Favorite DT decade

[Northern Lion]

Hey everyone.  With the recent polls we've had, I thought I'd add another.  Mostly because I really like polls and favorites lists.  I hope you all don't mind another.

So, what is your favorite decade of DT music?  I know the first choice doesn't contain much, but other than that I was very pleased to see that all the other decades have quite a bit of music in them.

Also feel free to include B-sides, demos, covers and specific tours in your opinion.  It would have been too hard to add them all up in the poll.

My favorite decade surprised me a little, but I chose 2000-2009.  I thought I would choose the most recent decade because that was the decade I got into DT and it has 2 of my top 5 albums.  But 2000-2009 has my most favorite songs in it.  Among those are SDoIT, ItNoG, SS, ItPoE, and TCoT.

[CharlesPL]

1990-1999

[Lonk]

90-99 has 3 of my top 5 albums so that's easily my favorite decade. Also has a couple of top 10 songs for me and my favorite 20+ minute epic.

[RoeDent]

2010-19. Dream Theater experienced the biggest upheaval of their career at the start of the decade, bounced back from that in spectacular fashion, and have ended the decade by producing one of their freshest, most vitalized albums ever.

[Another_Won]

2010-19. Dream Theater experienced the biggest upheaval of their career at the start of the decade, bounced back from that in spectacular fashion, and have ended the decade by producing one of their freshest, most vitalized albums ever.

This!

[bosk1]

Yeah, I went with 2010-2019 as well.  I think I was at my most excited about the band from 1999-2009.  But 1999 was a BIG part of that.  And even though it may not be the same type of excitement, they have just been so consistently awesome this decade.

[krands85]

This might seem like a tricky question to me at first, since my top 3 DT albums are spread across three different decades. However, it's actually quite easily the 90s, since it has my #1 and #4 in I&W and Scenes.

The 2000s and 2010s are fairly evenly matched, but aren't as strong as the 90s.

[hefdaddy42]

1990-1999 for me, as I&W, Awake, and SFAM are my top 3 favorite albums, and Lines in the Sand, Trial of Tears, and Hell's Kitchen are all Top 10-15 songs for me.

But 2010-2019 is also excellent.

[IgnotusPerIgnotium]

For me definitely 90'-99'..although I really love 2000-2010 too for different reasons..
I became familiar with I&W, Awake then Once in a Livetime actually (!!) and especially Scenes from a Memory really cemented my love for the band (I even bought the friggin' Live Scenes from New York cassette tape)..cause I already had LT2 which was another huge deal back in the late 90's..

[Max Kuehnau]

2010-19. Dream Theater experienced the biggest upheaval of their career at the start of the decade, bounced back from that in spectacular fashion, and have ended the decade by producing one of their freshest, most vitalized albums ever.

This!

I largely agree (although I don't think D/T is vitalised and fresh)

[MirrorMask]

1990-1999, can't beat Imaged and Words + Awake + SFAM. This does not mean that I follow DT just for past glories, I'm very much aligned with what they've done in the last decade as well.

[Zydar]

Definitely the 90s.

[pg1067]

The 90s pretty easily.  Three top four albums plus ACOS.

Plenty of good stuff in the other decades, but they just can't complete.

[mikeyd23]

90s

[cramx3]

90s just based on it having 3 of their best albums.  I wasn't a fan though so the 2010-19 may be more meaningful to me and is still top quality music.

[MoraWintersoul]

1990-1999, can't beat Imaged and Words + Awake + SFAM. This does not mean that I follow DT just for past glories, I'm very much aligned with what they've done in the last decade as well.

Yeah, same. I'm still interested in the band, I still track their career, and a lot of my top 50 comes from 2002 and beyond. But there's just no contest. The era covers three out of five DT lineups, ever. And these albums shaped most of my musical landscape by influencing a lot of the artists I love.

[bosk1]

You know, the more I think about it, the more I might be inclined to go with that decade too.  SFAM is my second favorite album, and that's what REALLY made me a fan, even though I had been around since '92.  And when you add in all the spectacular music from I&W, Awake, and FII, as well as ACOS, which is one of my favorite songs, that is just an incredible musical decade. 

[Northern Lion]

I can't say I'm surprised to see the 90's winning the poll, but I still think it's interesting to see how folks vote and why they voted that way.

SFaM, Several songs form FII (+demos) and ACoS are all on heavy repeat in my play lists, but I just can't get over how dated I&W and Awake sound to me.  Because of that I have a hard time getting into them even though both albums have many great songs.

[geeeemo]

It was a bit of a hard decision for me as I really love all their music and my "favorite" songs come from different decades.  That said, the 2010-2019 got my vote as I seem to play that music more than the others. 

What great choices to have from one band!! So varied, yet so distinctively Dream Theater.

[NoFred]

I voted 90s as I had my formative high school years covered by the release of I&W and Awake, but I'm open to the idea that any of the next two decades could be a favorite. Hopefully they have 20-29 left in them as the new music doesn't lack at all.

[ThatOneGuy2112]

The '90's period is the only one without a single dud IMO. FII is maybe the closest any of the albums in that decade gets to being that.

I would rank them all like this: '90's > '00's > '10's > '80's

[Volante99]

Pahlease...90s easily.

I&W, Awake, ACoS, SFaM. Not only some of the best DT albums, but some of the best metal/progressive albums ever PERIOD.

[Herrick]

The '90s for Herrick. I like/love almost all the albums the band has put out in the last in the last 19 years but Images & Words, Awake, & Scenes From a Memory are the best albums for Herrick.

[sylentman]

1990-1999
Besides of having I&W, Awake, ACOS, FII, SFAM, from which to my taste I&W, Awake, ACOS, SFAM are within top lists (FII is also a gr at album don't get me wrong); that decade also include what in my opinion was a ver exciting live era for them.
That energy in the concerts, the live jams they used to often do in concerts back then, and last but not least perhaps one of the main points for my decision: James voice pre-food incident, that was priceless in my opinion, to hear his vocal power and range Both in studio and live up to 94...make me wonder how would DT have been in the 2000's and 2010's if he had kept that condition (or the closest comsidering ageing).
As a plus, The 90's also have  the "Two Kevins" version of ACOS

[EPIC Outro]

While I like the music from 90-99 best, I became a fan in 2000, so 2000 - 2009 was my first decade to experience new DT albums as they came out, and for that it has a special place in my heart.

[Madman Shepherd]

This era. They're having more fun. They sound better. I would place almost all of the shows I've seen since mangini joined above the ones I've seen since 2000 - 2010

[Max Kuehnau]

This era. They're having more fun. They sound better. I would place almost all of the shows I've seen since mangini joined above the ones I've seen since 2000 - 2010

I fully agree.

[TheCountOfNYC]

The 90's saw the release of my first and third favorite DT albums as well as ACOS.

[Ben_Jamin]

2000-2009

That was the time I first heard Dream Theater. Right after, they released 8vm, which is when I became a fan. Saw them on Gigantour, so I got to hear The Glass Prison Live which I got to enjoy on the floor, man If I could go back to that show with how much a fan I am now. Got to enjoy the release of Systematic Chaos, which was fun to follow. These reasons are why I chose that decade.

[Destiny Of Chaos]

Hey everyone.  With the recent polls we've had, I thought I'd add another.  Mostly because I really like polls and favorites lists.  I hope you all don't mind another.

If you really like polls...make sure you check out the Polls & Survivors subforum if you haven't already.

[LudwigVan]

90-99

Then 10-19. While I prefer Portnoy as a drummer, I think the Mangini albums made in the last decade are an improvement over 00-09.

[Northern Lion]

Hey everyone.  With the recent polls we've had, I thought I'd add another.  Mostly because I really like polls and favorites lists.  I hope you all don't mind another.

If you really like polls...make sure you check out the Polls & Survivors subforum if you haven't already.

I haven't yet, but I will.  Thanks!

[KevShmev]

Even though the 10's and 00's were both very good, not many rock bands have had as good a decade as Dream Theater did in the 90's.