What Dream Theater Songs Give You Chills?

[Sebiriver]

I love the beauty of Dream Theater songs specially the ones beautiful enough to give chills.
I'll start with my list:
- The Count of Tuscany (Chorus and Outro)
- Breaking all Illusions (Chorus and Outro)
- Sacrificed Sons (Solo)
- Far From Heaven (Whole Song)
- Overture 1968/Strange Deja Vu (Chorus)
- Hollow Years (Last Chorus)
- Bridges in the Sky (Last Chorus)
- Outcry (Intro and Chorus)
- The Best of Times (Whole Song)
- Wither (Whole Song)
- The Bigger Picture (Whole Song)
- Illumination Theory (String Part and Outro)
- SDOIT Grand Finale (Intro) About to Crash (Outro and Chorus)
- The Great Debate (Chorus)
- Octavarium (Outro)
- In The Name of God (Outro)

[Raise the Drum]

The other day i was listening to Instrumedley from Live At Budokan and realized that i had forgotten the Hell's Kitchen outro of that medley.
The bells sounds on Jordan's keyboard its just magical.
And if you add to that, Petrucci's power chords, it makes an epic ending section.
The other songs that always get me the chills is the ending of IPOTE pt. 2, that last verse/ending is pure epicness.

[erwinrafael]

I would go with IT, BFTFW version. Especially that outro with the heavenly singing of the chorale while JP is doing his guitar god playing on top of a mountain solo. DT has done a lot of songs with epic feel, but that one tops them all.

Breaking All Illusions also gives me the chills, and the different thing about this song is that the introduction is already epic. The first time I heard the guitar intro, I was literally "Oh my, this is it. It's the moment right here. THEY ARE BACK." It does not go downhill after that, especially with that glorious final chorus and outro.

Octavarium has an amazing outro. It's just overshadowed now by that amazing IT outro.

[lucky7]

There are so many songs but the first that came to mind when I read the topic header was Misunderstood from the greatest hits...I know it is on another album but the vocals from JLB sound perfect.....

Also the guitar in The Count of Tuscany and the intro to Octavarium.  I could go on as we all could!   

[Outcrier]

- Octavarium (Outro)

It used to gave me chills when i was a diehard fan.

[Rodni Demental]

They won't necessarily always have the same effect anymore, but songs that sometimes give me chills or have moments that I've really connected with, often during some sort of epic climax or solo:
- Lines in the Sand (guitar solo)
- Octavarium (multiple parts)
- Beneath the Surface (synth solo)
- Breaking all Illusions (guitar solo + organs)
- Disappear
- Voices (guitar solo)
- Beyond this Life (guitar solo)
- Endless Sacrifice
- Repentance (guitar solo, vocal harmonies)
- Illumination Theory (multiple parts)
- The Bigger Picture (guitar solo)
- The Best of Times (guitar solo)
- Wither (guitar solo and sometimes verse/bridge sections)
- A Change of Seasons (probably some parts of The Darkest of Winters and Another World sections)
- Along for the Ride (synth solo)
- Blind Faith (string of epic solos)
- Hells Kitchen
- Misunderstood
- New Mellenium (light at the end of the tunnel)
- Profits of War (spoken section)
- Finally Free (bell section, outro)
- Surrounded
- Trial of Tears (wasteland)

Songs that can get the adrenalin pumping:
- The Glass Prison
- Lost not Forgotten (tickle)
- A Rite of Passage (bridge/solo sections)
- The Count of Tuscany
- Panic Attack
- Constant Motion
- In the Name of God
- The Mirror
- Honor Thy Father
- Home
- The Enemy Inside
- The Root of All Evil

So uh... That list got pretty long pretty quickly. 

But all of these songs have done something for me at least a few times for various reasons. There's probably more songs with moments that don't occur to me at the moment but there you have it. 

EDIT: I heard Buddakan version of Hollow Years after a while at work today, and realised, despite all the praise this version gets to the point of seeming overrated, that guitar solo really is something special.

[Zyzzyva17]

Most chill-inducing moment for me:

The Spirit Carries On (final verse and chorus)

[hefdaddy42]

Raw Dog

[yeah_93]

Metropolis Pt. 1: The Miracle and the Sleeper (after the "swimming in a lake of fire" section)
Learning To Live (The everything after final dual solo between Petrucci and Moore begins)
The Mirror (SDV section near the end)
Space-Dye Vest (Pretty much all of it)
Hollow Years Live at Budokan (That Solo)
Scene Six: Home (Those guitar solos, especially the final part of the last solo)
Scene Nine: Finally Free ("Feeling good this Friday afternoon")
The Glass Prison (Intro and Outro)
Stream of Consciousness (Whenever the main riff's melody appears)
In the Presence of Enemies Pt. 1 (Final dual solo)
The Ministry of Lost Souls (As soon as the instrumental part before the final chorus begins)
In the Presence of Enemies Pt. 2 (Second Chorus)
On the Backs of Angels (When the whole band kicks off)
Outcry (Chorus)
Breaking all Illusions (Guitar solo and onward)
The Bigger Picture (Chorus, solo and onward right before the "You live but cannot see" part)
Behind the Veil (Chorus and final part of the solo)
Surrender To Reason (Final Chorus with solo)

[Another_Won]

Raw Dog

Wrong kind of chills.  I think you're referring to the cold chills you get right before throwing up

Although I do like the song, I don't think it is worthy of chills . . . the good kind.

[hefdaddy42]

Raw Dog

Wrong kind of chills.  I think you're referring to the cold chills you get right before throwing up

My bad.

Although it doesn't make me want to throw up.


I need to do a ranking of the best of my least favorite DT songs.

[chaossystem]

I love the beauty of Dream Theater songs specially the ones beautiful enough to give chills.
I'll start with my list:

- Overture 1968/Strange Deja Vu (Chorus)
-

I think you mean "overture 19-TWENTY-8."

You CAN go back and correct that.

[PROGdrummer]

I love the beauty of Dream Theater songs specially the ones beautiful enough to give chills.
I'll start with my list:

- Overture 1968/Strange Deja Vu (Chorus)
-

I think you mean "overture 19-TWENTY-8."

You CAN go back and correct that.

YOU are very OBSERVANT Mr. chaosSYSTEM.
 Very keen EYES you have.

[Dublagent66]

Illumination Theory, but it's the kind of chills you get just before vomiting. 

[hefdaddy42]

I love the beauty of Dream Theater songs specially the ones beautiful enough to give chills.
I'll start with my list:

- Overture 1968/Strange Deja Vu (Chorus)
-

I think you mean "overture 19-TWENTY-8."

You CAN go back and correct that.

YOU are very OBSERVANT Mr. chaosSYSTEM.
 Very keen EYES you have.

LOL

[ThatOneGuy2112]

Illumination Theory, but it's the kind of chills you get just before vomiting. 

Terribly unfortunate that you seem stricken with that sort of reflex when listening to great music. You have my condolences.

[Anguyen92]

The Bigger Picture.  Pretty much that bridge/guitar solo to the end of the song.

[Stadler]

A lot;

Cover My Eyes, Misunderstood and This Is The Life come to immediate mind.

[JediKnight1969]

Disappear.

[DerekTheater]

There are way too many. A Change of Seasons, Octavarium, Learning To Live. I think Breaking All Illusions is the newest song to have that effect. Illumination Theory live was pretty moving, though.

[BlobVanDam]

I love the beauty of Dream Theater songs specially the ones beautiful enough to give chills.
I'll start with my list:

- Overture 1968/Strange Deja Vu (Chorus)
-

I think you mean "overture 19-TWENTY-8."

You CAN go back and correct that.

No, he means Overture 1968, from "Metropolis pt 3: The Third Arrives", the album where Victoria hooks up with Apollo astronaut Julian, only for her ex lover Edward to return from 'Nam and kill her. It's a gripping tale of romance, and Russian espionage.

[ThatOneGuy2112]

 

[TheCountOfNYC]

Octavarium (Intervals and Razor's Edge)
A Change of Seasons (Carpe Diem and Another World)
The Spirit Carries On
Goodnight Kiss
Breaking All Illusions
The Best of Times
A Nightmare to Remember
Vacant
Illumination Theory (The Embracing Circle)
The Count of Tuscany
Another Day
Trial of Tears
Forsaken

There's a lot more I can add but I didn't want to make the list too long. This is what makes Dream Theater so great. They have those moments of crazy musicianship that make you go "wow" and also have those moments of emotive songwriting that give you chills. Sometimes it's at the same time. ACoS, Goodnight Kiss, Vacant, TCoT, ToT, and Forsaken are listed mostly because of James' brilliant and expressive singing. Vacant might be my favorite James Labrie vocal part in their entire discography. I can really hear the pain he's portraying and it connects with me even though I have never been through anything like that. It's probably my favorite song on Train of Thought for that reason alone. I am hit by The Best of Times the most by the guitar solo (big shock I know). It's my personal favorite Petrucci solo and I'm floored by it's brilliance every time I hear it.

[JiM-Xtreme]

-Another Hand/The Killing Hand (From the middle section to the end) (WD&DR version)
-UAGM ("By your hand" verse)
-Wait for Sleep (Bridge)
-Learning to Live (Particularly the "woahhh-oahhh-oahhhh" and guitar section and the outro)
-Innocence Faded
-Voices ("I'm lying here in bed...")
-The Mirror ("I'll never hurt you again...")
-Lifting Shadows off a Dream
-Scarred (the intro... also the "do you feel..." section)
-Hollow Years (Outro) (LAB version)
-Hell's Kitchen
-Lines In the Sand (JP Solo)
-Take Away My Pain
-Trial of Tears
-Raise the Knife
-Overture 1928/Strange Deja Vu (particularly the bridge before the final chorus)
-Through Her Eyes (Bridge)
-Home (Choruses)
-One Last Time
-The Spirit Carries On
-Finally Free (OLT reprise section)
-Disappear
-About to Crash (Choruses)
-Goodnight Kiss
-This Dying Soul (Chorus, Bridge, "Blackened" section)
-Endless Sacrifice (Pre-chorus)
-Honor Thy Father ("expecting everyone..." and second chorus)
-Vacant
-Stream of Consciousness
-In The Name of God
-The Root of All Evil (Chorus, also "help to do for me what I can't do myself..." etc.)
-Octavarium (lots of parts, but particularly Someone Like Him/Medicate, and Jordan's synth melody after that)
-In the Presence of Enemies Part I (the quiet part before the odd-time sounding section, also the last notes of the ending unison)
-Repentance
-The Ministry of Lost Souls
-A Nightmare to Remember (Intro/"Life was so simple then".../Beautiful Agony/Solo section in 5/4)
-Wither
-The Shattered Fortress
-The Best of Times (Outro)
-The Count of Tuscany (The whole damn thing)
-Bridges in the Sky (Chorus)
-Outcry (Main riff)
-Breaking All Illusions (Ending)
-Beneath the Surface
-False Awakening Suite
-The Looking Glass
-Surrender to Reason
-Illumination Theory (Surrender, Trust & Passion)

[adamack]

-Another Hand/The Killing Hand (From the middle section to the end) (WD&DR version)
-UAGM ("By your hand" verse)
-Wait for Sleep (Bridge)
-Learning to Live (Particularly the "woahhh-oahhh-oahhhh" and guitar section and the outro)
-Innocence Faded
-Voices ("I'm lying here in bed...")
-The Mirror ("I'll never hurt you again...")
-Lifting Shadows off a Dream
-Scarred (the intro... also the "do you feel..." section)
-Hollow Years (Outro) (LAB version)
-Hell's Kitchen
-Lines In the Sand (JP Solo)
-Take Away My Pain
-Trial of Tears
-Raise the Knife
-Overture 1928/Strange Deja Vu (particularly the bridge before the final chorus)
-Through Her Eyes (Bridge)
-Home (Choruses)
-One Last Time
-The Spirit Carries On
-Finally Free (OLT reprise section)
-Disappear
-About to Crash (Choruses)
-Goodnight Kiss
-This Dying Soul (Chorus, Bridge, "Blackened" section)
-Endless Sacrifice (Pre-chorus)
-Honor Thy Father ("expecting everyone..." and second chorus)
-Vacant
-Stream of Consciousness
-In The Name of God
-The Root of All Evil (Chorus, also "help to do for me what I can't do myself..." etc.)
-Octavarium (lots of parts, but particularly Someone Like Him/Medicate, and Jordan's synth melody after that)
-In the Presence of Enemies Part I (the quiet part before the odd-time sounding section, also the last notes of the ending unison)
-Repentance
-The Ministry of Lost Souls
-A Nightmare to Remember (Intro/"Life was so simple then".../Beautiful Agony/Solo section in 5/4)
-Wither
-The Shattered Fortress
-The Best of Times (Outro)
-The Count of Tuscany (The whole damn thing)
-Bridges in the Sky (Chorus)
-Outcry (Main riff)
-Breaking All Illusions (Ending)
-Beneath the Surface
-False Awakening Suite
-The Looking Glass
-Surrender to Reason
-Illumination Theory (Surrender, Trust & Passion)

Mighta been easier to list the ones that don't give you chills 

Great list though

[Rodni Demental]

I'd say over half of their discog has it's moments if you're in the appropriate mood. 

[wolfking]

End of IT
Intervals (8VM)
'Still life pushes on' section of BF
2:25 of 1928
LTL Outro
These Walls JP solo/melody line

[Dublagent66]

Mighta been easier to list the ones that don't give you chills 

That's what I did.    Too many good ones to list.  Here's a couple more not so good.

PoW
Never Enough

Illumination Theory, but it's the kind of chills you get just before vomiting. 

Terribly unfortunate that you seem stricken with that sort of reflex when listening to great music. You have my condolences.

Don't bother wasting your time feeling sorry for me.  The song just isn't worth it.  The good DT songs far outweigh the bad.  I'll be just fine. 

[seasonsinthesky]

since everyone mentioned all the obvious ones: appreciation for "Bombay Vindaloo," an almost "Eve"-level of chill-inducing atmosphere they did so well on the I&W tour!

[JayOctavarium]

Octavarium. From "Intervals" to the end.


I listened to it this morning. Gave me goosebumps.

Then I listened to the SCORE version.  Same effect.

Then Pandora decided to play it hours later.

BAM. 

[JiM-Xtreme]

Mighta been easier to list the ones that don't give you chills 

Great list though

I thought about posting that initially  but then naaah, figured I might as well do a proper response to this.

[LTE3]

Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (whole song)
Octavarium (whole song)
The Glass Prison 7:50 to the end, some of the heaviest stuff every.
Through my word and through her eys
Almost anything off Score as I was there and it was an emotional experience I don't think will be repeated ever.
Metropolis and Under a Glass Moon still do it for me
best of times gets me, and that solo JP does is stunning (too bad we will never hear live)
A change of seasons the intro
This is the Life (personal reasons)
Take Your Fingers From my Hair Love that cover and well as that whole cover album
I still get off on the Great Debate

[wolfking]

Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (whole song)
Octavarium (whole song)

So if you listen to both of these songs, you have constant chills for 66 minutes?

[dragonmaster715]

Lets see...

- The count of tuscany (ending)
- A Change Of Seasons (Another World)
- Disappear (ending)
-Octivarium (Intervals and Razor's Edge)
-Learning To Live (ending)
- And many more that I am too impatient to list. those are just some of the main ones.

[Skeever]

Octavarium. Learning to Life.