Five Hundred 45s

　　The 45 record sleeve has long been viewed as a medium for design experimentation, a blank slate onto which designers could unleash their creativity ingenuity. From the 1950s to the 1980s, before ethe 45 was replaced by the CD, and then in the 1990s, when grunge became the rage and 45s enjoyed a resurgence in popularity, 45 record-sleeve design combined photography, illustration, color, and typography with innovative bravado. For this reason, vintage 45 record sleeves today are sought-after collectibles by music buffs and designers alike.

　　Spencer Drate and Judith Salavetz are award-winning creative directors, designers, authors, curators, and packagers specializing in music and pop-culture books. Their many published works have covered diverse subjects within these genres: film animation and special effects, movie and rock posters, rock photography, graphic and Web design, and typography. They have designed for artists such as U2, Lou Reed, The Velvet Underground, Leonard Cohen, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ramones, Talking Heads, The Pretenders, Joan Jett, and Bon Jovi. Drate was a four-time judge on the Grammy music packaging committee, co-designed the Grammy Award-nominated album package Talking Heads: Fear of Music, and wrote 45 RPM, the first visual history book on the 45 record sleeve. They both live and work in New York City.