5 Reasons Why 45's are the Best (in my opinion)

In the world of vinyl (and especially the audiophile circle) I feel 7 inch records are severely underappreciated. Its gotten to the point where many record cleaning machines can't even clean them. Heres a few reasons why I think 45's are great.

1. They are much cheaper than LP's

If you were to get a classic Beatles album (say, Abbey Road) in decent condition, it could cost you atleast 30 dollars. A classic Beatles single? I got a perfect original copy of "Hey Jude" for 2 dollars this weekend.

2. Good 45's are much more common than good LP's

Let me explain. If you go into a good used record store, I GUARANTEE, you can find atleast a few classic singles in good conditions by the likes of the Kinks, the Beach Boys, the Beatles, or the Rolling Stones for under 3 dollars. LP's? In many stores you're lucky if you find one good record for 10+ dollars.

3. They are much more time efficient

I would reckon, most of the time, you don't want to listen to a full album. You just want to listen to a few key tracks and then be done with it. Singles make this easy! Most have only one song per side and you don't even have to listen to the B-side (to get the, "album-experience").

4. They are less cumbersome

7 inch records are light and convenient. They are easy to store and carry.

5. THERE ARE MORE GOOD SINGLES THAN ALBUMS

I completely agree that there is something special about the album format, but if we are being honest, there are just more good songs than albums. For an album to be "good," it should probably have atleast 80% good songs, if not more. Obviously, single only needs to have one good song to be cost efficient and holistic.

Hope you enjoyed my post. share your opinions

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Hmmmmm, where shall I begin?

First, full disclosure - I haven't bought a new, NEW 7" single since 199_ or so.
(Wait...does a Record Store Day release count?)
Well, never mind...I'm sure the inherent appeal of the 45 transcends decades.

A 7" inch 45 RPM record can be a circular plastic slab of intrinsic beauty, functionality, and wonder.
It's delicate, it's precise, it's limited.

The A side: Typically, the artist choose that one track to "represent" their new Album or CD release; it may not be the best song choice, nor the "hit", but it's got the spotlight. Sometimes, this crucial choice can "make or break" the success of the album release. Oftimes, the record label imposed their decision and selected the track they wanted to push, against the artist's decision.

The B side: With all the attention lavished on the A side, this song selected from the LP can range from the "second best" to the worst throwaway track, especially in the 80's when the labels squeezed all the LPs they could for as many hit singles that the public could stomach (see Michael Jackson's "Bad" , U2's "Joshua Tree", and Bruce Springsteen's "Born In the USA" as prime examples.)
OR
The artist releases a Non-LP track - which can be a live song, a studio demo, a cover of another artist's song, an instrumental version, an acoustic version, an alternate version, a remixed version, a toss-off....anything goes! (See the threads dedicated to B -Sides for some detailed examples.)
I have several 45 rpm singles wherein the A side is blehhh!!!, but the flip is awesome. Or the band ain't my style... But the single is still fun to have.
Non-LP tracks can be hidden gems!!!

I won't even start discussing whether the single has a picture sleeve. That just adds yet one more appealing aspect of this rarified art form and elevates the attractiveness several levels. Too detailed to elaborate here.
(Some have square cuts, others have the neat little curved edge for easier finger grip when sliding the 45 out.)

Let's not even mention import 7" singles; with the typical sturdier paper card stock, sometimes glossy, harder to find; with the small spindle holes, sometimes with the embossed plastic inner labels (as opposed to the domestic paper labels), that can vary from the US version. Nope, skipping that topic!
From various foreign lands!

Sometimes, just a single is all that you can afford to buy. I remember when they were .79 cents each. Then .99 cents. Then $1.25.
How much are 7" singles now???

Well, this may not be the response you're seeking, but it's my short answer.

 

I find 7" singles more fun to collect because there are way more singles than albums. I used to play vinyls to my friends over Skype and I had atleast a new 7" almost every time to keep things fresh. Sometimes I'd wind up with 8 a day because of how cheap they are and how much I bought back then. Picture sleeves are always a plus and I loved collecting promotional 7" and hearing the uniqueness of the radio mix.

 

I'm a "Sound" guy, not really a collector (although those without our insanity on this Forum never believe it when they see my collection! ).

And, as I say in my SHF profile, "IMHO, the sound quality of clean, well-mastered 45 RPM Singles are ALMOST NEVER bettered in any other format!"

Maybe it's the amount of vinyl per minute of music and/or the increased speed and/or the mix... and certainly some times it's the compression (first single to come to mind is the Seeds "Pushin' Too Hard"), but the rockers bloody rock and softer songs sound great as well!

And I agree with the poster above who mentioned the hidden gems that one often finds of the B-Sides (that often never appear anywhere else).


Yeah, sometimes it's a pain-in-the-a$$ to have to get up and change records every few minutes... but when one's in the mood, it's bliss!

.

 

Getting the rare b-side, 7" or 12" mix/remix, or non-album track is a prime reason to get 45's.
However, why buy the album when the one only good track is often available on the single?

 

I like your opinion.
Only your Sticky Fingers avatar hurts my eye. Haven't you got any decent single cover ?

 

Thank you Lol, Sticky Fingers is one of my favourite albums. I'll change the avatar eventually.

 

Yes I agree with all this. B-sides are fantastic as well. Recently I picked up a 2 dollar copy of "God Only Knows" (it was in surprisingly great condition). The B-side was a track called "The Beach Boys Medley" which featured about the best 30 seconds of each of their hit singles. Its really fun to listen to and I've probably spun it atleast 20 times.

 

Hassle playing them, preferred LP.

 

I can't down here. I'd die for the ¨Lola¨, ¨All Day And All Of The Night¨, ¨You Really Got Me¨ singles. Absolute unobtanium in Argentina.

 

There is nothing better sounding than a good 45 and nothing worse than a bad one.

 

I love hunting for used singles on the original labels as well as pic sleeves if they happened to come with one. I'm into the entire process...looking for it, playing it and taking extra special care of it with new sleeves, outer protectives sleeves, the works.

The one big problem is that the condition of used 45's can be very, very deceiving. The vinyl surface can look practically scratch-free and 'clean' but when you play the record it can sound fuzzy and distorted. The reason for this is two-fold; while the record itself may appear to be in good condition, a lot of the vinyl used for making singles-especially in the mid-sixties-was not of great quality and it would actually wear down after multiple plays resulting in poor fidelity. When this factor is combined with the cheap needles used on the average 60's, kids' phonograph, frustration abounds for the present day collector who brings the seemingly minty record home and finds that it sounds horrible.

 

The 7" is great for hit singles, but they are a pain if your listening to multiple of them and have to constantly switch.
Also it's difficult to find them with original sleeves, and once you do, they cost almost as much as an LP.

However without original sleeves, the price is nice. Grabbed 5 original Beatles singles for $5.

 

This is all you really need to know. Not only are they much more common but the number of good 45s out there is almost literally endless. Every time I go to a record show, I bring home lots of 45s that I didn't even know about. I've been collecting 45s for 20 years and this isn't ever likely to change.

 

exactly.

 

Yes, you are right about that. For some reason I dont care about 7 inch picture sleeves. If for instance an LP came without a jacket, I almost certainly wouldnt buy it. A 7 inch without the original sleeve? who cares

 

Hahaha, well, out of those 4 bands I listed, they are the most rare in America. I found Lola / Apeman recently . I'm dying to find you really got me...

IMO LP's are much more of a hassle...

That is true. My copy of California Dreamin' is awful My copy of Louie Louie on the other hand...

 

Imo" yeah they cost much more.

 

I loved singles as a boy in the 70s. I was around 12 and permanently short of cash. I could just about afford a new 45 every 2 or 3 weeks. LPs needed careful planning. The wrong choice meant weeks of saving was wasted.

Around 1973/4, picture sleeves became more prominent. This had the effect of making me want more singles. Sometimes even ones that I didn't especially like if the PS was cool enough. Later on came coloured vinyl and picture discs. Always something to strip you of your cash.

I never had good quality record players, so none of my vinyl sounded great. Never mind though, because buying those singles was a highlight of my young life. As I got older and started working, I rarely bought them, now having enough money to buy LPs regularly.

I do feel a little sorry for the youngsters of today. Denied the joy of buying a physical single from a record shop. Downloads have their place, are instant and cheaper, but it's just not the same as seeing an artist has a new single looming, waiting for the release day and then actually having to leave the house to pick it up.

 

Me too. But I buyed many a CD single in the 90s. Wonder why they disappeared though. Maybe the cost of a pressed single was the same as that of a full-lenght so there was little profit to selling them vs. LPs/singles ?

 

Agreed - I never liked 45's even as a kid in the 70's - two songs is never enough - I like the entire album and not convenient in the slightest.

 

Pic sleeve singles were neat. Samatha Fox.

 

All is good and well for 7 inchers, though all hope is lost when you start getting into the 6 min + range
I'm looking at you Boston-Don't Look Back

 

They didn't Wax, many Euro bands still release them, I have Covenant's latest single en-route

 

There's nothing like spinning a few 45's on Sunday morning, over breakfast.