The World Without The Beatles?

Image by erjkprunczyk via Flickr

I have been trying to do a "thought" experiment concerning the Beatles. I have been trying to imagine what the music world would have been like, and what direction music would have taken withought "The Beatles" (god forbid!!!)
I am trying to remember the state of music before the arrival of the Beatles. I have a handicap here (only one, says the chubby one?? :) ), I grew up in the Capitol City of the Province of New Brunswick, Canada-Fredericton. When I was growing up, yes even I did that, back in the Dark Ages of Commies and "Russkies", and scaring the HELL out of us with Nuclear Bomb drills. As if hiding under the desk was going to save your ass in a Nuclear Explosion!!! But I digress ( I do that a lot!). Our "city" had ONE radio station, CFNB, which was owned by a local family, led by Jack, who felt he had the right to tell all and sundry what they should listen to!!
We had ONE hour per day of what they euphemistically referred to as "Rock and Roll". That meant, white only,(no Elvis even), music! Sinatra was okay. So were groups like the Four Crewtops or Gene Vincent, Ricky Nelson, and their ilk--better forgotten.

The Beatles created a Revolution (unlike most artists of the time who couldn't even write their own songs, right Elvis??) Their place in music history is assured. But, wherefore music sans Beatles??