RCA Introduces the 45

In 1949, RCA introduced its 45 RPM record to compete with Columbia’s 33 1/3  LP that had been introduced the previous year.  RCA re-released music on seventy six 45 “albums” (so called because they came in a boxed set of three or four discs) and one hundred and four singles.  These were reissues of music that had been previously released on 78’s.  Along with the new format, RCA developed a high quality record changer that made it possible to stack 45’s for continuous play thus making them competitive with the 33 LP, as a stack of four 45’s could play as long as twenty eight minutes.

The 45 Disc in Colors

 Not only did RCA tout the convenient seven inch size of the disc for handling and storage, initial releases were color-coded based on the genre of the music.  In their scheme, Pop Music was black, Country Western green, Children’s yellow, Classical red, Light Classical midnight blue, Rhythm & Blues cerise, and International sky blue.  By 1952, however, all RCA’s 45’s were black.  Collectors look for these early, colorful releases.

Collecting and Grading 45’s

With records, condition is the single most important criteria for value, and records are graded carefully based on both condition of the sleeve and the disc.  Top dollar goes to those 45’s that still look and sound new. Records in picture sleeves generally fetch the highest sums, although if the 45 is truly rare and hard to find, singles in original plain sleeves can do equally well.   This visual and sound grading has seven distinct levels, from Mint to Poor.

45’s Values

There are millions and millions of 45’s out there, so to be worth more than a few dollars, a disc needs to meet exacting criteria.  First of all, the biggest hits by the biggest recording stars are typically the least valuable. Since the most popular songs sold millions of copies, there are lots of them out there. 

For example, the highest values in a Beatles or Elvis release will be for unusual, limited or early release or more popular releases in unplayed, mint condition.  Highest money for Elvis 45’s seems to be his earliest releases (1954-55) on Sun Records, 5 of which sold at a Heritage Auction Galleries Entertainment Auction in April of 2008 for $11,950.00. But before you run to the bank clutching your mom’s Elvis records, understand that these were five very early pressings in almost pristine condition.

A limited release might be a copy made for distribution to radio stations, or an overseas release. The early pressings preferred by collectors are those made before a song is a hit. Manufacturing records was a gamble, and most labels limited the number of original pressings and waited to see how the record performed on the charts before pressing large quantities.  Of course, in the case of established, popular bands, the original press numbers were high, especially for those bands coming off previous hits.

 As a general rule, 45’s in picture sleeves do better than those in plain ones, and a 45 that sells for a high price without its sleeve must be something really special.  Due to the numbers of copies pressed and sold, it’s possible that that the most valuable collectible 45 by a popular band may be its least successful song.