Hello everyone. I will now be starting my top 50 DT countdown. You may know me as the user who is running the DT League over in the Polls & Survivors forum. Since I run the league, I typically don’t share my thoughts on which songs win and lose, or more to the point, which songs I like more than others. Believe me, there have been plenty of times where one of my favorite songs lost to a song that I don’t like nearly as much and I felt like going all WTF like some of you do. So sharing this list will serve as a means to finally share my thoughts and opinions on the fantastic music that this amazing band has crafted during their lengthy and legendary career.
Growing up, my favorite genre was heavy metal. My favorite bands were the usual suspects like Metallica and Ozzy. In 1995, I heard Pull Me Under on the Radio. But it wasn’t until the 1997 that I truly got into the band. My step dad played bass guitar. He joined a band, and they sent him home with two cassette tapes. One was a copy of Images & Words, the other, a copy of Awake. I pretty much took those tapes from him, because the music absolutely blew me away. Plus, he was never going to come close to replicating John Myung anyway.
So eventually, I got Images & Words and Awake on CD. I went to a CD Store (Remember those) and purchased Falling Into Infinity. A few months later, my older brother got me A Change of Seasons & When Dream and Day Unite. I even ended up with 5 Years in a Livetime on VHS. But I was able to get each album, beginning with Scenes from a Memory in order of when they were released. I couldn’t get Train of Thought when it first came out because I was in boot camp. When I was leaving boot camp to fly to my next destination, the airport had a CD store, and sure enough, Train of Thought was in stock. So I bought the CD and a portable CD player so I could hear it on the flight. Perfect timing, them coming out with an album like that after I came out of boot camp all kinds of angry.
As of now, my favorite bands (other than Dream Theater) are Shadow Gallery, Symphony X, Kamelot, Nightwish, Epica, Redemption, Iced Earth, Opeth , Circus Maximus, Royal Hunt & Sonata Arctica.
I had fun crafting this list. It was a very slow, but simple method that I implemented. You may agree with some of my choices. You may be offended with some of them. But I make no apologies. DT is the greatest band that I’ve ever heard, and all of their music is great. These are just my personal favorites.
Now, let’s get right to it. The first five songs on my list are as follows:
50. This is the Life
Coming in at #50 is a song from 2011’s A Dramatic Turn of Events. After opening with three rockers, this ballad-esque really is a great choice for the four hole. The less is more approach that went into making this song really pays off. It is a deceptive 6:57, feeling much shorter. I love the lyrics, and have my own views as to what they really mean. I’m really glad that I got to see this one performed live. As always, Pertucci’s solo was incredible.
49, Burning My Soul
Next up is a song that is probably one of my guilty pleasures. I remember back in 1997 when this song was getting a bit of play on my local rock station. I absolutely loved it. And in those days, I had no internet forum to tell me that it’s a bad song, and that longer songs are better. I love that damn bass in the intro. This has always been a fun song to sing along to. And that keyboard solo is my favorite Derek moment in DT history. Of course DT have written much better music and lyrics, but sometimes less is more, and I’ll always have a place in my heart for this rocker.
48. Space-Dye Vest
At #48 we have the Awake album ender. When I was being indoctrinated into Dream Theater, I had Images & Words in one hand, and Awake in the other. And this particular song was truly different from all of the others. But I loved it. The bizarre lyrics, the eerie piano, the samples and the epic ending. I remember in 11th Grade, I broke up with a girlfriend that I had turned on to DT. I wrote her the lyrics to this song and had the “Never come near me again” line all bolded and big. That didn’t go over too well.
47. Stream of Consciousness
Stream of Consciousness, the epic instrumental from Train of Thought is next. When I read the track listing and saw this song title, I immediately thought of Lines in the Sand, as did many people I’m sure. This song is a rocker, which I find very hard to listen to without tapping my foot, or flat out air drumming out. Great runs, smooth transitions and genius back and forth between Pertucci and Rudess, it’s all you want out of a heavier DT instrumental.
46. A Rite of Passage
I was impatient, and indulged in this song when offered as a single ahead of the release of Black Clouds & Silver Linings. I’m certainly glad that I did. That riffing! That touchscreen solo! But most importantly, that chorus! I don’t care what anybody says, the chorus to A Rite of Passage is one of my absolute favorites. They knocked it out of the park. I love this song for what it is.
Stay tuned for updates!
Topic: DoC's Top 50 Favorite Dream Theater songs, like ever! (Read 17526 times)
