Dream Theater Top 100 countdown - 2024 Version! (#01 Up!)

[Indiscipline]

TDEN is my highest rated song on SC, and I really like the album.

Just for talks waiting for the countdown, my list features only two songs from SC, one in the top 5, the other in the last 40s. Neither is TDEN.

I liked SC, a lot more than the album preceding it and the one following it.

[TAC]

TDEN is my highest rated song on SC, and I really like the album.

Just for talks waiting for the countdown, my list features only two songs from SC, one in the top 5, the other in the last 40s. Neither is TDEN.

I liked SC, a lot more than the album preceding it and the one following it.

I've always said that after the run up to the Score show, SC was like a giant exhale album. An album with no direction or constraints. It feels like a loose album and plays that way. I enjoy it quite a bit.

I actually think it's one of James' best performances on a DT album. Even though they don't call on him for his full range, he sings his parts perfectly and quite strongly.

[Indiscipline]

TDEN is my highest rated song on SC, and I really like the album.

Just for talks waiting for the countdown, my list features only two songs from SC, one in the top 5, the other in the last 40s. Neither is TDEN.

I liked SC, a lot more than the album preceding it and the one following it.

I've always said that after the run up to the Score show, SC was like a giant exhale album. An album with no direction or constraints. It feels like a loose album and plays that way. I enjoy it quite a bit.

I actually think it's one of James' best performances on a DT album. Even though they don't call on him for his full range, he sings his parts perfectly and quite strongly.

I totally agree. The first album completely free from some variation of the mimic gimmick syndrome since Scenes.

[wolfking]

TDEN is my highest rated song on SC, and I really like the album.

Just for talks waiting for the countdown, my list features only two songs from SC, one in the top 5, the other in the last 40s. Neither is TDEN.

I liked SC, a lot more than the album preceding it and the one following it.

I've always said that after the run up to the Score show, SC was like a giant exhale album. An album with no direction or constraints. It feels like a loose album and plays that way. I enjoy it quite a bit.

I actually think it's one of James' best performances on a DT album. Even though they don't call on him for his full range, he sings his parts perfectly and quite strongly.

I was impressed with James on this one on my revisit too.  But maybe the bolded is why is such a good album for him?  Maybe, maybe not.

[ReaperKK]

TDEN is my highest rated song on SC, and I really like the album.

Just for talks waiting for the countdown, my list features only two songs from SC, one in the top 5, the other in the last 40s. Neither is TDEN.

I liked SC, a lot more than the album preceding it and the one following it.

I've always said that after the run up to the Score show, SC was like a giant exhale album. An album with no direction or constraints. It feels like a loose album and plays that way. I enjoy it quite a bit.

I actually think it's one of James' best performances on a DT album. Even though they don't call on him for his full range, he sings his parts perfectly and quite strongly.

I agree with you TAC. I personally love SC, it's one of my favorite DT albums, just a collection of great songs and also "prophets of war" is on there.

[jammindude]

TDEN is my highest rated song on SC, and I really like the album.

Just for talks waiting for the countdown, my list features only two songs from SC, one in the top 5, the other in the last 40s. Neither is TDEN.

I liked SC, a lot more than the album preceding it and the one following it.

I've always said that after the run up to the Score show, SC was like a giant exhale album. An album with no direction or constraints. It feels like a loose album and plays that way. I enjoy it quite a bit.

I actually think it's one of James' best performances on a DT album. Even though they don't call on him for his full range, he sings his parts perfectly and quite strongly.

I agree with you TAC. I personally love SC, it's one of my favorite DT albums, just a collection of great songs and also "prophets of war" is on there.

Or as I like to call it... 163/163!   

[lightningbolt]

Count me as a big fan of SC and I still listen to the album (or at least tracks from it) regularly.  It may partially be because it was the first new DT album to come out after I became a fan and/or because a buddy of mine used to play it constantly when we'd play Warcraft 3 back in the day.  Another factor potentially helping it for me is/was the "making of" documentary - I still enjoy watching that every now and again.

[jingle.boy]

TDEN is my highest rated song on SC, and I really like the album.

Just for talks waiting for the countdown, my list features only two songs from SC, one in the top 5, the other in the last 40s. Neither is TDEN.

I liked SC, a lot more than the album preceding it and the one following it.

I've always said that after the run up to the Score show, SC was like a giant exhale album. An album with no direction or constraints. It feels like a loose album and plays that way. I enjoy it quite a bit.

I actually think it's one of James' best performances on a DT album. Even though they don't call on him for his full range, he sings his parts perfectly and quite strongly.

I agree with you TAC. I personally love SC, it's one of my favorite DT albums, just a collection of great songs and also "prophets of war" is on there.

I really liked PoW when SC dropped (despite it probably getting the most hate from the fanbase at the time, iirc), but it hasn't aged very well.

[Cool Chris]

I really liked PoW when SC dropped (despite it probably getting the most hate from the fanbase at the time, iirc), but it hasn't aged very well.

Same here.

I actually think it's one of James' best performances on a DT album. Even though they don't call on him for his full range, he sings his parts perfectly and quite strongly.

For the most part I agree, which makes it even more confounding that they wrote the vocals CM and TDEN the way they did. You got James still close enough to his peak, and that is how you want him to sing?!

[nobloodyname]

With the exception of the gang* vocal, it's aged well for me. I don't like Queen but I do like the obvious Queen influence.

The way the gang vocal was done was fabulous, though. What a great opportunity it was for localish Dream Theater fans.

[Wim Kruithof]

Except The Dark Eternal Night they all made my list and I've got two songs in my top 10...

so yeah, Systematic Chaos really is one of my 15 most beloved studioalbums...

[Animal]

TDEN is my highest rated song on SC, and I really like the album.

Just for talks waiting for the countdown, my list features only two songs from SC, one in the top 5, the other in the last 40s. Neither is TDEN.

I liked SC, a lot more than the album preceding it and the one following it.

I've always said that after the run up to the Score show, SC was like a giant exhale album. An album with no direction or constraints. It feels like a loose album and plays that way. I enjoy it quite a bit.

I actually think it's one of James' best performances on a DT album. Even though they don't call on him for his full range, he sings his parts perfectly and quite strongly.

I was impressed with James on this one on my revisit too.  But maybe the bolded is why is such a good album for him?  Maybe, maybe not.

IMO, definitely. James' range was always a mixed blessing. As much as I love early DT, vocal parts often feels like what a band of virtuoso players would do when wanting to showcase the very extreme of the abilities of their new and supremely talented singer.

[twosuitsluke]

Count me as a big fan of SC and I still listen to the album (or at least tracks from it) regularly.  It may partially be because it was the first new DT album to come out after I became a fan

Yea, this is definitely true for me as I came on board with the band around early '07.

[Animal]

Really looking forward to this one to start. Especially to see if my n.1 song ends up being even more outlandish choice than Stadler's. And to find out how the increased number of lists (compared to the previous DT countdown) will shake up the top 10 (which I still remember to this day).

But even revisiting the band catalog in the preparation for this countdown was worth it on its own. I might be one of the most fickle music fans to ever put headphones over their ears so my DT album ratings has changed quite a lot: Some albums I used to be indifferent toward really clicked, some good ones got even better, maybe even great, some great ones stayed great, some still leave me cold. And finally, there are few odd ones that got worse.

The greatest winner was TA - I used to think it was a misstep, now I think it is a masterpiece, albeit a very flawed one.

ADTOE did the impossible - It definitely proved to me that a band can produce one of their very best work even 25 years into their career. I liked it a lot before but now it is slowly making its way among what I considered immutable holy trinity of DT albums (IW, Scenes, Awake), transforming the trinity into the quartet and making me a heretic.

DT12 also improved a lot. Not a holy trinity level (yet?) but it's now definitely one of my favorite post-Scenes albums.

On the other hand, nothing changed with regards to SC, BCSL and FII. I still like these a good bit less than the others.

As I started to enjoy a lot of Mangini era albums more, AVOTTOTW and DOT got comparably worse. I used to like these a lot (especially a View) but, although there is a lot of good stuff (I really like the title track of a View) they now seem a lot less interesting than their predecessors.

And finally, greatest loser seems to be Octavarium. I liked this one quite a bit when it came out (I became a DT fan shortly before its release) but every time I revisit it, it just gets worse.

On a bit related note, I also found out that even if I enjoy ToT a lot as an album experience, I don't rate the individual songs as high as I thought I would (except ITNOG). It is just one of these albums that I really want to listen to from start to finish, but I almost never listen to the individual songs on their own.

[jingle.boy]

With the exception of the gang* vocal, it's aged well for me. I don't like Queen but I do like the obvious Queen influence.

The way the gang vocal was done was fabulous, though. What a great opportunity it was for localish Dream Theater fans.

Including 'bout to crash and Nick.

[bosk1]

I actually think it's one of James' best performances on a DT album. Even though they don't call on him for his full range, he sings his parts perfectly and quite strongly.

For the most part I agree, which makes it even more confounding that they wrote the vocals CM and TDEN the way they did. You got James still close enough to his peak, and that is how you want him to sing?!

  What's the problem with it?  (1) It sounds COOL!  (2) It adds a lot of variety to the album.  There are plenty of moments on it where James uses his straight singing voice.  You've got plenty of moments of his straight power voice, his soaring voice, and his soft, breathy voice.  What's wrong with exploring some grittier and some effects-laden sides as well?

[Jamesman42]

With the exception of the gang* vocal, it's aged well for me. I don't like Queen but I do like the obvious Queen influence.

The way the gang vocal was done was fabulous, though. What a great opportunity it was for localish Dream Theater fans.

Including 'bout to crash and Nick.

How did I not know this? That's awesome.

I am so ready for this countdown to begin.

[jingle.boy]

I actually think it's one of James' best performances on a DT album. Even though they don't call on him for his full range, he sings his parts perfectly and quite strongly.

For the most part I agree, which makes it even more confounding that they wrote the vocals CM and TDEN the way they did. You got James still close enough to his peak, and that is how you want him to sing?!

  What's the problem with it?  (1) It sounds COOL!  (2) It adds a lot of variety to the album.  There are plenty of moments on it where James uses his straight singing voice.  You've got plenty of moments of his straight power voice, his soaring voice, and his soft, breathy voice.  What's wrong with exploring some grittier and some effects-laden sides as well?

I don't know that anyone is saying there's anything wrong with it... but it doesn't mean that it's going to be appealing for everyone.  I find nothing "COOL" about it; you do.  That's fine by me.  A Roll The Bones-esque rap would add variety to the album too, so would a harp solo.  Doesn't mean that variety = appeal.

[ReaperKK]

Mysterious email man has been identified, and a few other lists have been corrected, lists received post updated!

[Wim Kruithof]

Mysterious email man has been identified, and a few other lists have been corrected, lists received post updated!

65 lists are in so far. Nice. Can't wait and planned on giving each song a fair amount of time during the countdown.

Even if New Millennium, You Not Me... Build Me Up, Break Me Down or Lost Not Forgotten would made the list. (Although I can't see how).

[jingle.boy]

Ok, gonna make some random predictions.

Over/Under on the highest number of entries on an individual list - 87.
Over/Under on the lowest number of entries on an individual list - 72.
Over/Under of accurate/consecutive "Top" songs - 7
Over/Under of songs on no lists - 23
Over/Under of songs on every list - 37 <not sure what I was thinking here>  also, with 60+ submissions, this number ought to be very small.  All it takes is one outlier (like Stads) to fuck this up.  I'll say it's now 8

TA will have the most songs represented, but will not have a song in the Top 25.
TA's highest ranking song will be lower ranked than every other album's highest ranked song.
Cleaning out the Closet will have more songs represented than at least one other official studio release
4 - # of albums will have every song represented
3 - # of songs the least represented album(s) will have
2 - # of songs in the Top 10 that did NOT make every list
1 - massive WTF that is on everyone's list.

Mysterious email man has been identified, and a few other lists have been corrected, lists received post updated!

65 lists are in so far. Nice. Can't wait and planned on giving each song a fair amount of time during the countdown.

Incredible!  Isn't that more than double the last time this was done?

[Indiscipline]

Mysterious email man has been identified, and a few other lists have been corrected, lists received post updated!

65 lists are in so far. Nice. Can't wait and planned on giving each song a fair amount of time during the countdown.

Even if New Millennium, You Not Me... Build Me Up, Break Me Down or Lost Not Forgotten would made the list. (Although I can't see how).

Embracing the sentiment and expanding further, I really hope - and in a way I fairly believe it could come to pass - every song in DT catalogue is featured somewhere in someone's submitted list. While lists and tastes ultimately speak about us, such an outcome would speak - and give justice to - DT's uncanny ability to both appeal and polarise all across the board. 

[twosuitsluke]

Here's a prediction. Stadler's #1 won't make the top 100.

[Wim Kruithof]

Embracing the sentiment and expanding further, I really hope - and in a way I fairly believe it could come to pass - every song in DT catalogue is featured somewhere in someone's submitted list. While lists and tastes ultimately speak about us, such an outcome would speak - and give justice to - DT's uncanny ability to both appeal and polarise all across the board.

Very well said.

[bosk1]

Mysterious email man has been identified, and a few other lists have been corrected, lists received post updated!

65 lists are in so far. Nice. Can't wait and planned on giving each song a fair amount of time during the countdown.

Even if New Millennium, You Not Me... Build Me Up, Break Me Down or Lost Not Forgotten would made the list. (Although I can't see how).

Embracing the sentiment and expanding further, I really hope - and in a way I fairly believe it could come to pass - every song in DT catalogue is featured somewhere in someone's submitted list. While lists and tastes ultimately speak about us, such an outcome would speak - and give justice to - DT's uncanny ability to both appeal and polarise all across the board. 

Not sure it's realistic to expect EVERY song to make a list, but it wouldn't surprise me.  But I definitely think the number of songs that do not (assuming some don't) will be VERY small.

[jingle.boy]

I'd gather that most/all of the Nomac songs wouldn't.  There's a few others that aren't actually songs (eg, Regression), some that are generally considered not good (Raw Dog), and others that don't have a lot of broader knowledge (Awake Jam).

[Indiscipline]

To be honest, I wasn't even considering the NOMACs tunes while expressing that wish.

On the other hand Regression is a song, Raw Dog could have a lovely RawDoghouse in someone's yard somewhere, and I suspect lack of broader knowledge could not be an issue with this forum.

You may say I'm a dreamer.

[bosk1]

Yeah, that's a good point about the NOMAC tracks.  Subconsciously, I wasn't even counting those either.  But consciously, I wouldn't expect them to show up at all. 

[Dave_Manchester]

Prior to my revisiting the discography for this countdown I'd written off New Millennium as not having a chance of making the list, but it turned out to be far better than I'd remembered. It ended up finishing reasonably high. And I've always liked Build Me Up. It has one of the band's best choruses.

[Stadler]

To be honest, I wasn't even considering the NOMACs tunes while expressing that wish.

On the other hand Regression is a song, Raw Dog could have a lovely RawDoghouse in someone's yard somewhere, and I suspect lack of broader knowledge could not be an issue with this forum.

You may say I'm a dreamer.

But you're not the only one.

[Stadler]

Here's a prediction. Stadler's #1 won't make the top 100.

Vegas money hears you!!! 

[OpenYourEyes311]

Prior to my revisiting the discography for this countdown I'd written off New Millennium as not having a chance of making the list, but it turned out to be far better than I'd remembered. It ended up finishing reasonably high. And I've always liked Build Me Up. It has one of the band's best choruses.

I've always liked New Millennium. I LOVE the syncopation of the vocal lines and how they change each chorus as the lyrics are slightly different. It's also got a really cool, odd vibe in comparison to the rest of the catalog (probably because it was written without JP - per MP on the L@B Drum Cam commentary). I know a lot of people don't like it, but I dig it a lot! It ended up in a very NICE spot in my Top 100

[TAC]

To be honest, I wasn't even considering the NOMACs tunes while expressing that wish.

On the other hand Regression is a song, Raw Dog could have a lovely RawDoghouse in someone's yard somewhere, and I suspect lack of broader knowledge could not be an issue with this forum.

You may say I'm a dreamer.

I believe Raw Dog will make the countdown.

[Jamesman42]

If it does, maybe in the bottom 10.

[twosuitsluke]

To be honest, I wasn't even considering the NOMACs tunes while expressing that wish.

On the other hand Regression is a song, Raw Dog could have a lovely RawDoghouse in someone's yard somewhere, and I suspect lack of broader knowledge could not be an issue with this forum.

You may say I'm a dreamer.

I believe Raw Dog will make the countdown.

I've done my bit for Raw Dog. Great song.