This is like the freakin Cola Wars - Relax people!
I'm a 55 year old musician who was around during all those days. At first glance the Stones were just a good rock band and the Beatles, well the Beatles were untouchable and still are and probably will ever be during our life times.
However, give credit where credit is due. The Stones have written some amazing songs and they certain have stood the test of time. There is no question that the Beatles push the boundaries of music far more than the Stones ever did, but read the lyrics to "Wild Horses' sometime while you listen to the song. It's a great piece of music.
I laugh to myself sometimes when I hear people talking about all the sub-sub-sub genres of music. "Naw that's not Ambient Techno that's Acid Drum and Bass!" - I laugh because when a real artist makes real music it defies category. Sure it's rock or pop or whatever, but once an artist creates real art, it has a life of it's own.
The late '60 was a time of more musical expression that any we have known in the past hundred years. There are many reasons for this, not the least of which is the technology that grew-up in that era. But back then, the entire point was to be totally unique and original. No one tried to put an affectation into their voice so they sounded like those fools on American Idol or whomever the FOTM was. Can you imagine Hendrix sitting there saying, "Damn listen to Jethro Tull go! I should try to sound more like that!" HA!
Nowadays if you surf the radio channels and try to figure out who the artist is you will find very little distinction in most of them. Back in the early 60's the Record companies were not billion-dollar industries and hence had little or no control over what an artist did. Today, they wont even look at an artist if he/she doesn't match the demograph-forecasted-formula-Type they are looking for. And That Is Not Art - that is greed.
So Today, on the 30th anniversarry of John Lennon's murder, open you ears and minds to real art and not just some new song that will make Lady Gaga go gaga.