OCD run amok again -- it's the "the"

Ask The "The The".

it occasionally irritates me too. My solution is to refer to the name as it appears on the album cover (as in the Dead version above). Of course there are plenty of albums that are no help at all in this respect (DSOTM being a famous example), but it's surely the best place to look first. It's further complicated by bands who add or drop a definite article during their careers: (The) Pink Floyd being an example.

As for classical nicknames (Eroica symphony, Moonlight sonata), very few of these were coined by the composer concerned, and many were actively loathedmor date from after their deaths. I avoid them completely.

Mark

Refer to Discogs, there's a good 'brain's trust' of regulars, although that does not mean there are no arguments from time to time.

'The Allman Brothers Band' (apparently)

That's a good one Wat.   Made me laugh!

Except that usage without the 'The' is all over their website!

I think that my primary concern is not to end up with two artist entries, one with and one without.  If I know one is "correct," then of course I'll use it.  That determination is harder than it seems it should be!

That is indeed tedious when it happens. At the risk of aggravating your OCD, I'd be tempted to say what everyone says about choosing equipment: go with whatever you prefer and stick to that. Personally, I think The Pink Floyd sounds much better than just Pink Floyd, so I have all my Floyd tracks tagged thusly. It's not as if you have to submit your metadata to a higher authority for approval, is it?

Mark

I remember having this problem first with CDs and now digital files. I tend to agree with Mark, go with personal preference and stick with it. Not the greatest answer I know but it comes down to how easily you can recall and find stuff in your collection.

Arun

Arun I agree that it's all about being able to find your 'stuff.'  And right Ebor -- there is no higher authority than ME when it comes to my data

I do where possible enjoy getting it 'right' such that if the band never used a "The," I don't either.  But such is of limited importance.

Brilliant !!

I don't understand why this matters with computer-based music collections. If you want something by (the) Rolling Stones, don't you just type "rolling..." into the search box and up pops Rolling Stones music ("the" or otherwise). It is one of the main benefits of computer-based music collections. I can search by whatever I like, including song titles. I don't have to be precise, just close enough to narrow down the search. The computer does the hard work of looking through my collection for it, no matter how it is filed. I also don't have to be worried by collaborations. I can find all my Charlie Haden music easily without worrying whethere it's filed under "Haden", "Charlie", "Metheney", "Jarrett" or wherever.

All bands whose names start with A C D H J N R U and X are called "the"

All other bands have no "the"

serious

What about AC/DC Or Aardvark?  

"With Beatles"?

The AC/DC

The Aardvark

Do I have to explain everything????

How do you file "Heartland" and "Infected" by    ?

Here's one for you; Small Faces or The Small Faces? In the US, we tend to refer to them as The Small Faces. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame website refers to them with The, so does MTV. The band's own official website is thesmallfaces.com, but consistently calls them Small Faces. Amazon.com lists them with The.  Amazon.co.uk has a The Small Faces store, under which the band is only called Small Faces. Maybe we need a neutral party ruling. I wonder how they are referred to in Switzerland?