List of contraltos in non-classical music


The contralto singing voice has a vocal range that lies between the F below "middle C" to two Fs above middle C and is the lowest type of female voice. In the lower and upper extremes, some contralto voices can sing from two Bs below middle C to two Bs above middle C.
The term contralto was developed in relation to classical and operatic voices, where the classification is based not merely on the singer's vocal range but also on the tessitura and timbre of the voice. For classical and operatic singers, their voice type determines the roles they will sing and is a primary method of categorization. In classical music, a "pure" contralto is considered the rarest type of female voice. In non-classical music, singers are primarily defined by their genre and their gender, not their vocal range. When the terms soprano, mezzo-soprano, contralto, tenor, baritone, and bass are used as descriptors of non-classical voices, they are applied more loosely than they would be to those of classical singers and generally refer only to the singer's perceived vocal range. Contemporarily, the informal term alto is sometimes used interchangeably with contralto.
The following is a list of singers in country, popular music, jazz, and musical theatre who have been described as contraltos.

List of names

NameLifespanNationalityAssociated act
American
1953–American
1959–Nigerian-BritishSade
1945–American
1989–Nigerian
1959–2013AustralianDivinyls
1967–BritishLush
1928–2016American
1941–2016AmericanJefferson Airplane
1929–2012American
1911–1967AmericanThe Andrews Sisters
1974–Indonesian
1958–American
1977–American
1975–American
1950–British
1979–American
1950–Russian
1958–AmericanChapter 8
1929–1997American
1980–Canadian
1985–American
1937–Welsh
1943–AmericanMartha and the Vandellas
1978–American
1970–SwedishAce of Base
1946–AmericanWe Five
1960–American
1979–American
1967–AmericanThe Braxtons
1928–2006American
1967–Italian-French
1988–English
1990–American
1980–English
1981–American
1947–Greek
1974–Brazilian
1950–1983AmericanThe Carpenters
1970–AmericanThe New Pornographers
1964–American
1946–AmericanSonny & Cher
1964–Swedish
1981–TaiwaneseS.H.E
1991–Australian
1986–English
1932–1963American
1928–2002American
1928–2002American
1976–American
1956–American
1989/1990–Canadian
1925–2003Cuban
1966–Filipino
1933–1987Egyptian-French
1979–Australian
1984–American
1922–2019American
1961–American
1985–American
1987 or 1988–American
1901–1992German
1970–American
1991–British
1968–Mexican
1959–EnglishSwing Out Sister
1965–ColombianAterciopelados
1960–BrazilianSteps Ahead
1941–1974AmericanThe Mamas and the Papas
1989–Israeli
1957–Cuban-AmericanMiami Sound Machine
1972–American
1941–2011Cape VerdeanBau
1958–IrishBananarama
1958–AmericanOctober Project
1915–1998American
1919–2012Puerto Rican
1992–American
1983–CanadianX-Quisite
1956–2016American
1937–American
1924–1977AmericanLes Paul and Mary Ford
1962–English
1917–1999American
1979–AmericanEx Girlfriend
1907–1980American
1971/1972–AmericanLight Asylum
1986–American
1972–Italian
1922–1969American
1982–American
1944–American
1961–AustralianDead Can Dance
1965–BritishPortishead
1926–2015AmericanThe Weavers
1953–American
1975–American
1968–Mexican
1983–AmericanHalestorm
1964–BritishCurve
1945–2017AmericanRosie and the Originals
1964–American
1972–American
1969–BritishThe Desert Sessions
1968–American
1944–AmericanLabelle
1975–AmericanFugees
1915–1959American
1984–American
1917–2010American
1989–AmericanZola Jesus
AmericanLower Dens
1949-1995Americanstyle=text-align:center-
1951–AmericanThe Pretenders
1911–1972American
1937–American
1938–2012American
1991–AmericanI'm with Her
1984–American
1983–American
1971–AmericanSWV
1873–1922English-American
1948–Jamaican
1979–American
1964–AmericanThe Judds
1954–British
1966–French
1968–2011BritishBroadcast
1981–American
1953–AmericanRufus
1930–2018American
1944–AmericanGladys Knight & the Pips
1959–Malian
1964–Canadian
1979–New Zealand
1970–American
1966–AmericanIncognito
1920–2002American
1981–French-AmericanBeach House
1954–Scottish
1976–AmericanRilo Kiley
1964–AmericanHole
1968–American
1987–Scottish
1984–American
1988–British
1966–Scottish
1978–Papuan-AmericanAndain
1987–American
1973–Portuguese
1990–BritishNoah and the Whale
1972–AmericanCat Power
1974–Irish
1963–American
1943–American
1942–AmericanThe Cookies
1955–American
1992–AustralianTonight Alive
1984–American
1922–1994American
1943–BritishFleetwood Mac
1995–American
1963–American10,000 Maniacs
1988–AmericanWeyes Blood
1983–Russian
1982–Trinidadian-American
1943–Canadian
1957–CanadianFiggy Duff
1990–AmericanThe Highwomen
1959–English
1978–American
1979–Portuguese
1961–English
1963–2003Hong Kong
1983–Irish
1973–IrishMoloko
1945–Canadian
1965–Japanese
1995–South KoreanApink
1970–American
1968–German-American
1974–AmericanSugarland
1973–British
1948–AmericanFleetwood Mac
1938–1988GermanThe Velvet Underground
1984/1985–Swedish
1919–2006American
1930–2008American
1984–AustralianThe Veronicas
1970–English
1927–2013American
1976–American
1984–American
1974–AmericanThe Lost Wandering Blues and Jazz Band
1979–American
1946–AmericanThe Pointer Sisters
1930–Cuban
1948–Italian
1972–Puerto Rican
AustralianLuluc
1962–American
1988–American
1956–American
1941–American
1989–EnglishLondon Grammar
1932–2016American
1965–American
1981–AmericanDestiny's Child
1951–2017AmericanThe Roches
1993–Spanish
1968–French
1966–American
1985–FilipinoLa Diva
1972–Italian
1986/1987–AmericanHurray for the Riff Raff
1977–Colombian
1946–British
1996–Indonesian
1916–1994American
1952–AmericanThe Manhattan Transfer
1945–American
1933–2003American
1940–American
1957–English
1983–Canadian
1939–American
1937–American
1894–1937American
1907–1986American
1928–2017American
1891–1946American
1946–AmericanPatti Smith Group
1983–IrishWe Are the Fallen
1950–2011AmericanSisters of Glory
1935–2009Argentine
1956–English
1967–ScottishTexas
1989–American
1966–BritishBlue Zone
1939–AmericanThe Staple Singers
1987–BritishSuperHeavy
EnglishAlpha
1963–American
1938–2007AmericanThe Platters
1970–AmericanTedeschi Trucks Band
1940–AmericanCaptain & Tennille
1962–English
1934–2000American
1969–German-British
1970–American
American
1993–American
1936–2009AmericanPeter, Paul and Mary
1968–Mexican
1958–American
1975–Scottish
1964–Italian
1939–AmericanIke & Tina Turner
1965–Canadian
1951–Welsh
1981–American
1924–1990American
1959–American
1947–2006DutchShocking Blue
1962–American
1957–American
1929–2010American
1992–American
1970–AmericanTLC
1988–American
1986–EnglishFlorence and the Machine
1893–1980American
1959–American
1987–BelgianBlack Dub
1955–AmericanM-Base
1983–2011English
1980–American
1977–American
1940–2004American
1969–American

Works cited