The world of music is vast and varied, encompassing everything from a quick pop single to a sprawling orchestral symphony. When you are writing about music, whether for an academic paper, a blog post, or a professional publication, you will inevitably encounter the question: “Do I italicize song titles?“
Just like with TV shows, the answer depends on the type of work you’re referring to (the individual song versus the album) and, crucially, which style guide you are following. In this comprehensive guide, we will break down the rules for formatting song titles, album titles, and even longer musical works according to the three most common style guides: MLA, APA, and Chicago.
The Core Principle: Large Containers vs. Small Contents
Before we dive into the specifics of each style, it’s essential to understand the underlying logic that governs title formatting. This is the Container vs. Contents rule, and it applies across various forms of media, not just music.
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Large Works (Containers): These are independent, complete works that stand on their own. For music, this primarily means albums, EPs (extended plays), operas, symphonies, and entire musical productions. These “containers” are generally italicized.
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Small Works (Contents): These are pieces that are part of a larger container. For music, this refers to individual songs, tracks, or movements within a larger composition. These “contents” are typically enclosed in quotation marks.
Keeping this distinction in mind will help you navigate almost any title formatting challenge.
1. MLA Style (Modern Language Association)
MLA style is predominantly used in the humanities, including literature, musicology, film studies, and the arts. It has clear and consistent rules for musical titles.
Album Titles in MLA
Album titles are considered complete, standalone works, or “containers,” for individual songs. Therefore, in MLA style, album titles are always italicized.
Example: Taylor Swift’s 1989 was a monumental success, shifting her musical direction towards pop.
This applies to all types of albums, including studio albums, live albums, greatest hits compilations, and EPs.
Song Titles in MLA
Individual song titles are “contents” within an album. As such, in MLA style, song titles are enclosed in quotation marks and are not italicized.
Example: The track “Blank Space” from 1989 showcased Swift’s clever lyrical play.
If you are referring to a single that was not released as part of an album, it is still treated as a “content” and placed in quotation marks.
Example: Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy” became a breakout hit.
In the Works Cited List (MLA)
When citing a song from an album in your MLA Works Cited list, you will list the song title in quotation marks, followed by the album title in italics.
- Format for a Song from an Album:
Artist Last Name, First Name. “Title of Song.” Title of Album, Record Label, Year, Track Number.
- Example:
Adele. “Rolling in the Deep.” 21, XL Recordings, 2011, track 1.
When citing an entire album, you would simply list the artist and the italicized album title.
- Format for an Album:
Artist Last Name, First Name. Title of Album. Record Label, Year.
- Example:
Beatles, The. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Parlophone, 1967.
Longer Musical Works (Operas, Symphonies, etc.)
For longer, classical musical compositions that are significant, standalone works (like operas, oratorios, ballets, or named symphonies), MLA style calls for italicization.
Example: Verdi’s Aida is renowned for its grand choruses and triumphal march.
Example: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 is one of the most recognizable pieces in classical music.
Individual movements within these larger works, however, would be in quotation marks.
Example: The “Ode to Joy” chorus from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 is iconic.
2. APA Style (American Psychological Association)
APA style is primarily used in the social sciences, psychology, education, and sciences. Its approach to musical titles is generally similar to MLA in the body of the text, but it has specific formatting requirements for the Reference List.
Album Titles in APA
In the body of your paper, APA style requires album titles to be italicized. This aligns with the “container” principle.
Example: Beyoncé’s visual album Lemonade was a groundbreaking artistic achievement.
Song Titles in APA
Individual song titles in APA style are, like MLA, enclosed in quotation marks in the body of the text.
Example: The song “Formation” from Lemonade became an anthem for many.
In the Reference List (APA)
This is where APA style diverges slightly and can sometimes cause confusion, especially with the 7th edition’s emphasis on sentence case.
For a Song from an Album:
The song title is presented in sentence case and is not italicized or put in quotation marks. The album title, however, is italicized and in title case.
- Format:
Writer, A. A. (Copyright Year). Title of song [Song]. On Title of album. Record Label.
- Example:
Lennon, J. (1971). Imagine [Song]. On Imagine. Apple.
For an Entire Album:
The album title is italicized and in title case.
- Format:
Artist, A. A. (Copyright Year). Title of album [Album]. Record Label.
- Example:
King, C. (1971). Tapestry [Album]. Ode Records.
Key APA Reference List Note: Notice that in the reference list, individual song titles are neither italicized nor in quotation marks. This is a crucial difference from how they appear in the body of your paper and from MLA style.
Longer Musical Works (Operas, Symphonies, etc.) in APA
Similar to MLA, major classical works are italicized in APA style, both in the text and in the reference list.
Example: Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker is a staple of holiday performances.
3. Chicago Style (The Chicago Manual of Style)
Chicago style is widely used in history, fine arts, and some social sciences. It offers flexibility between its “Notes and Bibliography” system (footnotes/endnotes) and its “Author-Date” system. Regardless of the system, its rules for title formatting are generally consistent.
Album Titles in Chicago
Chicago style adheres to the “container” principle: album titles are italicized.
Example: Miles Davis’s Kind of Blue is often cited as one of the greatest jazz albums of all time.
Song Titles in Chicago
Individual song titles in Chicago style are placed in quotation marks.
Example: The track “So What” from Kind of Blue features an iconic opening.
In the Bibliography (Chicago Notes and Bibliography)
For a song from an album, you would typically list the song title in quotation marks, followed by the italicized album title.
- Format:
Artist, “Song Title,” Album Title, track #, recorded [date], [Label], [Year], [Medium].
- Example:
Holiday, Billie, “Strange Fruit,” Billie Holiday’s Greatest Hits, recorded April 20, 1939, Columbia, 1958, streaming audio.
For an entire album, the album title is italicized.
- Format:
Artist. Album Title. Label, Year.
- Example:
Pink Floyd. The Dark Side of the Moon. Harvest, 1973.
Longer Musical Works (Operas, Symphonies, etc.) in Chicago
Chicago style consistently italicizes major classical works like operas, symphonies, and concertos.
Example: Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro remains a beloved work in the operatic repertoire.
Individual movements or named parts of these works would be in quotation marks.
Example: The “Allegro con brio” from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 is immediately recognizable.
Formatting Comparison Table
To summarize the key differences and similarities across the three styles:
| Style Guide | Album Title (In-Text) | Song Title (In-Text) | Song Title (Reference List/Bibliography) | Album Title (Reference List/Bibliography) |
| MLA | Italicized | “Quotation Marks” | “Quotation Marks” | Italicized |
| APA | Italicized | “Quotation Marks” | Plain Text (Sentence Case) | Italicized (Title Case) |
| Chicago | Italicized | “Quotation Marks” | “Quotation Marks” | Italicized |
The “Why”: Understanding the Logic
Why do these rules exist? They serve several crucial purposes:
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Clarity: They help readers quickly distinguish between different types of works. An italicized title signals a major, standalone creation, while quotation marks indicate a smaller component of a larger work.
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Consistency: Standardized rules ensure that all writers using a particular style guide present information in a uniform way, making it easier for readers to process.
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Hierarchy: The container/contents distinction visually reinforces the hierarchical structure of information—a song belongs to an album, an episode to a TV series, a chapter to a book.
Common Misconceptions and Pitfalls
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Singles vs. Album Tracks: Even if a song is released as a “single” before an album, or never appears on an album, it is still treated as an individual song and placed in quotation marks.
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Underlining: Avoid using underlining for titles. It is an archaic practice from the typewriter era meant to signify italics to a typesetter. In modern digital writing, it often suggests a hyperlink.
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Both Italics and Quotes: Never use both italics and quotation marks for the same title. It’s always one or the other.
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Forgetting Context: Always consider where the title is appearing. The rules for in-text usage might differ from those in a reference list or bibliography, especially in APA.
Conclusion
Correctly formatting song and album titles might seem like a minor detail, but it reflects attention to detail and adherence to academic or professional standards. The most important takeaway is the Container vs. Contents rule: italicize albums (the large containers) and use quotation marks for individual songs (the small contents) in the body of your writing across all three major styles.
The main variation comes in the Reference List for APA, where individual song titles are in plain text (sentence case), rather than quotation marks. Always double-check the specific requirements of the style guide you are using, and when in doubt, consult the official manual or a reliable style guide resource.
