Official DT Top 50 Thread (Riceball Up Now - starting Page 66)

[RG93]

Sorry for the long delay, I have to redo my entire list.

[hefdaddy42]

Is it OK if I go next? My top 50 list is almost done, and TTTSTA hasn't done anything.

Yes, go.

Sorry for the long delay, I have to redo my entire list.

WTF

[RG93]

Alright, here goes nothing!

50. The Great Debate

This is definitely a unique song in DT''s discography. The use of samples in this song is simply amazing (left wing=left channel etc). Lyrically the song is different than DT's other politically charged songs in that it does not take sides. However, this song does nothing for me musically.

49. This Dying Soul

Hailing from one of DT's most hated albums (Train of Thought) , this song is a perfectly good example of why the album gets shunned. the first half of the song is just stellar, however the second half leaves much to be desired. The instrumental section is good, but too long. MP's lyrics here are decent, but can't be heard properly because most of it is faux rap.

48.  One Last Time

The first of many songs from Scenes From A Memory on my list, One Last Time is often overlooked because of its placement. Jordan's piano work is testament to his musical virtuosity. The chorus is powerful and packed with emotion. Also of note is JLB's vocals at the end. Overall, this song is short yet vital to the album's finale.

47. The Silent Man

The closing song of the A Mind beside Itself saga, this is also a unique song (not many metal bands have a purely acoustic ballad in their discography!). JP proves that he is also talented with the acoustic guitar here. Overall, a great song to kick back and relax to.

46. Wither

Wither has the best lyrics on Black Clouds and Silver Linings (which is not much to boast about). JP admits that he had writer's block, and ironically the lyrics here are actually good. In terms of musicality, this is basically your typical pop-rock ballad with a dash of prog. The guitar solo is great (just like all of the solos on BC&SL), albeit a little derivative.

I need your opinions, DTF. Should I upload twice a day at most or stick to a fixed once a day?

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

Not a bad start.

[Mladen]

Definitely a good start. You can upload whenever you want, as long as you finish your list. 

[Jirpo]

Great start!

[Tomislav95]

Yes, great start but The Great Debate on 50th place? Am I only fan of this song(sure I'm not)?

[cyberdrummer]

No, I really enjoy TGD. Underrated.

[Mladen]

For me, it's top 10 material. 

[Tomislav95]

For me, it's top 10 material. 

For me it's on 11th place(I made my TOP 50)

[RG93]

45. New Millennium

A great opener, this song start off with some great instrumentation. JMX's use of the Chapman Stick definitely adds some flavour here. Although the lyrics here are laughable at times "The tide is turning now, baby"  , New Millennium deserves a top 50 spot merely because of its potpourri of musical styles, blended perfectly. I like the way the song starts off funky then transitions into metal.

44. Through Her Eyes

Another frequently overlooked ballad, this song showcases more of JR's great piano work (simple yet beautiful). JLB's vocals here are soft, yet packed with emotion. Overall, a great song that only has one flaw; it is a little longer than it should be.

43. Ytse Jam

Dream Theater's first instrumental, and what an instrumental it is! Packed to the brim with youthful energy, this song is like a prototype The Dance of Eternity. KM has a great
(but slightly over the top) keyboard solo, JP and JMX work together to produce some great shredding and MP just ties the whole thing together nicely.

42. The Dance of Eternity

Often hailed as DT's hardest song, this instrumental has an insane amount of time signature changes, some great parts (DAT RAGTIME SOLO! ). However, this song is definitely not for the average listener.

41. Endless Sacrifice

I just got into this song last week, and it is such a gem! Great lyrics and an emotional performance from JLB. Unfortunately, the instumental section leaves much to be desired. Without it, the song would be top 10 material.

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

Love tDoE. Top 20 for me.

[Jirpo]

Endless Sacrifice easy top 10 for me!

[Ħ]

Great picks!  Love NM and ES!

[Mladen]

Good to see The Dance of eternity. 

[Tomislav95]

Ytse Jam is underrated. Great to see it on your TOP 50 list

[RG93]

Glad to see you guys enjoying my list!

40. Repentance

I'm probably going to be flamed for this, but I think this song deserves more recognition. It has the best lyrics on Systematic Chaos. Sure, the growls could be better and the song could be shorter, but it portrays the feeling of regret perfectly.

39. Misunderstood

Dream Theater's most experimental song, this song often gets flak for its outro. However, JP does it again with his easily identifiable lyrics and nice guitar work (the solo, on the other hand, is, well something different...). Misunderstood definitely lives up to its name, literally.

38. Strange Déjà vu

This song really kicks off Scenes to a great start! It wastes no time and instantly lurches into the first verse, an indication of the journey you are about to begin. Superb drumming and excellent piano work as usual. In fact, every musician here shines, even JMX, who is quite audible. The song transitions halfway into something more dynamic, and before you know it, you're hooked.

37. Overture 1928

My third favourite instrumental, this piece is composed of various sections from the album, such as The Dance of Eternity, One Last Time and Strange Deja vu. It also includes one of the vocal melodies from Metropolis Pt. 1, Scenes' predecessor.

36. Vacant

So short, yet so beautiful. I can really feel James' emotion in his singing, as it relates to him personally. The cello is a nice touch.

Just a heads up: Tomorrow's update will be late, as it's my sister's birthday.

[Mladen]

Vacant in top 50 is not something we see very often, so I appreciate originality. Nice to see Repentance, also. 

[hefdaddy42]

Vacant is an awesome choice for the Top 50, I think it's the best song from Train of Thought.

BTW, I added myself to the rotation for this thread.

[Tomislav95]

Vacant and Repentance are not my favourite songs but I'm glad to see them in top50(especially Repentance).
Btw, my brotha has birthday tomorrow

[Ħ]

Great to see Strange Deja Vu.  Kind of a forgotten track when people talk about SFAM, but it really kicks the album off well.

[RG93]

35. 6.00

Great opener for Awake. This track features awesome drumming, cool keyboard patches, nice bass harmonics, and most of all, a dynamic tone from JLB. The way he sings "So many ways to drown a man, so many ways to drag him down, some are fast and some take years and years" seals the deal for me.

34. Afterlife

Afterlife is a nice hidden gem from When Dream and Day Unite. While Dominici is no LaBrie, he performs well here. The unison at the end shows that not only can DT shred, they do it with style.

33. Raise The Knife

I'm mainly basing this off Score, however I have heard the demo. Some of my favourite lyrics, although I'm not sure of the composer. The chorus has probably the best "call-and-response" vocals that DT has ever made. The instrumental section proves DS's composing abilities and JP's ability to create an atmosphere using effects and shreds. JMX has some sweet basslines here too.

32. Innocence Faded

I predict some flaming for this pick. Anyway, this a great song, catchy yet dark at the same time. I'm not a fan of the lyrics, but James' vocal delivery is proof of the legend he once was (and is still). The outro is a bit long, but packed with instrumental goodness.

31. A Nightmare to Remember

A near-perfect masterpiece ."Beautiful Agony" is the best thing DT has made since Six Degrees  . Amazing intro, good melodies from both JP and JR, and the myriad of styles makes the first half something you'd expect on "Awake" or "Images and Words". Unfortunately, the "Day after Day" vocals are horrible and the blast beats have to go, otherwise this song would be in my top 5.

I noticed this thread isn't getting much attention. Is it because I'm not well known here or maybe there are too many interesting threads popping up recently?

[Zydar]

Great to see some love for Afterlife and Innocence Faded

[Mladen]

Amazing, all of these would be in my top 50 as well.   

[Tomislav95]

Afterlife from Score DVD is great.
And this, "Beautiful Agony is the best thing DT has made since Six Degrees". What with Octavarium?

[Fran521]

I'm following this too, but I'm too lazy to post...

Great choices in the last five, I agree completely with what you have said about ANTR.

[hefdaddy42]

Nice group of songs there, other than ANTR which wouldn't make my Top 50 (I know, I'm in the minority on that one).

[Ħ]

Nice group of songs there, other than ANTR which wouldn't make my Top 50 (I know, I'm in the minority on that one).

I wouldn't say that.  It seems like a love-hate song split pretty evenly down the middle.

[RG93]

30. Erotomania

My second favourite instrumental from DT. While not as technical as the other instrumentals, it is beautiful and also sets the scene for A Mind Beside Itself nicely. A few parts from Voices and the Silent Man are used to great effect. The best part of Erotomania is the fact that it may go off on tangents sometimes, but the overall atmosphere is the same.

29. Hollow Years

The version on Live at Budokan is amazing, but the studio version is great as well, just not appreciated enough. The acoustic tones used in the studio version are better than the L@B tones, in my opinion. Anyway, the song has great lyrics, a great solo (studio and live) and is fun to sing along to.

28. Stream of Consciousness

Dream Theater's longest instrumental, and their best. Jordan Rudess and John Myung are the stars for once, however the drums and guitar riffs are not to be discounted. This instrumental is all over the place, never really staying in the same spot for long. The only issue I have with the song is that it is repetitive at times, but it doesn't matter when the parts are spectacular anyway.

27. Lifting Shadows of A Dream

This song is the first of many JMX songs to come (in my list). It's a non-conventional ballad, being mainly bass and keyboard-driven instead of guitar-fueled. The lyrics here are poetic and fit the atmosphere of the song perfectly. In fact, they're the best lyrics on the album. The vocals here are a nice break from the gruff tones JLB uses on other tracks.

26. Fatal Tragedy

Another masterpiece courtesy of Mr. Myung. While the lyrics here are not as awe-inspiring as his other work, again, best lyrics on the album. Fatal Tragedy also features an amazing instrumental section, with JP dueling with himself   and MP simply going crazy   .Definitely the highlight of Part One for me.

As it's my first time making a top 50, some constructive criticism would be welcome, especially the writeups, which need a lot of improvement.

[Mladen]

The writeups are fine, it's all good as long as you keep picking awesome songs. 

All of these are top 50 material for me as well, except for Hollow years.

[Jirpo]

Another good 5!

[Tomislav95]

LSOAD is great, it's in my top20 and I thought I'm only who respect this song enough for top50

[hefdaddy42]

I would have Hollow Years much lower and Lifting Shadows much higher, but a nice group of songs there.

[Silver Tears]

Hollow Years 

Good list so far 

[Ħ]

I would have Hollow Years much lower

The opposite of this

Hollow Years 

This