If your parent or grandparent (or great-grandparent?) is a 'Baby Boomer', ask them what 45 they remember most. You'll get a smile and you'll get an answer or two or three or more.

Ahhh, the 45.

I remember as a kid listening to the radio and hearing my favorite songs. But wait, not just the radio, I'm talking about AM radio. Call letters come alive in my memory: WLS, KOMA, KAAY, WOW, KFYR, KISD. And all AM. And all music (Yes dear child, music used to live and breather on AM Radio).

You could find whatever you wanted, Rock, Pop, Country, Big Band. It didn't matter, it was all there. Your latest, greatest and favorite artists, bands, songs. They played there and they lived at the nearest record store.

Chances were maybe pretty good you couldn't afford the album. I mean, the album had 10-12-14 songs and that would be a bit expensive. But you could get that 45.

Rotating at 45 revolutions per minute, they were: The Beatles, The Monkees, The Statler Brothers, Johnny Cash, or whoever you loved. As I recall the price was something under a buck and of course, you got two songs!

That's right, there was the 'B' side. Flip that baby over and there was a second song...not as good, but a second song nonetheless.

So which one do you (or your parent or your grandparent) remember the most, that one 45 you had that you played over and over and over...until you played it so much you got that 'white noise' swish sound?

Well, that depends on what age you were. For me? 'Hey Jude' by the Beatles. I think I may have worn it out the first day (And a pretty good 'B' side too, Revolution).

So whatever happened to our beloved 45's?

Technology. 8-tracks, cassettes, CDs, downloads, and on and on. And so the 45 was relegated to the dustbin of history.

But wait! If you still have that Cash or Beatles, Elvis, or Everly Brothers 45, it could be worth some bucks and maybe big bucks. It might be worthwhile to Google what are records worth and check it out.

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