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

[MirrorMask]

And with that, 27 of my Top 50 are still alive for the Top 25!  We'll see what happens!

I have 26, but I already know that three songs won't be there.

From my top 25, only 15 are left.

[porcacultor]

28. Lines In The Sand

#20 for me. Groovy, as Earthworm Jim would say!

27. The Mirror

#68 for me. I guess other DT tracks on the heavier side do more to me, BUT it's still an undeniable piece.

26. The Spirit Carries On

#56 for me, ranked in a moment when I thought I was kind of over it, but still wanted to give it its fair shake. I've since come back around, but no regrets!

[hefdaddy42]

And with that, 27 of my Top 50 are still alive for the Top 25!  We'll see what happens!

I have 26, but I already know that three songs won't be there.

From my top 25, only 15 are left.

I know several of mine also won't be there lol

[Dream Team]

Wow only 1 of these snuck in there. TSCO (107) should rank higher but I kinda got burned out on it. Score version with that intro is the best them. LITS (110), as others have said, has an awesome middle section but the rest I don't care for as much.  Mirror landed at 88.

  5 Only a Matter of Time
  6 The Killing Hand
  9 The Great Debate
11 Outcry
12 Overture 1928
16 One Last Time
20 Lost Not Forgotten
22 A View From the Top of the World
24 This is the Life
25 Beneath the Surface
26 A New Beginning
28 Fall Into the Light
30 The Best of Times
31 Afterlife
33 Disappear
35 S2N
38 Constant Motion
39 Behind the Veil
40 The Enemy Inside
41 Pale Blue Dot
42 The Root of All Evil
46 Misunderstood
48 A Fortune in Lies
52 Barstool Warrior
51 Our New World
53 At Wit's End
54 Wither
55 The Alien
56 Lifting Shadows off a Dream
57 Surrender to Reason
58 Raise the Knife
59 Innocence Faded
61 I Walk Beside You
62 Endless Sacrifice
63 Awaken the Master
64 The Looking Glass
65 Wait for Sleep
66 The Bigger Picture
67 A Nightmare to Remember
68 Sleeping Giant
70 The Ministry of Lost Souls
72 The Dance of Eternity
75 Panic Attack
76 Transcending Time
78 Ytse Jam
79 Sacrificed Sons
81 The Gift of Music
84 Answering the Call
88 The Mirror
93 Another Day
95 On the Backs of Angels
97 The Shattered Fortress

Missed the top 100: Never Enough, Vacant, Forsaken, New Millennium, Through Her Eyes, To Live Forever, Honor thy Father, The Dark Eternal Night, The Silent Man, Hollow Years, Hell's Kitchen, These Walls, Caught in a Web, Lie, This Dying Soul, Peruvian Skies, As I Am, Erotomania, Stream of Consciousness, 6:00, Space-Dye Vest, The Spirit Carries On, Lines in the Sand

Highest Ranker Of: Only a Matter of Time, Outcry

[pg1067]

34. 6:00

33. The Dance Of Eternity

32. Overture 1928

31. Misunderstood

30. Space-Dye Vest

29. Endless Sacrifice

28. Lines In The Sand

27. The Mirror

26. The Spirit Carries On

OK...a bunch of catching up for me.

6:00 is my #3 song on Awake and my #32 song overall.  When I first put Awake in the CD player and got that drum fill and then the odd-time riff, I breathed a bit of a sigh of relief about a potential letdown following I&W.  Great song.  It finished at #54 in the prior countdown, so it got a big bump this time.

TDOE and Overture 1928 and both great.  TDOE obviously took a bit to digest, but wow!  And O1928 is such a great way to open the album (not including Regression, of course).  I had O1928 at #25 and TDOE at #40.  TDOE finished at #47 in the prior countdown (jump of 14 places), and O1928 finished at #38, so only a small jump.

Misunderstood took me a long time to "get."  Once I got it, though, boom.  What a killer song.  Only the end is no good, but it's easy at that point just to skip to disc 2.  I had Misunderstood at #29.  It finished at #33 in the prior countdown.

Space-Dye Vest is a nice song.  I enjoy it, but I don't go out of my way to listen to it.  I do NOT get the LOVE that this song seems to generate; the cult of Kevin Moore is strong.  I had it at #63.  It finished at #21 last time.

Endless Sacrifice is a really great song.  I love the juxtaposition of the verses and the chorus and the middle section.  I had it at #34.  It finished at #40 last time.

Now we get to a batch that I'm not so fond of.

Lines in the Sand is a great example of a song that is absolutely RUINED by one small bit.  The guest vocals are just that awful.  I had the song at #93.  It finished at #17 in the last countdown.

The only reason The Mirror isn't my least favorite song of the early years is because New Millennium exists.  I didn't like it when I first heard Puppies on Acid live and was disappointed when I heard that riff on the album.  Not ranked (and it'll be the last song in the countdown that I didn't rank).  It ranked at #19 in the last countdown, and I take pride in contributing to that drop.

TSCO is fine, but it's overdone.  It's one of my lower ranked SFAM songs.  I had it at #81 (behind a TA song!).  It finished at #28 last time, so it held steady.



List                                                    Not Ranked         
100  This Dying Soul (47T)                  Never Enough (100), The Gift of Music (98), Our New World (93), A New Beginning (91), New Millennium (87), Sleeping Giant (85), Awaken the Master (81), The Best of Times (77), To Live Forever (75T)
99  I Walk Beside You (80)                  Answering the Call (75T), Lost Not Forgotten (73), Fall into the Light (72), Honor Thy Father (71), Raise the Knife (65), The Great Debate (53), Peruvian Skies (44T), Disappear (41), The Mirror (27)
98
97  This Is the Life (88)
96
95
94
93  Lines in the Sand (28)
92  The Ministry of Lost Souls (61)
91
90
89
88  Another Day (38)
87  Innocence Faded (42)
86  Lie (47T)
85
84  Forsaken (95)
83
82  Erotomania (40)
81  The Spirit Carries On (26)
80
79  Vacant (97)
78  Wait for Sleep (44T)
77  The Silent Man (66)
76
75  A Fortune in Lies (78)
74
73  A Nightmare to Remember (50)
72
71  These Walls (54)
70
69  At Wit's End (37)
68  The Shattered Fortress (79)
67  The Dark Eternal Night (70)
66  Pale Blue Dot (62)
65  Transcending Time (90)
64
63  Space-Dye Vest (30)
62
61  Beneath the Surface (64)
60  Hell's Kitchen (57)
59  Afterlife (96)
58
57  Surrender to Reason (83T)
56
55  The Alien (69)
54  The Root of All Evil (36)
53  The Bigger Picture (60)
52
51
50
49  As I Am (43)
48  A View from the Top of the World (49)
47  Lifting Shadows off a Dream (35)
46  Behind the Veil (89)
45
44  On the Backs of Angels (56)
43  Ytse Jam (67)
42  One Last Time (46)
41  Through Her Eyes (74)
40  The Dance of Eternity (33)
39  The Enemy Inside (83T)
38  Hollow Years (59)
37
36  Caught in a Web (51)
35  Barstool Warrior (52)
34  Endless Sacrifice (29)
33  Outcry (58)
32  6:00 (34)
31  The Looking Glass (92)
30
29  Misunderstood (31)
28  S2N (94)
27  Wither (99)
26
25  Overture 1928 (32)
24
23
22
21
20
19  Sacrificed Sons (63)
18  Constant Motion (86) (high ranker)
17  Only a Matter of Time (82)
16
15  The Killing Hand (68)
14  Panic Attack (55)
13
12
11  Stream of Consciousness (39)
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

[Animal]

At Wit's End - (78) The intro is better than the rest of the song (which is still pretty good).

The Root of All Evil (85) - Not a fan of either 12SS or Octavarium. But I have always liked this song, even though there is nothing outstanding about it.

Lifting Shadows Off A Dream (43)- This is how you do U2 without crossing to "too much inspiration, maybe even ripoffitization" territory.

6:00 (38) - A great opener to my favorite album.

The Dance of Eternity (69) - One of my less favorite instrumentals, still a great part of a great album.

Overture 1928  (30) I enjoy this one a lot more than TDOE. So much music in so little time.

Misunderstood 62 I always liked the main part but I am slowly warming up even to the final cacophonic section.

Space-Dye Vest (7) I have loved this one since the first time I heard it. Initially, I liked it more than anything else on Awake, but it is only n. 4 now.

Endless Sacrifice (87)  Not a favorite, still an enjoyable part of what has turned out an infinitely more enjoyable album than I ever thought  could be possible after hearing it for the first time.

b]Lines In The Sand (25) [/b]The solo deserves all the accolades it gets.

The Mirror (4) I am one of those who are mesmerized by this song. A perfect blend of atmosphere and aggression that hits very hard. Considered it for n.1 but ranked The Killing Hand and two other Awake songs ahead of it.

The Spirit Carries On (45) - One of the best DT ballads by any standard. It might have soured a bit due to getting Nothing Else Matters treatment (I mean being played to death).

[Zydar]

Am I alone in not having "overplayed" and "played to death on every tour" as a criteria when ranking the songs? I just judge the song as it is, not how many times it's been played live.

[pg1067]

And with that, 27 of my Top 50 are still alive for the Top 25!  We'll see what happens!

I have 26, but I already know that three songs won't be there.

From my top 25, only 15 are left.

23 of my top 50 have yet to be revealed.  All of my top 25 will make it.  My #37 and #50 songs will not make it.

Am I alone in not having "overplayed" and "played to death on every tour" as a criteria when ranking the songs? I just judge the song as it is, not how many times it's been played live.

It's a fair point, but I'm going to rank a song lower if "I'm sick of it" than if "I could hear it on a loop for the rest of my life and not get sick of it."

[jingle.boy]

Lines in the Sand ... 22.  How in the hell can 30-45 seconds of Doug's voice irk people to the extent that it ruins a song.  To call out Stadler specifically (only because your list of in-songs and out-songs is right there, you rate A Nightmare to Remember with that god-awful segment by MP, but you drop a pile on LITS becuase of a few wails by Doug??

The Mirror ... 42.  Good song.  Middle of the pack from Awake.  Far superior to Lie though.

TSCO ... 44.  IMO, it's kinda like Zeppelin and Stairway to Heaven - way too overplayed to be as enjoyed as it once was.  Beautiful, wonderfully written and performed, one of JPs best solo's ever, and the Gospel Choir version from LSFNY is one of the greatest concert moments they have.  But I think I've heard it enough times in my life already.

[Stadler]

Lines in the Sand ... 22.  How in the hell can 30-45 seconds of Doug's voice irk people to the extent that it ruins a song.  To call out Stadler specifically (only because your list of in-songs and out-songs is right there, you rate A Nightmare to Remember with that god-awful segment by MP, but you drop a pile on LITS becuase of a few wails by Doug??

Yes, exactly. 

I don't disagree that the ANTR segment is awful, but it's different. one, it's not a member of the band, so there's that.  Two, I remember hearing FII for the first time and being confused by a lot of it (not least of which was the vague similarity with the Skunkworks artwork from about a year and a half previous) and wondering "WTF?".  I've gone on to appreciate parts of LITS; and when I listen to the Director's Cut - the version I listen to most - the song certainly doesn't suck, but I've never gotten past those vocals. 

[jingle.boy]

Seems there are 14 tracks that I did not rank, and I have easily identified 13 of the ones I *did* rank that will not make this Top 100.  Which makes me very sad for the only song that I can see not making the list from what I have remaining.  I'm sure we all have that song(s) which we believe to be a travesty they will not be representing.

[HOF]

There are also plenty of live versions of LiTS (plus the demo) that don't have Dug on them, so it's not like the song can only be heard with Dug's vocal.

[ReaperKK]

To my ears Dug's vocals always sounded like a drunk guy at a bar trying to sing back up to a song on the radio.

[Puppies_On_Acid]

To my ears Dug's vocals always sounded like a drunk guy at a bar trying to sing back up to a song on the radio.

I like King's X and Dug's vocals, but 

[MirrorMask]

The Mirror (4) I am one of those who are mesmerized by this song. A perfect blend of atmosphere and aggression that hits very hard. Considered it for n.1 but ranked The Killing Hand and two other Awake songs ahead of it.

Yay, another number 4 spot brother for the song  who knows, we might possibly share number 3 as well 

[pg1067]

Seems there are 14 tracks that I did not rank, and I have easily identified 13 of the ones I *did* rank that will not make this Top 100.  Which makes me very sad for the only song that I can see not making the list from what I have remaining.  I'm sure we all have that song(s) which we believe to be a travesty they will not be representing.

I have 18 that will go unranked:

37. Not too surprised that this Mangini era ballad didn't make it, but I'm not sure why it's not more liked.
50. Not at all surprised that this Sherinian composed song didn't make it.
56. This will be the only Octavarium song that won't make it, which I find really weird.
58. This WDADU song rarely gets discussed one way or the other.  It's got a great vibe.
62. Another Mangini era ballad that no one seems to like.
64. I think this is the only lead single from an album not to make it.
70. One of the more reviled Mangini era songs in the catalog.  I think it's really good.
72. One of the most hated songs in the band's catalog.  My views on this album are generally 180 from the consensus.
74. This might be the most surprising song on my list not to make the top 100.
76. Kind of an afterthought WDADU song for most folks, I think.
80. My only ranked song from TA.
83. Probably the least loved instrumental.
90. The least surprising of my misses.
91. Well...maybe this is less surprising.  Falls into the same category as #72.
94. J-dude and I might be the only two to have this in the top 100, although he likely had it much higher.
95. No surprise that this BC&SL song missed the list.
96. Falls into the same category as #72 and #91.
98. A song I have a very hard time distinguishing from another song on the same album.

[pg1067]

There are also plenty of live versions of LiTS (plus the demo) that don't have Dug on them, so it's not like the song can only be heard with Dug's vocal.

Isn't OIAL the only "official" live version?  I view that as one of the worst live albums by any band, so I pretty much never listen to it.

[Indiscipline]

Lines in the Sand: 4. Perfect songwriting, deep and elaborate colours, the best DT transitions ever.

The Spirit Carries On: 3. It is to SFAM exactly what Comfortably Numb is to The Wall. My wife has three instructions for the day I croak: the guitars to my second nephew, the cars to the first one, this song played by my orchestra in my town's theatre.

The Mirror: 86. It scared me in 1994. Then I discovered it's a quite subtle exercise in colouring lyrics with music and I stopped worrying and learnt to love the bomb.


The Score so far:

3 - The Spirit Carries On
4 - Lines in the Sand
7 - Misunderstood
9 - Space-Dye Vest
14 - Stream of Consciousness
21 - A New Beginning
23 - Disappear
27 - The Best of Times
28 - Outcry
31 - Erotomania
33 - Surrender to Reason
36 - This Is the Life
38 - Hell's Kitchen
42 - Another Day
43 - One Last Time
45 - Vacant
46 - The Gift of Music
47 - Beneath the Surface
48 - The Silent Man
54 - Peruvian Skies
55 - The Dance of Eternity
56 - The Bigger Picture
61 - Wait for Sleep
65 - Pale Blue Dot
68 - Our New World
69 - Overture 1928
70 - Innocence Faded
71 - Behind the Veil
72 - The Looking Glass
76 - Lifting Shadows Off a Dream
77 - At Wit's End
78 - Lie
79 - Hollow Years
87 - Ytse Jam
88 - The Mirror
89 - Through Her Eyes
90 - Lost Not Forgotten
91 - 6:00
92 - The Killing Hand
93 - Endless Sacrifice
95 - Barstool Warrior
96 - Fall Into the Light
97 - A Fortune in Lies

Not Ranked: 32

[The Realm]

Lines in the Sand - I really love this track, just so many cool things. Never been a big fan of the guest vocals but they don't ruin it for me. My rank 32.

The Mirror - My rank 37.

The Spirit Carries On - a bit surprised to see this song today but seems like not everyone is a fan. Just a brilliant piece of music and one of my favourite JP solos. My rank 16.

10 songs unranked.
Still 16 of my top 20 to be revealed. Pretty sure they will all make it.
5 more left in the 21 to 30 range. Pretty sure they will all make it.
2 more in the 31 to 40 range. Pretty sure these 2 songs make it.
For the remaining two songs, I am not sure what they are! From my point of view there are a few options on the table so looking forward to seeing how it plays out.

[HOF]

There are also plenty of live versions of LiTS (plus the demo) that don't have Dug on them, so it's not like the song can only be heard with Dug's vocal.

Isn't OIAL the only "official" live version?  I view that as one of the worst live albums by any band, so I pretty much never listen to it.

For some reason I thought it was on either Live Scenes or Budokan, but I must have been thinkin of Trial of Tears which appears on both OiaLT and Budokan or Just Let Me Breath which is on OiaLT and Scenes.

I think OiaLT is the second best sounding live album the band have done besides Score, but James is certainly rough in places and your mileage probably varies on the set list.

[hefdaddy42]

It's also on Chaos In Motion.  And I don't know if the live version there is good or not, because in general I'm not crazy about that recording, so I never listen to it.

[HOF]

It's also on Chaos In Motion.  And I don't know if the live version there is good or not, because in general I'm not crazy about that recording, so I never listen to it.

Should also note, I haven't heard any live releases since Score, but there you go.

[TAC]

28. Lines In The Sand
Highest Finish: 4 (devieira73, Indiscipline)
Number of Lists appeared on: 55 (Adami, Animal, Awaken, axeman90210, bosk1, CanuckChum, CharlesPL, Dave_Manchester, devieira73, Dittomist, DTwwbwMP, energythief, Fonzie, geeeemo, hefdaddy42, Indiscipline, Jamesman42, jammindude, jeff_kinsley, jingle.boy, jonny108, JPZealot, KevShmev, King Puppies and the Acid Guppies, Lethean, lucasembarbosa, mariner, Metro, MirrorMask, Mladen, MoraWintersoul, Mosh, MustActFastToCoverUp, nobloodyname, OpenYourEyes311, Peter Mc, pg1067, PixelDream, Podaar, porcacultor, ReaperKK, ReaPsTA, Revenge319, romdrums, Setlist Scotty, TAC, The Realm, Toro, Trav86, twosuitsluke, Vmadera00, WardySI, weirdo, Wim Kruithof, wolfking)

27. The Mirror
Highest Finish: 2 (Setlist Scotty)
Number of Lists appeared on: 62 (Adami, Animal, Awaken, axeman90210, Ben_Jamin, bosk1, CanuckChum, CharlesPL, Cool Chris, Dave_Manchester, devieira73, Dittomist, Dream Team, DTwwbwMP, energythief, Evermind, Fonzie, geeeemo, hefdaddy42, Indiscipline, Jamesman42, jammindude, jeff_kinsley, JiM-Xtreme, jingle.boy, jonny108, KevShmev, King Puppies and the Acid Guppies, Lethean, lightningbolt, lucasembarbosa, mariner, Metro, MirrorMask, Mladen, MoraWintersoul, Mosh, MustActFastToCoverUp, nobloodyname, NoFred, OpenYourEyes311, Peter Mc, PixelDream, Podaar, porcacultor, ReaperKK, ReaPsTA, Revenge319, romdrums, Setlist Scotty, Stadler, SwedishGoose, The Realm, Toro, Trav86, twosuitsluke, Vmadera00, WardySI, weirdo, Wim Kruithof, wolfking, Zydar)

26. The Spirit Carries On
Highest Finish: 1 (DragonAttack, mariner, twosuitsluke)
Number of Lists appeared on: 59 (Adami, Animal, Awaken, axeman90210, Ben_Jamin, bosk1, CanuckChum, CharlesPL, Cool Chris, Dave_Manchester, devieira73, Dittomist, DragonAttack, DTwwbwMP, energythief, Evermind, geeeemo, hefdaddy42, Indiscipline, Jamesman42, jammindude, JiM-Xtreme, jingle.boy, jonny108, JPZealot, KevShmev, King Puppies and the Acid Guppies, Lethean, lightningbolt, lucasembarbosa, mariner, Metro, MirrorMask, Mladen, MoraWintersoul, Mosh, nobloodyname, OpenYourEyes311, Peter Mc, pg1067, PixelDream, Podaar, porcacultor, ReaPsTA, Revenge319, romdrums, Stadler, SwedishGoose, TAC, The Realm, Toro, Trav86, twosuitsluke, Vmadera00, WardySI, weirdo, Wim Kruithof, wolfking, Zydar)

I had Lines In The Sand at #8.
This song has been a favorite since I first heard it. It has a great groove and the whole song has a way of picking me up and carrying me. Those Kings X vocals don't get in the way here. I couldnt do a whole song of them, but the song overcomes them quite easily.

I had The Mirror as Not Rated.
I am shocked at how high this is. I think it's the worst song on Awake.

I had The Spirit Carries On at #56.
I am shocked at how low this is. I thought this was Top 20 easy.


List                                                    Not Ranked         
100                                                      Wither
99                                                        Vacant
98  6:00                                               Our New World
97                                                        The Looking Glass
96  The Root Of All Evil                          Transcending Time
95  Lie                                                  Behind The Veil
94                                                        New Millenium   
93  Caught In A Web                              Constant Motion
92                                                        The Shattered Fortress
91                                                        To Live Forever
90  Forsaken                                         Answering The Call
89                                                        Honor Thy Father
88                                                        The Silent Man
87                                                        Hell's Kitchen
86  Zydar                                              The Great Debate
85  Pale Blue Dot                                   As I Am
84                                                        Misunderstood
83                                                        The Mirror
82
81
80  Awaken The Master
79  On The Backs Of Angels
78  Stream Of Consciousness
77  A Nightmare To Remember
76  S2N
75  These Walls
74  Afterlife
73  This Is The Life
72
71
70  One Last Time
69  Surrender Of Reason
68
67
66
65  Sacrificed Sons
64  Beneath The Surface
63  Through Her Eyes
62  The Bigger Picture
61  I Walk Beside You
60  Never Enough
59  A New Beginning
58  Wait For Sleep
57
56  The Spirit Carries On
55
54  Barstool Warrior
53
52
51  Erotomania
50
49
48
47
46
45  Overture 1928
44  Panic Attack
43  Innocence Faded
42  The Ministry Of Lost Souls
41  Sleeping Giant
40
39  A View From The Top Of The World
38  At Wits End
37  Fall Into The Light
36
35  The Gift Of Music
34  The Dance Of Eternity
33  Peruvian Skies
32  Lifting Shadows Off A Dream
31  Ytse Jam
30
29
28  The Enemy Inside
27
26  Only A Matter Of Time
25
24  Raise The Knife
23  Hollow Years
22  The Dark Eternal Night
21  Outcry
20  This Dying Soul
19
18  A Fortune In Lies
17
16  The Alien
15
14  The Best Of Times
13  Endless Sacrifice
12
11  Lost Not Forgotten.
10
9
8  Lines In The Sand
7  Disappear
6
5  Space Dye Vest
4  The Killing Hand
3
2
1




57 -18

[jammindude]

Lines in the Sand - 90

I'm actually a huge King's X Dug Pinnick fan...but it just didn't work here at all.

The Mirror - 11

Amazing song! Too bad they stuck Lie in the middle. I prefer the 8 1/2 minute LSFNY version. This and probably Glass Prison are the greatest heavy riffs DT has ever written.

The Spirit Carries On - 43

A bit cliche, but one of their best ballads.

[Jamesman42]

49t. A View From The Top Of The World (NR) I gave this song 5 chances and I was never impressed. I do intend to give it more chances, maybe it'll click one day.
49t. A Nightmare To Remember (68th) Much of this song is pretty good, and then Beautiful Agony is many tiers above it. It's too long, though.
47t. Lie (72nd) Really cool song, maybe should be higher for me, and the instrumental rocks.
47t. This Dying Soul (34th) The moment that riff hits and the band comes in...come on! So good! Lots to like, a great part of the 12SS.
46. One Last Time (74th) Yeah, not a SFAM fan. I do plan to give it a spin to see if it finally clicks. Maybe!
44t. Peruvian Skies (95th) Meh, it's aight.
44t. Wait For Sleep (37th) Just beautiful, I still remember the first time hearing it. Really impressed then and just as much now.
43. As I Am (15th) I LOVE this song and I am pretty surprised it is this low. One of my first DT songs so maybe I am biased. The prechorus is one of the coolest parts and the chorus is really cool. The guitar solo ending on chords ringing out is such a little twist.
42. Innocence Faded (16th) This song has grown tremendously on me. It all flows so well, and the instrumental is killer.
41. Disappear (39th) Great song, I don't often go to listen but it's always a great and sad song.
40. Erotomania (46th) Very cool instrumental.
39. Stream Of Consciousness (12th) Best instrumental. Best DT song to play on the bass.
38. Another Day (24th) Not an instrumental, but a top 3 ballad-y type song from DT.
37. At Wit's End (NR) Not familiar enough but I think I heard it the other day and liked it.
36. The Root Of All Evil (18th) Great song, pretty straightforward but it rocks.
35. Lifting Shadows Off A Dream (63rd) I get why people like this more than I do. It's a great song, but in the context of the album, it starts to drag and on its own, it isn't what I look for in DT songs usually, while still liking it.
34. 6:00 (32nd) Close to the consensus. One of the strongest choruses ever?
33. The Dance Of Eternity (45th) Great song, maybe overrated like the album it comes from.
32. Overture 1928 (55th) See above.
31. Misunderstood (27th) I love this song, the only gripe is the outro goes on too long. The laid back verse into the that winding up prechorus into that emotional chorus is just so good.
30. Space-Dye Vest (44th) Lovely song, very different for DT at a time that they were heading into some major changes. I heard the live version not too long ago and that was also great.
29. Endless Sacrifice (10th) I am glad I wasn't the highest ranker. What Evermind said is basically what I think as well (except that I do like all of ToT). This is what DT metal should try and be much of the time. It doesn't try too hard like some other songs.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
28. Lines In The Sand (58th)  I see the appeal and why it would be this high, but it doesn't feel like DT to me. But it's still a good song.
27. The Mirror (71st) This could've been higher, a good song in the middle of an excellent album.
26. The Spirit Carries On (23rd) The second or third DT song I ever heard, it is, by far, the highlight of SFAM. It's cheesy but makes sense in the album. JLB really fills in the space in the beginning, the piano driving the song is great, and the guitar solo has to be a top 5 solo from JP within DT.

[JiM-Xtreme]

Oh god, I am so behind. Time for a big old catchup post!

50. A Nightmare To Remember - my 10. This song absolutely blew me away right from the first listen, and is still very exciting to listen to to this day. It has heavy parts, rocking parts (that monster of a riff in the first verse, so good to headbang to!  ), an amazing and epic sounding chorus, a wicked instrumental section and of course... the "beautiful agony" section. Honestly, there is so much to love about this song, really surprised it didn't finish a lot higher.

The MP vocal section isn't THAT bad... and who knows, we may be lucky enough to see it live once again!  Really should have edited out that stupid "oof" though... that's literally my one gripe with the song.

49. A View From The Top Of The World - slightly lower for me at 55. Of the circa 20-minute epics, this is my second-least favourite only beating Illumination Theory. The majority of it is just fine... but that middle section is AMAZING. That slow groove, the way it builds and builds and culminates in that amazing JP lead, fantastic and chill-inducing.

47t. Lie - came a bit lower for me, 71. Great tune but ultimately, not that much to it. Cool groove, great vocal parts, nice callback to The Mirror and a killer outro.

47t. This Dying Soul - 11 for me. I actually thought I had a shot at ranking this one the highest but, total respect to Mr. Manchester for giving this one the top spot. This is one of the first DT songs that absolutely fascinated me and I listened to repeatedly, obsessively, in awe of the intricate riffs, solos, unisons, and those fast vocal sections. Bar none, the heaviest and most all-out aggressive DT has ever been. Can't say enough how much I love this one.

46. One Last Time - 28 for me. On the album it serves as a sort of interlude, but that's doing it a disservice. It's an absolutely beautiful melody but it goes to another level when they go back to the theme first heard in Overture/Strange. Once again, CHILLS. And... this section contains one of the only recorded instances of JM playing slap bass!! 

44t. Peruvian Skies - unranked for me. I never really understood what was to like about this one. It's mostly slow and boring, and even when the tempo and dynamics pick up towards the end it's not that exciting for DT standards.

44t. Wait For Sleep - 75 for me. Beautiful song, not much more to be said. Love it.

43. As I Am - my 21. Along with TDS, this is one of the songs that really got me interested in DT at the beginning, and it's really stood the test of time. I still love it when they bring it out live and that JP solo has to be up there with his best and most memorable.

42. Innocence Faded - 45 for me. Another great song, the vocals being the clear highlight.

41. Disappear - 35 for me. A unique song in their catalogue. Powerful and emotional but without being cheesy in the slightest. Would love it to make a live comeback.

40. Erotomania - exactly where I ranked it, 40! Guess I don't need to say anything then 

39. Stream of Consciousness - I ranked this at 17. At first glance it may seem there's nothing much to this instrumental, by DT standards. But there is just something about the way this one builds and builds throughout, I can't quite put it into words. Would love for this to make a comeback as well.

38. Another Day - slightly lower for me at 44. I do still get chills listening to this one, mainly because of the vocals and lyrical subject matter. A classic.

37. At Wit's End - 65 for me. IMO, slightly overrated - sure, the outro is pure bliss but, whilst the first half of the song is not by any means bad, they've produced a lot better over the years.

36. The Root Of All Evil - very close to where I ranked it, 38.

35. Lifting Shadows Off A Dream - I ranked this at 72. A very good song with a couple of chill-inducing moments i.e. the bridge into that final chorus but, not one that I come back to very often.

34. 6:00 - again, EXACTLY where I ranked it!!

33. The Dance Of Eternity - 12 for me. This is a very, very special piece of music, something that is truly representative of this group of virtuosos. And it's not just incredibly technical, but it's so FUN to listen to as well.

32. Overture 1928 - my 4. So I was one space off ranking this one the joint-highest. This was THE piece of music that made me first take notice of DT, I will always remember that day in my Dad's car when he was playing the CD. But it's not just the nostalgia factor that makes me rank this one so high - this song just has such a fantastic vibe, great positive energy with several great melodies, themes and chord progressions. A great piece of music to listen to in the morning to set you up for the day. Always needs to be followed by Strange though 

31. Misunderstood - I ranked 10 places lower at 41.

30. Space-Dye Vest - I ranked at 51. A great and powerful piece of music although, not really representative of DT for the obvious reason. Fantastic and fitting end to the Awake album though.

29. Endless Sacrifice - 42 for me. It's grown on me over the years. That middle instrumental is not one of DT's strongest but, the lyrics and melodies are fantastic.

28. Lines In The Sand - this actually didn't make my list. I've always found this one to be rather overrated. I do appreciate the middle solo but, it's not one I ever consciously go back to.

27. The Mirror - this ended up quite a bit lower for me at 70. That's not to knock it though as I do actually really like it. Fantastic vocals, some nice bass playing in the middle section and I love the fun they have with that simple riff at the beginning, just displacing it and switching up the time feels, genius!

26. The Spirit Carries On - a few spots higher on my list at 22. What can I say, it's a perfect climax to Scenes. I do feel it's been considerably overplayed over the years though - it works much better in the context of Scenes rather than as a standalone live.

Will try and keep up day by day again but... we'll see!

[wolfking]

LITS I had at 77.  A fun song.

The Mirror I had at number 11.  Fucking love it.  Love the atmosphere, the heaviness, James' vocals and that Space Dye Vest melody we hear after the "I'll never hurt you again,' section is fucking epic!!

Spirit came in at 50.  Could have been a little higher but top 50 is fine.  That JP solo!!



List                                                        Not Ranked         
100                                                    The Gift of Music
99 The Best of Times                          A New Beginning
98 Constant Motion                             New Millenium
97                                                     Sleeping Giant
96 A Fortune in Lies                            Awaken the Master
95 The Alien                                       To Live Forever
94 Our New World                               The Killing Hand
93 This is the Life                                Ytse Jam
92 Disappear                                       The Silent Man
91 Hollow Years                                   Raise the Knife
90 Sacrificed Sons                               Beneath the Surface
89 Only A Matter of Time
88 Vacant
87
86 Through Her Eyes
85
84 Stream Of Consciousness
83
82 Transcending Time
81
80
79 Pale Blue Dot
78 Wither
77 Lines in the Sand
76
75 The Ministry of Lost Souls
74 The Enemy Inside
73 One Last Time
72 Peruvian Skies
71 Forsaken
70 Lost Not Forgotten
69
68
67 S2N
66 Fall Into the Light
65
64 The Looking Glass
63 Panic Attack
62
61 On the Backs of Angels
60 
59
58 Afterlife
57 Caught In A Web
56
55
54 The Great Debate
53 A Nightmare to Remember
52 Erotomania
51 Answering the Call
50 The Spirit Carries On
49 Space-Dye Vest
48 The Shattered Fortress
47
46 As I Am
45
44 The Dark Eternal Night
43
42 Never Enough
41 Wait For Sleep
40
39
38
37 The Bigger Picture
36 Outcry
35 
34 Lie
33 The Root of All Evil
32 I Walk Beside You
31
30 A View From the Top of the World
29 Surrender to Reason
28 Barstool Warrior
27 Another Day
26 Lifting Shadows Off A Dream
25 Endless Sacrifice
24 Innocence Faded
23 Misunderstood
22
21
20 Behind the Veil
19 Honor Thy Father
18
17
16
15
14
13 These Walls
12 At Wit's End
11 The Mirror
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2 This Dying Soul.
1

[devieira73]

Lines in the Sand (my #4), my first at highest ranking! What can I say... it's definitely a rare DT song, no other have been so close to something jazzy as this song (maybe only their really cool version for Gangland). It's the perfect middle ground between Derek's influences in hard rock and jazz-rock and the core DT epic sound. Also, it has a great groove from Mike/John Myung and, unlike many others, I just LOVE DUg guesting on this song.

The Mirror (my #54) is great and I always loved immensely that Puppies on Acid intro!

The Spirit Carries On (my #67) is very enganging and I love the lyrics. JP's solo on it is always an amazing moment.

[pg1067]

I had The Mirror as Not Rated.
I am shocked at how high this is. I think it's the worst song on Awake.

As with your Power Windows takes, you demonstrate impeccable taste, ma brother!

[Revenge319]

7. Disappear (+1)
10. The Best of Times (-7)
12. A Nightmare to Remember (-1)
13. Erotomania (-1)
14. Space-Dye Vest (+5)
15. Misunderstood (+1)
17. This Dying Soul (+10)
18. The Shattered Fortress (+6)
21. The Ministry of Lost Souls (-4)
22. The Spirit Carries On (-7)
23. The Silent Man (+0)
24. The Dark Eternal Night (+9)
29. Lines in the Sand (+16)
30. Hell's Kitchen (-8)
32. A View From the Top of the World
34. Outcry (+36)
35. Constant Motion (+29)
37. A New Beginning (-7)
38. The Great Debate (+0)
39. Pale Blue Dot (-8)
40. Sleeping Giant
41. Endless Sacrifice (+21)
42. The Root of All Evil (-10)
46. Fall Into The Light (-10)
47. Barstool Warrior (-13)
48. The Bigger Picture (+0)
49. The Mirror (+9)
51. Ytse Jam (+4)
52. These Walls (+31)
58. S2N (+1)
59. The Enemy Inside (-10)
61. Awaken the Master
63. The Gift of Music (-2)
64. As I Am (+16)
66. Stream of Consciousness (-16)
67. Panic Attack (-15)
68. On the Backs of Angels (+20)
69. 6:00 (+24)
70. Another Day (-27)
71. Transcending Time
73. At Wit's End (-7)
77. Hollow Years (-2)
78. The Killing Hand (-37)
80. Wait For Sleep (-23)
83. The Dance of Eternity (+12)
84. This is the Life (-12)
87. A Fortune in Lies (+18)
88. I Walk Beside You (+31)
89. Never Enough (-18)
90. Wither (-4)
93. Vacant (+4)
94. Through Her Eyes (-13)
97. Innocence Faded (-8)
98. Lie (+19)
100. Our New World (+3)
----------------------------------
105. Answering the Call
109. The Alien
112. Beneath the Surface (-2)
116. Caught in a Web (+14)
122. Lost Not Forgotten (-9)
123. Behind the Veil (-2)
124. Peruvian Skies (+2)
130. The Looking Glass (+1)
131. Forsaken (-4)
137. Sacrificed Sons (-15)
139. Only a Matter of Time (-10)
141. Lifting Shadows Off A Dream (-25)
142. Afterlife (-7)
143. One Last Time (-4)
147. Surrender to Reason (-10)
148. New Millennium (-8)
149. Honor Thy Father (-7)
----------------------------------
Unranked: To Live Forever, Raise the Knife, Zydar

[axeman90210]

Lines in the Sand- I had this just sneaking into my top ten (at #10). I love the Dug Pinnick vocals and really everything about this song. FII is an album of peaks and valleys for me, and this is K2.

The Mirror- I was a little lower than the consensus, #46 on my list. A great heavy tune that's just a touch outside top tier for me.

The Spirit Carries On- I was close, I had it at #31. In retrospect I feel maybe I should have had it higher though. It's an integral piece of my favorite album, and JP has his David Gilmour Comfortably Numb moment with that stunner of a solo.

[Cool Chris]

Am I alone in not having "overplayed" and "played to death on every tour" as a criteria when ranking the songs? I just judge the song as it is, not how many times it's been played live.

That never remotely factored in to my rankings. I considered only 2 things 1) How much I enjoyed the song when it was released, and 2) How much I have enjoyed the song over the years till now.

[NoFred]

Am I alone in not having "overplayed" and "played to death on every tour" as a criteria when ranking the songs? I just judge the song as it is, not how many times it's been played live.

That never remotely factored in to my rankings. I considered only 2 things 1) How much I enjoyed the song when it was released, and 2) How much I have enjoyed the song over the years till now.

While I mostly agree, the song in question is so saccharin that it had a limited lifetime. Did not carry on, for me at least.

[WardySI]

Wow, big update!

27. The Mirror
Highest Finish: 2 (Setlist Scotty)

Oh noes, my boy The Mirror is out already! I was SURE I was the highest ranker for this one, but my number 4 has been beaten by Setlist Scotty, congrats! 

Why I love this song? first of all, it has some sentimental value; I'm not-young enough to have lived in the era of cassette tapes, and my cousin, who was already a fan, used some random DT songs to fill up the tape he copied me of whatever stuff I wanted.

I didn't really like the song, just like I didn't like Hollow Years or Anna Lee, but finally, after four months or so of listening to The Mirror, it clicked, and it basically started the avalanche effect that turned me, in the spring / summer of 1999, as a fan.

Besides that, it's a kickass song and does not mean 2 millions of notes to make its point. How cool and iconic is that intro riff? you can hum along to it just like you do with other famous riffs. A pure headbanger, heavy, menacing, great performance by LaBrie, cool SDV reprise, I love everything about this song, and not just because it introduced me to Dream Theater.

And here I was expecting to be highest had Mirror at #3

But kudos to you both Setlist Scott and I see Animal had it at #4 also excellent work everyone and wholeheartedly agree with MirrorMask this is how you do heavy DT without the fuss


Lines In The Sand #64
Spirit Carries On #41

[MustActFastToCoverUp]

28 Lines In the Sand, I had this at 25, almost spot on. I don't mind the guest vocals at all, I think I just discovered King's X at that time, but had no idea there were connections of any sort between the DT and the King's X camp. So hearing Dug on a DT song was a big surprise and a good one.

27 The Mirror, my 44. I like Awake a lot and this beast too. Since it's just one spot above Lie on my list, I guess I ranked them as kind of connected. Could have been higher.

26 The Spirit Carries On NR. I guess this is the last one not to make my list. Here the live renditions did definitely play a role in my ranking. I guess it's okay in the context of the album, I like the dry production on the studio version in the beginning. When they do it live, as an individual piece; I'm not the guy for singalong and wave your arms in the air moments, so ... It has its earworm qualities though, I have to admit

There's one song left on my prediction list I'd be surprised making the top 25, but I have no idea what other song could replace it.