The Beatles absolutely changed the direction of music. I was just amazed by their first appearence on the Ed Sullivan Show. I think I was 15 at the time.
However, I quickly jumped over to The Stones. I loved the fact that they didn't wear uniforms (not by the time they got to the States, anyway) and seemed so rebellious. I'm a diehard Stones fan to this day. The Beatles? I lost all interest in them when they went their separate ways. My least favorite, Paul, continues to blather on and on through his seemingly endless string of insipid pop tunes.