Album sorting issue - two albums, one year

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Album sorting issue - two albums, one year

I'm using Windows 7 and iTunes 11.0.2.26.

This is an issue I've had a couple of times now.

With albums from the same year, I've been using the "Sort Album" field. I searched on Google on how best to use it so that albums will be in the right order on my iPod, and the recommendation was to put the year and then the title, like:

1988: Music - Album. And if there were two in the same year, then

1988: Music - Album-1

and

1988: Music - Album-2

The first time I had the issue I'm talking about, iTunes refused to put Bob Dylan's the Times They Are A-Changin' before Another Side of Bob Dylan. Both were released in 1964, but Times came first. I find this sort of thing very frustrating. Eventually I fixed it, but I'm not sure how... and also, now Dylan's self-title debut and Freewheelin' are between Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde, despite being tagged the same as the rest. I have no idea.

NOTE: All of the albums I'm discussing have been imported from CDs.

Right now, the Beatles' album Beatles For Sale is appearing before a Hard Day's Night. Both 1964, but AHDN came first.

Here's a screenshot of the Sorting page for AHDN:

And here's BFS:

Am I using the sorting field wrong? Note that it DOES work if I simply put "1" and "2" there, but then it's all out of whack on my iPod, putting those two albums before everything else in the Beatles' discography.

EDIT: Unless I number ALL of their albums, starting with 01 perhaps... I'm going to see if this works.

Windows 7

Posted on May 30, 2013 1:00 PM

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Answer 1

turingtest2

Level 10

278,351 points

May 30, 2013 1:12 PM in response to Gibush

There isn't an easy way to force the order you want under Album by Artist\Year that doesn't compomise the order if or when you want it as Album or Album by Artist.

Setting the sort album as <Album Artist> <Year>.# <Album> where # takes the value 1,2,3 etc. for each successive album would be one approach, but you'd have to apply it consistently across the library.

tt2

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Answer 2

Chris CA

Level 10

82,513 points

May 30, 2013 2:04 PM in response to Gibush

Gibush wrote:

The first time I had the issue I'm talking about, iTunes refused to put Bob Dylan's the Times They Are A-Changin' before Another Side of Bob Dylan.
...
Right now, the Beatles' album Beatles For Sale is appearing before a Hard Day's Night. Both 1964, but AHDN came first.

Not that The & A are ignored when sorting unless it is put into one of the Sort fields.

So The Times They Are A-Changing is sorted as Times Are A-Changin' (which sorts correctly after Another Side of Bob Dylan)

and A Hard Days Night is sorted as Hard Day's Night (which sorts correctly after Beatles for Sale)

Change as below;

Artist - Bob Dylan

Album - The Times They Are A-Changin'

Sort Album - The Times They Are A-Changin'

Artist - The Beatles

Album - A Hard Day's Night

Sort Album - A Hard Day's Night

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Answer 3

Jan 24, 2014 6:40 AM in response to Gibush

SOLUTION:

Factor determining album order is in: Get Info -> Sorting -> Sort Album

For example fill in only letter A in Yellow Submarine and Abbey Road may remain unchanged.

Last step you need is Cmd+Q and launch iTunes again because changes apply only after iTunes restart, thats why some of you dont even know how they fixed it and others complain about multiple instruction doesnt work :-)

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Answer 4

Chris CA

Level 10

82,513 points

Jan 24, 2014 6:45 AM in response to VojtechSgaile

"SOLUTION"

Was given a year ago.

"Last step you need is Cmd+Q and launch iTunes again because changes apply only after iTunes restart"

No, changes are applied immediately.

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