Singles Collections, Past & Present

[at40petebattistini]

Considering the level of interest by members of this site in Top 40 music, it’s probably a safe bet that most here either had or have amassed a collection of 45s. And that includes singles of all ages, colors, shapes (including cereal box specials), promos & rarities, unique picture sleeves, etc. which likely describes the content of many collections.

Unfortunately, I gave away my complete singles collection nearly 40 years ago. It comprised of approximately 100-125 45s that I accumulated between 1968 and 1974. There were many independent labels represented, numerous non-Billboard Top 40 songs, a handful of colored vinyl, many picture sleeves, and all were store bought. Of course, double-sided hits were always a bonus. I occasionally found past hit singles in a 39-cent cut-out oldies bin at a local drug store. Like many music fans, most record collection purchases early on were singles since they were cheaper than buying albums.

We know that Joel Whitburn likely wins the award for the Best Singles Collection Ever. (Yes, I just made that up.) But who doesn’t enjoy touting a compilation of favorite records? Regardless of size, feel free to share details about your collection of 45s, past or present.

[Shadoe Fan]

I had several 45s from the '80s that I had no room for, so I gave them to a friend who would take care of them. I also had amassed a nice collection of cassette singles, that I would get from garage sales and flea markets. I had to give those to Goodwill because I had no room for them after gaining radio shows (AT40/AT20/Dees).

[cdman71031]

I am currently trying to get every top 40 single of the 1980s. I'm up to number 27 starting at number 40 I included songs of debuted in 1979 and were still in the top 40 in 1980. I also included songs that debuted in 1989 and that still were in the top 40 in 1990. I also went back and got the songs that made either billboard or AT40 year end survey from 1980 that never charted in the 80s. I also went through all my local radio stations in New York, WABC, 1980 to 1981 WYNY 1982 and Z-100 1983 to 1989. To get the local hits on the year end surveys in my area. I plan not to stop till I finish the last number one.

Now there are a few singles that didn't have a 45 for those I got

Rappers delight, Sugarhill gang 12 inch vinyl
And cassette singles for the following
Me myself, and I De La Soul
My heart skips a beat cover girls
Was it nothing at all? Michael Damian.
Fool for your loving Whitesnake
Don't close your eyes kix (not sure about a 45 for that one)
Jamie's got a gun Aerosmith couldn't find the 45 yet
What I like about you, Michael Morales

[jgve1952]

I remember the first single I ever bought--"Hello Heartache, Goodbye Love" by Little Peggy March in 1963. The last one was in 1985--"Walking On Sunshine" by Kartrina and the Waves.

Most by the same artist--the Beatles, since you would get two good A and B singles. I would save my allowance and usually go to Two Guys Department Store in New Jersey, and buy the record for around 75 cents.

[Rodney]

I had a fairly wide range of tastes at a young age. Bought all of these between age 7-9 approx.
Baby Sittin’ Boogie- Buzz Clifford
Bonnie and Clyde- Georgie Fame
Daddy Don’t You walk So Fast- Wayne Newton
Green, Green Grass of Home- Tom Jones
Hi-De-Ho- Blood, Sweat and Tears
Motorcycle Mama- Sailcat
Ragtime Cowboy Joe- Dick Jurgens Orchestra
Winchester Cathedral- New Vaudeville Band

[mrjukebox]

When The Beatles became popular in early 1964,I remember that my older brother had "I Want To Hold Your Hand"/"I Saw Her Standing There" on Capitol Records,"Do You Want To Know A Secret"/"Thank You Girl" (Vee Jay Records) & "Twist & Shout"/"There's A Place" (Tollie Records).

[djjoe1960]

The first 45 I bought at age 7 was The Unicorn by the Irish Rovers back in 1968. Lots of my allowance over the years went to collecting other 45's and making my own Top 30 list of my favorites on a weekly basis. Finally, in the mid 1970's I got a tape recorder and just taped my favorites off the radio and reduced my favorites list to a top 10.

When I began to work in radio (1979-1993), I decided to collect every 45 to reach #1 in the rock era (1955-early 1980's at the time). I believe it took me about three years to collect the songs that reached the top spot after buying a Record Research book (so I knew what the #1's were). The #1's collection was a mix of oldie 45's and LP's from 1955-89 , when I finally began to lose interest in pop music.

[chrislc]

My first "Program Director" was my sister. She was four years older than me and was making babysitting money and spending much of that money on 45s.

When I listen to Joe's Cash Box Countdowns, those 45s come back. It seems like late 1965 may have been the peak for this.

A LOVER’S CONCERTO –•– The Toys
YESTERDAY –•– The Beatles
KEEP ON DANCING –•– The Gentrys
LET’S HANG ON –•– The Four Seasons
JUST A LITTLE BIT BETTER –•– Herman’s Hermits

There were many others, particularly 1964-1966. Then I bought some of my own. Allowance money, I guess?

Anyway, it sure is comforting listening to those countdowns from 1964-1967. I'm sure there's some revisionist, sepia-toned, idealization of those years for me, but it is what it is. Or was. Or sort-of-was.

[OnWithTheCountdown]

I began my 45 collection back in the summer of 1985, and the first single to kick it off for me: "Shout" by Tears For Fears. By the end of the decade, I had close to 80 singles on 45 that I bought mostly with allowance money. I had also accumulated some cassette singles. In spring 1991, I unfortunately sold all my singles, preceding a move halfway across the country (as well as my baseball card collection, something I still occasionally kick myself over). I had gotten a CD player for my birthday that year, and began collecting CDs, both albums and singles, which dramatically slowed down around 2009 due to the discontinuation of the CD club I was in at the time, as well as the iTunes Store. I still get a CD on occasion, but my library adds are just about completely digital downloads these days.

Great thread, Pete! 🙂

ETA: I would later re-acquire "Shout" on 45 through a good friend of mine, who used to be in radio, though her husband is still currently in radio at a NJ station.

[1finemrg]

I've had difficulty posting a response regarding this topic, Pete. My responses have been wandering in all directions and really geeky. Here goes my fourth attempt...

Started buying 45s in the summer of 1969. First 5:

Hurt So Bad - Lettermen
Baby I Love You - Andy Kim
Holly Holy - Neil Diamond
I'd Wait A Million Years - Grassroots
Crystal Blue Persuasion - Tommy James & Shondells

During my college years the collection became pretty much trashed. Pitched them and switched to albums.

I could never shake my attraction to 45s. In the late 70s, I started collecting them in earnest. I currently own about 1,500 - 2,000 45s. I would say at least 60% missed the Top 40. Many bubbled under or did not chart.

Songs I really like, I probably own multiple copies. Can't resist a clean 45 copy of a song I really like with a price tag of $1 - $2.

As enjoyable as the song might be, sometimes the story behind the 45 is just as interesting. I've picked up 45s just because I heard a great story about it.

My collection goes down many paths. I have extensive collections of Chicago bands of the 60s and early 70s (Buckinghams, New Colony Six, Cryan Shames, Ides Of March, American Breed, Shadows Of Knight, Styx on Wooden Nickel records, etc.)

I have many of the pre-hit singles of the Supremes and Temptations. Own a pretty good collection of pre-Night Moves Bob Seger including the ones with his band the Last Heard. Pre Buckingham/Nicks Fleetwood Mac 45s as well as a Buckingham/Nicks 45 and a Christine Perfect (McVie) 45.

It's a passion, addiction, and enjoyable hobby all rolled into one.

I do have one policy. I never pay more than $25 for a 45.

Hope I didn't bore everyone. If I did, hope it cured your insomnia.

[michaelcasselman]

My grandmother used to own a diner back in the 1960's. My mom, a teen at the time, was one of the waitresses. Every week there would be someone that came in from the company that provided the jukebox and switch out some of the 45's. My mom would snatch up some of the records for a nickel each. I've got a well over a hundred 45's now from that mid-60's timeframe. One of them is the Door's "People Are Strange", WITH the original picture jacket. 99% of the rest of the records are either JUST the record or a generic slipjacket.
I used to have a full list of what I had, but I may have lost that list a couple computer upgrades ago. Someday soon I'll have to go back and re-compile that inventory.

[paulhaney]

During the 1980s, my goal was to collect every original Top 40 single from 1955-present. There was a local video game arcade (remember those?) that had used jukebox 45s for 25 cents apiece. I built a pretty good collection that way. Then, when CDs came along, I decided to dump my vinyl and sold them off over the course of about a year. I was able to get my vinyl fix vicariously by spending plenty of time in Joel Whitburn's underground record vault over the 31+ years I've been at Record Research.

[woolebull]

I grew up listening to what I thought were my mom's 45's. In the early 80's, I would listen to "Walk Like A Man" by Grand Funk over and over from a 45 in my mom's record collection. Turns out the single was my uncle's who had lived with my parents in 1975 for a summer. Whosever it was, I was hooked, and Don Brewer is still my favorite drummer ever!

My 45 collection is interesting through the years: The first two 45's in my collection were, "Eye of the Tiger" and "Heartlight" in 1982. Over the years, I would pick up 45's here and there, but it wasn't a big deal...until late 1987 when I discovered something amazing in my small town. There was a camera shop (and by "camera shop" I mean a store that kinda looked like the sisters store in, "The Waltons"). One day, I walked in (which no one under like 50 ever did) and on the side of the wall there was a cabinet divided into 70 spots, numbered one through 70. In each numbered shelf was the Billboard single for that week. I was dumbfounded. Two ladies (who happened to be sisters) who had to be in their 70's literally followed Billboard every week and would stock the top 70 songs. No one my age had ever been in there (we had other record stores in the town) but after my find, the young people of my town made it the place to be!

Unfortunately, it was late 1987 and the sales of 45's were plummeting. They would stop stocking the "70 wall" in early 1989. My last five 45's I bought:

The Way You Love Me - Karen White
Wild Thing - Tone Loc
When I'm With You - Sheriff
I Wanna Have Some Fun - Samantha Fox
Straight Up - Paula Abdul

If I had known the sisters were going to stop stocking the seventy I would have picked up some obscure singles like "Tears Run Rings" by Marc Almond. Alas, it was a cool memory of a store that probably had its heyday in the 50's and had a renaissance with the young people in the late 80's. In fact, the sisters would give me their copy of "Billboard" when they were done stocking every week. They are two of the most important reason I still follow the Hot 100 and any and all countdowns to this day!

[Rodney]

Awesome story. Thanks for sharing… would love to stumble upon a store like that today. :-)

[doofus67]

I'm going to approach this topic from the typical statistical angle.  All told, my older sister, older brother, and I bought (or brought home) 451 45s, covering the period of 1966 through 1995.  Here's the breakdown:

Peak Year	Total	New	Oldie	(Oldie B-sides)	Top 40 (OB)	Top 10 (OB)	#1 (OB)
1966	0	0	0	(1)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)
1967	1	0	1	(0)	1 (0)	1 (0)	1 (0)
1968	0	0	0	(0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)
1969	0	0	0	(0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)
1970	3	0	3	(1)	3 (0)	3 (0)	0 (0)
1971	5	0	5	(5)	5 (1)	5 (0)	0 (0)
1972	5	0	5	(2)	5 (0)	5 (0)	1 (0)
1973	4	0	4	(0)	4 (0)	3 (0)	0 (0)
1974	9	0	9	(2)	9 (1)	9 (1)	3 (0)
1975	8	1	7	(2)	8 (1)	6 (1)	2 (0)
1976	22	17	5	(3)	21 (3)	17 (1)	7 (0)
1977	31	27	4	(3)	30 (0)	24 (0)	11 (0)
1978	32	26	6	(3)	32 (3)	23 (0)	4 (0)
1979	31	24	7	(3)	31 (2)	21 (0)	9 (0)
1980	32	23	7	(4)	30 (1)	19 (0)	7 (0)
1981	7	4	3	(1)	7 (1)	5 (0)	2 (0)
1982	12	7	5	(0)	9 (0)	7 (0)	1 (0)
1983	22	22	0	(1)	18 (1)	12 (0)	1 (0)
1984	30	28	2	(1)	29 (1)	18 (0)	8 (0)
1985	35	28	7	(1)	31 (1)	21 (1)	6 (0)
1986	46	40	6	(4)	43 (2)	37 (1)	11 (1)
1987	47	46	1	(1)	36 (1)	17 (1)	3 (1)
1988	33	32	0	(2)	27 (1)	20 (1)	6 (0)
1989	20	19	1	(0)	17 (0)	10 (0)	3 (0)
1990	0	0	0	(0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)
1991	3	3	0	(0)	3 (0)	3 (0)	1 (0)
1992	4	4	0	(0)	2 (0)	2 (0)	1 (0)
1993	2	2	0	(0)	2 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)
1994	6	6	0	(0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)
1995	1	1	0	(0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)
Total	451	363	88	(40)	403 (20)	286 (7)	88 (2)