I’m having this same problem. Did you figure it out? I don’t know why when I sort by album, the tracks are out of order....

Try sorting by "Album," ascending (A-Z). This seems to "group" the tracks by Album, and then "order" them by Track Number. Give it a shot...

doesnt work if you’re trying to sort by artist and then highest rated within each artist.

I’ve managed to trick it so it does what I want.
If you order by album title as you’re doing.
Then add the date modified column to the list of viewed columns and order by that.
If you then go through each track and remove the final character, it will jump to the bottom of the list. You can then put the character back in before jumping to the next track and doing the same thing.
You can then sort by date modified to sort by album and then track.

I finally figured this out, and man does it display dumb programming of iTunes:

If you have albums sorted in reverse (I had done this accidentally), then tracks will also be sorted in reverse. So, just check that you didn't sort albums in reverse order.

Here is THE answer. If you wish to sort by album and have the track also in order, do the following.

1. Sort by album (by clicking on title)
2. Sort by track number
3. Sort again by album.

Done!

Worked like a charm David. Many thanks.

I tried the solution above and it didn't work for me.

It turned out that several of the tracks had an "Album Artist" set and some didn't. This was causing the problem.

The fix was to select all tracks for the album and enter some random text for all track's Album Artist info, save the changes. Then reset Album Artist for all tracks to blank.

The apply the fix mentioned previously and it sorted them fine...

You can sort by multiple criteria by starting with the "deepest" criterion and working outward to the most basic.

For example, start with Track Number, then Album, Artist (, Genre) ?

Which sorts Artists then Albums w/i artists and finally by tracks.

I had the same problem where all but 2 tracks were in order and they always stayed out of order. I just discovered that the year and disk X of X were missing on just those two. Look for missing info and make srue that all tracks for a disk have the same data filled in. After the changes, all is well.

This works great except if you want to sort one of the columns by date added. It seems like in the "date" added column, it also includes minutes (and seconds) so if you added tracks in the wrong order, you can't get them back. Seems like date added should be by date, rather than actual file time stamp.

Clearing the extraneous data fixed my playlist order issues. I suspect iTunes is sorting on hidden fields the user doesn't consider. I suggest you remove all the tag info you don't care about - if its still around you might try mp3tagtools or something similar.

Ok I figured out a way as well. My Album " Face Value was all scrabled up in the track order. So I ended up trying he sort order trick Dave from above came up with. Sort by artist then sort by album then by artist again. When I looked at my list some were in order and some weren't the ones that eren't all were missing the " Disc Number " info. I set them all for 1 of 1 and everything sorted fine after that.

I had the same problem but it was something else ... Some tracks had info on the tags "Disc number x of x" that orders them by disc then by track number

When downloading an entire album, why doesn't iTunes download it in order? Now, if I want to keep my music in date added order, my album is entirely the wrong order. Is there a way to fix that, like to fix the date added time on the file? I just looked, and I couldn't figure it out.

Does any one know how to tell the size of my checked selection in ITUNES. Basically I have 25GB of music and a 20GB (actually 18.5GB) IPOD. If I try to sync all it tells me it will pick a selection. I do not want that. So I want to uncheck my least listened to songs (for now) to bring the selection down below 18.5GB.

If I use the search field to filter for artist, date, song, etc. I can tell the size of the filterd data in MB and # of songs but I want to tell the size of my Checked Selection.

Ideas would be most appreciated

Scott’s solution is great, but it only works if you want to sort in the same order. For example, I can sort by track (ascending), disc (ascending), and album (ascending), but the second I change the album sort order to (descending), the disc and track switch to descending, as well. :-(

I figured out my sorting problem! I wanted to sort by the "Name" field, but it didn't do it right. There is a separate field not shown by default, "Sort Name". I added the "Sort Name" field by right clicking the column names and selecting it. There were three songs that had values and the others didn't. I right clicked each song that had values for the "Sort Name" and clicked Get Info. Under the Sorting button, I erased the text in the Sort Name field and that was it!

Make sure that you've filled in Album Artist. This was the problem for me.

How do you sort by albums... in the order [date] added... whilst retaining the right track order of the album... ie 1,2,3,4 etc...

Very frustrating!!!!

Thoughts...?

D

i had same problem , i just right clicked , then get info - choose info - then where it says disc 1 of 1 , just delete and track listing back to normal ... what a dumb option to include

ORGANIZE YOUR i-TUNES: PROBLEM SOLVED!

CUSTOMIZING I-TUNES USING THE MATHEW RUSSO COLLECTION "LOGIC" METHOD

Hi, use the Mathew Russo Collection format. This format allows you to add minor info to your existing downloaded itunes tracks and music videos, as well as import your .wav files from your own collection to i-tunes, and sort them in the way that is intended and that is normal and intuitive.

Do not be intimidated by the amount of steps. Each step is VERY simple and specific so you can zip through this with ease.

This will handle audio and video events, and is not designed for episodic TV, programs, or movies.

Follow these easy instructions;

1. Which Version? This is designed for itunes 7. Version 8 is available as of this writing, but is way too "buggy" for me to jump on board yet. The wisdom of the streets is to stay one version behind. Besides, these guys keep updating these versions just to keep us consumers hooked--let them sweat for a while. You can probably do this in Version 8, but a free piece of advice here is to stay with Version 7. Personal preference--not looking for a debate on it.

2. Go to the PURCHASED view.

3. Make sure you are in the "LIST" view. You can alter it later, but for following these steps, go to LIST view for now.
4. Go to: MENU BAR | VIEW | VIEW OPTIONS
5. Select all of the following, and unselect anything not listed here:

ALBUM ARTIST DISC NUMBER GROUPING SORT ALBUM SORT ARTIST SORT NAME TIME TRACK NUMBER YEAR

Click APPLY.

1. Pull up any existing events you have (a music "track" or video "chapter"...like a music video) and add information to them. Here's how:

6.1 Highlight the track 6.2 Right Click | Select GET INFO | INFO tab 6.3 Leave the track number in, but delete the 2nd number. Ex: If it reads track 1 of 4, delete the "4". Trust me. 6.4 Do the same for the disc number. For example, if it reads "Disc 1 Of 1" delete the second "1". If it reads "Disc 1 Of 2" delete the 2. Trust me. 6.5 Go to the top next to the INFO tab, select the SORTING tab 6.6 Enter the sort name. This will be the same as the name of the song. Also type in the mix. For example, "William's Blood [The Trixters Dub Mix 2]" Don't use quotes, I'm just giving you an example here. 6.7 Enter the SORT ARTIST field data. Be clever here. I use all caps for my artist names, you should too. Also, enter last names first and use a comma, and use "The" last. Here are some examples of how to enter artist names the right way;

ROLLING STONES, THE MADONNA LENNOX, ANNIE JONES, GRACE KNIGHT, HOLLY HARRY, DEBORAH

6.8 SKIP the SORT ALBUM ARTIST field. 6.9 Enter the SORT ALBUM field data. Use Sentence Caps style, here are some album title examples, note special box sets or editions;

True Blue Rescue Me [Box Set] Diva [Deluxe Edition] Tango In The Night savage

6.10 You have finished with this information on the SORT tab. Now go back to the INFO tab once again. I wanted to do this last so I could explain the dating system.

6.11 On the INFO tab, go down to the GROUPING field. You are going to use the grouping field to enter the correct date. And you may be thinking "But I already have a date!" Trust me. You do have a date, but you two pieces of data, both of which have absolutely no value in their current formats. Trust me.

6.12 In the GROUPING field, enter the release date (the complete date) in the following format using my example;

Grace Jones' song "William's Blood" was released on Dec. 7th, 2008, or 12/07/08. Here is how you would enter that date on the GROUPING field

2008.12.07

Why are we doing it this way? Simple. This is computer logic. The computer reads the year first, then the month, then the date.
A lot of CD Singles have release dates and concert poster dates on them are like this in the UK and Europe. Here in my native US, we still do it the old fashioned way. My preference is the logical way. Year first, then month, then date. For personal files, I even add another two letter abbreviation after the date for day of the week, like MO, TU, WE, TH, FR, SA and SU. It's logical, and this is how the computer reads it.

This may seem "odd" to those who aren't used to it, but if you list your computer files (name them) the same way, you'll find they are always in chronological order. If you don't like it, you'll have to trust me. It works. It's what you want.

6.13 Now you are done adding data for your existing track or newly imported track. Click OK.

Here's the fun part:

1. Go through each existing track you have on i-tunes and follow steps 1 through 6 above. The first few times it will take you a few minutes. After that, you'll get each track done in about 2 minutes or less. If you have an Ungodly amount of i-tunes tracks, do about 10 every day for a month or so.

It seems like a lot, but trust me, it is WORTH it. You will thank me.

Any new tracks or music videos you import, do the same thing for.

This may seem like a lot of work, but it really isn't. Just set aside a few minutes a night and get it done.

Then you'll finally have everything organized.

Once you have completed this, now you are ready to finish off the process and set it up so everything is in perfect order! Congrats you made it this far!

8.1 Go to the PURCHASED view again. 8.2 Make sure you are in the "LIST" view. You can alter it later, but for following these steps, go to LIST view for now. 8.3 Go to: MENU BAR | VIEW | VIEW OPTIONS 8.4 Now you are going to UNCHECK/UNSELECT these:

ALBUM ARTIST YEAR

AND LEAVE THESE CHECKED/SELECTED:

DISC NUMBER GROUPING SORT ALBUM SORT ARTIST SORT NAME TIME TRACK NUMBER

8.5 Almost done! Now click OKAY.

9.1 Now you are looking at the main screen on the PURCHASE VIEW. You cannot move or change the location of the NAME column, so leave it there--I'll address it in a moment.

Now arrange your columns like this, left to right:

NAME, SORT ARTIST, GROUPING, SORT ALBUM, DISC #, TRACK #, SORT NAME, TIME

9.10 Now,go to the SORT ARTIST COLUMN, and click the column title and your artists will all be listed alphabetically, A to Z. 9.11 Now go to the the GROUPING COLUMN, and do the same thing, and all your artists releases will be listed chronologically by date. 9.12 Now go to the SORT ALBUM COLUMN... do the same thing. Most likely, they will be already sorted because of the date. 9.13 Now go to the DISC # COLUMN, do the same thing. Each album will be sorted by "disc" 9.14 Now go to the TRACK # COLUMN, do the same thing. EAch track will then be in order.

9.15 You cannot move or delete or put anything to the left of the NAME column. This is the mistake stitch in the Chinese Rug. Live with it. Touch the right end of the column header and drag it over to shrink down the size of the column.

Yes, it's imperfect. Yes, it's an annoyance. I am very sure in future versions of i-tunes you can remove it anyway, so stop worrying about it.

Now you have everything you want in chronological order by your artists, and each artist is in order.

How cool is that?

10.00 LISTEN UP! BACK UP BACK UP BACK UP your data! Make back up discs, or backup your i-tunes library. Don't be the mope that tells himself "I'll just wait another week, I"m too busy, I'll -do it later- and yeah, I'll back everything up when I get the chance."

Don't be an idiot.

DO IT NOW!

You've come this far, and data is not physical--so back it up! A physical hard drive has moving parts, they don't last forever. BACK UP YOUR STUFF!

I cannot stress how important this is.

And I've done all this for you, now at least do that much for yourself.

Take some time when the paint is drying, when the laundry is tumbling, or during commercial breaks of that important TV show and BACK IT UP!

There ya go people. Please adopt my dating system, it works!

If you found this article to be helfpful, give me a shout and say thanks...

Or, conversely, if you think it was a total Pain in the A-- and don't get it, you can do the same.

However, if you really read through it, spend the time doing it carefully the first few times, you'll be rearranging all your i-tunes tracks in a matter of NO TIME, and have them the way they should be in the first place.

Maybe someone over at APPLE can read this D--- thing and email me.

To be honest, I am against i-tunes, you guys destroyed one of the greatest pleasures and releases of the music industry to me, the CD Single...and you've chopped up the world (again) in terms of what is released where and to whom.

You have to make the prices in local currency, I get that--but releasing certain things only to certain people? That's totalitarianism...and I am against that sort of thing.

Isn't it time for a "World i-tunes" format? One of which we can view and purchase, and then go to our local currency to pay.

Think it over Apple.

You have yet to win me over on a MAC. : )

Thanks for reading.

Sincerely,

Mathew Russo Outside of Chicago, IL

MathewRusso@earthlink.net (one lettere T is correct in my name)