That’s a loaded question and I’m sure others can elaborate deeper than I can. But I’d say this. Not all 45s sound better than 33s, but in general if an album is being prepped for release on 45, it should mean that it is specifically mastered for vinyl, and is a quality pressing. That is not always the case.
To be honest, 45s are quite a pain in the butt to get up every one or two (maybe if you’re lucky, three) songs. There’s not a huge market that will invest the money and time to do that. Most record purchasers are doing it these days because they love the sound of analog, tactile feel of medium, and the artwork that accompanies the album. But the typical consumer does not have a sound system that will easily demonstrate the benefits that a high quality record can bring.
But to go back to my opening statement, there are many, many albums that sound great on 33. Michael Jackson’s Thriller first pressing. The recent Jimmy Page remasters of Led Zeppelin albums. So many more. I think the question then might become “Why do so many 33 records sound so bad?”. And this is usually due to poor pressing quality and albums that have not been mastered separately for vinyl. With vinyl delivering differently on dynamics, any album that hasn’t been properly mastered for the medium is a huge miss.
Most releases are put out there to capitalize on consumerism and make as much of a return as possible. But there are some labels, plants, and artists that still strive for quality.