Posted by funoka
Mar 192015
I was reading an album reviewa few weeks back where the writer mentioned “the holy trinity of power pop”:The Beatles, Badfinger, and Big Star. I thought that was an interestingline and got to thinking what other bands might make up other rock “holy trinities?” It could go in many directions — obvious and not-so-obvious.
Such as: The holy trinity of ’70s midwestern US pseudo-prog rock: Styx, Kansas, and Starcastle.
Can you come up with your own holy trinity?
20 Responses to “Rock’s Holy Trinities?”
Dave Marsh once posited that there were two holy trinities of white American rock and roll singers: Elvis, Dylan and Springsteen. He further argued that there was a corollary trinity of black American rock and roll singers: Chuck Berry, Jimi Hendrix and Prince, and noted that the black trinity was arguably more talented and yet received less acclaim and financial rewards. (Although it’s not like any of them were destined for the poor house.)
Then there’s the obvious trinity of British rock: the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Who.
cdm says:
03/20/2015 at 11:21 am
The Byrds and the Velvet Underground are the Holy Binity of post-punk rock.
cdm says:
03/20/2015 at 11:23 am
And the Replacements, Husker Du and the Minutemen are the Holy Trinity of something but I’m not sure what. Maybe 80’s alternative?
My first thought was midwestern 80s alternative, but of course, the Minutemen are California. Hm. 80s alternative that loved classic rock?
Husker Du, the Minutemen and Dinosaur Jr are the holy trinity of 80s alternative rock power trios.
funoka says:
03/20/2015 at 12:15 pm
The 70s Prog Rock Holy Trinity?
Pink Floyd, Yes, and ELP?
or is ELP a Holy Trinity unto itself.
funoka says:
03/20/2015 at 12:17 pm
The Byrds, Flying Burrito Bros, and Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen — the Holy Trinity of early country rock.
cdm says:
03/20/2015 at 12:28 pm
I don’t know that 70s prog can be distilled down to a trinity. What about Genesis, King Crimson, etc?
I would have said the 70s Prog Rock Holy Trinity was Yes, Genesis and King Crimson, based on their influence—I believe ELP may have been the most commercially successful at the time, but once they faded, they were gone (outside a small handful of songs played on classic rock radio), whereas the influence of the other three has continued, especially Crimson in non-prog contexts.
Pink Floyd was both prog and not-prog at the same time, and at least in part because of just how massively successful they were commercially and artistically, at the time and ever since, I feel like they stand outside prog more than inside; their peers are more Led Zeppelin and the Who than Genesis and Yes, I think.
funoka says:
03/20/2015 at 2:56 pm
I can agree with that trinity. I used to have a bunch of the early Genesis on 8-track cutouts — Nursery Cryme, Foxtrot, and The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. I may have listened to Genesis Live most of all.
I was (mostly) kidding about ELP, but we thought we were very cool listening to Brain Salad Surgery in our mid-teens. A buddy of mine really loved Tarkus.
al says:
03/20/2015 at 4:30 pm
Dave Marsh, I’m shocked, I tell you shocked, with a pointless statement. “Arguably more talented”. Surely we can argue about it. And surely I’d argue that Springsteen doesn’t belong in the first grouping (does anyone think of Springsteen and the first thought is “singer”?) and ditto Prince in the second trinity. But in the end, why would anyone wasn’t anytime in such a silly argument?
Well, outside the Town Hall of Rock…
Brian Wilson, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder…I think I just exhausted the list of rock musicians who may be more talented than Prince.
First, I think I miswrote: I *think*–and it’s been many years since I read it, maybe 20–he said rockers, not singers. Having said that, yeah, I’d say there are a very small handful of American rock singers who are better singers than Prince and exactly none that leap to mind who are in his league commercially, much less an overall musician.
ladymisskirroyale says:
03/21/2015 at 3:28 pm
How about the Holy Trinity of DIY bands? (At least in reference to “This Band Could Be Your Life.”)
ladymisskirroyale says:
03/21/2015 at 3:30 pm
A Trio of Rock Pianists: Elton John, Billy Joel, Ben Folds. “Holy” is debatable.
H. Munster says:
03/21/2015 at 8:44 pm
The holy trinity of Detroit proto-punk:
The Stooges
The MC5
Bob Segeral says:
03/22/2015 at 4:03 pm
Two leap to my mind and they are the two that Prince took most of his music from – James Brown and Sly Stone. Add in Hendrix and you’ve got Prince’s entire career.
This is not meant to diminish Prince; I’ve got a lot of shelf space devoted to him. His brilliance was in taking those three influences and combining them so well. But any one of the three is at least on a par with Prince as overall musicians and commercial successes. And all three outstrip him in ground-breaking originality.
cliff sovinsanity says:
03/28/2015 at 5:53 pm
The Holy Trinity of Hair: Poison, Warrant and Cinderella
The Holy Trinity of Blue Collar Rock: Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp and Bob Seger.
The Holy Trinity of Baggy Pant Rock: Happy Mondays, Stone Roses, Inspiral Carpets.
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