"Ok so the debate has arisen once again, "Who is the greatest rock band of the '60s, the Beatles or the Stones".
How about neither?
The Beatles were not a "rock" band until the holy trinity (rubber soul, revolver, Sgt. Peppers). Before that they were straight up, a “boy band” type pop band 1964 style. I love the beatles, but I dont try and pretend they were a great rock band before that; and even still ost of their music wasn't "rock"."
And the Gun Guy responded with:
The Beatles did several things: they made it almost de rigueur for bands to write their own stuff; they played neither blues nor rock nor skiffle, but a kind of mixture of all three, depending on who was doing most of the vocals and/or composing.
But most importantly, the Beatles broke the ground for other bands to follow.
If you look at the pre-Beatles Top 10 charts, both in the UK and in the US, they were dreadful. People like Lonnie Donegan and Frankie Laine abounded, not to mention the horrible Pat Boone, Bobby Vinton and their ilk.
Good grief, when the Beatles' "From Me To You" (their first #1) was at #1 in Britain, the #1 hits in the U.S. were: "It's My Party" (Lesley Gore), "I will follow him" (Little Peggy March) and "Sukiyaki" (!!! Kyu Sakamota).
When "She Loves You (yeah yeah yeah)" was at #1 in Britain, the U.S. #1 was "Blue Velvet" (Bobby Vinton).
After all this time, it's easy to forget just how much the Beatles changed popular music, but change it they did -- and most of the other bands that have been mentioned here would have still been playing in their Dads' garages were it not for them.
Oh, and one last thing:
When "I Want To Hold Your Hand" was at #1, the top U.S. hit was... "Dominique", by the Singing Fucking Nun.
Oy vey.
He is absolutely 100% entirely correct.
The beatles are the most INFLUENTIAL musical group of all time by far. No other group has ever had the kind of impact, and I doubt any every will. The MASSIVE changes in popular music ushered in by the beatles can never be overstated.
I LOVE the Beatles. I think that Revolver, Rubber Soul, and Sgt. Pepper, released in three years, is an achievement in popular music never achieved before or since.
I just don't think they are the greatest "rock" band of all time, or even the greatest of the 60's, in term of the raw quality of the music. They are without doubt the greatest pop band of all time,they are the most influential rock OR pop band, and one of the top ten rock bands, just not the greatest "rock" band.