DTF's Favorite Non-Dream Theater Artists

[425]

With Haken's Affinity coming out this past week, I've noticed that it's one of those releases that seems to be followed by a huge portion of the DTF community, and that has me thinking about how, over the past few years, Haken has achieved a huge, perhaps near-universal, recognition here at DTF. It was already starting in 2013 when DT12 and The Mountain came out just a few weeks apart, and there was a lot of comparison going on between the two, and I think Haken has only become more recognized since then.

So that got me thinking: what artist is the most popular one on DTF besides Dream Theater? Now, I could just run a poll saying "what is your favorite artist," but that wouldn't really answer the question. If one artist is in almost everybody's top 5, but more people have a different one as a favorite, that's not very accurate. I want to measure what artists are the most widely known by DTF.

In order to measure that, I've listed a set of about 40 artists that, in my estimation, are among the most popular ones on DTF, and this poll allows you to choose as many of them as you want. What I'm asking you to do is vote only for the artists that you would consider yourself to be a fan of. That way we can see which artist has the most fans on DTF, and therefore get a good measure of which artist (other than DT) has the most fans here.

If you think I missed anything, suggest it and I'll try to add it into the poll, if it makes sense to do so. Please only suggest artists that you think actually have a chance at being among the most popular on DTF, not just personal favorites.




**The "Devin Townsend/Devin Townsend Project" and "Steven Wilson/Porcupine Tree" options include all projects of those artists. The "Neal Morse (solo)" option refers only to his solo career—there are separate options for Spock's Beard, Transatlantic and Flying Colors. I made it this way because DT and SW seem to really dominate all the bands that they're in, while Transatlantic/Flying Colors have other dominant songwriters and Spock's Beard has had a long career after Neal left.

[Outcrier]

"You may only select up to 42 options."

Holy shit 

[425]

But don't necessarily select that many! Just the ones that you're a fan of.

[Fluffy Lothario]

what artist is the most popular one on DTF besides Dream Theater?

Steven Wilson/Porcupine Tree.

/thread.

[Tomislav95]

EDIT: On 2nd thought (and when I saw others vote for more bands): Agalloch, Anathema, Haken, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Opeth, Redemption, Riverside, Rush, Steven Wilson/Porcupine Tree, Tool

[Outcrier]

Anathema
Beatles
Genesis
Iron Maiden
Megadeth
Metallica
Opeth
Radiohead
Sigur Ros
Steven Wilson/Porcupine Tree
Symphony X

From these, i'm only a big fan of Radiohead and Beatles but also voted for others i like.

[Evermind]

Nice idea for a thread.

Let's see:

Avantasia
Ayreon
Haken (I thought about this for a while and decided I like them just enough to be a fan)
IQ
Jethro Tull
Kamelot
Marillion
Nightwish
Pain of Salvation
Pink Floyd
Seventh Wonder
SW / PT
Symphony X

I also voted Redemption even though I only know one song from them, but I've got this feeling I will become a big fan.

[jakepriest]

Ayreon
Coheed and Cambria
Devin Townsend
Haken
Nightwish
Riverside
TesseracT
Tool
Transatlantic

R.I.P no Periphery 

[senecadawg2]

I voted for all but about 8-10. Agalloch, Anathema, Opeth, Pain of Salvation, SW/PT, Yes, Rush, Sigur Ros, Riverside, and Devin Townsend being my top 10 on this list.

[Zydar]

The Beatles (my #1 ever)
Genesis
Haken
Iron Maiden
Pink Floyd
Queensrÿche
Rush
Yes

[Tomislav95]

I also voted Redemption even though I only know one song from them, but I've got this feeling I will become a big fan.

[Train of Naught]

Between the Buried and Me: Only been a real fan for like just over a month but I already have 4 of their albums (Coma, TGM, Parallax and Alaska) and am going to a concert, they already feel like a favorite band to me.

The Dear Hunter
Haken
Iron Maiden
Metallica
Tesseract


Apart from those I'd vote for Deftones, Periphery, Protest the Hero and The Mars Volta (going by popular-ish DTF/prog bands only) but they're not on the list.

[jjrock88]

Queensryche, Iron Maiden, Rush, Symphony X, Fates Warning, Pink Floyd, Kansas, Megadeth and Metallica.

[Nekov]

inb4 Steven Wilson wins this

[Sacul]

No David Maxim Micic/Destiny Potato? 

[jakepriest]

No David Maxim Micic/Destiny Potato? 

Tbh like 5 people on this forum follow that. 

[Train of Naught]

Yeah probably not eligible for "DTF favorite". Then again, I don't think I've ever heard of a band called 'The Flower Kings' but that's probably just me then.

[Mladen]

Decided to go with only five:

Iron Maiden
The Beatles
Rush
Pink Floyd
Radiohead

[SebastianPratesi]

I voted Maiden and Yes, but I'm surprised The Mars Volta isn't considered an option, since they were more or less big, they had a lot of prog fans, MP was a fan...

Well, at least I was a HUGE fan from 2005 to 2010. Black Clouds and Octahedron came out the same day, so it was a fun Winter over here

[TheCountOfNYC]

Metallica is the big one here for me with them being my all time favorite band. I also selected Megadeth, The Beatles, Tool, Iron Maiden, Pink Floyd, and Rush

[425]

Yeah probably not eligible for "DTF favorite". Then again, I don't think I've ever heard of a band called 'The Flower Kings' but that's probably just me then.

Honestly, I have a tendency to view The Flower Kings/Spock's Beard/Marillion/Dream Theater (the four main bands of the Transatlantic guys) as an inevitable grouping similar to how I view Megadeth/Metallica as a pair, so that probably has to do with why I included them.

I'll add Periphery on, since a couple of people mentioned them, and Mars Volta too. You should be able to change your vote if you want.

[Prog Snob]

Anathema
Fates Warning
Marillion
Neal Morse
Pink Floyd
Rush
Spock's Beard
Steven Wilson/Porcupine Tree
Yes

[Train of Naught]

I'll add Periphery on, since a couple of people mentioned them, and Mars Volta too. You should be able to change your vote if you want.

I thought I could but apparently it's not possible. I would've voted for both of those though like mentioned.

[BlackInk]

Could you make it so that we can take back the vote and do it again? I didn't read the OP before voting so I only voted for one.

[425]

Hmm, I had it so you were able to, but that changed when I added those two options, and I can't seem to change it back. That's weird.

[SoundscapeMN]

it'll end up being 1 of 3 or 4 names

Pink Floyd
Rush
Steven Wilson/Porcupine Tree
Opeth

and myself? I can't really say I care at all for Haken. They're more or less this decade's version of Circus Maximus to me. The token prog metal band who gets worshipped but I find to be as derivative as literally dozens of other bands who've come out over the last 20+ years.

[BlackInk]

and myself? I can't really say I care at all for Haken. They're more or less this decade's version of Circus Maximus to me. The token prog metal band who gets worshipped but I find to be as derivative as literally dozens of other bands who've come out over the last 20+ years.

Not agreeing with this at all. Circus Maximus is much more dull and unchallenging than Haken for me.

[Stadler]

Great idea, don't get me wrong, but not without a little "WTF".

Sigur Ros and Agollach (I have literally never heard of that second band) is on the list, but Deep Purple - whom the subject band covered a double album IN ITS ENTIRETY - and Black Sabbath are not?  No Led Zeppelin either?   I get it, these are mainstream bands, but I would think the bands that directly influenced the band that brought us here ought to be on the list, at least for some of our older members.

You also have very little (if any) straight up pop.   Again, all the members of the subject band have an affinity of some kind for pop music, and I daresay that Cheap Trick, the Cars, and Elton John would at least do as well as "Periphery". 

[425]

I'm judging based on what bands DTF seems to love, not by what the natural related bands to Dream Theater are. I see very little discussion of Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin (let alone Cheap Trick or Elton John) on DTF, while the two bands you mentioned are discussed a lot. I recognize that it's a very subjective thing, but since I can't include every single band, I tried to just judge based on my perception as a forum regular which bands were the most popular.

I've said I'm totally willing to add other artists, but unfortunately in doing so it apparently becomes impossible for people to change their votes anymore, which is something I have no idea how to fix.

[bosk1]

...but Deep Purple - whom the subject band covered a double album IN ITS ENTIRETY - and Black Sabbath are not?  No Led Zeppelin either?   I get it, these are mainstream bands, but I would think the bands that directly influenced the band that brought us here ought to be on the list, at least for some of our older members.

You also have very little (if any) straight up pop.   Again, all the members of the subject band have an affinity of some kind for pop music, and I daresay that Cheap Trick, the Cars, and Elton John would at least do as well as "Periphery". 

Okay, but none of what you said is in any way relevant to this thread.  Whether the members of DT like certain bands/music or whether they were influenced by certain bands has nothing to do with what this thread is about.  As was explained in the original post, the thread is about bands that have a large fanbase among forum members.  The bands that are mentioned in the poll are arguably the most popular among the membership here.  If you want to do a similar poll about all the myriad bands that may have influenced the members of DT, have at it.  But your confusion is...well, confusing. 

[Stadler]

I totally get what the original post is about, and I didn't do a great job of explaining myself.  Allow me one last shot...

I was born in 1967, not five months from Our Man Portnoy and two months almost exactly from Our Man Petrucci.   And not 100 miles from them, give or take.   Of course I've added and subtracted bands over the years, but it's not like I completely reinvented myself.   And my favorite bands today are the bands I grew up with.

I think for a certain demographic here, perhaps they grew up with the bands that DT influenced, and went back and discovered the greatness.  I do periodically check in with the newer bands but not a lot of it has grabbed me, and now, literally there is too much music out there.

So I guess what I'm saying is, for every 25 year old that loves Haken and Periphery and Agollach, there's an old man like me that digs Elton John and Night Ranger.  And we meet in the middle with Dream Theater.   I just would have thought that some consideration would have gone in for the band itself and the people that are it's members' peers (so to speak). 

[King Postwhore]

You old bastard. 

I'm right behind you.

[TAC]

People dig Night Ranger??

[King Postwhore]

People dig Night Ranger??

I'll cut you....

[Outcrier]

I don't think i ever saw someone here mention Night Ranger.

Also, it's Agalloch, not Agollach