Like many of the record companies of the time, when stereo became a reality in 1958, it appeared for a time that it would sweep the industry and become the new standard. It did, but not as quickly as everyone thought. In late 1958, MGM jumped into the stereo single market by issuing ten stereo singles at once. They then made many of their popular hits over the next year available on special stereo 45rpm records. Adding to the stereo hype, MGM rushed to market with at least one of their stereo singles (SK- 50109) sporting a special picture sleeve which trumpeted that this was the first stereo single. Alas, in the rush, nobody bothered checking for accuracy. It wasn't even the first MGM stereo single, much less the very first stereo single, and the number on the stereo picture sleeve was the mono counterpart, not the special SK-50100 series number MGM used for the stereo singles.

The stereo singles sold poorly to the general public, since very few people owned the stereo equipment needed to play these records in 1959. Most were used in the new stereo jukeboxes and worn out, making them rare today. Collectors view them as oddities, except for those stereo tunes which were not issued on albums or have never showed up in stereo again. Among these is Connie Francis' single of "Plenty Good Lovin'"/"You're Gonna Miss Me," which seems to have been lost to time in stereo. Not all stereo singles were actually true stereo, ironically enough. Connie Francis' "Among My Souvenirs" has never appeared in stereo in any format, and on the stereo single appears electronically rechanneled.

MGM stopped making the 45rpm stereo singles in late 1959. Since the jukeboxes were the main buyers of stereo singles, over the next few years they occasionally put out special stereo EP discs called "Little LPs," which contained 6 songs at 33-1/3rpm for jukebox play. These Little LP records came with a cover like their 12" counterparts, often with the same picture and record number that their larger brethren had. These were issued until about 1963, and discontinued after that.

MGM was one of the first labels to issue a "stereo only" commercial single in 1968, when the industry began switching over to all stereo, about 10 years after the initial stereo craze. The first MGM commercial stereo single was Eric Burdon & the Animals' "Sky Pilot," which was issued as Parts 1 & 2 on the 45.

The original MGM stereo single label was yellow, with "M-G-M" on the top and "SPECIAL STEREO RECORD" in a convex arc beneath the label name above the record hole. In late 1959, when MGM switched their single and album labels from the yellow to the black labels, the stereo singles switched to the regular black labels, also, with "STEREO" to the right of the record hole.

We would appreciate any additions or corrections to this discography. Just send them to us via e-mail. Both Sides Now Publications is an information web page. We are not a catalog, nor can we provide the records listed below. We have no association with MGM Records or Universal Music Group, who currently own the masters. Should you be interested in acquiring albums listed in this discography (which are all out of print), we suggest you see our Frequently Asked Questions page and follow the instructions found there. This story and discography are copyright 2000 by Mike Callahan.