45 RPM Records
Quality, Selection, Value and Service

Since 1973 Continental Records has built their reputation on:

   Quality - All brand new 45 RPM records in original manufacturer sleeves
   Selection - More than 10,000 of the most popular titles always available
   Value - Low, low prices - often lower than used 45 records on other sites
   Service - Real personal service - from the owner - he will take your order


This page provides links to all the 45 RPM records we sell

Free Shipping

Free shipping on all orders of $60 or more to USA and Canada

All 45s and all CDs

Duane Eddy Tavares Tears For Fears


On-Line 45 RPM Catalogs

All the records in the following on-line listing are arranged alphabetically by artist or band. So if you're looking for records by Roy Orbison, click on O. If you are looking for records by Harper's Bizzarre, click on H.

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P/Q  R  S  T/U  V  W/X  Y/Z

Special - 2800+ Favourite 45 RPM Records at half price (US$3.47 / CAN$3.97 each)

Other 45 RPM records not listed?
Our on-line listings above are updated regularly and provide a complete listing of every record that we inventory and current pricing. No additional unlisted artists or titles are available.

Printed 45 RPM Catalogs

10,000 Record (45 RPM) 66 Page Printed Catalog - (1989 ed.)
This catalog sold out more than 20 years ago - we will not be printing any more 45 RPM catalogs in the future. To obtain a copy of Continental Records current catalog make your own. Copy each page above (A to Y/Z) to your computer and print your own personal copy (8 Point - 4 columns per page).

Juke Box Title Strips



Juke Box Title Strip (Photo)

Ordering records for your juke box? We can prepare professionally made title strips for you (or sell you blank ones). Complete details and ordering information

45 RPM Record "Sleeves"

This item is no longer sold by Continental Records. "Bags Unlimited" in Rochester NY sells a variety of white and coloured 45 RPM and LP sleeves.

About 45 RPM Records
RCA 45 RPM Record Player about 1950 (Photo)

RCA 45 RPM Player (about 1950)

The 45 RPM record was developed by RCA Victor Company in 1949 - immediately following the invention of "vinyl" plastic and the development of the 12" LP record by CBS engineers (in 1948). The 45 RPM speed was the only one to be decided by a precise optimization procedure. Calculus was used to show that the optimum use of a disc record of constant rotational speed occurs when the innermost recorded diameter is half the outermost recorded diameter. That's why a 7-inch single has a label 3 1/2 inches in diameter. Given the CBS LP vinyl groove dimensions and certain assumptions about the bandwidth and tolerable distortion, a speed of 45 rpm comes out of the formula.
(Peter Copeland, British Library National Sound Archive, London).

To market their format against the currently "reigning" 78 RPM (and the CBS 12" LP) RCA released a series very low priced 45RPM only players in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Both amplified and non amplified models were manufactured. The player above was sold in the early 1950s and was equipped with a ceramic cartridge and an "RCA" jack - also "invented" at the time! The model above did not include an amplifier or speaker but was meant to plugged into the corresponding female RCA jack in an RCA radio or TV - and use that product's amplifier and speaker. If you're aged 65 or older, you may remember quite a number of these players by 1955 - sitting on top of TV sets.

In spite of the popularity of LPs, the sales of 45 RPM records continued to increase all through the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. In their "peak" sales years from 1973 to 1976 more than 100 million were sold each year in the USA.

All 45s made since 1971 have been pressed in stereo and have the same fidelity output as CDs - i.e., 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz - a credit to the RCA engineers more than 50 years ago.

Unfortunately, during the 1990s "oldie" (reissue) 45s were discontinued by the record manufacturers because of decining sales.

Neil Patte (2021)

      Most recent web page review: 2021 07 22

      Page revised and counter started 2021 07 22

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