Wikipedia:Naming conventions (music)

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This page contains naming conventions for music-related articles, covering both classical musical works and popular bands, albums and songs.

The first step for disambiguating classical compositions is rather a reference to their composer, while popular music is rather disambiguated by a type qualifier. Cross-over rather follows the popular music convention, e.g. Swanee (song), not Swanee (Gershwin).

Apart from some points regarding formatting and disambiguation in #Bands, albums and songs, the naming conventions regarding articles on musicians are covered by Wikipedia:Naming conventions (people), including what is said there on groups of people (Wikipedia:Naming conventions (people)#Articles combining biographies of two or more people). Orchestras, music production companies, etc. are however also often subject to Wikipedia:Naming conventions (companies). See also Wikipedia:Naming conventions (definite or indefinite article at beginning of name)#Names of groups, sports teams and companies

Compositions (classical music)[edit]

Definitions – italics[edit]

Generic and non-generic names
Compositions have one or more generic or non-generic names:
Generic name Non-generic name
Symphony No. 2 (Mahler) Resurrection Symphony
Serenade in G major, K. 525 Eine kleine Nachtmusik
Aria, BWV 508 "Bist du bei mir"
song cycle Op. 25 (Schubert) Die schöne Müllerin
Variations on a Theme by Haydn Saint Anthony Variations
Pavane pour une infante défunte
Pavane (Fauré)
Quartettsatz, D 103 (Schubert)

Non-generic names are italicised, except those of individual dances, songs, hymns, lieder and arias (e.g. "The Blue Danube", "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star", "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God", "Heidenröslein", "Madamina, il catalogo è questo"), and separate movements or sections of larger works (e.g. "Ride of the Valkyries").

Also a descriptive name can be a non-generic name that is not italicized (e.g. Music for the Royal Fireworks), unless it is the actual name of the work (e.g. The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Trois mouvements de Petrouchka). Most generic names are, however, nothing else than standardized descriptive names.

Generic and non-generic composition types
Most compositions belong to a generic composition type:
Composition type Examples
Vexations
symphony Sinfonia da Requiem
Symphony in C major (Wagner)
sonatina Sonatina (Bartók)
Sonatine bureaucratique
concerto for two pianos and orchestra Piano Concerto No. 10 (Mozart)
Concerto for Two Pianos (Stravinsky)
incidental music A Midsummer Night's Dream (Mendelssohn)
Rosamunde
piano quintet Trout Quintet
Piano Quintet (Schumann)

A generic name for a generic composition type is not italicised. This is language-independent, e.g. Liederkreis (German for song cycle) is not italicized in Liederkreis, Op. 24 (Schumann).

Composition titles that are incipits and have been put to music by several composers are usually regarded as generic names, and so not italicized, e.g. Stabat Mater (Dvořák), unless the composition belongs to an otherwise defined composition type like cantata, e.g. Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern, BWV 1.

In some exceptional cases what in the wording looks like a generic name is treated as a non-generic name (this can only be done for primary topics that would need no further disambiguation):

Quotation marks and partially italicized titles[edit]

Quotation marks should be avoided, except for the name of a theme in a set of variations in a generic article title:

Otherwise the use of quotation marks in generic artitle titles is limited to a very few cases:

Partially italicized article titles are likewise unusual for compositions (that is, apart from never italicizing comma-separated and parenthetical disambiguators):

Italics and quotation marks should not be used together in a single article title.

Capitalization of generic names[edit]

Generic names of compositions (sonata, partita, quartet, symphony,...) should not be capitalized beyond the first character of an article title in descriptive article titles. Examples:

Similar for article titles of articles on the composition types themselves:

"Fixed set" principle for an article on a group of compositions: in Cello Suites (Bach) the second word is capitalized: it is a generic name for a fixed set of 6 suites belonging to the same group. In the baroque to classical era such set often consisted of 6 or 12 similar works for a single opus number. Cello suites (Britten) is not a fixed set (three different opus numbers, not composed as a single set), so "suites" not capitalized in the article title, it is a descriptive article title.

Generic names of compositions are capitalized in article titles on a single composition,

Instrumentation included in generic names:

Articles not belonging to a series: common name and disambiguation[edit]

Compositions that fall under no generic composition type category are rare. Their article title strictly follows the common name principle:

Compositions that are one of a kind and nonetheless have a generic name not requiring additional disambiguation are even more exceptional:

When the name of a non-generic composition is neither unique nor the primary topic under this name, add the composer's last name as parenthical disambiguator:

Common name always applies when a composer composed only one instance of a generic type of composition:

A non-generic article title for an article on a composition that is unique to a composer is only disambiguated by composer's name or composition type when such disambiguation is needed:

When disambiguation is needed for a non-generic article title that applies to several works by the same composer, use composition type or catalogue number:

Unless the composition type is truly one of a kind (exactly one composer with exactly one instance of the type) or is a set of variations disambiguated by their theme, generic compositions with a generic article title are always disambiguated by catalogue number and/or the name of the composer:

Avoid however disambiguating by composer when the composer is not known with certainty, or a composer's name would be otherwise misleading:

Key signature, catalogue number, opus number, and other additions to a composition's article title[edit]

Key signature
The key signature of a composition is only added to the article title when it is part of the common name of the composition. For generic names of compositions the formatting of the key signature is as described in Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Music#Accidentals, however avoid (, ) in article titles.
As a disambiguating term, key signatures can only be used in natural disambiguation, so they're never enclosed in parentheses, nor after a comma.
As key signatures are not always mentioned, can be ambiguous, and are often difficult to remember, they can't serve as an exclusive disambiguating term, unless, exceptionally, as part of a non-generic common name article title, e.g. Te Deum in C.
Catalogue number
Disambiguation by catalogue number is usually avoided while these numbers have a low recognisability potential, and can only be used for these composers that have a single widely used catalogue covering all of their compositions:
  • Bach: BWV – For Anhang (Anh.) numbers, without the Roman numeral (I, II, III) that indicates the Anhang section, e.g. Gott, gib dein Gerichte dem Könige, BWV Anh. 3, not Gott, gib dein Gerichte dem Könige, BWV Anh. I 3
  • Buxtehude: BuxWV
  • Handel: HWV
  • Mozart: K.: there is another reason to avoid this one as much as possible: there is a lot of variation in the numbers in subsequent editions of the catalogue. When K. numbers are used in article titles nonetheless, use the oldest available catalogue number, usually the one in the original 1862 version of the catalogue, as these oldest numbers appear the most recognisable ones. However, when a composition has as well been numbered in the main catalogue (in one or more editions) and also, in one or more editions, in the Anhang (Anh.) of the catalogue, it is best to differentiate: use the oldest K. Anh. number unless when it is certain that Mozart is the composer of the piece, in which case the oldest main catalogue number should be used. All available K. and K. Anh. numbers should be mentioned in the article.
  • Schubert: D – use Deutsch numbers only according to the latest version of the Deutsch catalogue in article titles, and where applicable explain former numbers in the article.
  • Telemann: TWV – use latest numbers; use also TWV (not TVWV) for catalogue numbers of Telemann's vocal music.
An advantage of disambiguation by catalogue number is however that compositions can be uniquely identified without taking a stance on who composed them:
Catalogue numbers can be added as disambiguating term after the common name:
Avoid D numbers as exclusive disambiguating term, in other words, an article title containing a Deutsch number should always end on "(Schubert)":
Avoid Deest as a catalogue indicator in an article title: if there is no catalogue number, the catalogue can't be used as part of the disambiguation.
Opus number
Opus numbers are only part of a generic name when the composition (or group of compositions) is usually indicated in that fashion:
Also opus numbers can not be used as exclusive disambiguating term, they're always followed by the last name of the composer in parentheses.
Other additions
Following types of qualifiers should only be added to an article title when they're part of the common name. For generic titles they are generally not considered sufficient as an exclusive disambiguating term, so would usually require an additional composer/catalogue type of disambiguating term:
Disambiguate by last name only?
A last name can be ambiguous, in which case it is best to keep an eye on what one is disambiguating from:
Composers sharing the same last name...
For composers sharing surnames disambiguation by last name only is not usually problematic, e.g.:
Only when period, style, way of naming compositions etc can be confusing the added first name can give additional clarity, e.g. Requiem (Michael Haydn). A particular example of this is Johann Sebastian Bach and his many composing namesakes. Conventionally J. S. Bach's compositions would be the primary topic in any genre, i.e. without disambiguating term (Brandenburg Concertos) if not needed, and disambiguated or serialized by BWV number (Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 582) or (Bach) parenthetical disambiguating term (Orchestral suites (Bach)). Only descriptive titles (including category names) would usually give the full name for any composer after "by" (List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach, Category:Compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach). For the other Bachs, if parenthetical disambiguation by name of the composer is needed: add the initials (with periods and spaces) in the parenthesis:
Last name can signify something completely different...
E.g. (Ireland) as a disambiguating term would rather refer to Ireland than to John Ireland, so the precision criterion for article titling calls for (John Ireland) when the name of the composer is used as a parenthetical disambiguating term.
Composer uncertain
Use (attributed to <most likely of the named composers>) as disambiguating term for a composition when all of the following applies:
  1. the composition isn't part of a series that uses the standard series format (see below);
  2. its composer isn't known with certainty, but there is at least one name of a composer to whom the composition has been attributed;
  3. there is no other way to avoid the composer disambiguating term (e.g. using a primary topic nickname, or disambiguating by a catalogue number that doesn't imply authorship, disambiguating by composition type, etc.)

Articles in series[edit]

When a composer wrote more than one composition of a similar type, multiple articles on such compositions form a series. The most standardized format for article names of such a series is as follows:

  • [composition type] No. [number] ([last name of composer])

E.g.,

For concerto series, composition type includes soloist instrumentation (e.g. "Cello Concerto"). Also for sonata series the (soloist) instrumentation is mentioned in the composition type ("Violin Sonata"). Similar for most other types of chamber music ("Partita for keyboard", "Flute Quartet"). For other numbered series the instrumentation is only mentioned when not what one would usually expect, e.g. "Symphony for Organ". Other additions when well-established, e.g. "Hungarian Rhapsody" for the series of compositions by Liszt.

Deviations from this standardized format are only possible:

When the usual standardization is not possible for the aforementioned reasons, a common format is nonetheless preferably maintained across related series for a particular composer:

Lists[edit]

A stand-alone list of a composer's compositions is titled "List of compositions by <composer name>". Alternatively, when the main list of a composer's compositions is under the name of a broadly used catalogue for these compositions, "List of compositions by <composer name>" should be a redirect to that catalogue page. Examples:

Two stand-alone lists
Having two separate pages listing all compositions of a composer is only possible when one is a bullet list (e.g. grouped by genre) and the other a sortable table. Further: make sure to follow all provisions at Wikipedia:Content forking#List formats. Examples:
Partial lists
For partial lists, replace "compositions" in the article title by another term that defines the list or add a qualifier at the end of the article title. Examples:
"Anhang" topics
Catalogues of compositions of a composer often contain separate lists of lost works, arrangements, the composer's copies of someone else's compositions, and doubtful and/or spurious works. In most cases such "Anhang"-related items are contained in the main list (e.g. List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach#BWV Anhang). Exceptionally, when such works take a prominent place in the composer's oeuvre, they are listed on a separate page (e.g. List of adaptations by Ferruccio Busoni).
"works"
An article title starting with "List of works ..." implies creative works in multiple media (e.g. List of works published posthumously), otherwise a more precise descriptor of the works contained in the list should be used.

Facilitate easy navigation[edit]

Redirects
Always consider making redirects to the article from other plausible names to aid searching, and avoid people creating duplicate articles. For example, if you create Piano Trio No. 1 (Schubert), consider making redirects to it from Piano Trio in B-flat major (Schubert) and Piano Trio, D. 898 (Schubert).
Navboxes
Compositions may be described under article titles without opus number, catalogue number, nickname and other characteristics that may be highly recognizable to some readers: series should always have navboxes with such additional information and/or link to a list article that contains the details.
Category sorting
Choose a clear sorting scheme for all compositions in a category, that is also as intuitive as possible to readers less familiar with the topic.

Bands, albums and songs[edit]

Do not replicate stylized typography in logos and album art, though a redirect may be appropriate (for example, KoЯn redirects to Korn).

Capitalization[edit]

Capitalization of band names should be consistent with the guidelines for trademarks.

Capitalization of song titles and album titles should be consistent with the guidelines for composition titles; in particular, capitalize the first and last word and all other words except:

Short verbs (Is, Are, and Do) and pronouns (Me, It, and His) are capitalized.

In the rare case that a remix is independently notable and contains "(Remix)" in its track title, "remix" should not be capitalized. The same should be done for other track names with generic parentheticals or generic qualifiers after dashes, although such tracks are unlikely to be notable. (If redirects are categorized or connected to Wikidata items, then the convention should apply to such redirects.)

For more details, see WP:Manual of Style/Titles § Capital letters.

Disambiguation[edit]

If the title of a musical group or a recording does not share its title with any other topic in Wikipedia, use the base title, for example the Front Bottoms (not the Front Bottoms (band)), The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale (not The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale (Prince album)), or "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" (not "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" (song)). If the band's name or the recording's title has the same title as other topics (musical or not), determine whether there is a primary topic for the base title by making a comparison. For example, the Beatles are a primary topic due to their historical relevance in sources and is determined to be the primary topic against other articles of the same or similar name, or "Hey Brother", which was determined by discussion to be primary rather than the other articles of the same or similar name. In a case in which the musical group or recording does not meet the primary topic criteria, use the appropriate method of disambiguation.[a]

This is the guideline for disambiguation of non-classical music articles. It is intended only as a guide to assist in the correct methods of disambiguation when there is no primary topic for the base name's title. For disambiguation styles of classical music refer to Compositions (classical music).

General[edit]

  • Do not pre-emptively disambiguate pages. If the name of an article about a musical group or a recording does not share its title with any other topic discussed in Wikipedia that it might be confused with, use the base title as a primary topic.
  • If capitalization or grammatical articles help to distinguish one topic from another use the base title, for example Curiosity Killed the Cat or Ice Cube.
  • If there are two or more articles sharing their name, determine if any of those articles is primary relative to the other article(s).
  • If there is no primary topic for the usage of a title, the base title will be occupied by a disambiguation page, for example Next to Me, or it will be redirected to an appropriate page, for example Hurricane.

Musical individuals and groups[edit]

For individuals:

Disambiguation for musical groups should be done by using an appropriate disambiguation term. The most common is "(band)", but it can also be done through other methods:

In both cases, if a person or a musical group shares their name with another person or musical group, and there is no primary topic, disambiguation may be performed through methods that can help to distinguish one topic from another:

Albums, extended plays and video albums[edit]

Unless more than one article[a] about albums of the same name exist, there is no need to disambiguate any further. For example, it has been determined that there is no primary topic for "Down to Earth", so "Down to Earth" is a disambiguation page. As multiple albums share the same name, "Down to Earth (album)" will redirect there.

If two or more albums share their title, but they are not from the same type, simple disambiguation will still be used, for example Title (album) and Title (EP), or Electric Dreams (album) and Electric Dreams (soundtrack). If two or more albums share their title, and they are of the same type, further disambiguate by band, for example Confessions (Buckcherry album) and Confessions (Usher album). Collaborative albums and split albums—those in which two (or more) performers release an album together and that require disambiguation, will include all performers as they are credited on the album cover (Hands (Dave Holland and Pepe Habichuela album) or December (Gabrielle Aplin and Hannah Grace EP)). Consider that titles should be concise enough and should not be "longer than necessary to identify the article's subject and distinguish it from other subjects", so if an album was released by several people, and it may compromise readability, use another shorter method of disambiguation.

In the event a performer releases two or more albums of the same name, but in different years, the year of its release will be utilized (Patsy Cline (1957 EP), Patsy Cline (1961 EP) and Patsy Cline (1962 EP)). If a performer releases two or more albums of the same name, and other performers also have albums with the same name, use both year and performer (Colours (album) v. Colours (1972 Donovan album), Colours (1987 Donovan album) and Colours (1991 Donovan album)). If they are released in the same year, use a method that can help to be distinguished from each other (Uzi (Muslimgauze studio album) v. Uzi (Muslimgauze compilation album) or The Videos (Kylie Minogue VHS) v. Kylie: The Videos). In the rare event two unrelated performers share the same name (for example Embrace (English band), Embrace (American band)) , and they release an album with the same name (example: Embrace), disambiguation will be handled as: "Title of the work (year of release / nationality of the performer / band or singer / name of the performer / type of album)", resulting in: Embrace (English band Embrace album) and Embrace (American band Embrace album).

Songs and compositions (non-classical)[edit]

Like with albums above, unless more than one article[a] about songs of the same name exist, there is no need to disambiguate any further.

If two or more musical compositions share the same title, and disambiguation is necessary:

Artists who make a guest appearance, those who are credited with a "featuring", are not included in the disambiguation: ("Without You" (David Guetta song) not "Without You" (David Guetta and Usher song)). Collaborative songs—those in which two (or more) performers release a musical composition together (generally include a "and"/"&", "with", "/", "+", "X", or an space between their names in the credits), and those that require disambiguation will include all performers as they are credited in the single cover: ("Whistle" (Kylie Minogue and múm song) or "Bang Bang" (Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj song)). As explained above, consider that titles should be concise enough.

  • Note that there may be occasional exceptions for redirects; these are determined when a song may not be the primary topic for its title, but results to be the most preferred option for readers's searches and/or it is a highly valued recording by multiple reliable sources. The consensus can be reached through a discussion on the talk page or through Wikipedia:Redirects for discussion.

Concert tours[edit]

Categories[edit]

Category names and category tree definitions:

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b c An RFC closed in June 2016 has established a consensus that further disambiguation is only required when multiple songs or albums of the same name have articles.
  2. ^ An RFC closed in August 2013 has established consensus that "(entertainer)" "should be restricted to cases where a subject's notability across different areas of entertainment is roughly the same".
  3. ^ a b Per community consensus, and only for Asian releases labeled as such, use "(single album)" instead of "single", "album" or "EP".

See also[edit]