<P> The 7 - inch 45 rpm record was released 31 March 1949 by RCA Victor as a smaller , more durable and higher - fidelity replacement for the 78 rpm shellac discs . The first 45 rpm records were monaural , with recordings on both sides of the disc . As stereo recordings became popular in the 1960s , almost all 45 rpm records were produced in stereo by the early 1970s . Columbia , which had released the 33 1⁄3 rpm 12 - inch vinyl LP in June 1948 , also released 33 1⁄3 rpm 7 - inch vinyl singles in March 1949 , but they were soon eclipsed by the RCA Victor 45 . The first 45 rpm record created was `` PeeWee the Piccolo '' RCA Victor 47 - 0146 pressed 7 December 1948 at the Sherman Avenue plant in Indianapolis , R.O. Price , plant manager . The first release of the 45 came March 29 , 1949 in seven translucent colors , one for each type of music : dark blue 52 - xxxx light classics series , light blue 51 - xxxx international series , yellow 47 - xxxx juvenile series , bright red ( cerise ) 50 - xxxx folk series , deep red 49 - xxxx classical series , green ( teal ) 48 - xxxx country series , and black 47 - xxxx popular series . Except for the 47 series these series started with 0000 . 50 - 0000 ( Arthur Crudup ) , 51 - 0000 ( Meisels ) , 52 - 0000 ( Al Goodman ) The claim made that 48 - 0001 by Eddy Arnold was the release of the 45 is evidently incorrect ( even though as of this writing 48 - 0000 has not turned up ) since all 45s were released simultaneously with the 45 player on the March 29th date . There was plenty of information ' leaked ' to the public about the new 45 rpm system through front page articles in Billboard magazine on Dec. 4 , 1948 and again Jan. 8 , 1949 . RCA was trying to blunt the lead Columbia had established in releasing their 33 1 / 3 LP system back in June 1948 . </P>
<P> The 7 - inch 45 rpm record was released 31 March 1949 by RCA Victor as a smaller , more durable and higher - fidelity replacement for the 78 rpm shellac discs . The first 45 rpm records were monaural , with recordings on both sides of the disc . As stereo recordings became popular in the 1960s , almost all 45 rpm records were produced in stereo by the early 1970s . Columbia , which had released the 33 1⁄3 rpm 12 - inch vinyl LP in June 1948 , also released 33 1⁄3 rpm 7 - inch vinyl singles in March 1949 , but they were soon eclipsed by the RCA Victor 45 . The first 45 rpm record created was `` PeeWee the Piccolo '' RCA Victor 47 - 0146 pressed 7 December 1948 at the Sherman Avenue plant in Indianapolis , R.O. Price , plant manager . The first release of the 45 came March 29 , 1949 in seven translucent colors , one for each type of music : dark blue 52 - xxxx light classics series , light blue 51 - xxxx international series , yellow 47 - xxxx juvenile series , bright red ( cerise ) 50 - xxxx folk series , deep red 49 - xxxx classical series , green ( teal ) 48 - xxxx country series , and black 47 - xxxx popular series . Except for the 47 series these series started with 0000 . 50 - 0000 ( Arthur Crudup ) , 51 - 0000 ( Meisels ) , 52 - 0000 ( Al Goodman ) The claim made that 48 - 0001 by Eddy Arnold was the release of the 45 is evidently incorrect ( even though as of this writing 48 - 0000 has not turned up ) since all 45s were released simultaneously with the 45 player on the March 29th date . There was plenty of information ' leaked ' to the public about the new 45 rpm system through front page articles in Billboard magazine on Dec. 4 , 1948 and again Jan. 8 , 1949 . RCA was trying to blunt the lead Columbia had established in releasing their 33 1 / 3 LP system back in June 1948 . </P>
what year did 45 rpm records come out
what year did 45 rpm records come out
1949
1949