List of music theorists

This is a list of music theorists arranged in chronological order. The criteria for inclusion relies on publication or (especially with pre-15th-century theorists) dissemination of written theoretical work by western musicians, and their inclusion in published books discussing the history of music theory.
Since the categories for music theorists are not subdivided by nationality, this list is intended to provide an overview of music theorists and provide for further exploration of the field.
Martin Gerbert and Edmond de Coussemaker were the 18th and 19th century compilers of numerous medieval theoretical treatises. It appeared to be their custom to assign names to treatises where the author was unknown (thus names such as "Anonymous IV" or "Pseudo Odo"). Modern practice is to refer to the treatises themselves by their title or their opening line, rather than infer information about their authors.