re: “Wasn’t their run about 4 years? . . . not impressed”
Actually, they were number 1 in England prior to coming to the U.S. Their run with worldwide fame was basically about 1962 - 1970 (when they broke up). Which, I agree, isn’t very long compared to some other bands, but, quite incredible if you consider the tremendous influence they had (and still have) on pop/rock music. The Stones hasn’t changed their sound much since the sixties. I like some of their music, but they did not make the impact upon pop music like the Beatles did.
Other performers made huge impacts on rock/pop later on, like Jimi Hendrix, the Who, Led Zeppelin (just, “Stairway to Heaven” alone was a mega hit), but no one has come close to the musical impact that the Beatles made on the world (good or bad).
“musical impact that the Beatles made on the world “
Elvis. Elvis had an earlier and a greater impact.
The statement you made has been repeated to the point people believe it, but there hasn’t been any measureable statement to that. I think many American acts in the 1950’s had greater impacts as they changed much of the world of music, from how they dressed to the instruments used to even how their music was delivered.