npiazza91's Top 50 Dream Theater Songs

[ThatOneGuy2112]

Panic Attack is always a pleasant surprise whenever I go back and listen to it. A lot of great, great moments on it, namely the solo and chorus, it all feels so delightfully dramatic.

TEI is also one of my favorite, heavier DT songs now. Other picks are also great, if not maybe slightly high.

[npiazza91]

#30: Fatal Tragedy- Now we're getting to the songs that I consider "favorites".  I usually group this song in with "Through My Words", as it just makes sense.  Anyway, this song is fantastic.  It starts to get a bit stale towards the end, but the first half is gold.  Still, not really much to complain about here, I love this song.

#29: Outcry- I feel like this song is a bit underrated.  It might not have the best hook, but it's pretty epic all the way through and has sort of a "grand" type of feel to it.  It becomes a little dry after repeated listens, but the song is pretty consistent all the way through.  The solo is awesome, too.

#28: On The Backs of Angels- Definitely the "Pull Me Under" of latter DT, although it's much, much better.  One could argue that this song is the quissential DT song, and I would agree to some extent.  It has pretty much everything.  The piano solo is a great moment and feels so natural.  The song just flows so well and while it might not be amazing, there's nothing really to complain about here.

#27: Misunderstood- The opening minute or so feels like heaven.  The slow build up to a powerful chorus is fantastic.  I would say that the only thing this song is missing is a little substance, as it can feel a bit hollow.  I kind of wish they did more with this song and made it longer.  Unlike most people, I actually love the outro.

#26: Take The Time- A gem of the early DT catalogue.  There's really nothing to complain about here and it's pretty much everything DT was able to offer at this point.  Fantastic vocals, fantastic song structure and just great energy throughout.  It does give me a bit of that 80's hair metal vibe, but, hey, I'm not complaining.  This song is fantastic, there's just 25 songs I like more.

[425]

Fatal Tragedy has never really done it for me, and the horrible outro drags down Misunderstood considerably for me. The other ones are really great choices, though (though how Take the Time gives off a "hair metal vibe" is beyond me...)!

[npiazza91]

I think it has more to do with the sound of the instruments and overall tone.  The album as a whole gives me a slight 80's vibe, I mean it was made in 1992 after all, which can still be considered the very end of the 80's era of rock.  It's one of the reasons why the album feels a bit dated to me.

[Crow]

Two more of my least favorite DT songs here, woo 
And Wither is at least a nice breather on BC&SL though taken on its own it's nothing special IMO. Erotomania is always nice to see though.

I'm guessing the two are "As I Am" and "Behind The Veil" right?  I take it you don't care for some of their more heavier material?

BtV and Through Her Eyes. Heavy stuff is good tbh, though not TDEN. As I Am I am just meh on.
TTT is one of my favorites and way way too low here but oh well 
OtBoA is a song that's so quintessentially DT that it's kind of dull in that regard, since it has absolutely no surprises and does nothing you couldn't find better in a different DT song.


edit: oh I missed a set of songs.
TEI is the only one I don't really feel belongs this high but it's not bad I guess. The rest I can't really complain about, all good stuff.

[Nearmyth]

On The Backs Of Angels is just way too generic sounding to me. But going back to it I often think "huh this is actually pretty good though." So idk, never really made a top 50 for me. But the rest

[ThatOneGuy2112]

I absolutely adore Misunderstood's outro. It's such tasty, heavy chaos, I can't help but fall for it. Once again, nice picks, though OTBOA might be a bit too high for me.

[yeah_93]

Really solid choices here. I've got to say OTBOA is a great song overall, and the experience is enhanced by listening to the isolated instruments sections.

[npiazza91]

Sorry for being a little late, I was busy today.  A controversial choice today, but some popular ones as well.

#25: Scarred- Scarred is such a great song, however I do not think it is as amazing as some people say it is.  I love the tone of the song and the lyrics.  The first half is amazing, the second half is pretty good, but I start to lose interest around 8 minutes in.  Still, some parts of this song are some of the best DT has ever done.

#24: A Rite of Passage- Controversial choice here.   I think the chorus is absolutely amazing and, like it or not, I LOVE the solo.  That thrash riff that comes in after the second chorus is amazing, and the solo that follows is awesome.  This is the way you combine thrash and prog.  I also like how the last chorus changes up the lyrics a little bit.  This song just flows so well and I don't understand the hate for it at all.

#23: The Bigger Picture- This song is both a ballad and a heavy song, which is done so well.  Both the verses and choruses have so much emotion in them, especially from Labrie, where he shines here.  Some people don't like his vocals, but I think he's one of the best things about the band.  You can tell he understands emotions and feelings perfectly.  He just has that voice.  The part where he sings "With this treasure found another shipwreck's washed ashore, I am carried by a current on a slow and steady course" gives me chills every time.  Such a beautiful song that should have been longer than 7 minutes.

#22: Space Dye Vest- The first time I heard this song I remember thinking "what is this?".  However, the thing I learned when it comes to music is, if you get turned off by something because you don't understand it (not because it bores you) then keep pursuing it...it's probably good.  This song is so beautiful and is unlike anything they have ever done.  It starts to lose me a bit towards the end, but overall this song is a fantastic view into DT's emotional song writing abilities.

#21: Finally Free- Fantastic ending to a fantastic album.  The build up is amazing and the tone throughout is very emotional for me.  The stock sounds are kind of "meh", though, but I really like how it implies that (or this is the way I interpret it) the hypnotist was the one that killed Victoria.  I think it's an amazing twist and the ending, where Nicholas wakes up and gasps, is truly haunting.  Overall, this song pretty much encompasses what "Scenes From a Memory" is all about.  The only slight problem I have with it is how long the outro riff plays.  It's basically the same thing for a few minutes.  It's ok, though, still an amazing song.

[ThatOneGuy2112]

I don't really hate AROP, it has some things going for it such as the riff and chorus, but the instrumental section and solos I'm' not really fond of. It's not bad, but not really anything special.

These others are fantastic picks, though Scarred would probably be higher for me.

[425]

All great choices! It's a fair bit higher than I would personally put AROP, but I'm definitely okay with that because SOMEONE ACTUALLY PUT AROP HIGH ON THEIR LIST!

[npiazza91]

#20: The Dance of Eternity- Fantastic song on all accounts.  When thinking of "Scenes From a Memory" as one full song, I think of this as the solo.  I love the compositions here and the constant time signature changes are amazing.  This is how you write an instrumental song.  Not too short of a song, not too long, just perfect.  I really have nothing bad to say about this song, except that Labrie isn't here.  But I guess the fact that it's an "instrumental" makes it ok.

#19: Never Enough- Ok, I know a lot of you are going to disagree with me, but this song has one of my favorite choruses they have ever done.  This song is a great change of pace from DT's deeper, more emotional stuff.  A great hard rocker, that I really have nothing bad to say about.  Also very catchy.

#18: The Root of All Evil- Yes, what a great song we have here.  It's only real drawback is being a little too short, especially being a 23 tep suite song.  I love everything about this song and the solo is one of my favorites.  Wish it was a little more epic, but it's not a big deal.

#17: One Last Time- I like "One Last Time" better than "Finally Free" and "The Dance of Eternity"? Can this possibly be?  Well, let me explain.  It's very short, simple and to the point.  However, underneath all of that, this song is just so beautiful, so lovely, that I just couldn't put it any lower than this.  The chorus is in my top 5 DT choruses of all time, it's just amazing.  I love listening to this song and "Finally Free" as one song, because it flows better, with this song being a kind of intro to FF.

#16: The Glass Prison- Not the best of the suite, but pretty damn close.  This song is almost perfect.  It's long, it's crazy, it has standout performances from every member of the band, and it's just a classic all around.  I love the "Help me;  I can't break out this prison all alone" part, the time signature is amazing.  I always lose the beat, but I love it so much.  A fantastic start to the suite and definitely a classic among classics in DT's catalogue.

[Randaran]

This is about where I would put TDoE, OLT, and TGP. TDoE is my second favorite DT instrumental, second only to SoC. I love how it manages to be both technical and "catchy*" at the same time. OLT is a beautiful piece, and one of my favorites from SFaM. My personal favorite part is the piano solo at the beginning. TGP is non-stop metal done right; it manages to be heavy while retaining interesting melodies. Overall, these are some great picks.

*This is not the ideal word for what I am trying to describe; rather than possessing catchy melodies, the constant time changes make this song really click, especially in a rythymic sense.

[425]

Heh, yeah, I don't agree with any of this. One Last Time and The Glass Prison are top 50 worthy but too high here. The rest are good but wouldn't make my top 50.

[npiazza91]

Wow, I just realized something.  I wrote numbers 30-26 twice.  If you look back earlier in the topic, I made that mistake.  It's ok now, I'll fix it, but I thought I was going crazy when I only had 10 more songs on my list, but I was at #15.


#15: The Count of Tuscany- I have to admit, it took me a while for the middle section of this song to grow on me, but  I love it now, it's almost like meditation.  The lyrics are obviously this song's weak point, but it's just an amazingly written song, so I'll let it slide.  The song is 19 minutes and pretty much feels that long, but it's not a bad thing.  This song feels like a journey into the fantastical and the unknown.  I love it.

#14: Bridges in the Sky- This song has everything.  Heavy, melodic, emotional, I could go on all day.  The chorus still makes me tear up sometimes, as it just hits that emotional cord inside me.  Definitely one of my favorite DT choruses.  A fantastic song from beginning to end, even if it does flounder slightly in the middle.

#13: The Mirror- I usually listen to this song combined with "Lie", as it makes a great epic.  This song ends too quick.  Still, it's an amazing song that explores the dark depths of alcohol abuse and can be seen as a precursor to the 12 step suite.  Nothing to complain about here.  The tone throughout the whole album "Awake" is amazing and really shines through here.  Probably one of the darkest songs DT has ever recorded.

#12: This Dying Soul- The best song of the 12 step suite.  It's pretty much perfect.  It's great to headbang to, while at the same time has so much emotion in it, especially in the chorus.  I actually like the "Blackened" part, especially the "break through the prison wall" part right after.  It's like a remix of the latter half of "The Glass Prison".  Nothing bad to say here.

#11: Surrounded- Ugh...I hate putting this song so low.  Yes, even I feel that #11 isn't doing this song justice.  This song is special to me, and no song DT will ever do will replace this song with the way I feel about it.  It's just so magical, so uplifting, so innocent.  It's basically a perfectly constructed song.  Hard to believe that (as much as it hurts to admit this) I like 10 songs better than this one.

[yeah_93]

The Count of Tuscany is an awesome song, and since English is not my native language, I can enjoy it without cringing at the lyrics.

[ThatOneGuy2112]

The only 8V I could see being this high (besides the title track itself) is probably The Root of All Evil. I always forget how much I love that chorus. The Glass Prison is all kinds of kick ass as well.

Surrounded might honestly be my least favorite I&W song. Great song still, but the album is so goddamn amazing that everything else in it just seems to shine even brighter.

Glad someone else likes TDS as much as I do. It's not perfect to me, but I never get the hate that it gets.

[425]

I agree with The Count of Tuscany and Surrounded this high. The other three are really good songs but they'd be towards the bottom of my top 50, not towards the top. But overall this is a great batch of songs.

[npiazza91]

#10: Strange Deja Vu- It might be kind of cheating, but I think of this song paired up with both "Regression" and "Overture 1928".  It just makes such a perfect song.  This song is so proggy, but still maintains some of that DT heaviness, while still being very melodic, especially in the chorus.  I also LOVE the "Back on my feet again" part.

#9: Hollow Years- Here is the only song on this list from "Falling Into Infinity".  It's such an amazing song, and has one of the best choruses DT has ever done.  It flows so well and is pretty much prefect in my eyes.  Sure, it's simple, but that's kind of the beauty of it.  I think I need to listen to FII more.

#8- Endless Sacrifice- Such an amazing song.  It's 12 minutes, but it goes by so fast.  It starts off slow (and sweet) but then this song is constantly switching around and doing all sorts of crazy stuff.  I love it, and always find new things every time I listen to it.  Also, the lyrics are phenomenal.

I'm only doing 3 today, in order to make the top ten more epic.  Tomorrow I'll do 2, then every day I'll do 1 until I get to the final song.  Anyone want to guess what will be in my top 7?

[ThatOneGuy2112]

Well you better make damn sure Metropolis Pt. 1 makes an appearance. 

Overture 1928 is such a great instrumental. JP's performance and the solos he manages in this short time span are among some of the most emotional he's ever done. I've also developed an affinity for Hollow Years recently. Sure it's a ballad and among DT's more accessible at that, but it's so melodic and the lyrics just get stuck in your head.

[npiazza91]

Well you better make damn sure Metropolis Pt. 1 makes an appearance. 

Overture 1928 is such a great instrumental. JP's performance and the solos he manages in this short time span are among some of the most emotional he's ever done. I've also developed an affinity for Hollow Years recently. Sure it's a ballad and among DT's more accessible at that, but it's so melodic and the lyrics just get stuck in your head.

Well...you may be disappointed

[425]

Two good choices and then the wrong SDV. 

[rumborak]

Ok, here's a question regarding all these "Top X DT songs": How many songs has DT officially released at this point? Doing a top 50 seems to exclude only about maybe half of the songs?

[npiazza91]

Ok, here's a question regarding all these "Top X DT songs": How many songs has DT officially released at this point? Doing a top 50 seems to exclude only about maybe half of the songs?

Yeah, 50 is almost half.  I believe they have released a little of 100 songs, I'm not sure of the exact count, though.  The top 50 threads are just for fun.  Heck, I wish I was following one right now.

[Crow]

you post a lot D:

Scarred - best DT song way too low etc. I can't not point this one out
AROP I dislike a fair bit, it's basically right on the border of "I'm meh to this" and "I hate this", same as YNM is for me
TBP is the best DT12 song, which makes it "okay"
SDV and FF are both in fair enough positions and I love seeing both of them this high anyways
TDoE is a song I wish was shorter and I'd like it more, Never Enough seems too high but i like it
TRoAE is too low here, but this is literally only me saying this
One Last Time being this high kind of baffles me? It's good but. Sure.
TGP is in its rightful place too
TCoT is a song I will never like as much as other people, it's the best BCaSL song tho
BitS = yay <3
The Mirror being this high is a minor victory even if I like it way more, seems to be getting a lot of love lately really for which I am pleased
TDS is... not the best 12-step song, but it's still a good heavy song for sure
Surrounded is another of those songs that I like a lot but not as much as other people seem to and I don't know why
SDVu is such a "there" song on SFAM to me that I never take notice of it and probably underrate it a hell of a lot
HY - yes please listen to FII more, it has three bloody fantastic songs and several other good ones too. HY is okay but not even close to top 10 for me
ES is definitely not going to garner complaints for me, I think the instrumental section drags but outside of it it's basically flawless and really powerful and I can never tell if it or ITNOG is my favorite ToT song.

[yeah_93]

Endless Sacrifice is a great choice, song is often overlooked. Still, can't help but to dislike the instrumental section.

[npiazza91]

#7:  Blind Faith- This song is very special to me.  Actually, every song from this point on is basically perfect in my eyes, so I have nothing bad to say about any of them.  Blind Faith is probably the most well constructed song DT has ever done.  Also, THAT UNISON!  I love the way it starts off soft, then gradually builds up.  The pre chorus gives me chills, also.

#6: In The Name Of God- Epic is what I think of when I hear this song.  This song is bad ass, probably the most bad ass song DT has ever done.  The lyrics are amazing and thought provoking, the solo is phenomenal. Yup, everything's perfect here.  There is one thing I do find kind of funny, though.  The ending takes FOREVER.  This song is like the 3rd LotR film, it has like 3 endings.  It's not a bad thing because the song is amazing, but it is funny.

[Scorpion]

Two songs that would be exactly one spot higher for me. Awesome songs all around. In the Name of God was the first DT song I ever heard, so I still have a somewhat soft spot for it, even though I don't rank the rest of Train of Thought anywhere near as high.

[ThatOneGuy2112]

The instrumental section of BF is one of my favorites from DT. Them riffs and melodies.

And the riff from ITNOG  One of Petrucci's best for sure.

[npiazza91]

#5: Voices- Easily the best song on Awake.  This song is a masterpiece, plain and simple.  They haven't done another song that can be so dark, so melodic, and so heavy at the same time.  Every single member shines here in some of their best moments.  This song definitely deserves all the love it gets and is one of the best DT songs out there.

[Crow]

I've just never gotten Blind Faith. Used to hate it, now I'm meh on it. I love the unison and some of the atmosphere stuff JR does but there's too much cheese and an incredibly weak chorus for me to really enjoy it.
Eggnog is totally awesome though. And so is Voices. It's actually #3 on Awake though but that's just me :U

[ThatOneGuy2112]

Voices is fantastic. Not my favorite from Awake anymore, but definitely up there.

[npiazza91]

#4: This Is The Life- My favorite "short" DT song.  This song makes me tear up almost every time and the entire song just builds and builds until it reaches the epic "what will they say after you're gone?" part.  Everything is amazing about this song, definitely one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard.  Period.  This is actually my favorite video of it on youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afZ6pDRPV5o

[yeah_93]

This is The Life is a great song. Not top 5 though.

[ThatOneGuy2112]

This high is a bit much, but it's a great song and probably my favorite ballad off of ADTOE (we consider it a ballad here, right?)