When writing an essay, article, or even a social media caption, knowing how to format titles correctly signals attention to detail and professional credibility. But the convention has shifted decisively toward using quotation marks for individual song titles, while italics are reserved for the larger works—albums, operas, or musicals—that contain them. Because of that, the short answer to the question do you underline titles of songs is no, not in modern standard writing. Understanding why this rule exists and how to apply it across different style guides will save you from common formatting errors.
The General Rule: Quotation Marks for Songs
In virtually all contemporary style guides—including the Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS), APA Style, MLA Handbook, and AP Stylebook—individual song titles are placed inside double quotation marks. This applies to tracks on an album, singles, instrumental pieces, and movements within a larger classical work It's one of those things that adds up. Practical, not theoretical..
Examples:
- "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen
- "Clair de Lune" by Debussy
- "Shake It Off" by Taylor Swift
Conversely, the album, EP, or compilation title receives italic formatting. This visual hierarchy helps the reader instantly distinguish between the part (the song) and the whole (the album).
Examples:
- A Night at the Opera (Album containing "Bohemian Rhapsody")
- 1989 (Album containing "Shake It Off")
- Suite bergamasque (Suite containing "Clair de Lune")
Why We Stopped Underlining: A Historical Perspective
To understand the current standard, it helps to look at the history of typography. Underlining was never a grammatical rule; it was a technological workaround.
In the era of typewriters and early word processors, italics were often impossible to produce. Typewriters had a single font style: roman (upright). Writers needed a way to indicate to typesetters and printers that a specific word or title should be set in italics when the final book or newspaper was printed. The instruction was simple: *underline the text to signal "put this in italics Took long enough..
This changes depending on context. Keep that in mind Worth keeping that in mind..
With the advent of personal computers, laser printers, and modern word processors (Microsoft Word, Google Docs, LaTeX), true italics became universally accessible. Practically speaking, it interferes with descenders (the tails on letters like g, j, p, q, y) and reduces readability. And today, underlining in a finished digital or print document looks archaic and cluttered. Now, the workaround became obsolete. Major style guides explicitly advise against underlining in final manuscripts Nothing fancy..
Navigating Major Style Guides
While the quotation-mark rule is nearly universal, minor nuances exist depending on which citation style you are following. Here is how the big three handle music titles The details matter here..
MLA (Modern Language Association) — Humanities & Literature
MLA 9th Edition is strict about the container concept.
- Song Title: "Title of Song" (Quotation marks)
- Album Title: Title of Album (Italics)
- Note: MLA also uses quotation marks for music videos, specific episodes of a podcast series, and individual movements of a classical work.
APA (American Psychological Association) — Social Sciences & Education
APA 7th Edition aligns closely with MLA for standalone works vs. parts of a whole.
- Song Title: "Title of Song" (Quotation marks in the text; sentence case in reference list).
- Album Title: Title of Album (Italics).
- Key Difference: In the reference list entry, the song title uses sentence case (only the first word and proper nouns capitalized) and no quotation marks. The album title remains italicized.
- Reference List Example: Swift, T. (2014). Shake it off. On 1989. Big Machine Records.
Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) — Publishing, History, Business
Chicago is the gold standard for book publishing.
- Song Title: "Title of Song"
- Album Title: Title of Album
- Classical Works: Chicago makes a specific distinction for classical music. If a work is identified by its generic name (Symphony No. 5, Concerto in A Minor), it is neither italicized nor quoted—it is simply capitalized. Even so, if the classical piece has a distinctive nickname given by the composer or tradition, that nickname goes in quotes.
- Correct: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C Minor
- Correct: Beethoven’s "Eroica" Symphony (Symphony No. 3)
- Correct: The "Moonlight" Sonata (Piano Sonata No. 14)
AP Style (Associated Press) — Journalism & News
AP Style is unique because it does not use italics at all (a legacy of news wire transmission limitations) Which is the point..
- Song Title: "Title of Song" (Quotation marks)
- Album Title: "Title of Album" (Also quotation marks)
- Reasoning: Since AP cannot guarantee italics will render correctly on all news platforms, they use quotation marks for everything—books, movies, albums, and songs.
Special Cases and Edge Cases
Music formatting isn't always straightforward. Here is how to handle the exceptions that often trip up writers.
Classical Music: Generic vs. Specific Titles
This is the most common area of confusion.
- Generic Titles (Form + Key/Number): No formatting. Capitalize the form.
- Examples: Sonata in B-flat Major, Op. 22; Nocturne No. 2; String Quartet in F Major.
- True Titles (Given by Composer): Italics (if a large standalone work like an opera or tone poem) or Quotation Marks (if a song or short piece).
- Examples: The Rite of Spring (Ballet/Orchestral work — Italics); "Erlkönig" by Schubert (Art Song — Quotes).
- Nicknames: Quotation marks, usually appended to the generic title.
- Examples: Symphony No. 9 "From the New World"; Piano Concerto No. 21 "Elvira Madigan".
Musical Theater and Opera
- The Show Title: Italics (Hamilton, The Magic Flute, West Side Story).
- Individual Songs/Arias: "Quotation Marks" ("My Shot", "Queen of the Night Aria", "Tonight").
Foreign Language Titles
The formatting rules (quotes vs. italics) remain the same regardless of language.
- Example: "La Vie en Rose" (Song) appears on the album Chansons Parisiennes.
- Capitalization Note: Follow the capitalization rules of the source language for the title itself, but apply English formatting (quotes/italics). To give you an idea, German capitalizes all nouns ("Der Hölle Rache"), while French typically capitalizes only the first word and proper nouns ("La vie en rose").
Instrumental Tracks and Beats
Even without lyrics, an instrumental track is a "song" or "composition" for formatting purposes That's the part that actually makes a difference..
- "YYZ" by Rush
- "The Ecstasy of Gold" by Ennio Morricone
Unreleased Songs, Demos, and Live Versions
The formatting does not change based on release status Most people skip this — try not to..
- "True Love Waits" (Live at the Astoria)
- "Purple Rain" (Demo Version)
Handwriting vs. Typing: The Only Time to Underline
There is exactly one scenario where underlining is still the correct choice: handwriting.
If you are writing an essay by hand during an exam, taking notes in a lecture,
or filling out a form by hand, you should underline titles instead of using italics, as italics are impossible to reproduce clearly in handwriting.
- Example: You would write "<u>Abbey Road</u>" for the album and "'Come Together'" for the song.
We're talking about a practical concession to ensure your meaning is unambiguous when the visual cue of italics is not available.
Conclusion: Clarity is the Ultimate Goal
Navigating the rules for formatting song and album titles can seem like a complex task, but the underlying principle is simple: clarity and consistency. The distinction between using italics for larger, standalone works (like albums) and quotation marks for individual songs is a widely accepted convention that helps readers immediately understand what you are referencing Which is the point..
While the digital age has made italics easier than ever to implement, the persistence of the quotation mark rule, especially in journalism, underscores a commitment to universal readability. By following these guidelines, you ensure your writing is precise, professional, and accessible to your audience, whether they are reading a scholarly analysis, a news article, or a casual blog post. Remember that good formatting is invisible; it serves its purpose when it smoothly guides the reader through your text without ever drawing attention to itself.
