What are the four best Dream Theater albums?

[Skeever]

A few years ago, I would have said "Image, Awake, Scenes, Six Degrees". But after a discography listen, I think I'm more lukewarm on Six Degrees than I used to be, whereas D/T has oddly become one of my favorites. So those are the four that I'll pick.

[jammindude]

8VM
SFAM
IAW
Awake

In that order

[The Letter M]

SDOIT
SFAM
8VM
IAW

Awake barely didn't make it but I like IAW a bit more. The Top 3 might always be my top three though.

-Marc.

[Kram]

Chronological order -

I&W
Awake
SFAM
SDOIT

[HOF]

1. Awake
2. FII
3. I&W
(ACOS)
4. SFAM

[wolfking]

I&W
Awake
SFAM
TOT

[krands85]

I&W
TOT
ADTOE
SFAM

[darkshade]

Images and Words
Awake
Scenes From A Memory
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence

No question.

[DTwwbwMP]

Images and Words
Awake
Scenes From A Memory
Train Of Thought

No question.

[425]

Images and Words
Scenes from a Memory
Train of Thought

are my clear top 3. And then it's a close call between Awake and ADTOE, but I narrowly went with

A Dramatic Turn of Events

[Zoom E]

Images and Words
Scenes From A Memory
Awake
A Dramatic Turn of Events

[erciccio]

Images and Words
Scenes From A Memory
Awake
A Dramatic Turn of Events

Same here, in the same order!

[hefdaddy42]

Chronological order -

I&W
Awake
SFAM
SDOIT

Same for me.

If it were Top 5, I would have had a debate for 5th between ADTOE and AVFTTOTW.

[Skeever]

Well I know this is done every few years.
So far, it's no surprise that Scenes still reigns supreme, with nearly all of the responders so far having it in their top 4. Images not being far behind is not surprising either.
Awake and Six Degrees popularity being replaced with newer favorites that people may have is a bit surprising, but makes sense.

Will be interesting to see how the poll shapes up once more people have had time to respond.

[krands85]

Images and Words
Scenes from a Memory
Train of Thought

are my clear top 3. And then it's a close call between Awake and ADTOE, but I narrowly went with

A Dramatic Turn of Events

Finally, someone who has the same big 4 as me 

[JLa]

Awake
Scenes from a Memory
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
Octavarium

Probably in that order too. It's really close, though.

[Phoenix87x]

I&W
ToT
SFAM

Those are three that immediately came to mind, after that its had to pick. Its a tie between FII, Awake and WDaDU

[lovethedrake]

Sfam
I&w
Sdoit
Awake

[jjfumbly]

1. View
2. I&W
3. Six Degrees
4. Black Clouds

[RAIN]

That hurt because there are so many other good songs, but as "complete albums", these are it.  In no order.
Awake
ToT
BC&SL
AVFTTOTW

[darkshade]

Well I know this is done every few years.
So far, it's no surprise that Scenes still reigns supreme, with nearly all of the responders so far having it in their top 4. Images not being far behind is not surprising either.
Awake and Six Degrees popularity being replaced with newer favorites that people may have is a bit surprising, but makes sense.

Will be interesting to see how the poll shapes up once more people have had time to respond.

It's recency factor, and likely they are newer fans.
Few bands put out their best stuff after their first decade or two together.

[romdrums]

For me:

Awake
SDOIT
I&W
D/T

[Elite]

Images and Words
Awake
Scenes From A Memory
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence

No question.

Well, yes. This.

[BelichickFan]

I&W, Awake and View were easy for me.  The 4th was tough.  Went with Octavarium.

[TheCountOfNYC]

1: SFaM
2: 8vm
3: IaW
4: ADToE

[KevShmev]

Like others, the top 4 is easy for me. Awake, Scenes and I&W are the Big 3, and then 6DOIT has a comfortable lead for that 4th spot.

Even though it did not make my top 4, I am happy to see double digit votes for The Astonishing. That would be in my next tier along with FII, Train of Thought and Distance over Time.

[JediKnight1969]

Images and Words
Scenes From A Memory
Awake
A Dramatic Turn of Events

Oh, yeah...

[devieira73]

My personal DT album ranking with grade (0-10 scale)

1   Scenes   11,0
2   I&W/ACOS   10,5
3   Awake   10,0
4   6 Degrees   9,5
5   Octavarium   9,2
6   AVFTTOTW    9,0
7   TOT   8,8
Magic DT albums above
8   ADTOE   8,5
9   FII   8,3
10   D/T   8,0
11   DT   7,8
12   TA   7,5
13   BC&SL   7,3
14   SC   7,1
15   WDADU    7,0

DT is my fave band from all the time, so I really think their discography is that strong
Congratulations for AVFTTOTW being among what I consider the magic DT's albums!

[erwinrafael]

In order of release

Awake
DT
D/T
AVFTTOTW

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

Went with I&W, ADTOE, SFAM. Last pick was tough and I ended up with DoT given the stand out quality of at least 2-3 songs, but could have also been DT12 or 6 Degrees. Actually, SFAM is a weird pick for me because I almost never desire to listen to it. I think it's a great achievement and a very strong album but there are probably more skip-over songs than the others. I guess I could have also gone with I&W, ADTOE, DoT, 6 Degrees/DT12.

[sylentman]

My top 3:
-IAW
-Awake
-SFAM

Fourth went with AVFTTOTW; but 6DOIT, ADTOE and D/T are very close, and i could have been influenced by AVFTTOTW being so recent…or not…hehe…i just can’t stop playing it every day from start to finish!

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Awake
Scenes from a Memory
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
Octavarium

Probably in that order too. It's really close, though.

There it is! 

Although I'd swap Awake and Six Degrees.

[darkshade]

Awake
Scenes from a Memory
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
Octavarium

Probably in that order too. It's really close, though.

There it is! 

Although I'd swap Awake and Six Degrees.

I love Ocatavrium, it's my #5 in album rankings, but not including IaW is like not including NotB or Powerslave for a "four best Iron Maiden albums" list.
What keeps Octavarium from being higher is TALW being the second track, total momentum killer, and IWBY was a track I skipped for a long time, and still think it's a little weak.

[TAC]

Awake
Scenes from a Memory
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
Octavarium

Probably in that order too. It's really close, though.

There it is! 

Although I'd swap Awake and Six Degrees.

I love Ocatavrium, it's my #5 in album rankings, but not including IaW is like not including NotB or Powerslave for a "four best Iron Maiden albums" list.
What keeps Octavarium from being higher is TALW being the second track, total momentum killer, and IWBY was a track I skipped for a long time, and still think it's a little weak.

I'm with you on NotB, but Powerslave doesn't sniff my top 4.

[jammindude]

Awake
Scenes from a Memory
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
Octavarium

Probably in that order too. It's really close, though.

There it is! 

Although I'd swap Awake and Six Degrees.

I love Ocatavrium, it's my #5 in album rankings, but not including IaW is like not including NotB or Powerslave for a "four best Iron Maiden albums" list.
What keeps Octavarium from being higher is TALW being the second track, total momentum killer, and IWBY was a track I skipped for a long time, and still think it's a little weak.

Ironic since Another Day does the EXACT same thing on IAW.

But I don’t find either one of them to be a “momentum killer”. I think the 1-2 punch of both albums perfectly highlight that the band can go to either extreme right out of the gate.

In fact, it’s one of the reasons why I think TALW is perfectly placed. It immediately reminded me of that moment when Another Day started right after pull me under. I was completely floored by this band that had the balls to go from Metallica to Kenny G in the first two songs.

It was one of those Epiphany moments that I feel is repeated perfectly on Octavarium.