two useful sorting functions
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// sort on values
function srt(desc) {
  return function(a,b){
   return desc ? ~~(a < b) : ~~(a > b);
  };
}
// sort on key values
function keysrt(key,desc) {
  return function(a,b){
   return desc ? ~~(a[key] < b[key]) : ~~(a[key] > b[key]);
  }
}

For your array you can sort on ‘name’ using:

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var arr = [ {name:'bob', artist:'rudy'}
           ,{name:'johhny', artist:'drusko'}
           ,{name:'tiff', artist:'needell'}
           ,{name:'top', artist:'gear'}]
          .sort(keysrt('name'));

You could also combine the sorting functions:

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function srt(desc,key) {
 return function(a,b){
   return desc ? ~~(key ? a[key]<b[key] : a < b)
               : ~~(key ? a[key] > b[key] : a > b);
  };
}

And use

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var arr = [ {name:'bob', artist:'rudy'}
               ,{name:'johhny', artist:'drusko'}
               ,{name:'tiff', artist:'needell'}
               ,{name:'top', artist:'gear'}]
              .sort(srt(null,'name'));

all in one solution:

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function srt(on,descending) {
 on = on && on.constructor === Object ? on : {};
 return function(a,b){
   if (on.string || on.key) {
     a = on.key ? a[on.key] : a;
     a = on.string ? String(a).toLowerCase() : a;
     b = on.key ? b[on.key] : b;
     b = on.string ? String(b).toLowerCase() : b;
     // if key is not present, move to the end
     if (on.key && (!b || !a)) {
      return !a && !b ? 1 : !a ? 1 : -1;
     }
   }
   return descending ? ~~(on.string ? b.localeCompare(a) : a < b)
                     : ~~(on.string ? a.localeCompare(b) : a > b);
  };
}
// usage examples
'a,z,x,y,a,b,B,Z,a,i,j,y'.split(',').sort( srt({string:true;}) );
 //=> ,a,a,b,B,i,j,x,y,y,z,Z
[100,7,8,2,2,0,5,1,6,5,-1].sort( srt() );
 //=> -1,0,1,2,2,5,5,6,7,8,100
[100,7,8,2,2,0,5,1,6,5,-1].sort( srt({},true}) );
 //=> 100,8,7,6,5,5,2,2,1,0,-1
var objarr =
 [ {name:'bob', artist:'rudy'}
  ,{name:'Johhny', artist:'drusko'}
  ,{name:'Tiff', artist:'needell'}
  ,{name:'top', artist:'gear'}]
 .sort( srt({key:'name',string:true}, true) );
for (var i=0;i<objarr.length;i+=1) {
  console.log(objarr[i].name);
}