A completely alternate explanation that I don't quite believe but can't pass up mentioning:
Perhaps the Beatles really weren't that great, but were massively popular for reasons other than master craftsmanship.
Fast-forward a handful of decades, and few now dare voice a dissenting opinion.
(My own personal opinion is that they were great songwriters who never bothered to tighten up their production and performance chops. I disliked them on first listen, then gave The White Album very close attention twenty or thirty times, and that's where I landed.)
Perhaps the Beatles really weren't that great, but were massively popular for reasons other than master craftsmanship.
Fast-forward a handful of decades, and few now dare voice a dissenting opinion.
(My own personal opinion is that they were great songwriters who never bothered to tighten up their production and performance chops. I disliked them on first listen, then gave The White Album very close attention twenty or thirty times, and that's where I landed.)