Tom Petty
The Avett Brothers
Frank Turner
Queen
twenty one pilots

Sarah Brightman
The Pet Shop Boys
Duran Duran
Enya
Holly Cole

Beethoven
Led Zeppelin
Alison Krauss
Simon & Garfunkel
Vivaldi

Could perhaps survive with these, but I would miss so much....

Garth Brooks
Led Zeppelin
Amy Winehouse
Prince
Al Green

That's difficult becuz the full breadth of the musical spectrum could not be possibly defined by only five people. There would always be gaping gaps somewhere. I'm glad this is only a hypothetical question.

Duran Duran (I've got tattoos of their logos/symbols; and JT has been the love of my life for over 30 years)
Godsmack (total obsession)
Bryan Adams (my favourite vegan)
CCR (all time favourite band)
Queen (how can you not love them)

Is cheating allowed? So for the Beatles do you get to listen to all their solo projects as well? Or if I pick Warren Haynes, Phil Lesh, or Les Claypool do I get to listen to all 800 bands they’ve been involved with? If so I’d pull some sneaky shit like that to maximize my possible variety. If just strictly the music by that band or artist, then I guess I’d go with something like:

The Beatles

The Meters

Paul Simon

Parliament Funkadelic

Ray Charles

Waits, Cohen, Joplin, The Clash , Marley but i'd definitely go crazy (and i'd swap one for a ukulele)

Max Bruch, Aaron Copland, Simon and Garfunkel, Joan Baez, and Dave Brubeck.

i couldn't do it. i'd die.

g

The Beatles
Steely Dan
Led Zeppelin
ABBA
Elton John

Tool
Florence +the Machine
Portishead
Bob Marley
Alina Baraz

This was hard.

Bjork
Sebadoh
Nine Inch Nails
Johnny Cash
Kristen Hersh

Beatles
Allman Brothers
Grateful Dead
Joni Mitchell
Dylan

I'm a musician, so it's really hard to pick just five, but off the top of my head I'll name a few that are some of my favorites.
Bach.
Andreas Vollenweider.
Metallica.
Alice in Chains.
Pink Floyd.

As a musician I would find it hard to shrink it down to five choices..there will always be times when someone wants something good outside defenitions..that I might know....lol

Sinatra
Count Basie
Beatles
Ray Charles
Waylon Jennings

Santana
Brian Auger
Pink Floyd
Led Zeppelin
Styx

Honorable mention: Ambrosia, but only the first album.

I have to listen to my Own Music despite not being an "artist" and my Multi Cultural Musical Knowledge expands many nations in several continents, ages, and eras so 5 will not do. I am into Reality and the Complexities of a Citizen of the World, not a "hit parade". I Refuse to be "Boxed on a Best of". Besides my partnered dancing skills embrace more than 5 Genres!!! My Final Answer!

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Bob Dylan
RUSH
Styx
Pink Floyd

it's been exactly the same top five since 1981....

Foo Fighters
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Dave Matthews Band
Tchaikovsky
30 Seconds to Mars

Bob Dylan
Peter Paul and Mary
Loreena Mckennitt
Pentatonix
Lindsey Stirling

The Who
U2
The Grass Roots
Elton John
Queen

Mothers of Invention
Jimi Hendrix
Mark Knopfler
Simon and Garfunkel
Led Zeppelin
When I get bored I fall on a knife.

Jazz