Author Topic: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 2 revealed!!)  (Read 52736 times)

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Offline erciccio

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Re: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 50 now going!)
« Reply #595 on: January 13, 2022, 10:52:56 AM »
These walls: no rank. An average Muse song, I barely hear Dream Theater in there...

This comment makes absolutely no sense. Do you even know what Muse sounds like, or is it the cool thing to randomly compare every song on Octavarium to that band now?

Well...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KScEW5a_KGY (the riff) + https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2IuJPh6h_A (the pre chours of these walls)
You might legitimately disagree, but I do feel a strong influence

So
Yes, I do know Muse a lot
Yes, I do think that Never Enough is more than a simple "inspiration", even though I would not call it a plagiarism.
Yes, I do think that also These Walls is strongly influenced by Muse
Yes, Panick Attack has a Muse influence as well, to a lesser extent...

The whole writing process of Octavarium was deeply influenced by Muse (Absolution in primis), JP and MP made no mistery of it...

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Offline HOF

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Re: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 50 now going!)
« Reply #596 on: January 13, 2022, 11:03:47 AM »
Yeah, I think those Muse-inspired riffs and bass tone were kind of all over Octavarium, including on These Walls. But I can hear the Lincoln Park feel to it as well.

Offline erciccio

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Re: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 50 now going!)
« Reply #597 on: January 13, 2022, 11:20:06 AM »
Yeah, I think those Muse-inspired riffs and bass tone were kind of all over Octavarium, including on These Walls. But I can hear the Lincoln Park feel to it as well.

Yes, also LP of course.

The reason why I don't love Octavarium as an album overall is because there are way too many influences and "quotes" in basically all the songs, including the title track.

BUT in the title track you have the 5 minutes of musical orgasm known as "Razor's Edge", so I forgive them...
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Offline Ben_Jamin

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Re: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 50 now going!)
« Reply #598 on: January 13, 2022, 12:19:49 PM »
Yeah, I think those Muse-inspired riffs and bass tone were kind of all over Octavarium, including on These Walls. But I can hear the Lincoln Park feel to it as well.

Yes, also LP of course.

The reason why I don't love Octavarium as an album overall is because there are way too many influences and "quotes" in basically all the songs, including the title track.

BUT in the title track you have the 5 minutes of musical orgasm known as "Razor's Edge", so I forgive them...

I actually think that's the theme for the entire album, but more so theme of the Full Circle section of Octavarium (the song). The theme of bands starting out playing songs of their influences, creating their own "style" and becoming an influence for others to follow, and then coming full circle being influenced by other (sometimes newer) musicians. It's a reason for the lyrics referencing MP's major musical references with their song titles.
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Offline HOF

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Re: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 50 now going!)
« Reply #599 on: January 13, 2022, 12:38:02 PM »
Yeah, I think those Muse-inspired riffs and bass tone were kind of all over Octavarium, including on These Walls. But I can hear the Lincoln Park feel to it as well.

Yes, also LP of course.

The reason why I don't love Octavarium as an album overall is because there are way too many influences and "quotes" in basically all the songs, including the title track.

BUT in the title track you have the 5 minutes of musical orgasm known as "Razor's Edge", so I forgive them...

I actually think that's the theme for the entire album, but more so theme of the Full Circle section of Octavarium (the song). The theme of bands starting out playing songs of their influences, creating their own "style" and becoming an influence for others to follow, and then coming full circle being influenced by other (sometimes newer) musicians. It's a reason for the lyrics referencing MP's major musical references with their song titles.

I have never heard this before, but it actually makes that part of the song Octavarium make some sense.

Offline nick_z

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Re: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 50 now going!)
« Reply #600 on: January 13, 2022, 12:43:40 PM »
I had Hell’s Kitchen at 8, but I’m thrilled to see I wasn’t the high person on it! I wouldn’t have expected a top 50 finish for it, really, so 42 is a pleasant surprise. Definitely my favorite DT instrumental. So much atmosphere in the first half, and one of my favorite moments from JP. It’s also one of my favorite MP drum parts. I feel like FII is the last album where he really seemed to map out and orchestrate his drum parts. This one is just really well put together and fun to watch him play on his instructional video.

Well, I could have written this myself! Hell's Kitchen is my favorite DT instrumental as well (going toe-to-toe with Ytse Jam, which I love for the youthful energy and, yes, the Rush influence  ;D). And you are spot on regarding the drum parts. I do, too, get the feeling that the compositional approach of MP and the band changed after FII. It brought lots of good things, of course, but it's also part of the reason I miss that era (including FII - imperfect as it is, it has SO many cool ideas)

Offline HOF

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Re: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 50 now going!)
« Reply #601 on: January 13, 2022, 12:59:49 PM »
I had Hell’s Kitchen at 8, but I’m thrilled to see I wasn’t the high person on it! I wouldn’t have expected a top 50 finish for it, really, so 42 is a pleasant surprise. Definitely my favorite DT instrumental. So much atmosphere in the first half, and one of my favorite moments from JP. It’s also one of my favorite MP drum parts. I feel like FII is the last album where he really seemed to map out and orchestrate his drum parts. This one is just really well put together and fun to watch him play on his instructional video.

Well, I could have written this myself! Hell's Kitchen is my favorite DT instrumental as well (going toe-to-toe with Ytse Jam, which I love for the youthful energy and, yes, the Rush influence  ;D). And you are spot on regarding the drum parts. I do, too, get the feeling that the compositional approach of MP and the band changed after FII. It brought lots of good things, of course, but it's also part of the reason I miss that era (including FII - imperfect as it is, it has SO many cool ideas)

 :metal :metal

Offline Wim Kruithof

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Re: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 50 now going!)
« Reply #602 on: January 13, 2022, 06:34:48 PM »
I have never heard this before, but it actually makes that part of the song Octavarium make some sense.

‘Ceiling on the Seven Seas’ -Orchestral Manoevres in the Dark
‘Seize the Day’ -theme of A Change of Seasons
‘Day Tripper’ -song The Beatles
‘Per diem’ -Latin phrase meaning ‘each day’
‘Jack the Ripper’ -Morrissey, English singer and songwriter
‘Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens’ -ex-Judas Priest and Iced Earth singer
Owen Wilson -American actor, comedian
Wilson Phillips -American band
‘Supper’s Ready’ -song Genesis
‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’ -song The Beatles
‘Diamond Dave’ -Dave Lee Roth’s nickname and album song.
‘Dave’s Not Here’ -Famous line from Cheech and Chong.
‘Here I Come to Save the Day’ -Mighty Mouse theme song.
‘Day for Night’ -album Spock’s Beard
‘Nightmare Cinema’ -Dream Theater playing swap instruments
‘The Cinema Show’ -album Genesis
‘Show Me the Way’ -song Styx
‘Get Back’ -song The Beatles
‘Home Again’ -Pink Floyd’s song Breathe (Reprise)
‘Flying Off the Handle’ -song Peter Blegvad, King Strut
‘Handle with Care’ -song Traveling Wilburys
‘Careful with that Axe, Eugene’ -instrumental piece Pink Floyd
‘Gene Gene the Dance Machine’ -television personality
‘Machine Messiah’ -album Yes
‘Light My Fire’ -song The Doors
‘Pinhead Gabba Gabba Hey’ -album The Ramones
‘Hey Hey, My My’ -song Neil Young
‘My Generation’ -song The Who
‘Home Again’ -Pink Floyd’s song Breathe (Reprise)

This is the hommage of the Full Circle part.
Wim pointed out something I don't see mentioned very often...

Offline KevShmev

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Re: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 50 now going!)
« Reply #603 on: January 13, 2022, 08:01:00 PM »
Here are today's!!

40 Endless Sacrifice
Appeared on 24 of 26 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 0
Highest Ranking: 12 (CoolChris, TAC)


I had this at 44, so this at 40 is fine by me.  Killer song, and that instrumental section is just bonkers. The latter part of it features some of my favorite drumming ever by Portnoy.  :metal :metal


39 Barstool Warrior
Appeared on 23 of 26 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 5 (toro)


This ended up at 38 for me when I did the ranking engine, which surprised me a little.  I guess I like it a lot more than I thought.  I still find the vocal section not quite as totally satisfying as it could have been, but everything else in the song is just so damn great.

Offline TAC

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Re: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 50 now going!)
« Reply #604 on: January 13, 2022, 08:17:56 PM »
40 Endless Sacrifice
Highest Ranking: 12 (CoolChris, TAC)

Yeah, this has flirted with the Top 10 for years. I think this is a fantastic tune. I find the lyrics by JP really personal. Yes, Kev, the instrumental part is bonkers, and I've heard people criticize it for being out of place, but I couldn't disagree more.
Also, I love the Maiden part leading into to the "Over the distance..." part. Amazing.

39 Barstool Warrior
I had this at #57.

This is really good song. Just missed my Top 50, but I find it highly enjoyable.
« Last Edit: January 13, 2022, 08:31:52 PM by TAC »
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
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Offline The Realm

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Re: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 50 now going!)
« Reply #605 on: January 13, 2022, 08:54:52 PM »
This thread is awesome so well done to everyone who has contributed. I admire you all to be able to construct these lists, I always find rankings really tough!

Having said that I really love Endless Sacrifice (no idea where I would rank it though), just a really great song and the instrumental section is one of my favourites.

Offline HOF

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Re: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 50 now going!)
« Reply #606 on: January 13, 2022, 08:58:12 PM »
Endless Sacrifice just barely made it onto my list at 98. Kind of a something had to go there situation.

Offline Cool Chris

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Re: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 50 now going!)
« Reply #607 on: January 13, 2022, 09:03:17 PM »
I love Endless Sacrifice. Obviously. That buildup into the final verse, and that verse itself, is a top 10 DT musical section for me.

I really liked Barstool Warrior when I first heard it. It's lost some luster now, as did most of that album, but I still have it in the 40s.
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Re: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 50 now going!)
« Reply #608 on: January 14, 2022, 02:23:17 AM »
Wow, those two are up high.
Hey dude slow the fuck down so we can finish together at the same time.  :biggrin:
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Offline NoFred

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Re: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 50 now going!)
« Reply #609 on: January 14, 2022, 07:11:56 AM »
I feel like we’ve reached the ranks where each song has something that’s “the best thing I’ve ever heard”, cause both of the songs have one - the last verse of Endless Sacrifice and first 90 seconds of Barstool Warrior are great. I had these at 24 and 22.

Offline hefdaddy42

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Re: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 50 now going!)
« Reply #610 on: January 14, 2022, 09:01:40 AM »
Barstool Warrior seems a little high.

Endless Sacrifice is a weird one for me.  Hard to rank.  When I think about, I only think about songs I like better than it, or maybe some perceived weak spots.

But when I listen to it, I fucking LOVE it with a passion as bright as a thousand suns.

So yeah, it's probably ranked appropriately, as far as I can tell.
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Offline erciccio

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Re: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 50 now going!)
« Reply #611 on: January 14, 2022, 11:18:58 AM »
Endless Sacrifice just barely made it onto my list at 98. Kind of a something had to go there situation.

100 for me...same story :)

I have a strange relationship with it, in my brain-memory it's mixed-up with Peruvian Sky....after the initial arpeggio I often swap the melody and the lyrics...

(I just listened to them now, and yes, the initial verses are REALLY similar...)
« Last Edit: January 14, 2022, 02:55:30 PM by erciccio »
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Offline Wim Kruithof

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Re: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 50 now going!)
« Reply #612 on: January 14, 2022, 11:31:54 AM »
40 Endless Sacrifice #31
39 Barstool Warrior #18

Barstool Warrior is without a doubt the best piece of Distance Over Time, to me. From the fine tune, solo's, the lyrics and LaBries vocals, to the beautiful page of the artbook. The track is just nearly perfect in every aspect.

This thread is awesome so well done to everyone who has contributed. I admire you all to be able to construct these lists, I always find rankings really tough!


I hear ye completely! Ranking tracks is so hard and depending on many varieties, each top 100 list I will make up, shows differences. Heck, I can't even rank the studioalbums like crafted in concrete. For example, the Astonishing and Awake were real slow growers on me, but both of them I consider amongst the best now. It's just in general, when I dig in an album, give it time to study both lyrics, writingsprocess (docu's) and songs, it usually will grow on me.
Wim pointed out something I don't see mentioned very often...

Online wolfking

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Re: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 50 now going!)
« Reply #613 on: January 14, 2022, 11:46:23 AM »
40 Endless Sacrifice
Highest Ranking: 12 (CoolChris, TAC)

Yeah, this has flirted with the Top 10 for years. I think this is a fantastic tune. I find the lyrics by JP really personal. Yes, Kev, the instrumental part is bonkers, and I've heard people criticize it for being out of place, but I couldn't disagree more.
Also, I love the Maiden part leading into to the "Over the distance..." part. Amazing.

39 Barstool Warrior
I had this at #57.

This is really good song. Just missed my Top 50, but I find it highly enjoyable.

I love that super high ranking for ES.
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Offline geeeemo

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Re: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 50 now going!)
« Reply #614 on: January 14, 2022, 12:08:23 PM »
40 Endless Sacrifice  - 50.  I used to not listen to it as much, but lately I have been really enjoying it.. Maybe it should be higher.  A love song, kind of a ballad and then it rocks! It is a great representation of Dream Theater!

39 Barstool Warrior  - 19.  This song is fantastic. The story, lyrics, vocals and the guitar..sigh..

Offline devieira73

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Re: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 50 now going!)
« Reply #615 on: January 14, 2022, 01:24:54 PM »
40 Endless Sacrifice (#29) is a great homage to Metallica's complex ballads and the instrumental/solo section is really killer, DT on steroids! The live version with Mangini on LNF Archives is amazing.

39 Barstool Warrior (#31) is sooo good, it mixes very well The Astonishing melodies with a proggy approach. That beautiful  piano part is very 6 Degrees.
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Offline DragonAttack

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Re: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 50 now going!)
« Reply #616 on: January 14, 2022, 11:19:41 PM »
I will list these two with a description.  Later on, when it gets down to #31, I'll just list them, but I wanted to go a bit in depth sooner.

40. Endless Sacrifice (NR) I’m mildly misophonic / phonophobic.   I am easily distracted / irritated / angered at various sharp or high pitched noises.  Or a simple whistle or clicking can distract me, get my heart beating faster, my blood pressure boiling, make me irritable, etc.   That point around the two minute mark of 'Lost Not Forgotten' for thirty seconds.......and........ that occasional guitar ‘pitch’  'pinch' '"honk"' in the choruses makes the song literally unlistenable for me.  I tried last night, and had to instantly stop.  The intro and various other parts I can skip to are indeed top notch. 

It really suxx that this song is literally painful for me to listen to.  And it has gotten worse since ToT was released.  At least in the last few years I know that the reason is not 'me', but what I was born with, or subjected to as an infant.

insert one big frowny face here

39. Barstool Warrior (#54) just a well crafted song with another Rush influence.  I get a smile when I think back to when we were making up titles, times, and topics when The Astonishing was announced and before it was released.  I joked that one song would be a cover of ZZ Top’s ‘Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers’.  Didn’t happen, but the next album had this title.  Coincidence? 😊

My powerful but decades old CD boombox out in my garage quit playing CDs eons ago, and was too old to play CDrs.  It does play cassettes.  I recorded D/T onto a 60 minute cassette when it was released, with this song as the end of side one, just so I could listen to it while I was out in the garage.  I have played at least one side of that cassette once or more a week when doing various carpentry tasks out there since that album was released. A great and proper ending to an 'album side', and simply makes me happy in spite of the story in the song.

« Last Edit: January 14, 2022, 11:35:25 PM by DragonAttack »
...going along with Dragon Attack's Queen thread has been like taking a free class in Queen knowledge. Where else are you gonna find info like that?!

Online wolfking

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Re: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 50 now going!)
« Reply #617 on: January 15, 2022, 03:40:22 AM »
Had BW at 67.  39 is too high for my liking.

ES was at 21 on my list.
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Offline KevShmev

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Re: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 50 now going!)
« Reply #618 on: January 15, 2022, 06:29:54 AM »
Sorry for no update yesterday, had too much going on, but I will do two today.  :tup :tup

First two for today:

38 Overture 1928
Appeared on 24 of 26 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 4 (DragonAttack)


This is another that seems criminally underrated (even by me, as I had it at 28), but I suspect that is because it is just a piece of the Scenes puzzle.  I do wonder how they would have ranked had this and the song that follows it been considered one song (since they seem to go together as one song, but are technically two separate ones).


37 Outcry
Appeared on 25 of 26 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 10 (erciccio)


On the flip side, I was and still am shocked by this one finishing this high.  I like it quite a bit, and it even made my top 100 (it was 98), but a top 40 DT song of all time? I don't see it.

Offline devieira73

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Re: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 50 now going!)
« Reply #619 on: January 15, 2022, 06:59:51 AM »
38 Overture 1928 (#42) - Really great and I also hear it as one piece of music together with SDV. Just a thought, I love most of the instrumental overtures from prog rock in general, but I feel a bit like a "cheating" because they borrow the best themes on the album and make a song out of it. :D

37 Outcry (#90) - Really like the song, but I think it's really gold only from the instrumental section on.
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Re: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 50 now going!)
« Reply #620 on: January 15, 2022, 07:42:36 AM »
37 Outcry
Appeared on 25 of 26 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 10 (erciccio)


On the flip side, I was and still am shocked by this one finishing this high.  I like it quite a bit, and it even made my top 100 (it was 98), but a top 40 DT song of all time? I don't see it.

Not only a top 40 DT song, but top 20 (I had it at #17) and the best Mangini era song as far as I'm concerned. Outcry is absolutely fantastic. I've done an analysis/dissection of the track here previously, and have praised it before. This is top-tier songwriting as far as I'm concerned and of one not all too many instances in Dream Theater's entire discography where I can hear actual conscious choices for where the music goes with regards to the lyrics. Quite often they seem 'tacked on top' of the already written music, for better or worse, whereas that's clearly not the case in Outcry. From the amazing instrumental section, the build-up in the first half to the chorus reprise in a different key. Man.. this song is gold. #37 is 20 places too low!
Hey dude slow the fuck down so we can finish together at the same time.  :biggrin:
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Offline NoFred

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Re: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 50 now going!)
« Reply #621 on: January 15, 2022, 08:33:03 AM »
I had these in sequence too, at #33 (1928) and #34 (Outcry). I agree 1928 feels underrated because of Scenes being so good as a whole. The 3 full length songs after 1928 are all in my top 10, so I probably subconsciously was trying to “be fair” by putting this one in the 30s.

Outcry is about right in the 30s too, also a really good song that is on an album with a couple of better ones. I think the production approach to ADToE hurts this one the most. Just doesn’t fit the song.

Offline TAC

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Re: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 50 now going!)
« Reply #622 on: January 15, 2022, 09:19:43 AM »
Have we had any song on all 26 lists yet? Is Outcry the most so far being on 25 of 26?
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
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Offline HOF

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Re: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 50 now going!)
« Reply #623 on: January 15, 2022, 09:27:14 AM »
I ranked Overture 1928 at 28 and Strange De Ja Vu was very close to it (also in my top 30). So maybe they would have bumped up a little bit combined, but I expect they would have fallen in the same range combined for me. Anticipation was so high for SFAM, as it was the first new DT album I bought at release. Overture 1928 really set the mood and atmosphere right at the start (or actually was a quick course correction after Regression had me like “what?”).

Offline KevShmev

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Re: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 50 now going!)
« Reply #624 on: January 15, 2022, 10:06:34 AM »
Have we had any song on all 26 lists yet?

No.  Assuming I did not overlook something on the glance I just took, a grand total of nine songs appeared on all 26 lists. All of them rank in the top 16.  And one song in the top 5 did not appear on all 26 lists.

Is Outcry the most so far being on 25 of 26?

Yes.

Offline Cool Chris

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Re: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 50 now going!)
« Reply #625 on: January 15, 2022, 10:08:18 AM »
The ranking engine put Outcry at 81 in my list. No idea how that happened. When I scanned the completed list for any outliers, that was the one song which seemed way off. I should have corrected it, up to the 30s maybe. Great song.
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Offline geeeemo

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Re: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 50 now going!)
« Reply #626 on: January 15, 2022, 10:36:32 AM »
#38. Overture. - 40. I love hearing Overture as it triggers me into Scenes. It's a feeling of excitement of what is to come! At the concerts, I felt it even more, as did the crowd. It's a great moment of anticipation! And then the last strum of the song...its about to begin!

#37 Outcry. - 20. So these 2 songs are off my 2 favorite albums. To me, there are 3 big songs on ADToE. This is one. It has everything I love about DT. Heavy, melodic, progressive, a story and JP's guitar! 


Offline Cool Chris

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Re: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 50 now going!)
« Reply #627 on: January 15, 2022, 12:01:00 PM »
And one song in the top 5 did not appear on all 26 lists.

Have a hunch this involves me.
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Offline erciccio

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Re: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 50 now going!)
« Reply #628 on: January 15, 2022, 01:26:53 PM »
37 Outcry
Appeared on 25 of 26 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 10 (erciccio)


On the flip side, I was and still am shocked by this one finishing this high.  I like it quite a bit, and it even made my top 100 (it was 98), but a top 40 DT song of all time? I don't see it.

Not only a top 40 DT song, but top 20 (I had it at #17) and the best Mangini era song as far as I'm concerned. Outcry is absolutely fantastic. I've done an analysis/dissection of the track here previously, and have praised it before. This is top-tier songwriting as far as I'm concerned and of one not all too many instances in Dream Theater's entire discography where I can hear actual conscious choices for where the music goes with regards to the lyrics. Quite often they seem 'tacked on top' of the already written music, for better or worse, whereas that's clearly not the case in Outcry. From the amazing instrumental section, the build-up in the first half to the chorus reprise in a different key. Man.. this song is gold. #37 is 20 places too low!

Well...this time we totally agree! #10 for me...
I would add that also the finale is amazing, they chose not to "resolve the tension", musically, because the Revolution was still in progress, with an uncertain outcome...
Pure genius
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Offline Ben_Jamin

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Re: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 50 now going!)
« Reply #629 on: January 15, 2022, 02:00:57 PM »
42 Hell's Kitchen #76

I first heard the outro on Live At Budakon. I loved the Tubular Bells in that outro, and was a bit disappointed that they were not included in the studio version. When I saw them live on the I&W&B tour and they started this song, I was happy. Until, the outro came up and JR did not add the Tubular Bells into his patch sounds, then I got sad. What makes this song for me is the build-up from the intro into the outro and those Tubular Bells add a lot to the impact of the outro. To me, those made the Hell's Kitchen outro inclusion in the Instrumedley have more of that grand finale impact, and I felt it would've worked fantastic for the entire song to be played with it. This is why I rank it at 76 and not higher.

41 These Walls #13

Octavarium was one of the first Dream Theater albums I had bought and it's grand nugget themes are a reason for me enjoying this album a lot. These Walls is great in how JP uses a baritone guitar tuned down to a step to achieve the low A. Which is the next key in the musical Octave (A big theme as well that is part of the albums namesake). This is a key that relates to me, and this song does relate to me a lot. The clean guitars and the distortion tone I find to be pretty soothing. The vocal melodies actually soar through the music and I love how they build-up into the chorus. I appreciate how simple this song is for DT, especially the guitar solo. This laid-back, simplistic, atmosphere makes me feel that it represents the person unable to tear the walls down, and you feel this pent up tension waiting to be released by tearing down the walls. It's a reason for me enjoying the outro a lot as that to me is like a person trying desperately to tear down the walls, like the sound of a sledgehammer pounding down the wall. (Which I just now realized can be related to the concept of Pink Floyd's The Wall...Damn Nuggets   :lol  )

40 Endless Sacrifice #43

So many songs have been made since I first heard this song. It used to be one of my top 10 songs, even sitting in the top 5 at some point. What I love about this song is the intro and the way it shifts from calm to chaotic. This shift represents the emotions of both who are experiencing a separation, not due to a bad relationship, but by careers, wars, whatever causes a couple to have to resort to long distance relationships. This song represents that Endless Sacrifice many people have when those moments of separation need to happen. The instrumental is fantastic live, and this is one song I knew of when I saw them on Gigantour, I was really happy they played it. I also enjoy how the instrumental flows into the next set of lyrics that talk about making this relationship make sense while living apart from on another. It's great that it ends on a more lighter note with the mid-pace heavy tempo, rather than going back to the same mood of the intro and verses before the instrumental.

39 Barstool Warrior #26

Almost making my top 25, and the top quarter of my top 100, Barstool Warrior is an excellent song. What's hilarious for me about it, is how it related to my real-life scenario at the time. I was literally that Barstool Warrior talking to his gin (In my case, it was whiskey). When the intro started on my first listen to Distance Over Time, I was happy that same mood and atmosphere of The Gift of Music was utilized again. That happy, uplifting sort of sound is a big reason why I love Dream Theater as musicians. The guitar solo in the intro are moments I highly enjoy from the band, it's a big reason for why I enjoy In The Presence of Enemies pt. 1 and The Alien. This song tells a story, and this story is uplifting. It's like these two broken souls meet up in these circumstances and both cry out their situations to another. Afterwards, both come to realize that "No one can save you, and there's no one to save", and that both now understand where they belong and leave the past behind and start a new life, the Barstool Warrior becoming sober and the Women in pain leaving her abusive husband (which is quite difficult for some women who have dependency issues, I have witnessed this dependency myself from some of my cousins, so I can relate to the women in the story this way). Sorry for the long response, but this a really great song, it is my second favorite from Distance Over Time, and is highly deserving of praise. I just wasn't feeling the song when I was ranking, but if you were to ask me now, It'd be up there, I have no idea why I ranked it so low, which I now feel should be higher in the top 10. Oh well...


38 Overture 1928 #57

I actually ranked this song right behind Strange Deja-Vu because of how they flow into one another, and are technically one single entity called a Scene. It was hard ranking this, but it and SDV ended up where they are as, while I enjoy scenes, there are more other songs I like better. It's a great song overall within the album and the story. It reminds me of how The Human Equation starts out as well, calm, serene, and then the next few tracks bring the listener into the story. That's good Rock Opera right there. This overture uses a lot of the themes from the album, and also this album in general has amazing melodies for it's themes. I find myself singing the vocal lines during the guitar lines in the song, and humming along. It's a great driving instrumental that showcases all the themes, which make me imagine Nicholas being under hypnosis, travelling through a time portal, seeing the scenes before he gets to the full scenario with Strange Deja-vu. I for one thought it was fantastic that the band decided to play SFAM in full for the D/T tour. Getting to see this entire album played by Mangini, and hearing it, also seeing it, in a different light due to the set-up and the video animations being completely different from Live Scenes, made it even more intriguing. I was glad to see it and this song was the moment where I said, "It's really happening, I'm seeing SFAM in it's entirety"...

37 Outcry #41

I am quite glad this song made it on the list higher than my ranking. It was a great song to hear when ADTOE first came out, and it made me happy with how it shifts moods, and incorporates the same sort of atmosphere that Endless Sacrifice does, and does not go back completely to the same mood as the intro and verses, but stays at a good, mid-pace towards the ending chorus. I like JR's use of Middle Eastern tones and scales to represent that area where the chaos in the instrumental is occurring. I like the outro lyrics as well with the chants, I think it's a great way to end the song about a call for resistance.


 
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