To the thread creator:
CKY and HIM are probably two of the WORST bands ever. HIM is a total disgrace to the scandinavian metal scene; I have no idea how they got a record deal when COB, Opeth, and Arch Enemy are all from the same area and could make better music on a kazoo.
As for the question posed....I think The Beatles certainly revolutionized the entire music scene and we can thank them for any sort of rock/metal/etc that has followed. Led Zepplin and Pink Floyd furthered what they had done and set the grounds for the huge variety of music we see today; not so much on the shit-dominated radio, but you know what I mean.