Is it possible for a bass-baritone to do well in the modern music industry?

Question:I don't see why not. While the mainstream pop industry is at the moment dominated by twenty year old tenors that doesn't mean that everyone else should just pack it in.
I would say that it's the quality of the songs and the singers voice that determine if an artist is going to be successful. If you are writing your own songs then you just need to do them in a key that is within your range. Think of all the legendary blues, soul and jazz singers who have been deep bass singers (not even baritone).

You should also note that is it possible (through correct training) to develop your upper range to enable to sing songs written for tenors and high baritones. Using the standard classification for a classical singing voice (ie where your main chest range starts and finishes) both Freddie Mercury (of Queen fame) and Mika would be classified as bass baritones. They have just spent a lot of time developing their head voice to a point where it is difficult to distinguish it from their chest voice.

All a classical classification of a voice determines is what section you should be in in a classical choir. If you are writing good songs, have a good voice and are willing to develop it then there is no reason why you can't succeed in the modern industry.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I don't see why not. While the mainstream pop industry is at the moment dominated by twenty year old tenors that doesn't mean that everyone else should just pack it in.
I would say that it's the quality of the songs and the singers voice that determine if an artist is going to be successful. If you are writing your own songs then you just need to do them in a key that is within your range. Think of all the legendary blues, soul and jazz singers who have been deep bass singers (not even baritone).

You should also note that is it possible (through correct training) to develop your upper range to enable to sing songs written for tenors and high baritones. Using the standard classification for a classical singing voice (ie where your main chest range starts and finishes) both Freddie Mercury (of Queen fame) and Mika would be classified as bass baritones. They have just spent a lot of time developing their head voice to a point where it is difficult to distinguish it from their chest voice.

All a classical classification of a voice determines is what section you should be in in a classical choir. If you are writing good songs, have a good voice and are willing to develop it then there is no reason why you can't succeed in the modern industry.

Every boy band has a bass-baritone.

So no, they can't.