Dream Theater Top 100 countdown - 2024 Version!

[CharlesPL]

List Sent (only 6 songs from MM era)

[Setlist Scotty]

This Is The Life is one of the best written songs in their catalog. It's practically perfect.

It didn't even made my list (#101).

Well I wasn't really commenting on its likability. Im just saying it is structurally perfect.

You mean like in the same way as Another Day? 

[Dream Team]

List sent. I submitted whatever the Ranker spit out because I didn't want to go down the rabbit hole of spending hours massaging the list - that said, there are a couple of results. In particular 1 song I kind of always thought of as top 15 at least ended up 56 so I messed something up  . It was weird during the voting process, sometimes my mind went "this is the better song" and other times it was "this is the song I'd rather listen to". Whatever.

45 Mangini era songs. Oh yeah.

By Album
1989 - 6
1992 - 8
1994 - 5
1997 - 2
1999 - 7
2002 - 5
2003 - 2
2005 - 5
2007 - 4
2009 - 5
2011 - 7
2013 - 7
2016 - 20
2019 - 6
2021 - 5
non album - 6

[MirrorMask]

Since it was fun to have all the matches laid out for me, I have the temptation to "waste" some bit of fun time to do it again, but this time cutting out all the songs I already know won't make the cut (Raw Dog, the live jams, the Nomac tracks etc...). There were so many matches with those tracks involved that they potentially may have influenced the results. I mean, the top songs have to be the same, no way the presence of a Nomac track in the rankings allowed an album song I don't like to reach the top 30, but maybe getting rid of the "fat" will give me more accurate results.

[Stadler]

I haven't done my list yet (not sure I will, but I'd like to as it'll give me incentive to re-listen to all DT albums), but speaking of epics, I'm not sure ACOS will even crack my Top 75. Just getting it out there so I don't get disqualified for rigging the rankings.

I'm with you.   I know what it means to the band and the fanbase, but I never quite connected with it.

[Dedalus]

I used the ranking engine with all 178 songs that Kev selected, and I haven't yet had time to see if this list will be my final list.

Fun fact: If I rule out things like Raw Dog, NOMACs songs, Barfbag, Awake Jam etc, the worst Dream Theater song for me is Burning My Soul (in fact, it is behind some NOMACs songs  ).

[TAC]

Raw Dog gets a raw deal.

[MirrorMask]

Fun fact: If I rule out things like Raw Dog, NOMACs songs, Barfbag, Awake Jam etc, the worst Dream Theater song for me is Burning My Soul (in fact, it is behind some NOMACs songs  ).

I accidentally got a Nomac song at 154 

Leaving aside all the kind of songs you mentioned, my worst sung song is The Ones who Help to Set the Sun. It edged out three instrumentals.

[Cool Chris]

My list is not final, but looking at the top of my list in progress, each of the top 9 songs is from a different album.

[twosuitsluke]

Smashed out an initial ranking. Now to listen through the whole thing and make adjustments.

You mother fuckers making me listen to The Astonishing!

[Mladen]

You loved it. Admit it. 

[MirrorMask]

You mother fuckers making me listen to The Astonishing!

Poor you, you're forced to listen to a Dream Theater album with an excellent performance from James where the band showcases a more melodic and concise style, their most unique album to date, what a drag it must be.

[twosuitsluke]

You forgot green text, but it's ok, I am no stranger to sarcasm.

In all fairness there are a few songs I really like, that will make my top 100. It's just a shame there is also some absolute dross. The biggest flaw in the album for me is the amateur story telling, it just kills it all for me.

[jingle.boy]

You forgot green text, but it's ok, I am no stranger to sarcasm.

In all fairness there are a few songs I really like, that will make my top 100. It's just a shame there is also some absolute dross. The biggest flaw in the album for me is the amateur story telling, it just kills it all for me.

IMO there are two very good songs; 2 pretty good songs, and the rest is tripe.

To each their own, though.  Ranking gets much easier when I can immediately drop 2 albums.

[twosuitsluke]

You forgot green text, but it's ok, I am no stranger to sarcasm.

In all fairness there are a few songs I really like, that will make my top 100. It's just a shame there is also some absolute dross. The biggest flaw in the album for me is the amateur story telling, it just kills it all for me.

IMO there are two very good songs; 2 pretty good songs, and the rest is tripe.

To each their own, though.  Ranking gets much easier when I can immediately drop 2 albums.

Pretty much with you. I might change my mind though when you say what the other album you'd drop is?

[jingle.boy]

You forgot green text, but it's ok, I am no stranger to sarcasm.

In all fairness there are a few songs I really like, that will make my top 100. It's just a shame there is also some absolute dross. The biggest flaw in the album for me is the amateur story telling, it just kills it all for me.

IMO there are two very good songs; 2 pretty good songs, and the rest is tripe.

To each their own, though.  Ranking gets much easier when I can immediately drop 2 albums.

Pretty much with you. I might change my mind though when you say what the other album you'd drop is?

A View

[twosuitsluke]

You forgot green text, but it's ok, I am no stranger to sarcasm.

In all fairness there are a few songs I really like, that will make my top 100. It's just a shame there is also some absolute dross. The biggest flaw in the album for me is the amateur story telling, it just kills it all for me.

IMO there are two very good songs; 2 pretty good songs, and the rest is tripe.

To each their own, though.  Ranking gets much easier when I can immediately drop 2 albums.

Pretty much with you. I might change my mind though when you say what the other album you'd drop is?

A View

Oh really, I didn't think it was that bad. A bit by the numbers but not terrible.

[Wim Kruithof]

Fun fact: If I rule out things like Raw Dog, NOMACs songs, Barfbag, Awake Jam etc, the worst Dream Theater song for me is Burning My Soul (in fact, it is behind some NOMACs songs  ).

I'm with you there. If I had to throw a handful of their songs in the ocean, Burning My Soul surely would be a part of it, as is Lost Not Forgotten...

[hefdaddy42]

Raw Dog gets a raw deal.

I mean, just because you like a song that most people don't doesn't mean that the song gets a raw deal.

I like the movies Hudson Hawk and Oscar, but their reputations are abysmal.  The overwhelming number of critics and people who saw them disliked them.  I don't for a second think they get a raw deal.  I just like 2 movies that most people don't.

[Dedalus]

Considering the passing of Charlie Dominici, I checked it off my list. Of the 8 songs on WDADU, 7 are in the top 100.

I always liked this album. 

[Wim Kruithof]

By Album

2016 - 20

You must be Arhys himself...

Became curious about my list since your post,

When Dream and Day Unite: 6
Images and Words: 8 - all
Awake: 11 - all
Falling Into Infinity: 6
Metroplis pt. II: 8
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence: 6 - all
Train of Thought: 6
Octavarium: 7
Systematic Chaos: 6
Black Clouds and Silver Linings: 6 - all
A Dramatic Turn of Events: 5
Dream Theater: 6
The Astonishing: 2
Distance Over Time: 6
A View from the Top of the World: 7 - all

non-studioalbum related: 4

From five albums they all made the list, Images and Words, Awake, Six Dregrees of Inner Turbulence, Black Clouds and Silver Linings (that surprised me a lot) and A View from the Top of the World...

Interesting.

[pg1067]

As soon as I hit enter, I knocked out two more songs:  a short intro track and a song that I have long regarded as DT's worst album track.  So I'm now down to 129 (which includes two of the songs on Scotty's list of YouTube links, although I'm skeptical that either will make the top 100.

Gee, I wonder which one...   

Don't worry, it's in my top 5 to offset it missing from yours! 

Except I don't think you're thinking of the same song I'm talking about.

[Dream Team]

Regarding me having 20 from TA, yes it looks weird BUT - every song has a good melody and vocal and is therefore way less offensive than some of the dreck from FII or SC etc. It's also possible I miscounted because I've checked again and only see 18 which is barely half the album but yes still a lot.

[Dittomist]

It looks like this will be the album breakdown for my list.

Images and Words: 8
Awake: 10
Falling Into Infinity: 8
Metropolis Part II: 9
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence: 5
Train of Thought: 6
Octavarium: 7
Systematic Chaos: 6
Black Clouds and Silver Linings: 6
A Dramatic Turn of Events: 7
Dream Theater: 7
The Astonishing: 11
Distance Over Time: 7
View from the Top of the World: 1
Other: 2

I think what surprised me most was including 7 songs from Distance Over Time, an album I've never been that crazy about, with one of them even appearing in the Top 20. Having a whopping 11 from The Astonishing wasn't a surprise, but ranking those songs proved to be really difficult. Very much looking forward to this countdown!

[Dream Team]

For a band with 15 albums plus an EP and a B-Sides album, they really don't have as many official recordings as you would think because a good number of their albums were 6 - 8 songs. So a Top 100 list pretty much means all their songs when you don't include the Majesty demos, Nomac tracks, etc. Probably some of us had songs we don't even like THAT much in the top 100.

[twosuitsluke]

Ranking these songs is fun. I haven't listened through all of the bands' songs in years. I'm actually having more of an appreciation for songs off Falling into Infinity and A Dramatic Turn of Events, which are two albums that never really gelled with me. Bring predominantly an album listener I don't think I ever rated the songs individually, on their own merits.

[Cool Chris]

For a band with 15 albums plus an EP and a B-Sides album, they really don't have as many official recordings as you would think because a good number of their albums were 6 - 8 songs. So a Top 100 list pretty much means all their songs when you don't include the Majesty demos, Nomac tracks, etc. Probably some of us had songs we don't even like THAT much in the top 100.

I remember this from the last DT Top 100. I only sort 100 songs, not the entire list, so I whittle it down to 100, and I definitely wondered about some of those songs in the 90s, like I didn't really want to put them through the Ranker, but I knew I had to in order to complete a list of 100.

[Revenge319]

First three albums are ranked. One song will most likely enter my Top 5 for the first time, Top 3 if it's really lucky.

[wolfking]

This Is The Life is one of the best written songs in their catalog. It's practically perfect.

Probably doesn't make my 100.

[wolfking]

You forgot green text, but it's ok, I am no stranger to sarcasm.

In all fairness there are a few songs I really like, that will make my top 100. It's just a shame there is also some absolute dross. The biggest flaw in the album for me is the amateur story telling, it just kills it all for me.

IMO there are two very good songs; 2 pretty good songs, and the rest is tripe.

To each their own, though.  Ranking gets much easier when I can immediately drop 2 albums.

Pretty much with you. I might change my mind though when you say what the other album you'd drop is?

A View

Nice.  TA will not be represented in my list.  Same may be said about View.  Although the title track I'm warming to.  It may sneak in........maybe.

[Stadler]

This Is The Life is one of the best written songs in their catalog. It's practically perfect.

Probably doesn't make my 100.

You need to... I don't know what, but you need to do it. 

[wolfking]

This Is The Life is one of the best written songs in their catalog. It's practically perfect.

Probably doesn't make my 100.

You need to... I don't know what, but you need to do it. 

Hmmmm......cryptic but thanks Bill.

[Jamesman42]

 

[DTwwbwMP]

sent

[Ben_Jamin]

Mine have changed, but I also tried the ranker and my original rankings don't even come close....