Record Collection

10 Must Have 45s for Your Record Collection

Each week we feature a list of 45’s that should be in every collectors bins. Most of them are from my personal collection that I have listened to during the week. Below you can see the list I have created this that will help you get started on your record collection and how to add more 45s if needed!

  1. Hank Williams – Lovesick Blues (MGM 1949)

This Hank Williams 45 of “Lovesick Blues” is an excellent addition to any country music enthusiast’s collection, especially those who are interested in country music’s history. This single was released by MGM in 1949 and features the original Hank Williams on vocals.

  1. Sam Cooke – You Send Me (London 1957)

Sam Cooke introduced his brand of sweet Southern soul to a wider pop audience with this joyfully romantic self-penned ballad. He was one of the first black artists to have such broad popularity across genres, and his smooth vocal delivery has influenced countless other artists ever since.

  1. Roxy Music – Virginia Plain (Island 1972)

Art-pop ushered in a new era with Roxy Music’s ultra-stylized debut 45 album. Valiantly inventive, sexy, and otherworldly, Virginia Plain was the appropriate remedy for the 1970s’ sluggish style. There was an earlier version of ‘Virginia Plains’ that was painted by Ferry during his time as an art student.

  1. Black Sabbath – Paranoid (Vertigo 1970)

As soon as Black Sabbath released their first album, they were back in the studio working on the follow-up. Paranoid, the album’s debut single, was written in the studio at the last minute and peaked at No. 4 in the UK charts.

  1. Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats Rocket “88” (Chess 1951)

This song was recorded by Ike Turner and his band rather than Jackie Brenston, as the label might have you believe. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame recognized it as the first rock ‘n’ roll song in 1991 after a lengthy discussion. Turner’s daughter collected the medal on his behalf because he was in prison for cocaine possession at the time.

  1. The Smiths – This Charming Man (Rough Trade 1983)

For a new generation of indie bands, Morrissey and Marr of Manchester reappropriated guitar pop in the 1980s with their second song, which included chiming guitar and smart wordsmithery. Storytelling about hysterical kitchen lads on remote mountains had never sounded so enticing.

  1. Chuck Berry – Maybellene (Chess 1955)

While playing country music for black audiences, the pioneering Chuck Berry invented rock ‘n’ roll with his unique style of country music. But his first hit for the label, “Cars and Girls,” was a foretaste of things to come in terms of Chess’s future success.

  1. David Bowie – Starman (RCA 1972)

As a last-minute addition to Ziggy Stardust, Bowie’s Starman was commissioned by his record label bosses. After performing an androgynously provocative ad campaign on Top Of The Pops, Bowie’s commercial breakthrough was not only achieved but helped to push the boundaries between what was considered bizarre and normal.

  1. Bill Haley And His Comets – Rock Around The Clock (Brunswck 1955)

Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers (using the alias “Jimmy De Knight”) wrote the 12-bar blues rock & roll song “Rock Around the Clock” in 1952. Bill Haley & His Comets recorded the most well-known and commercially successful version in 1954 for American Decca. Unfortunately I am still looking for the Decca version but the Brunswisk version will suffice for this week. The song spent two months at the top of the UK singles chart[6] and was re-released several times in the 1960s and 1970s.

  1. Aretha Franklin – Respect (Atlantic 1967)

Talk about a set of pipes and a great sounding recording. A powerful female song with a universal message, the Queen of Soul expertly reworked Otis Redding’s 1965 hit single. Aretha’s rendition included the “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” chorus and the wonderful “sock it to me” refrain.

That does it for this week’s must have 45’s. Check back next week for more great selections and keep the jukebox turning.

See also What You Should Know Before Starting A Vinyl Collection

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