhaps that's it - teenage girls can sing along with them, if they are in the higher range; or it could just be the current 'fashion'?

[Jan McNulty]

I think it goes back quite a way.  One of the presenters on Radio Merseyside years ago sometimes used to play recordings of castratos.

[Anjuli_Bai]

The Alfred Deller group is justly famous.  His Ode on the Death of Henry Purcell is sublime.

[LinMM]

I thought it mainly started round about the seventies too!

 

It reminds me of my father who used to say somewhat disapprovingly " why do all the men sing like girls these days"

 

However I don't remember him disapproving so much of Frank Ifield......remember "wimoway"

 

I'm sure there were some fifties pop singers who were high ish too.

[zxDaveM]

perhaps its the tight trousers!!

[aileen]

I think that it started before 1970s disco 'style'. Neil Young sang in quite a high voice (Heart of Gold).

[toursenlair]

It's because... they can. Singing falsetto extends the possible vocal range dramatically. Women don't have that option.

English cathedral choirs have relied on male altos (who are not actual altos in the way female altos are, but basses and tenors singing falsetto) for centuries.