 Since the band 's 1960s heyday , the influence of the Byrds on successive generations of rock and pop musicians has grown steadily , with acts such as the Eagles , Big Star , Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers , R.E.M. , the Bangles , the Smiths , and innumerable alternative rock bands of the post @-@ punk era all exhibiting signs of their influence . Musician and author Peter Lavezzoli described the Byrds in 2007 as " one of the few bands to exert a decisive influence on the Beatles " , while also noting that they helped to persuade Bob Dylan to begin recording with electric instrumentation . Lavezzoli concluded that " like it or not , terms like " folk rock , " " raga rock " and " country rock " were coined for a reason : the Byrds did it first , and then kept moving , never staying in the " raga " or " country " mode for very long . This is precisely what made the Byrds such a rewarding band to follow from one record to the next . " 
