Official DT Top 50 Thread Mark II (bss4life15 up now - starting page 79)

[BlackInk]

Outcry and The Glass Prison are far to low, and Afterlife is far to on the list.

[54_diplomats]

The Glass Prison is way too low. Everything else is alright.

[theseoafs]

All five good songs.  I'm a little sad to hear you don't like Train of Thought apart from Vacant, but fair enough.  It's great to see some love for Afterlife, even though I actually like the WDADU version, myself.

This, although I'll add that TGP is far too low.

[Jaffa]

I was going to say that, too, but I knew that everyone else would do it for me. 

[Elite]

Yeah, I knew that would be the most 'controversial' thing in this update, but I really can't place it higher than it is, because I like others better than The Glass Prison. I tried explaining why in my makeshift write-up, but it probably doesn't matter. People will disagree anyway 

[senecadawg2]

Nice start.

One Last Time is >TGP, even though many will disagree with us.

[Ħ]

Nice write-up for One Last Time. It's a great song.

[BlobVanDam]

The Glass Prison is way too low. Everything else is alright.

That, although Outcry wouldn't even make my top 50. Everything else on there is pretty cool.

[Scorpion]

Good stuff. Nothing that I actually dislike, even though neither One Last Time nor Afterlife have a place in Top 50. Nonetheless, they're both amazing songs.

Oh, and great write-ups.

[Elite]

45. Eve
And the first Dream Theater instrumental makes its appearance. This is a song that never got released on a studio album and that's a damn shame. The song itself is beautiful, though it's mainly sort of a guitar solo. It's a wonderful, slow-moving piece that I believe is truly heartfelt. Although it's instrumental and thus we have no idea what the meaning behind this piece is, it is something soothing and it doesn't need any words to convey any message. It's simply good.

44. Lines in the Sand
And the first track from Falling into Infinity makes its appearance. If you work your way through Dream Theater's catalogue chronologically, Lines in the Sand is the longest song you'll get to up to this point. Aside from mister Petrucci's brilliant guitar solo, which I think is one of his best in Dream Theater's work. the whole song just shines with some great riffs and good vocal work. I never really understood what the song was about, but never really looked into that either. Personally, I don't really care. This is one of the gems of the early era of Dream Theater and the whole song rocks from beginning to end. The one flaw I find is that the transition from Hell's Kitchen is weird. It connects the songs in a way that doesn't really make sense, since they are completely different from each other.

43. Erotomania
Oh, yeah. Another instrumental! Back when I first listened to Awake I was completely and utterly overwhelmed by the technicality and musicianship on this song. I am still today, since I can't figure out for the life of me how to play those insane quintuplets on my guitar that Petrucci plays so thoughtlessly. This is the first appearance of a song in the suite followed by Voices and The Silent Man and while I think this introduction is very good, I don't think of it as totally amazing like I used to do. It is also the first song from Awake to make an appearance and to those who followed y top 50 albums list it won't be a surprise if I say there's more to come from that album. Truly amazing, but DT has done even better.

42. Disappear
This is definitely one of the saddest songs Dream Theater has ever written. From the beginning onwards you know you're in for a cry-fest.  Though this song never actually made me cry (it has to be VERY good to provoke that, there might be more on this later ) it does invoke feelings of sadness. What makes this song even more special to my musicologic ears is the fact that it's mainly written in a 5/4 meter, something you don't see very often. Powerful stuff, in a way you don't expect from Dream Theater, but definitely worth the listen.

41. Pull Me Under
I recently created a thread to rank your least favourite songs from each album. I listed Pull Me Under as my least favourite from Images & Words. YES, this does mean the rest of the album is included as well. Images & Words is my favourite album ever, that's no secret, and the first track is indeed the weakest. Not that that really says anything, because it still works wonders in setting the tone and sound of the album and opening this fantastic record with a brilliant song. I don't really think there's much more I need to say, since this is probably Dream Theater's best known song and one of those songs most people have in their own top 50's of Dream Theater songs. Just a very solid song and definitely worthy of placement in mine.

[senecadawg2]

5 VERY good songs!

[FlyingBIZKIT]

5 VERY good songs!

[SeRoX]

I think these five choices seem valid.

[theseoafs]

5 VERY good songs!

[Jaffa]

Fair picks for sure. 

Although, myself, I've never really 'gotten' Eve.  It's a nice song, but it doesn't evoke the emotion in me that it seems to in everyone else, so I don't give it nearly as much credit as some people do.  Still a nice song though, as I said.

[54_diplomats]

Good picks, I'd put Lines in the Sand a bit higher and while I like Pull me Under I probably wouldn't put it in my top 50.

[Ħ]

Yeah Disappear!

[hefdaddy42]

Great songs, but I would have all 5 a lot higher.

[TheGreatPretender]

43. Erotomania
Truly amazing, but DT has done even better.

Yes, they have. It's called Dance of Eternity. 

[BlobVanDam]

Great songs, but I would have all 5 a lot higher.

I was thinking the same (except for Eve, which I don't have strong opinions on either way). But the rest are very high calibre DT songs.

[Ruba]

Lines in the Sand is a top 3 song for me. Pull Me Under top 5 and Erotomania is very good also.

I don't care about Disappear and haven't heard Eve.

[theseoafs]

I don't care about Disappear and haven't heard Eve.

[Ruba]

I don't care about Disappear and haven't heard Eve.

I'd listen it now, but I'm at school and here are only sucky headphones.

[Scorpion]

Eve is too low. Far too low.

The rest is okay.

[BlackInk]

All good ones. I mean I wouldn't put some of them where they are but nothing I can't accept.

[Elite]

43. Erotomania
Truly amazing, but DT has done even better.

Yes, they have. It's called Dance of Eternity. 

You know what I think about that

[FlyingBIZKIT]

43. Erotomania
Truly amazing, but DT has done even better.

Yes, they have. It's called Dance of Eternity. 

You know what I think about that

So it will be your number 1, correct?

[Mladen]

Nice to see love for Disappear. 

[Lolzeez]

Original thread here (it was getting unwieldy): https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=13491.0

MOD EDIT:

So that we don't end up with loads of Top 50 threads, this is the official one. hefdaddy42 will finish his off, and once he does, other people can take turns. The list will be as follows:

- hefdaddy42
- wasteland - gave up his spot for now, may come back to finish later
- Fran521 - not ready right now, will go later
- BanksD - gave up his spot
-Jaffa-Jamesman - banned
-alirocker08
-TheGreatPretender
-Elite
-FlyingBIZKIT
-IdoSC
-Ben_Jamin
-Panic Attacker
-MasterShakezula
-jonny108
-duncan3dc
-BlackInk
-theseoafs
-bss4life15
-senecadawg2
- Pols Voice
-Jirpo
- iamtheeviltwin
- Ħ
- Scorpion
- kareemo

Can i give it a go later?

[hefdaddy42]

Sure.

[Elite]

40. Raise The Knife
Why was this never released on CD? WHY? The best we have is probably the Score version, because the FII demo is a bit lacking in production wuality. I really hope Dream Theater will pick this song up once and release it as a B-side or whatever. I just want this song in good quality. And why? Because it's fucking awesome. I would have gladly traded a couple of Infinity's tracks for this one. Awesome material.

39. Blind Faith
I am the believer who gives purpose unto you. That is one of my favourite vocal lines and lyrics in all of DT's songs. I seem to be going through SDOIT's songs in no time. This is the third update and the third song from the album to go out. Well, Blind Faith is just one of those really good Dream Theater tracks that's probably on most, if not all people's top 50 list. The riffs are great, but it's the chorus and the instrumental part that really carry this song. The unison in this one is probably one of the most difficult parts in all of Dream Theater's discography to play and it sounds amazing. Very, very good once again.

38. The Silent Man
After Erotomania in the last update here is the second song off of Awake. The Silent Man is a great little tune, one of Dream Theater more simple simple songs. What I particularly like is the LSFNY version, I think that one outshines the album version in a way, but this is also a very good track on Awake. It is the shortest, probably softest, but definitely the least complex song on the record and it really helps break the album in two, before and after all the heavy shit surrounding it. Very nice.

37. The Dark Eternal Night
I often dub this song 'chromatic hell' and it's not that hard to see why. This is to me one of Dream Theater funnest songs and I love it. I can just imagine those guys sitting in the studio writing their most ridiculous tune ever and this is what came out of it. From the awesome opening riff to all the other amazing riffs that have been packed into this relatively short song, from the insane drumming, the ragtime piano and the distorted vocals, this is a song that you really can't take seriously. I don't do that and that's probably why I like it a lot more than most of the people here. The only downside to this is the sort-of ridiculous instrumental part and that weird guitar solo. It would have been better with something else in its place or with it removed altogether I believe. Nevertheless, this song is awesome. Also, that ending in one of the coolest riffs DT has ever done. Not one to take seriously, because when you don't take it seriously, it becomes that much better. One of my favourites from Systematic Chaos.

36. Wither
If I tell you how many other songs from BC&SL I have on this list people might go mad, but I really like Wither. I can't really tell what it is I like about this song, but it's probably the fact that it's a relatively soft (on the album) and simple track. A few years ago it might have been even higher, but my love for this track kind of withered over time. Though simple and staying with well known conventions, Dream Theater pull this thing off like it's truly something of their own and it works wonders. Also, I know I'm not funny at all, but that definitely was intentional. Yes, I really like this track

[Elite]

43. Erotomania
Truly amazing, but DT has done even better.

Yes, they have. It's called Dance of Eternity. 

You know what I think about that

So it will be your number 1, correct?

NO.

[BlackInk]

Blind Faith, nice. Way to low but nice.

[SeRoX]

I'm Ok with those except The Dark Eternal Life. This is the worst track they've done.

[DebraKadabra]

TDEN, imo, is the awesome.  Your mileage may vary, though.