I don't think I'm overthinking this at all. I think people aren't using their imaginations.
Think about the Beatles for a second, in relation to musical and social history: They created almost *everything* that we love about music.
The album as an artistic statement
The idea that a band can be marketed and branded
The control of their images
The idea that music can bring about social change
The music video
The musician as studio wizard
The list goes on and on....
The Beatles are without argument the greatest band of all-time, and in 50 years nobody has come close to matching what they achieved in 8 years, much ...