different bands influenced different things, not all genres can be routed back to the beatles and it all depends on what genres you found to be greater, which national movement you found to be greater, which elements of music you find to be the most important, which bands were the greatest in many different aspects, which is why it answers up all other possible questions you could start threads with on the same sorta topic
. its an overall final decision on what band was the ultimate in the invention of music, pieces of music, the influence of genres, bands, which bands created movements, stopped frickin' wars, wrote the most moving lyrics, created the greatest kind of atmosphere, led the most epic rock n' roll lifestyle it can all be taken into account. so there is a lot of room for arguement.
*hopes*