New Wave singers' vocal ranges
Reported catalog ranges for 14 New Wave singers run from B1 to C6, with a median span of about 2.6 octaves. Mannered, theatrical delivery from the post-punk years, often from baritone voices.
What sets New Wave singing apart
New wave came out of late-1970s punk with more melody, synthesizers and art-school styling. Its singers often used a cool, mannered or theatrical delivery in place of a big rock belt, and many of them are baritones.
Synth-Pop grew out of it and moved further into keyboards and programmed sound.
How ranges sit in New Wave
- The median reported catalog span across these profiles is 31 semitones, 1.5 semitones narrower than the library median of 32.5.
- Largest reported span here is shared by Boy George (D2–A5) and Michael Hutchence (B1–F#5); the lowest listed endpoint belongs to Michael Hutchence at B1 and the highest listed endpoint to Cyndi Lauper at C6.
- Catalog voice labels here, most common first: baritones, tenors, soprano, mezzo-soprano, contralto.
Most profiles' figures are commonly cited spans from the catalog, not recordings checked note by note; a few have reviewed or disputed sources. Open a profile for what its sources support.
Where would your voice sit on this chart?
The free range test runs in your browser in about two minutes and reports your lowest and highest notes in the same note names as every bar below.
Every voice on one axis
full voice, up to the cited ceiling above it: falsetto · head · whistle no full-voice ceiling cited
Singers Boy George through Sting
- Boy GeorgeD2–A5D2–A53.6 oct
- Brandon FlowersF#2–G#5F#2–G#53.2 oct
- Cyndi LauperF3–C6F3–C62.6 oct
- Dave GahanF2–G4F2–G42.2 oct
- David BowieE2–A5E2–A53.4 oct
- Debbie HarryF3–E5F3–E51.9 oct
- Grace JonesD3–A#4D3–A#41.7 oct
- Ian CurtisG2–E4G2–E41.8 oct
- Julian CasablancasC2–F#5C2–F#53.5 oct
- Michael HutchenceB1–F#5B1–F#53.6 oct
- Morten HarketA2–E5A2–E52.6 oct
- Peter GabrielF#2–A4F#2–A42.3 oct
- Robert SmithC#3–C5C#3–C51.9 oct
- StingD#2–E5D#2–E53.1 oct