So, I got to thinking of narrowing down my favorite singers and bands to form what I have been calling my Holy Trinity of music, you know, a stock answer when the question "What type of music do you like" or "Who is your favorite singer" comes up. I've narrowed it down into catagories and then over all (so, you know, not like this is REALLY narrowing down or anything):

FEMALE SINGER/S
1) Tori Amos
2) Joni Mitchell
3) Indigo Girls

MALE SINGER
1) Bob Dylan
2) Tom Waits
3) Bruce Springsteen

BAND
1) Queen
2) The Beatles
3) The Smiths

OVERALL
1) Bob Dylan
2) Queen
3) Bruce Springsteen

Man, that was tough!

Howsaboutyou?

I made up my own categories, based on the type of music.

SKA
1. Reel Big Fish
2. RxBandits
3. Less Than Jake

"EMO" (oh, how I hate that term)
1. Thursday
2. Brand New
3. Thrice

JAZZ
1. Thelonious Monk
2. Miles Davis
3. Dave Brubeck

OLD-SCHOOL
1. Bob Marley
2. The Clash
3. Pink Floyd

MISC
1. The Postal Service
2. Sigur Ros
3. Radiohead

Elvis Costello
The Velvet Underground
The Clash or Big Star (depending on the day)

My holy trinity (if they formed a band)

Keith Jarrett
Miles Davis
Buddy Miles

How's this for three corners of a triangle...

Rush
Queen
Prince

Smaller triangle (honorable mention):

Harry Connick, Jr.
Del Amitri
Violent Femmes

After listening to A Love Supreme one and a half times on the way to and from work today, I feel like saying:

John Coltrane
McCoy Tyner
Elvin Jones
(no offense to Jimmy Garrison, but the three above were together a bit longer before he joined).

My personal Holy Trinity of rock bands:

The Jam
Gang of Four
Mission of Burma (or Wire)

Krautrock:

Kraftwerk
Neu!
Can (or swap in Faust)

This is kind of hard...

Tool
Nine Inch Nails
Pink Floyd

i'll use categories created by you people:

FEMALE SINGERS
1) Tori Amos
2) Sleater-Kinney
3) Annie Lennox (Eurythmics)

MALE SINGER
1) Robert Plant
2) Eddie Vedder
3) Tom Waits

BAND
1) Led Zeppelin
2) The Band
3) The Clash

OVERALL
1) The Beatles
2) Led Zeppelin
3) Bob Dylan

JAZZ
1. Herbie Hancock
2. Miles Davis
3. John Coltrane

MISC
1. Radiohead
2. Adam Ant
3. Devo

I like FatTony's way of doing things:

Metal:
1. Opeth
2. (old school) Metallica
3. Iced Earth

Punk/Emocore/Emo:
1. Finch
2. From Autumn To Ashes
3. Straylight Run

Rap:
1. Tupac
2. Eminem
3. Biggie

The Beatles
The Cure
Iron Maiden

Punk:

Black Flag
Circle Jerks
FEAR

First Three Artists that came to mind were:

Fela Kuti
Velvet Underground
Can

Another Great Trinity in my mind:

Don Cherry
Captian Beefheart
Spacemen 3


I try to imagine what a combination of either of these groupings would sound like.

Black Sabbath
Depeche Mode
Skinny Puppy

(alphabetical order)

KISS
Motley Crue
The Darkness

Nine Inch Nails
Pink Floyd
Queen

Overall:
Pearl Jam
Dylan
Springsteen

I would break them up a little differently.

Song Writers:
Matthew Good
Sarah Mclachlan
Todd Rundgren

Musicians:
Pat Methany
Bill Evans
Mike Oldfield

Bands:
Yes
Radiohead
Porcupine Tree

If I picked three overall (because I'm too lazy to break it down further):

Tom Waits
Ben Folds/Ben Folds Five
Emmet Swimming

Overall:

U2
Tori Amos
Save Ferris (We miss you! Hurry up with your solo album Monique!!!)

This has been my top 3 for years. Others sneak in from time to time, but it always reverts to these 3 being my favorites.

Hmmm....I guess mine would be:

Bob Marley
Jimi Hendrix
Frank Sinatra

Next tier would be:
Public Enemy
Queen
The Beatles

Culture Club
Wham!
Milli Vanilli


Oh wait a minute, you're looking for the Holy Trinity aren't you?

Elementary school:
Michael Jackson: Thriller
The Miami Vice soundtrack
Police: Synchronicity

Jnr. High
The Cure
The English Beat
Echo and the Bunnymen

High school
Minor Threat
Sonic Youth
New Order

College
P-Funk
My Bloody Valentine
Meat Beat Manifesto

Now
Big Star
Shins
Roxy Music

Rolling Stones
AC/DC
Johnny Cash

Iron Maiden
Queensryche
Iced Earth
Fear Factory

I had to break the rules and do 4, because Queensryche and Iron Maiden are a tie.