Every band, regardless of how good they are, has at most a 7-year window before they turn into a parody of themselves.
The Beatles, lasted exactly 7 years in the spotlight. They broke up at the right time.
The Who’s period was from 1965 through Quadrophenia.
The Stones period was up to Exile On Main Street.
I'll give the Stones up to Tattoo You. That was their last good studio album, and mostly because it came out on the heels of two lousy studio albums preceding it where the Stones thought to try their hands at disco.
They haven't recorded anything worth a damn since. Keith Richards barely remembers how to even play their songs on the guitar (and it's been this way for the past 30+ years).
“The Who’s period was from 1965 through Quadrophenia”
No disagreement with your take on those specific bands. There are exceptions of course. Jeff Beck is an obvious one. He kept getting better and since i saw him in 1966 with the Yardbirds.