iPhone and compilation albums?

So how do we actually get a reply from Apple about this?

I too want to show my support for this feature. It can't be hard to do!

This is definitely a short coming in the iPhone/iPod Touch.

I have raised this as an issue with Apple using the following:

http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

I would recommend everyone doing this, the more times an issue is raised the more likely it is to be addressed.

I've sent them my 'comments' too via: http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipodtouch.html

Can't believe they've left off this option it's infuriating... they did the same when they first launched the Classic.

I don't think they realise how important it is to users with lots of compilation albums.

Sent my comments on this issue as well via http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

This was a feature I had long hoped for a firmware update to my old third generation iPod, as it was available on later versions of the iPod. Update never came, so I was hoping that by getting the iPhone I was finally going to be able to have a clean Artists view that was less cumbersome to browse. Here we go again hoping for firmware updates.

I know the way to temporarily deal with that problem.
It was so annoying!!!
but if you select all songs form all compilations in your iTunes and in info under sorting tab in Sort Artist type something which starts with latter letters in alphabet (I did various artists) but you can use number or z or whatever. In that way you don't loose the original artists from compilations but in the iPhone artists view you move them all to the end. I think it is the easiest and best solution to browse artists until they will fix it in Apple.

"So how do we actually get a reply from Apple about this?"

You probably won't, but you would certainly have to contact Apple - which this forum does not accomplish.

On the feedback page it is clearly written that Apple will read but will not respond.

If you want to talk to someone at Apple - call them or go to an Apple Store. I'm not sure what you plan to accomplish. It would seem that leaving feedback would be your best bet, but you will not get a response.

I second that, just sent my complaints to Apple via http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipodtouch.html

There is a workaround but it takes some "work" :P

Edit all your full albums like this:
-copy/past the artists name to the "composer". (don´t erase it from artist.
-Now on all you compilation albums (that you are so sick and tired of seeing show up in artist), you change composer to unknown.

On your iphone/ipod you just use "composer" when you are looking through artists.
This way you keep all the artists name in you itunes, but you can view only the ones you have full albums from on your unit:)

I made an applescript:

And please, please, please please, don't ask "What is applescript?" or "How do I make this code work?" or "How can I make a smart playlist?"
----------------------------------------------
global sel
global track_artist
global track sortartist

tell application "iTunes"
if selection is not {} then
set sel to selection
repeat with this_track in sel
tell this_track

if comment does not start with "<composer>" then
set comment to "<composer>" & composer & "</composer>" & comment
end if
--try
set track_artist to artist
set composer to track_artist

set track sortartist to sort artist
set sort composer to track sortartist
--end try

end tell
end repeat
else
display dialog "Select some songs first..." buttons {"Cancel"} default button 1 with icon 2 giving up after 15
end if
end tell
-----------------------------------------

I have a temporary but very simple solution that can be used until apple solves this issue. Set up a smart play list with the only condition as compilation = true. Then select all the songs in this play list and right click "Get Info" then in the "Sorting" tab put a dot or any other random symbol eg(#) in the sort artist column. This will force iPhone to put all the artists that you selected to be at the very bottom (in the # Section) of the artists view on the iPhone. This stops all the compilation artist clogging up the artists view and hence solving the initial problem. It also means they are still visible if you do want to select them you just have to scroll to the very bottom.

Note: Sort Album can also be used in a similar way to force certain albums to appear at the bottom.

Discostevie,
I tried what you said but it doesn't seem to work on my iphone 3gs.
I selected every track in a compilation and right clicked into the info. Inside sorting I went into the "sort artist column", and put a . and synced. Going into my iphone every artist was still listed in my artist view. So I tried again and this time tried a #. Same thing, it's not working.

Is there another step in the iphone itself that I need to do to get this to work?

Thanks.

After much tinkering, I found that using symbols like "." or "!" weren't giving me the desired effect I wanted. So I tried putting the number 1. And, BOOM, it works.
Luckily I don't have any bands in my list that start with the numbers, so it works out great.
Down at the bottom in the numbers section I see one listing for Vangelis (the composer for Blade Runner), and when I click on that it takes me into a list of my compilation albums.
I was curious about why Vangelis showed up as the artist name so I unchecked Blade Runner in my itunes and synced again. The very next track was New Order in the Blade Soundtrack, so in the main artist list under the numbers section I saw New Order as the artist, and inside was every other album.
So I checked back Blade Runner, and once again Vangelis was the artist in the numbered section.

No big deal.

My artist list is cleaned up, and I can live with having my compilation top level named after the first artist of the first alphabetical soundtrack.

Thanks Discostevie.

I came across an issue just now. I went to listen to the Cure from the artist list and it took me into the compilation list. The same thing happened with other artist that have a song in a compilation. With the exception of one so far (nine inch nails in case anyone was wondering). So now my artist list looks pretty but some of my artist go right into the compilation list, so I can't get into their albums unless I use cover flow!!

ARGH!!!!!!!

Its seems that apple have kindly removed the feature of sorting by using a special character (#,!) in sort artist with the 3.0 upgrade so the 3GS will be the same. Thanks apple for taking away the group compilations and now the workaround for it.

If you put a number instead like 9 it also removes them from the artist list. This works slightly different as rather than grouping them in their own group at the end in a section called #. It will display 1 of those artists in the 123 group and then display every song you set to 9 when you select that particular artist.