diff --git a/src/libtomahawk/artist.cpp b/src/libtomahawk/artist.cpp
index abc06c467..ce0c43ab6 100644
--- a/src/libtomahawk/artist.cpp
+++ b/src/libtomahawk/artist.cpp
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ Artist::Artist( unsigned int id, const QString& name )
     , m_currentItem( 0 )
     , m_currentTrack( 0 )
 {
+    m_sortname = DatabaseImpl::sortname( name, true );
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/libtomahawk/artist.h b/src/libtomahawk/artist.h
index 26d655b2a..ba0b47dd2 100644
--- a/src/libtomahawk/artist.h
+++ b/src/libtomahawk/artist.h
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ public:
 
     unsigned int id() const { return m_id; }
     QString name() const { return m_name; }
+    QString sortname() const { return m_sortname; }
 
     virtual QList<Tomahawk::query_ptr> tracks();
 
@@ -80,6 +81,7 @@ private slots:
 private:
     unsigned int m_id;
     QString m_name;
+    QString m_sortname;
 
     QList<Tomahawk::query_ptr> m_queries;
     result_ptr m_currentItem;
diff --git a/src/libtomahawk/database/databaseimpl.cpp b/src/libtomahawk/database/databaseimpl.cpp
index b8490ee2d..e042930ab 100644
--- a/src/libtomahawk/database/databaseimpl.cpp
+++ b/src/libtomahawk/database/databaseimpl.cpp
@@ -448,9 +448,16 @@ DatabaseImpl::getTrackFids( int tid )
 
 
 QString
-DatabaseImpl::sortname( const QString& str )
+DatabaseImpl::sortname( const QString& str, bool replaceArticle )
 {
-    return str.toLower().trimmed().replace( QRegExp("[\\s]{2,}"), " " );
+    QString s = str.toLower().trimmed().replace( QRegExp( "[\\s]{2,}" ), " " );
+
+    if ( replaceArticle && s.startsWith( "the " ) )
+    {
+        s = s.right( s.length() - 4 );
+    }
+
+    return s;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/libtomahawk/database/databaseimpl.h b/src/libtomahawk/database/databaseimpl.h
index c7688b718..2e814f8f8 100644
--- a/src/libtomahawk/database/databaseimpl.h
+++ b/src/libtomahawk/database/databaseimpl.h
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ public:
     QList< QPair<int, float> > searchTable( const QString& table, const QString& name, uint limit = 10 );
     QList< int > getTrackFids( int tid );
 
-    static QString sortname( const QString& str );
+    static QString sortname( const QString& str, bool replaceArticle = false );
 
     QVariantMap artist( int id );
     QVariantMap album( int id );
diff --git a/src/libtomahawk/playlist/trackproxymodel.cpp b/src/libtomahawk/playlist/trackproxymodel.cpp
index cbdd14a04..8d8954f24 100644
--- a/src/libtomahawk/playlist/trackproxymodel.cpp
+++ b/src/libtomahawk/playlist/trackproxymodel.cpp
@@ -309,8 +309,8 @@ TrackProxyModel::lessThan( const QModelIndex& left, const QModelIndex& right ) c
     const Tomahawk::query_ptr& q1 = p1->query();
     const Tomahawk::query_ptr& q2 = p2->query();
 
-    QString artist1 = q1->artist();
-    QString artist2 = q2->artist();
+    QString artist1 = q1->artistSortname();
+    QString artist2 = q2->artistSortname();
     QString album1 = q1->album();
     QString album2 = q2->album();
     QString track1 = q1->track();
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ TrackProxyModel::lessThan( const QModelIndex& left, const QModelIndex& right ) c
     if ( q1->numResults() )
     {
         const Tomahawk::result_ptr& r = q1->results().at( 0 );
-        artist1 = r->artist()->name();
+        artist1 = r->artist()->sortname();
         album1 = r->album()->name();
         track1 = r->track();
         albumpos1 = r->albumpos();
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ TrackProxyModel::lessThan( const QModelIndex& left, const QModelIndex& right ) c
     if ( q2->numResults() )
     {
         const Tomahawk::result_ptr& r = q2->results().at( 0 );
-        artist2 = r->artist()->name();
+        artist2 = r->artist()->sortname();
         album2 = r->album()->name();
         track2 = r->track();
         albumpos2 = r->albumpos();
diff --git a/src/libtomahawk/playlist/treeproxymodel.cpp b/src/libtomahawk/playlist/treeproxymodel.cpp
index 422ccc8aa..dd91c0dfd 100644
--- a/src/libtomahawk/playlist/treeproxymodel.cpp
+++ b/src/libtomahawk/playlist/treeproxymodel.cpp
@@ -360,15 +360,15 @@ TreeProxyModel::textForItem( TreeModelItem* item ) const
 
     if ( !item->artist().isNull() )
     {
-        return item->artist()->name();
+        return DatabaseImpl::sortname( item->artist()->name(), true );
     }
     else if ( !item->album().isNull() )
     {
-        return item->album()->name();
+        return DatabaseImpl::sortname( item->album()->name() );
     }
     else if ( !item->result().isNull() )
     {
-        return item->result()->track();
+        return DatabaseImpl::sortname( item->result()->track() );
     }
 
     return QString();
diff --git a/src/libtomahawk/query.cpp b/src/libtomahawk/query.cpp
index 4aa8e7444..bd4a863ce 100644
--- a/src/libtomahawk/query.cpp
+++ b/src/libtomahawk/query.cpp
@@ -117,13 +117,13 @@ Query::updateSortNames()
 {
     if ( isFullTextQuery() )
     {
-        m_artistSortname = DatabaseImpl::sortname( m_fullTextQuery );
-        m_albumSortname = m_artistSortname;
-        m_trackSortname = m_artistSortname;
+        m_artistSortname = DatabaseImpl::sortname( m_fullTextQuery, true );
+        m_albumSortname = DatabaseImpl::sortname( m_fullTextQuery );
+        m_trackSortname = m_albumSortname;
     }
     else
     {
-        m_artistSortname = DatabaseImpl::sortname( m_artist );
+        m_artistSortname = DatabaseImpl::sortname( m_artist, true );
         m_albumSortname = DatabaseImpl::sortname( m_album );
         m_trackSortname = DatabaseImpl::sortname( m_track );
     }
@@ -393,7 +393,7 @@ float
 Query::howSimilar( const Tomahawk::result_ptr& r )
 {
     // result values
-    const QString rArtistname = DatabaseImpl::sortname( r->artist()->name() );
+    const QString rArtistname = r->artist()->sortname();
     const QString rAlbumname  = DatabaseImpl::sortname( r->album()->name() );
     const QString rTrackname  = DatabaseImpl::sortname( r->track() );
 
diff --git a/src/libtomahawk/query.h b/src/libtomahawk/query.h
index dca702e27..4b12537d7 100644
--- a/src/libtomahawk/query.h
+++ b/src/libtomahawk/query.h
@@ -91,6 +91,9 @@ public:
     QString toString() const;
 
     QString resultHint() const { return m_resultHint; }
+    QString artistSortname() const { return m_artistSortname; }
+    QString albumSortname() const { return m_albumSortname; }
+    QString trackSortname() const { return m_trackSortname; }
     QString artist() const { return m_artist; }
     QString album() const { return m_album; }
     QString track() const { return m_track; }