Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (number 1 revealed!)

[Animal]

I'll join the crowd of those who didn't like ToT much first but now, almost twenty years after its release, think it is amazing. I had it at # 4 which I would think impossible even shortly before I actually started compiling my list. It has just aged so well - unlike another album which has yet to be revealed that I liked initially but I have pretty much stopped listening to it now.

It is also the first album in this countdown whose ranking genuinely surprised me -  I really didn't expect ToT to appear as either n. 7 or 6. I guess I overestimated the overall level of enthusiasm for this album.

There is a lot to love about it - ITNOG has been mentioned already but everything here, starting with the cover, just clicks. Stream of Consciousness is the second best DT instrumental, only behind Erotomania (which get extra points for being part of A Mind Beside Itself). As I am is just a perfect opener and tone-setter. TDS seems to get a lot of flak but it is my favorite part of 12-step suite (unless we count The Mirror) and I could go on....

One song that doesn't get much attention is Vacant - it is just nice, sad little breather in the sea of metal madness, which nevertheless fits perfectly. But quite recently, it spoke to me on a rather personal level. I was driving to a hospital to pick up the stuff of my grandfather who had just died that morning. I had, as a family member who lived closest to him, a lot to take care of and he was really old and his death was expected so the emotion associated with some close having just died didn't quite hit me yet. ToT was blasting in my car. The moment I arrived in the hospital and parked my car, Vacant started playing. And that's when it suddenly hit me. The song, with the strings and its sad and melancholic melody, just triggered all the emotion I had been keeping under the lid. Later, no songs were played at my grandfather funeral but for me, Vacant will always be the song.....even though I know it is nothing special musically and I generally don't listen to DT to get very emotional or moved to tears (there is a lot of other music that does that).

[wolfking]

I'm disappointed it only came in at number 7, however it's no surprise.

[Dublagent66]

4. When Dream and Day Unite

Never knew you liked WDADU that much Tim.  Interesting.

[SeRoX]

1-
2-
3-
4-
5- The Astonishing
6- Falling into Infinity
7- A View from the Top of the World
8- When Dream and Day Unite
9-
10- Train of Thought
11-
12- Systematic Chaos
13- Distance over Time
14- Dream Theater
15- Black Clouds and Silver Linings

The first DT album that makes me WTF. Completely different from what they did until this. I like it but it doesn't age well for me. I don't like the heavy direction ToT has. Awake is heavy too but it has its dark, magical sound where ToT is just like heavy nothing more. I consider ITNOG is their classic and As I Am their definitive heavy side.

Favourites
1- In The Name of God
2- Vacant
3- As I Am / Endless Sacrifice

Out of these songs I don't visit this album much.

[pg1067]

I'm generally a BIG fan of "inspiration corner".  There's enough unique in the Dream Theater catalogue, and I'm a big enough music fan, so that when there are references and allusions in the music, I dig that.  The live "Surrounded" from CiM is perfect for that; DT? Marillion? Pink Floyd? WINNER!  (I've long thought the "Marillion/Genesis" connection wasn't actually as strong as the "Marillion/Pink Floyd" connection). 

This album is the flip side of that.  I love love love Iron Maiden, and dig Metallica, but the other, heavier metal influences on Dream Theater - Opeth, et al - are lost on me.  They do nothing for me, frankly, and this is the album that most (imo) reflects that. I like the album when I listen to it, but it's not an album that I go back to often, since there are others that are so much better (this is not in that middle pack that can be interchanged).

I hear what you're saying. I don't mind the intro to Surrounded '07, but the whole Daddy took a raincheck can go fuck itself. OK, that's a bit strong.

Huh?

Also, I don't get the love for "Surrounded '07."  They basically took a near perfect, concise song and turned it into a pointlessly extended wankfest with some weird lyrics at the end.

[TAC]

4. When Dream and Day Unite

Never knew you liked WDADU that much Tim.  Interesting.

Well, to be fair, I don't hold the production, which is fine actually, or Charlie against the album. I love the songs on the album.

[SeRoX]

Also, I don't get the love for "Surrounded '07."  They basically took a near perfect, concise song and turned it into a pointlessly extended wankfest with some weird lyrics at the end.

This is Sugar Mice by Marillion.

[geeeemo]

 A bit of catch-up.

A View is at number 8. It maybe could have been higher, as I played it (ok 2 songs) on the way to work, and I enjoyed it so much, as I do every time I listen to it. It has no skips. I hope they will play SG, and AtC live. IM gets a lot of dislike, but I really like that one as well. AtM has faded - even though its good and groovy and very enjoyable live - to the bottom spot on the album.


Train of Though is 14 for me. I had ItNoG very high for quite some time, but after a while, if feels like it drags a bit at the end. Unless your watching the Budokan version! .  With Endless Sacrifice I really got into it after I heard the live version on a LNF album, and I may like it more than ItNoG. Seeing it past tour was amazing! I listened to this entire album for the countdown and enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I like other instrumentals better, but like someone else said, Vacant, Stream and the ItNoG are a great run. I am not a fan of HTF, I don't relate. TDS I enjoyed, but it drags on for me. Some talk about DT wankery - I like it, but this album may be the one where it's a tad much for me.


15. When Dream and Day Unite
14  Train of Thought
13
12
11
10  Dream Theater
9    Distance Over Tim
8    A View
7   
6    Sytsematic Chaos
5    The Astonishing
4    FII
3   
2    BCSL
1

[Cool Chris]

This one was the big shocker when I finished with the Ranking Engine. No way ToT should be #5, how did it end up here? I rarely listen to it, and would just as soon listen to Budokan. This was, however, released at the peak of my fandom, and I loved every bit of it (ok, some of the vocals they had James do are awful). The booklet and artwork are outstanding, and this tour was the first time I saw them live. So lots of nostalgia here.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5. Train of Thought
6. A View from the Top of the World
7. Systematic Chaos
8.
9.
10. Dream Theater
11. The Astonishing
12. Distance Over Time
13. Black Clouds and Silver Linings
14. Falling into Infinity
15. When Dream And Day Unite

[Deadeye21]

An album designed for those who wanted a straight up metal album from DT. However, as much as I love that concept, thus doesn’t scratch that itch for me. This really didn’t push the envelope as much as it could’ve and I think the rapping on This Dying Soul and Honor Thy Father was just an odd choice. There are a few undeniable tracks, but most of this is pretty skippable imo.

Train of Thought
My rank: 12th of 15

Top 5:
In the Name of God
Endless Sacrifice
As I Am
Stream of Consciousness
This Dying Soul

My current standing
1.
2.
3.
4. Falling Into Infinity
5.
6.
7.
8. Distance Over Time
9. Black Clouds and Silver Linings
10. A View From the Top of the World
11. Systematic Chaos
12. Train of Thought
13. When Dream And Day Unite
14. Dream Theater
15. The Astonishing

[KevShmev]

I'm disappointed it only came in at number 7, however it's no surprise.

I am a little bummed it finished behind its successor.  The funny thing is, when Octavarium came out, I thought it was mostly a nice bounce back from the somewhat disappointing Train of Thought.  Fast forward to 2022, and I now find Train of Thought to be vastly superior.

[wolfking]

An album designed for those who wanted a straight up metal album from DT. However, as much as I love that concept, thus doesn’t scratch that itch for me. This really didn’t push the envelope as much as it could’ve and I think the rapping on This Dying Soul and Honor Thy Father was just an odd choice. There are a few undeniable tracks, but most of this is pretty skippable imo.

Train of Thought
My rank: 12th of 15

Top 5:
In the Name of God
Endless Sacrifice
As I Am
Stream of Consciousness
This Dying Soul

My current standing
1.
2.
3.
4. Falling Into Infinity
5.
6.
7.
8. Distance Over Time
9. Black Clouds and Silver Linings
10. A View From the Top of the World
11. Systematic Chaos
12. Train of Thought
13. When Dream And Day Unite
14. Dream Theater
15. The Astonishing

There's rapping on TDS?

[Deadeye21]

There's rapping on TDS?

That second verse I would count under rapping. That faster, rhythmic bit. “Living on your own at 21”

[TAC]

There's rapping on TDS?

[wolfking]

There's rapping on TDS?

That second verse I would count under rapping. That faster, rhythmic bit. “Living on your own at 21”

Ehh..........maybe.

[Cool Chris]

I'm generally a BIG fan of "inspiration corner".  There's enough unique in the Dream Theater catalogue, and I'm a big enough music fan, so that when there are references and allusions in the music, I dig that.  The live "Surrounded" from CiM is perfect for that; DT? Marillion? Pink Floyd? WINNER!  (I've long thought the "Marillion/Genesis" connection wasn't actually as strong as the "Marillion/Pink Floyd" connection). 

I never got inspiration corner. I mean, I did, but I didn't like it. And I say this as someone who is not a musician or artistically inclined in any manner.

I hear what you're saying. I don't mind the intro to Surrounded '07, but the whole Daddy took a raincheck can go fuck itself. OK, that's a bit strong.

Well said, my friend.

[The Realm]

Train of Thought - what an album! Number 3 for me. Yes, pretty disappointed to see this land at only 7 but also probably not that surprised. This album has a style that I understand doesn't appeal to all but it works for me.

[jammindude]

I really loved TOT when it came out, but to me it hasn’t aged well at all. It almost sounds dated. I had it at #7 and that almost seems a bit high.

Vacant/SOC is the big highlight. I never allow them to be separated.

[DragonAttack]

Train of Thought #15: ‘As I Am’ and ‘In The Name Of God’ are top notch, ‘Endless Sacrifice’ is OK, ‘Stream of Consciousness’ would be better if five minutes shorter. ‘Vacant’ a fair tempo change. The rest is not my style, as well as being too angry and Tim can sounding

[KevShmev]

06. Octavarium

Number 1 finishes: 2
Last place finishes: 0
Average finish: 7.5

As I mentioned last night, I thought this record was a nice bounce back from its disappointing predecessor, but I no longer think that.  I like this album, but I don't love it. I like the variety and the colorful sound of it, but the songwriting just isn't particularly strong. The title track is stellar, but I wouldn't say any of the other seven songs are great.  I ranked this 11th.

My top 5 songs from the album:
1. Octavarium
2. These Walls
3. Panic Attack
4. The Root of All Evil
5. Sacrificed Sons

[DTA]

I'll never understand why this album gets ranked so high. It reminds me of 2112 always being rated a top Rush album. The title track is only one piece of the thing yet the album is almost solely judged based on that one song. I do appreciate the song lengths being chopped down on this one overall and I've always had a soft spot for I Walk Beside You.

[Deadeye21]

What a great album! I love the negative time stuff and having it all set out with the opening keys of each song being chromatic with those interludes providing the accidentals. The songs are all mostly great. The title track is exceptional. I’ve actually had the opposite experience to you, Kev. Used to think this was ass, but it’s absolutely grown on me

Octavarium
My rank: 5th of 15

Top 5
Octavarium
Panic Attack
Sacrificed Sons
These Walls
The Root of All Evil

My current standing
1.
2.
3.
4. Falling Into Infinity
5. Octavarium
6.
7.
8. Distance Over Time
9. Black Clouds and Silver Linings
10. A View From the Top of the World
11. Systematic Chaos
12. Train of Thought
13. When Dream And Day Unite
14. Dream Theater
15. The Astonishing

[WilliamMunny]

Octavarium is my number two, but many days it could just as easily be number one.

Talk about a 'grower'!!!

I enjoyed this album when it first came out, but it didn't necessarily 'wow' me in the way that TOT did. All these years later, it remains one of the only DT albums that I am still actively listening to on a routine basis.

In retrospect, I think it's more about me growing into this album.

Over the years, the lyrical content has continued to resonate with me in different ways. And now, at soon-to-be-42, I am still finding new ways to appreciate what is the band's best lyrical outing (for me, at least—yes, that includes 'Never Enough')

Musically, this album felt similar to FII in that it contrasts with darkness and heaviness of its predecessor. I appreciate the mixture of shorter songs and epics. I also like the mix and production overall in that it feels completely different from the rest of their catalog (again, like FII).

James sounds fantastic, JP mostly plays in the pocket (for probably the last time), Jordan elevates everything and JM and MP sound great as well.

Above all else, however, is the way I feel when I listen to this record. At this point, I've realistically listened to 8VM a couple hundred times (maybe a bit less, but somewhere around there). The fact that each subsequent listen still manages to practically reduce me to tears at points is a testament to both the record and my attachment to it.

On a previous thread I spoke about how I viewed Score as the peak of DT's abilities, and this record benefits from said peak in so many ways.

I'm not surprised by anything I've read thusfar—DT has a large, varied body of work that has inspired multiple generations of fans. If anything, the diversity of opinions throughout this countdown speaks to the band's incredibly consistent output over the past thirty-five years.

[TAC]

06. Octavarium

Number 1 finishes: 2
Last place finishes: 0
Average finish: 7.5

I had Octavarium at #9.

Albums 7-12 are really interchangeable though. Octavarium is really easy on the ears. At first, I thought it was FII pt.2. It's mostly weighted by the title track which is a DT masterpiece.
But other than The Answer Lies Within, I like every other song. It took seeing it live to really appreciate it though.

And if you generally skip Never Enough, you are missing one of James' sneaky amazing performances.


15. Falling Into Infinity
14. Dream Theater
13.
12. Distance Over Time
11. Systematic Chaos
10. Black Clouds and Silver Linings
9. Octavarium
8. Train Of Thought
7. The Astonishing
6. A View From The Top Of The World
5.   
4. When Dream and Day Unite
3.   
2.   
1.

.....Musically, this album felt similar to FII in that it contrasts with darkness and heaviness of its predecessor. I appreciate the mixture of shorter songs and epics. I also like the mix and production overall in that it feels completely different from the rest of their catalog (again, like FII).

James sounds fantastic

Dammit. Just beat me to it!

[The Letter M]

01.
02.
03.
04. Octavarium
05.
06. A View From The Top Of The World
07.
08. Train Of Thought
09. Black Clouds & Silver Linings
10. Distance Over Time
11. Falling Into Infinity
12. Systematic Chaos
13. Dream Theater
14. When Dream And Day Unite
15. The Astonishing

Octavarium was the band's first new album after I became a fan, so my anticipation for it was through the roof. Thankfully it ended up being an album I really loved and still do to this day. Ever since it's release, it has firmly planted itself as a Top 5 DT. Is it perfect? No, but the songs range from enjoyable to amazing, and I feel the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

-Marc.

[ReaperKK]

Some more catching up:

Train of Thought: This was the first new album to come out after I became a fan of DT. I remember taking my first car to best buy, buying the cd and putting it in the cd player and driving home. I ended almost listening to the whole album in the parking lot of where we lived (drive from best buy was 10 minutes). I was hooked on every note. I think the one downside to this album is it seemed to invite the metal side of DT and it was there to stay until TA.

Octavarium: There are great ideas here and great songs like "These Walls" and "Panic Attack" but this album aged really poorly for me. I almost never go back to it and don't really understand the hype. The concept is really cool but sometimes I feel like people are in love with the concept and teh nuggats!!!! more than the actual music. This album also has one of the worst ballads DT has ever written.


1. Systematic Chaos
2. Distance Over Time
3.
4. Train of Thought
5.
6.
7. A View From The Top Of The World
8. Falling Into Infinity
9.
10. Black Clouds And Silver Linings
11. Oceanarium
12.
13. Dream Theater
14. When Dream And Day Unite
15. The Astonishing

[devieira73]

6.   Octavarium (#7); grade (8.8/10)

Top 3 songs:    Octavarium, Panic Attack and These Walls.

The album musical concept is something truly original and the songs are basically great, with the exception of The  Answer Lies Within – that I really don’t care – and Never Enough – too close to MUSE’s Stockholm Syndrome (I love MUSE, but this song borders the plagiarism IMO). The album tour had my favorite JLB live performances.

[krands85]

I have it #5, just a step below my 'big 4'. This was the first DT album I ever heard when my friend played me something from it in his car in 2005 or 2006. So it has always been very important to me - who knows how my musical journey might have gone otherwise!

15. When Dream and Day Unite
14. Black Clouds and Silver Linings
13. Falling Into Infinity
12.
11. Dream Theater
10. The Astonishing
9. Systematic Chaos
8. A View from the Top of the World
7. Distance Over Time
6.
5. Octavarium
4.
3.
2. Train of Thought
1.

The title track is one of the greatest songs ever written, though still only my third favourite from DT! Just a truly epic journey from beginning to end and superb musically, lyrically and vocally. Sacrificed Sons is my number 2 on the album, great lyrics on a difficult subject matter, delivered wonderfully by James. I've always loved it musically too and it has one of my favourite endings to a DT song (as does the title track actually).

The Root of All Evil is a great opener and continues the 12-step suite nicely. Panic Attack completes my big 4 on the album - JM really nails that opening! Though I could do without the last minute of the song tbh.

I always group the remaining four songs together, all enjoyable in their own way, but just don't resonate with me like the other 4 do. I find These Walls to be the strongest of the four and I Walk Beside You the weakest.

[Adami]

1.
2.
3.
4.
5. Octavarium
6. Falling Into Infinity
7.
8. Train of Thought
9. Black Clouds and Silver Linings
10. The Astonishing
11. Systematic Chaos
12. When Dream and Day Unite
13. Dream Theater
14. Distance Over Time
15. A View From the Top of the World

I like this album. The production is a bet meh and I really don't like The Answer Lies Within or how that same exact message as permeated SO much of JP's lyrics from there on out. But other than that, and the odd segue moments that go on too long, it's a great album. Root is a fantastic rocker, These Walls is also fantastic, I really dig I Walk Beside You, I hate Panic Attack so much that I forgot it was on the album until I started writing this sentence, I actually really like Never Enough despite the bad lyrics, but then again, I'm a Muse fan, Sacrificed Sons is great (again like ITNOG) until the last vocal section, and 8VM is the last Epic of theirs that I love every minute of.

[T-ski]

#5

The title track alone carries this but there are enough other good songs for it to get to #5.

15. Astonishing
14. Systematic Chaos
13. View From the Top of the World
12. Falling Into Infinity
11. Train of Thought
10. Distance Over Time
9. When Dream and Day Unite
8.
7. Black Clouds and Silver Linings
6. Dream Theater
5. Octavarium
4.
3.
2.
1.

[SwedishGoose]

Octavarium has one of my absolute favorite songs, the titlle track.
But I also really like Sacrificed Sons.

The other songs are really good to but not up to par with their best so Octavarium ends up at 6th place.

15. Distance Over Time
14. Black Clouds and Silver Linings
13. When Dream and Day Unite
12. Systematic Chaos
11. Dream Theater
10.
9. Falling Into Infinity
8.Train of Thought
7. A View From the Top Of the World
6. Octavarium
5.
4.
3.
2.
1. The Astonishing

[Mladen]

15. Falling into infinity
14. A View from the top of the world
13. When Dream and Day Unite
12. Dream Theater
11. Distance over time
10. Octavarium
9. Train of thought
8. Black clouds & silver linings
7. Systematic Chaos
6.
5. The Astonishing
4.
3.
2.
1.

This was my 2nd Dream Theater album. I really liked it then, I still like it now. It was never my absolute favorite, though. The title track, Panic attack and The Root of all evil are great. 

[jammindude]

BOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

This is way too low a showing for DTs masterpiece!

I would have bet the farm that “the retread album” would have taken #6 (and even that would have been too high) and launched 8V into the top 5.

Like a few others have commented, this one was kind of a grower for me as well. After being a completely diehard fan boy since 1992 I was starting to maybe get a bit burnt on the DT sound (Almost 10 straight years of glutting out on any one single band will do that to you) and my first few passes made it feel like this was “DT by the numbers”

But the concept of the whole began to resonate with me pretty hard, and now I believe it to be the single album that best represents everything that DT is all about an 80 minutes or less. It is the perfect DT album. This is the album I would use to introduced somebody to Dream Theater’s sound without hesitation. And it is probably the one album that I spin more than any other even 20 years later.

Even its weakest track (TALW) becomes something incredible when viewed as a piece in the jigsaw puzzle.

Obviously…I was one of the #1 rankings.

[Lethean]

#11 for me.  I love the title track and The Root of All Evil.  I like the rest except I'd say Panic Attack and Never Enough can annoy me depending on my mood, so those two probably bring my ranking of the album down a bit.

[Lethean]

I have to say that I'm so glad Six Degrees is going to place so high.  I got into DT the year it came out - maybe six months later or so.  I started reading the MP forum late that year and people seemed to have a lot of disdain for it.  I'm not sure when I noticed it changing, but I think it took a good while. I suppose it could always have been just a vocal few that really didn't like it, but even in non-DT forums it wasn't getting much love.