The Stones were a lot grittier than the Beatles, no doubt about it. They also wrote some wonderful songs.

I see absolutely nothing wrong with the Stones, the Beatles, Dylan or anybody else building an early career by absorbing all kinds of pretty obvious influences from prior recordings by earlier musicians. That's just NORMAL, for gosh sakes! Virtually everyone in music does it, we all were inspired by someone when we were young and wanted to do music like they did, and it happens naturally, and it should happen. It's the normal process of learning music, and one eventually comes up with one's own unique sound by first learning the chops of more experienced players who have gone before.

The only time people bitch about it is when the one who's doing it becomes very successful and very famous. Otherwise, they couldn't care less.