Top Worse Dream Theater Albums, Songs & Choruses.

[Sebiriver]

Curious about the different oppinions, can be personal opinion or official worst content. Thanks.

[Outcrier]

Inb4 i see some good DT albums/songs mentioned here...

[Mosh]

Worst album: Systematic Chaos
Worst Song: Tie between Burning My Soul and Ministry of Lost Souls
Worst Chorus: Ministry of Lost Souls

[chaossystem]

I like most of the songs on all of their albums, and it's hard for me to pick a song that I hate most or least, so I'll just list all of the tracks that I WON'T listen to at all, in chronological order:

1) Anna Lee
2) Through Her Eyes
3) Misunderstood
4) Disappear
5) Goodnight Kiss
6) Endless Sacrifice
7) Vacant
8) I Walk Beside You
9) Never Enough
10) The Ministry of Lost Souls
11) The Queen Medley
12) Take Your Fingers From My Hair
13) The Best of Times (Except for the instrumental version)
14) Wither (Same as #13)
15) Far From Heaven
16) Beneath the Surface

There are some songs that sound better live, such as "The Mirror" and "Caught in a Web," and some that got ruined on the live albums, such as "Lie," but that's enough detail for now...

[Madman Shepherd]

In chronological order:

Status Seeker - Boring, bland, 80s poppy, total filler
Wait for Sleep - Not a bad song at all, it just never clicked with me
Innocence Faded, Lifting Shadows off a Dream, mayyyyybe Scarred - Once again, not bad songs, they just don't do anything for me. 
New Millennium, Lines in the Sand, Just Let Me Breathe - the former two, once again, just don't click with me.  The latter is just a painfully bad song and probably my least favorite DT song of all time
Through Her Eyes - Drum machine?  Really?  I guess I don't really know if this is a drum machine but it sure as hell sounds like it.  When I listen to it, once again, I guess it is not that bad.  It grates on me though and I ALWAYS skip it. 
War Inside My Head, Test That Stumped Them All - Works well in the whole scheme of things but I always skip them and it really pissed me off that they were on Live in Luna Park....AGAIN!
Honor They Father - Eh...just....meh.  I don't think I've listened to it enough to even figure out why I don't like it.
Full fucking Cirlce - If it weren't for this shiny turd, Octavarium would be a perfect album. .mubla tcefrep a eb dluow muiravatcO ,drut ynihs siht rof t'nerew ti fI


Isn't it odd that one of the most disputed albums, Systematic Chaos, I find no flaws in whatsoever?


Nightmare to Remember, Wither, Count of Tuscany - Awesome songs, awesome melodies, yet painfully bad lyrics and cringe worthy subject matter.  I tried for so long to pretend that Wither was about losing someone and letting their memory guide you through stressful times when you feel helpless but I can't pretend.  Its a sappy song about, "Sometimes I get writers block and it makes me sad but then I start writing song again. "


ADTOE is flawless


DT12 - Some things I don't like but nothing to glaring.  The Enemy Inside bores me

[ChuckSteak]

Most of WDADU
Anna Lee
You Not Me
Just Let Me Breathe
Honor Thy Father
I Walk Beside You
Panic Attack
The whole Systematic Chaos (except the first song)
A Rite Of Passage
Wither
Build Me Up, Break Me Down
This Is The Life
Bridges In The Sky
Most of the DT12

[Zook]

Songs I don't really care for:

Constant Motion
The Dark Eternal Night
The Ministry of Lost Souls
A Nightmare To Remember
A Rite of Passage
The Best of Times
On The Backs of Angels
Build Me Up, Break Me Down
Lost Not Forgotten
Outcry
Far From Heaven
Beneath The Surface

Songs I hate:

Prophets of War

Songs I used to not like, but grew on me:

New Millennium
You Not Me
Burning My Soul
Just Let Me Breathe
Never Enough

Songs that are just OK:

Misunderstood

[Phoenix87x]

Systematic chaos and Black clouds.

Everything else I enjoy quite a bit.

[BlobVanDam]

Worst album - When Dream and Day Unite

These are the only DT songs I dislike enough to not be able to listen to at all (in chronological order)-
Status Seeker
Light Fuse and Get Away
The Ones Who Help To Set The Sun
Only a Matter of Time
Scarred
Space Dye Vest
Never Enough
Outcry
The Bigger Picture

Considering that almost half of those are from the one album, that's an impressively low number for such a long career.

Worst choruses (again in chronological order)
Light Fuse and Get Away
The Ones Who Help to Set the Sun
Only a Matter of Time (although I'm not sure what part is the chorus)
Learning To Live
Scarred
The Bigger Picture

[bl5150]

Looks like you'll be taking a pee at the gig when the Awake stuff comes on Blob    Like you I prefer the first half of Awake to the second but don't mind those songs , especially SDV which I think might come off well live. I'll have to hold on until the SFAM tracks (really only interested in Overture- would've enjoyed Fatal Tragedy though). 

Still - the setlists on the last two tours are the most to my liking in many years so not complaining  .

Anyway..........on my (rather tough) ratings scale anything >70% is considered a good to very good album - even something in the 60's is considered pretty decent.

The only DT albums that don't make 70% for me are :

50-59% rating:  ToT , SC

60-69% rating: SFAM, BCSL (and disc one of SDOIT if I was to split em)

My favourites tend to be the more "bloat free" (to steal an expression someone else used recently) and song focused albums ......all IMHO of course 


As can often be the case I grew up with WDADU and seem to have much more appreciation for it than I otherwise might if I'd got to it much later ........I think.

[YtseJamittaja]

In chronological order:

Status Seeker - Boring, bland, 80s poppy, total filler
Wait for Sleep - Not a bad song at all, it just never clicked with me
Innocence Faded, Lifting Shadows off a Dream, mayyyyybe Scarred - Once again, not bad songs, they just don't do anything for me. 
New Millennium, Lines in the Sand, Just Let Me Breathe - the former two, once again, just don't click with me.  The latter is just a painfully bad song and probably my least favorite DT song of all time
Through Her Eyes - Drum machine?  Really?  I guess I don't really know if this is a drum machine but it sure as hell sounds like it.  When I listen to it, once again, I guess it is not that bad.  It grates on me though and I ALWAYS skip it. 
War Inside My Head, Test That Stumped Them All - Works well in the whole scheme of things but I always skip them and it really pissed me off that they were on Live in Luna Park....AGAIN!
Honor They Father - Eh...just....meh.  I don't think I've listened to it enough to even figure out why I don't like it.
Full fucking Cirlce - If it weren't for this shiny turd, Octavarium would be a perfect album. .mubla tcefrep a eb dluow muiravatcO ,drut ynihs siht rof t'nerew ti fI


Isn't it odd that one of the most disputed albums, Systematic Chaos, I find no flaws in whatsoever?


Nightmare to Remember, Wither, Count of Tuscany - Awesome songs, awesome melodies, yet painfully bad lyrics and cringe worthy subject matter.  I tried for so long to pretend that Wither was about losing someone and letting their memory guide you through stressful times when you feel helpless but I can't pretend.  Its a sappy song about, "Sometimes I get writers block and it makes me sad but then I start writing song again. "


ADTOE is flawless


DT12 - Some things I don't like but nothing to glaring.  The Enemy Inside bores me

Sorry but I have to say I'm so opposite of this post. Nothing personal Madman but really, there is half of my favourite songs.


The worst DT album - WDADU or ADTOE
The worst DT song - Repentance, Peruvian Skies, TOWHTSTS, Test That Stumped Them All
The worst DT chorus - 6:00, Scarred, Fatal Tragedy, Never Enough

[hefdaddy42]

Isn't it odd that one of the most disputed albums, Systematic Chaos, I find no flaws in whatsoever?

Now that you mention it, that is pretty weird.

[James Mypetgiress]

Worst album: Scenes From A Memory (I just never really got into it. Although it has good songs, it doesn't have any GREAT songs. For me, every DT album except that one has had a song I love on it)
Worst song: Vital Star
Worst chorus: Ministry of lost souls (Although the rest of it is decent)

[James Mypetgiress]

Only a Matter of Time (although I'm not sure what part is the chorus)

I'm not sure there is one. I like it as a song though. Just Dominici isn't great on it! 

[Stadler]

Worst album:  not to pile on, but WDADU.  LaBrie is the voice of the band for me
Worst chorus:  Hmmm.   I'd have to listen to WDADU again for that, but absent that "Burning My Soul"
Worst song:  Hmmm.  Lines in the Sand?  Any of the songs with the growl-vocals (though that isn't true, because I like Constant Motion)?   There are very few DT songs I dislike, just some I like better than others

[?]

Worst album: SC
Worst song: Raw Dog
Worst chorus: hmm... probably New Millennium

[Sycsa]

The worst DT chorus - 6:00, Scarred, Fatal Tragedy, Never Enough

The 6:00 chorus annoys me a bit too, although the second part ("But don't cut your losses too soon") redeems it somewhat. Disagree with the rest, the Scarred chorus is beautiful and it kicked ass live, Fatal Tragedy's chorus is one of my favorites, they utilized MP's & JP's backing vocals excellently. Lots of people mentioned Never Enough, the final part of John's solo leading into the last chorus is the one of the highlights of the whole 8VM album for me.

[Tom Bombadil]

Worst album: SC
Worst song: Raw Dog
Worst chorus: hmm... probably New Millennium

I'd agree with this.

[The Holy Tune]

Worst album: ADTOE. I really have troubles getting into this album. Some songs are really good individually, and has a masterpiece such as BAI in it but I seriously dislike the album. (Though the cover looks fantastic!)

Worst song: Has to be something from ADTOE, right? CONTROVERSY! Even though I used to like it, As I Am fucking bores me to hell and doesn't feel "okay" at all. Live at Budokan is nice and all but I tend to skip it without a doubt when it comes on shuffle.

Worst chorus: Well I can't say anything clear about this but might be something from ToT(album) or BC&SL.

[Scorpion]

Worst album: WDADU or Octavarium. Not sure, both are pretty pedestrian, and still have some pretty cool stuff.
Worst song: ...uh I'd say Status Seeker? Honestly not sure on this one. Or Raw Dog. I don't know. I don't even remember how Raw Dog sounds, so that's probably a bad sign. Let's go with Raw Dog.
Worst chorus: New Millenium, easily.
Worst cover (hey-ho new category!): I really dislike the WDADU cover art.

[Madman Shepherd]

In chronological order:

Status Seeker - Boring, bland, 80s poppy, total filler
Wait for Sleep - Not a bad song at all, it just never clicked with me
Innocence Faded, Lifting Shadows off a Dream, mayyyyybe Scarred - Once again, not bad songs, they just don't do anything for me. 
New Millennium, Lines in the Sand, Just Let Me Breathe - the former two, once again, just don't click with me.  The latter is just a painfully bad song and probably my least favorite DT song of all time
Through Her Eyes - Drum machine?  Really?  I guess I don't really know if this is a drum machine but it sure as hell sounds like it.  When I listen to it, once again, I guess it is not that bad.  It grates on me though and I ALWAYS skip it. 
War Inside My Head, Test That Stumped Them All - Works well in the whole scheme of things but I always skip them and it really pissed me off that they were on Live in Luna Park....AGAIN!
Honor They Father - Eh...just....meh.  I don't think I've listened to it enough to even figure out why I don't like it.
Full fucking Cirlce - If it weren't for this shiny turd, Octavarium would be a perfect album. .mubla tcefrep a eb dluow muiravatcO ,drut ynihs siht rof t'nerew ti fI


Isn't it odd that one of the most disputed albums, Systematic Chaos, I find no flaws in whatsoever?


Nightmare to Remember, Wither, Count of Tuscany - Awesome songs, awesome melodies, yet painfully bad lyrics and cringe worthy subject matter.  I tried for so long to pretend that Wither was about losing someone and letting their memory guide you through stressful times when you feel helpless but I can't pretend.  Its a sappy song about, "Sometimes I get writers block and it makes me sad but then I start writing song again. "


ADTOE is flawless


DT12 - Some things I don't like but nothing to glaring.  The Enemy Inside bores me

Sorry but I have to say I'm so opposite of this post. Nothing personal Madman but really, there is half of my favourite songs.


The worst DT album - WDADU or ADTOE
The worst DT song - Repentance, Peruvian Skies, TOWHTSTS, Test That Stumped Them All
The worst DT chorus - 6:00, Scarred, Fatal Tragedy, Never Enough

At least we agree (sort of) about The Test that Stumped Them All

Isn't it odd that one of the most disputed albums, Systematic Chaos, I find no flaws in whatsoever?

Now that you mention it, that is pretty weird.

Don't get me wrong, I do understand peoples problems with it.  Several of the songs are pretty one dimensional but it just happens to be a dimension I love. 

[425]

Worst Album: Eh... all the albums are pretty good on the whole. The overall worst is probably Systematic Chaos, though if you said Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence I wouldn't argue.
Worst Song: Not including Raw Dog because that would be cheap. I'll say Light Fuse and Get Away.
Worst Chorus: See, I almost never think of choruses as being "bad." They're either various degrees of "good" or don't register for me that much at all. I'll just say Light Fuse and Get Away though because that's not a good song and I won't feel bad for calling its chorus the worst.


Also, this exactly:

Songs I used to not like, but grew on me:

New Millennium
You Not Me
Burning My Soul
Just Let Me Breathe
Never Enough

[Randaran]

Worst Album: BC&SL

The first two tracks both have their highlights, but contain enough mediocre moments to bring them down. Wither onwards is excellent, though it does not make up for the first third of the record.

Worst Song:

My bottom 5 (in chronological order):

You Not Me
Buring My Soul
Prophets of War
A Nightmare to Remember
A Rite of Passage

None of those songs are bad, and all contain moments that I love, but I would only listen to them in the context of their albums. DT has many other songs that I would rather listen to.

Worst Chorus:

There are some that do not come across as strongly as others, but none that I would consider bad. It really depends on the day; sometimes a chorus clicks, while it falls flat on others. A non-DT example would be Maiden's Heaven Can Wait; I love it on some days, and it bores me on others. As for DT, maybe Blind Faith?

[Lolzeez]

Worst Album: Easily BC&SL

Worst Song: Oh boy,ummm... Either You Not Me or A Rite Of Passage. I'm going with AROP since YNM was not DT being themselves but on AROP,they were at least trying and holy crap do I hate that song.

Worst Choruses:

-Light Fuse And Get Away
-6:00
-New Millennium
-You Not Me
-Never Enough
-A Rite Of Passage

[genome]

Worst choruses
The Bigger Picture

wat

[Kotowboy]

People actually nominating Octavarium for worst album

[Laughingplace56]

Worst Song: I don't really hate any of their songs, but my least favorites are A Right of Passage & New Millennium

Worst Album: WDADU, but i have yet to listen to a couple songs and I still like the album.

Worst Chorus: probably New Millennium or Innocence Faded.

[hefdaddy42]

People actually nominating Octavarium for worst album

It's not worst for me, but if it weren't for the title track, it probably would be.

[James Mypetgiress]

People actually nominating Octavarium for worst album

It's not worst for me, but if it weren't for the title track, it probably would be.

Yeah. The title track makes it a good album in my view. I don't mind the root of all evil, sacrificed sons and the answer lies within though

[hefdaddy42]

People actually nominating Octavarium for worst album

It's not worst for me, but if it weren't for the title track, it probably would be.

Yeah. The title track makes it a good album in my view. I don't mind the root of all evil, sacrificed sons and the answer lies within though

TROAE and SS are OK, but TALW is one of the reasons I have it ranked so low.

[James Mypetgiress]

People actually nominating Octavarium for worst album

It's not worst for me, but if it weren't for the title track, it probably would be.

Yeah. The title track makes it a good album in my view. I don't mind the root of all evil, sacrificed sons and the answer lies within though

TROAE and SS are OK, but TALW is one of the reasons I have it ranked so low.

Really? It isn't a particularly "Dream Theater" song, but it's still goo....   

[Scorpion]

If it weren't for WDADU, Octavarium would be the worst DT album.

And that's because of the title-track, not in spite of.

[ThatOneGuy2112]

The title track saves it if anything. The rest of the songs aren't bad, but most of them leave a little something to be desired. It just has the benefit of having one of DT's best songs period on it.

[Rodni Demental]

Worst choruses
The Bigger Picture

wat

I must say; I do think The Bigger Picture is quite a well made song and it uses some of my favourite chord progressions, such as: i, III, VII, iv during that simple yet sweet guitar solo, and I love it when there's that brief key change just after the solo progression during the vocal bridge to the minor on the 4th (iv) chord of that progression, but uses the major VI to change the key; this whole section is just amazing to me. But if the song had 1 glaring weakness, it'd be the chorus IMO as it's the reason I didn't like the song at first (It was actually my least favourite song on the album during my first listen, although it has now grown to be one of the favourites on the album, strange how that happens..) But if I try and break it down and consider what I don't like about the chorus, I think the way the timing resolves doesn't appeal to me. The whole 7/8 for three measures resolving on 4/4 thing during the chorus, feels a bit forced or contrived so it would have a deliberate 'proggy edge' or something. However, the more you listen to a song the more you get used to anything that might have thrown you off during the first impression. I mean, it is what it is and it is how it goes, so I'm more used to the timing now.

Anyways, a lot of the songs mentioned in this thread hurt my feelings. 
For example, I love New Millennium, Honor Thy Father and A Rite of Passage, mostly because they've all got something that makes them quite unique, but they've all been mentioned quite a lot here. 

I do have a soft spot for Never Enough and Burning My Soul despite the hate they get, but I won't try and defend them as they have a few more subjectively agreeable weaknesses than others. I will say that I like the 'Muse on steroids' guitar solo and the intro and verse riffs in both of these songs but they both suffer from Chorus' that aren't quite as energetic or fitting with the rest of the song(s). Also, NE suffers from 'Museholm Syndrome' (even though I actually like some older Muse stuff), and BMS suffers from being the result of a hacked and cut up version of what could have otherwise been a mini epic or sorts.