I just re-read the original article, and it is even more horsesh-t that I first thought. The writing is pitiful, with the author seeming to be more concerned with sticking in allusions to the lyrics of each selected artist than truly identifying what makes them “better” than the Beatles.
And there is no way that the majority of these folks “took the Fab Four’s pop revolution and made it even better.” Led Zep took the blues and made it fast loud, and they did it very well. And while they may have inspired a lot of teenagers to start a band in their garage, they didn’t revolutionize the way rock and roll is written, recorded, and listened to the way the Beatles did.
The Rolling Stones of 1965 is pretty much the same as the Rolling Stones of 2014. The progression of The Who—and band left off his list—from My Generation to The Who Sell Out to Tommy to Who’s Next to Quadrophenia is spectacular and influential in rock and roll (and forget everything they did after Keith Moon died).
Heck, Bob Dylan had more influence on rock and roll than most of the bands listed. In fact, Bob was actually a main influence for many of them.
Rant over (for now).
The Who had some amazing songs that never made it onto their albums....I heard this for the first time a few years ago and was stunned it wasn't a huge song for them. I think it was one of those songs Pete ditched, when he decided to devote his energy to "Tommy". And now I regard "Sell Out" as my favorite Who album.