Nekov's Top 50 Dream Theater songs - Top 10 is here

[BlobVanDam]

FII is my 4th favourite DT album just behind IaW, but TAMP is one of only two songs on the album I don't listen to at all, the other being YNM.
It's got a disturbing vibe to it, and it's too happy, although it does have a KILLER solo. A solo truly deserving of being in a better song (there's another comparison with TBOT for you ).

[Nekov]

 

[Zydar]

Great to see some love for TAMP. A very underrated song.

[wasteland]

My father loves it and whistles it all day. A couple of weeks ago he asked me who plays the sax in the OIALT version. I forze and barely uttered: "Jay Beckenstein. He was in Spyro Gyra" It was almost too much for me... 

[GasparXR]

My father loves it and whistles it all day. A couple of weeks ago he asked me who plays the sax in the OIALT version. I forze and barely uttered: "Jay Beckenstein. He was in Spyro Gyra" It was almost too much for me... 

I could see myself saying that and utterly fail in trying not to fall and roll on the floor.

[Nekov]

17 - Great Debate

Do we look to our unearthly guide or to white coat heroes searching for a cure - This song is weird because it's not easy to find a DT song that stays in a same mood for so long as this song does. Even though it has changes and variations all throughout it seems very congruent. Another thing that stands out a lot is that the guys don't really play any flashy or quirky stuff at any moment yet the song doesn't sound like it's "easy" so to speak. Even though I prefer MPs cymbal work against the more rhythmic stuff I must say that his non-cymbal work here is very entertaining and fun.

16 - About to Crash

He helplessly stands by it's meaningless to try - I said before that I don't think of 6DOIT as a whole song however I'll point out that this song works better immediately after the overture. Nevertheless, it's a great song on it's own containing some very happy moments in the beginning which work in a perfect contrast with the dark tone that ends up having. This is one of the few DT songs where I can't really point out a specific thing that I like as all the instruments come well together without any of them standing out above the rest.

15 - Overture 1928

Once a friend of mine told me that he considered this song to be perfect as it portrays exactly what is going to happen in the following hour and I for one could not agree more. This is the perfect start to my favorite album of all time, a fantastic introduction to what is to come, yet a perfect piece of music in itself. Even without listening to the rest of the album this song can be enjoyed. The way the instruments work together as a whole yet leaving enough time for JP to play some little solos here and there without breaking the mood is outstanding.

[Ruba]

The Great Debate! 

The doomy section is awesome. So energy, so powah!

[?]

The Great Debate! 

[Lolzeez]

The Great Debate! 

[Elite]

The Great Debate! 

And I will say it's too low

[Nekov]

Dude, 17 is pretty high, it's even above Metropolis

[Elite]

I know, it's just that I had it at #6. I'm actually very glad others place it high

[nicmos]

I love the love that Great Debate is getting.  Clearly in my top 10.  best song on disc 1.

[Ben_Jamin]

Cool list so far. You and ? Are close to my top 50, well they include a lot of the same songs not in order.

[GasparXR]

All really great songs, TGD and O28 are definitely in my top 20, and ATC is probably top 30.

[Nekov]

14 - In The Name of God

How can this be? Why is he the chosen one? - The intro in this song is very deceiving, there's no way you can imagine what will come next after the few initial seconds. And what comes is some awesome metal that makes it impossible to start headbanging yet it quickly turns into a softer tune without a warning. As I said before I love contrast and this song has to be the one of the best examples on how to work several different moods into a single song all entwined in a great way. A lot of what this song is is brought by JR really, and it is more noticeable if the whole album is listened since his input is kind of a non factor in the rest of the songs but here he gives it a special something that takes the song to another level.

13 - Only a Matter of Time

But is security after all a cause or symptom of happiness? - Yes, more WDADU. I think Hef once said that this song was too wordy and that's why he doesn't like it but I'm standing on the opposite side of the road, I love the fact that it's too wordy and I think Charlie pulls it of quite well. What makes this son so great is the way it develops and goes from one place to another so smoothly. This is another one of those songs where there's not one of the guys that stands above the rest but every instrument seems to be in perfect accordance.

12 - Breaking all Illusions

Emerald thoughts flow through my consciousness - The intro is beyond words and has to be among DT best instrumentals. I'm not much of a fan of MMs drumming in this album but I'll give it to him in this song, he just does the perfect job specially during the chorus. Once again I will mention how good the contrasts are in this song and how well it flows between the softer and the more up beat sections.

11 - The silent Man

I could sail by, on the Winds of Silence - I am a sucker for DT's ballads and this is one of the most beautiful ones. I love the fact that it's all done in a more acoustic way and when you guys see it performed with the string quartet you'll fall in love. The simpleness, the beautiful melodies, JLB singing in lower tones that he usually does and the vocal arrangements all combine to create a heart warming and peaceful experience.

[Ruba]

Only a Matter of Time! That's a great one.

[Scorpion]

Given your opinion on ADTOE, I hadn't thought that we'd see that album represented quite this high, but I'm glad that it is. BAI is amazing.

[Nekov]

The album as a whole still sucks but it has 3 good songs so yeah.

[Nekov]

Recap. Let the guessing game begin

50 - A Nightmare to Remember
49 - To Live Forever
48 - Afterlife
47 - Hollow Years
46 - Caught in a Web
45 - A Fortune in Lies
44 - Pull me Under
43 - Another Day
42 - Anna Lee
41 - Beneath the Surface
40 - In The Presence of Enemies Pt. 1
39 - Space-Dye Vest
38 - 6:00
37 - Lines in the Sand
36 - Innocence Faded
35 - Fatal Tragedy
34 - Trial of Tears
33 - The Ones Who Help to Set the Sun
32 - Under a Glass Moon
31 - The way it used to be
30 - The County of Tuscany
29 - Beyond this Life
28 - The Glass Prison
27 - About to Crash (Reprise)
26 - The Best of Times
25 - Take the Time
24 - Bridges in the Sky
23 - Scarred
22 - In The Presence of Enemies Pt. 2
21 - Metropolis pt. 1
20 - Erotomania
19 - Through her Eyes
18 - Take Away my Pain
17 - Great Debate
16 - About to Crash
15 - Overture 1928
14 - In The Name of God
13 - Only a Matter of Time
12 - Breaking all Illusions
11 - The silent Man

[?]

Although I love WDADU, I would never rank OAMOT that high. Well, that only makes the list more interesting!

[BlobVanDam]

ITNOG and TSM are great choices! BAI is ok, but very overrated, and OAMOT is everything that's completely wonked about WDADU. Bottom 10. Come on, HAVE CORRECT OPINIONS LIKE ME!








Tongue firmly in cheek, guys.

[Nekov]

Correct is overrated 


Anyone wants to take a guess at the top 10?

[Cedar redaC]

Sorry to show up so late, but following.

[Unlegit]

Can't go wrong with In the Name of God and Breaking All Illusions.

[Lolzeez]

The Silent Man.

You just earned more respect from me.

[Nekov]

10 - Octavarium

Loyalty, trust, faith and desire carries love through each darkest fire - An oasis in the desert is what this song feels like because after having to sit (and suffer) through the rest of album and then getting here is like coming back to life. All "Someone like him" is soothing, setting this tranquil mood and then the song just starts escalating and growing in complexity and in sensations till it explodes and ends up again in a soothing and satisfying mood. The instrumental section is so wonderful and it works incredibly well as a connection between the mellow Medicate and the eclectic Full Circle.

[BlobVanDam]

Great song, and well placed.

And the rest of the album isn't suffering. The album does have 3 duds out of 8, placed in just the right spots to completely ruin the flow of the album, but the rest of the songs are amazing.

[Nekov]

I hate to disagree with you Blob but it's DT's worst album by far

[BlobVanDam]

I hate to disagree with you Blob but it's DT's worst album by far

Nope, there's always WDADU to fill that spot without any contention whatsoever.
And I'd put it higher than BCASL, maybe SC (and personally, Awake too). I'm not doubting the album has some bad tracks on there (IWBY, NE, TALW), but the rest easily puts it above some of their other albums.

[Onno]

Woohoo, Octavarium! And 8V isn't DT's worst album at all, WDADU has that spot already.

[?]

8V isn't DT's worst album at all, SC has that spot already.

Fixed.

[BlobVanDam]

You broked it.

[Onno]

You broked it.

He did

[?]

Don't be so sad, I know the truth can be a bit too hard to take sometimes