The Byrds have a....complicated....legacy.
They didn't get lionized as a "great" band until the '70s, and I believe that's mainly because Boomer darlings Crosby and Parsons were members at various points. Crosby, of course, was part of CSN&

sometimes)Y. Parsons died when that was a romantic thing to
Rolling Stone. They got ret-conned into something more than they were - a great singles band.
Remember now - this was in a time when "self-contained" was what made the uber-groups according to all of the hip rock critics. Go look up how many Byrds actually played an instrument besides tambourine on this record. Not to mention all of the covers (horrors!).
The Byrds made fine records, but so did Paul Revere & The Raiders and The Rascals - and both of those bands would annihilate the Byrds live.
That said, their influence was all over the '70s and beyond. Someone mentioned Petty, but also the power pop groups of the '70s owe a lot to their sound. REM, of course, but with a gazillion more pretentions. And a ton of indie bands the last 25 years.
Gene Clarke was their secret weapon and I agree with all of you who say "Feel A Whole Lot Better" is the best song on this record.