Dream Theater Top 100 countdown - 2024 Version! (#01 Up!)

[TAC]

55. Panic Attack
Highest Finish: 9 (Jamesman42)
Number of Lists appeared on: 55 (Adami, Animal, Awaken, axeman90210, Ben_Jamin, bosk1, CanuckChum, CharlesPL, Cool Chris, Dave_Manchester, devieira73, Dittomist, DragonAttack, Dream Team, DTwwbwMP, energythief, Evermind, Fonzie, Jamesman42, jammindude, jeff_kinsley, JiM-Xtreme, jingle.boy, jonny108, King Puppies and the Acid Guppies, lightningbolt, lucasembarbosa, mariner, Metro, MirrorMask, Mladen, MoraWintersoul, Mosh, MustActFastToCoverUp, nobloodyname, NoFred, OpenYourEyes311, pg1067, PixelDream, porcacultor, ReaperKK, ReaPsTA, Revenge319, romdrums, TAC, The Realm, Toro, Trav86, twosuitsluke, Vmadera00, WardySI, weirdo, Wim Kruithof, wolfking, Zydar)

54. These Walls
Highest Finish: 7 (porcacultor)
Number of Lists appeared on: 56 (Adami, Awaken, axeman90210, Ben_Jamin, bosk1, CanuckChum, CharlesPL, Dave_Manchester, devieira73, Dittomist, DragonAttack, DTwwbwMP, energythief, Evermind, Fonzie, hefdaddy42, Jamesman42, jammindude, jeff_kinsley, jingle.boy, jonny108, JPZealot, KevShmev, King Puppies and the Acid Guppies, lightningbolt, mariner, Metro, MirrorMask, MoraWintersoul, Mosh, nobloodyname, NoFred, OpenYourEyes311, Peter Mc, pg1067, PixelDream, Podaar, porcacultor, ReaperKK, ReaPsTA, Revenge319, romdrums, Setlist Scotty, Stadler, SwedishGoose, TAC, The Realm, Toro, Trav86, twosuitsluke, Vmadera00, WardySI, weirdo, Wim Kruithof, wolfking, Zydar)

53. The Great Debate
Highest Finish: 2 (Fonzie)
Number of Lists appeared on: 50 (Adami, Awaken, axeman90210, Ben_Jamin, bosk1, CanuckChum, CharlesPL, Dave_Manchester, devieira73, Dittomist, Dream Team, DTwwbwMP, energythief, Fonzie, geeeemo, Jamesman42, JiM-Xtreme, jingle.boy, jonny108, JPZealot, KevShmev, Lethean, lucasembarbosa, mariner, Metro, Mladen, Mosh, MustActFastToCoverUp, nobloodyname, NoFred, Peter Mc, PixelDream, Podaar, porcacultor, ReaperKK, Revenge319, romdrums, Setlist Scotty, Stadler, SwedishGoose, The Realm, Toro, Trav86, twosuitsluke, Vmadera00, WardySI, weirdo, Wim Kruithof, wolfking, Zydar)

I had Panic Attack at #44.
Excellent example of Metal DT. I've always loved this song.

I had These Walls at #75.
This is a really cool tune. A bit different than what usually appeals to me. The outro is fantastic.

I had The Great Debate as Not Rated.
I enjoy parts of this song, but it just feels so long and kind of a chore to get through.



List                                                    Not Ranked         
100                                                      Wither
99                                                        Vacant
98                                                        Our New World
97                                                        The Looking Glass
96                                                        Transcending Time
95                                                        Behind The Veil
94                                                        New Milenium   
93                                                        Constant Motion
92                                                        The Shattered Fortress
91                                                        To Live Forever
90  Forsaken                                         Answering The Call
89                                                        Honor Thy Father
88                                                        The Silent Man
87                                                        Hell's Kitchen
86                                                        The Great Debate
85  Pale Blue Dot
84
83
82
81
80  Awaken The Master
79  On The Backs Of Angels
78
77
76  S2N
75  These Walls
74  Afterlife
73  This Is The Life
72
71
70
69  Surrender Of Reason
68
67
66
65  Sacrificed Sons
64  Beneath The Surface
63  Through Her Eyes
62  The Bigger Picture
61  I Walk Beside You
60  Never Enough
59  A New Beginning
58
57
56
55
54
53
52
51
50
49
48
47
46
45
44  Panic Attack
43
42  The Ministry Of Lost Souls
41  Sleeping Giant
40
39
38
37  Fall Into The Light
36
35  The Gift Of Music
34
33
32
31  Ytse Jam
30
29
28  The Enemy Inside
27
26  Only A Matter Of Time
25
24  Raise The Knife
23  Hollow Years
22  The Dark Eternal Night
21  Outcry
20
19
18  A Fortune In Lies
17
16  The Alien
15
14  The Best Of Times
13
12
11  Lost Not Forgotten.
10
9
8
7
6
5
4  The Killing Hand
3
2
1




33 -15

[DragonAttack]

My streak of sixteen in a row ends at the end
…..
61. The Ministry Of Lost Souls (#64) good ending for my SC version, enjoyable as the concert closer in '08 in spite of the drawn out ending
60. The Bigger Picture (#37) one of my three DT12 favorites
59. Hollow Years (#7) I didn’t own FII, ToT or Budokan until after SC was released, so this nice mellow track was a much needed change of pace from ToT and SC.  Drastic changes from studio to live versions often suffer, the Budokan version didn’t for me.  The 'LiveTime' version is FAB, but pales in comparison (to me). DT's favorite song of a decades long time fellow Queen and DT fan, who sadly passed last year. Glad they played it in ’09 in Philly at the one show we attended together, with the added verses from the demo included. My eyes got quite watery when I listened to the demo version the other day. 

58. Outcry (#71) call me weird (if you haven’t already), I don’t include it on my ADToE disc (it has plenty of 10+ minute songs) but on my TA Disc 2.  Would have fit in with the uprising theme on that LP.
57. Hell's Kitchen (#29) enjoy the added bells on in ‘Instrumedley’.  A company in NYC by this name makes some stellar BBQ sauces😉.  So very trivial....I met the owner in Bryant Park in Dec '22.  We chatted, told him I was a DT fan, bought a tee shirt, and he told me he is a friend of Portnoy.  I visited the stand last month, saw him, told him to tell MP 'welcome back', and he told me he was going to see Mike in a few weeks.  For what it's worth.......
56. On The Backs Of Angels (#33) so nice to have a little piano break in the middle for a change. Everything else is aces plus.

55. Panic Attack (#38) I feel panic when I listen to this. And it is all good
54. These Walls (#23)  'The Answer Lies Within' I have ranked at #22.  'I Walk Beside You' at #24.  'nuff said
53. The Great Debate (NR) The samples are horrible, and I feel like DT makes a stand to not make a stand.  The filtered instrumental is quite good  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs1wKc2An1Q

33/48

[ReaperKK]

Am I misremembering but weren't the samples in TGD fake? I swear I read that somewhere years and years ago.

[WardySI]

Panic Attack #24
Loved Panic Attack on first spin and weirdly always thought it and Porcupine Tree's Shallow came out at similar times and kinda work together somehow but expect is just me 

These Walls #28
I do rank Octavarium quite high definitely in the top half of the DT discography, these two and Walk Beside You at #31 and another to come in the same ballpark...

The Great Debate #87
Aside from a few exceptions I've never necessarily been drawn to the longer tunes but yeah there's a few and a couple well up in my rankings.  This one I enjoy but is obviously well down my list had to actually check if it made my 100 and glad it did.

[Dittomist]

Haven't commented in a few days and so I'll try to play catch up.

The Dark Eternal Night- 48
It's always a jump-for-joy moment when this appears in the set. It's so much fun and probably my favorite SC track.

The Alien- NR
There are parts I really like but the chorus really drags it down

Silent Man- 67
Having a simple acoustic song like this on the previous album would have gone a long way.

Beneath the Surface- 27
I'm glad there are others that appreciate this as much as I do. Contains some of their most relatable and tragic lyrics ever.

Pale Blue Dot- 73
Very cool song, and there's a part that reminds me of the Creepshow 2 soundtrack, so that's another plus.

The Ministry of Lost Souls- 49
Very powerful but probably didn't need to be 15 minutes

The Bigger Picture- 64
I originally had it in the '80s but once I was reminded of just how perfect that last minute is  (where James sings "I've listened to the stories of resentment and disdain..."), I had to bump it up.

Hollow Years- 36
I've always been impressed by how the melancholy verses and uplifting chorus ("sing along!") fit so well together.

Hell's Kitchen- 91
Outcry-56
Dammit. I thought I did a good job on my list but these 2 should have been swapped. Hell's Kitchen is much better than Outcry.

On the Backs of Angels- 66
While I practically have every other song on ADTOE memorized, for some odd reason I always struggle to remember how this one goes despite it being the single.

Panic Attack- 55
It was perplexing to learn that this was the song chosen to represent DT on Rock Band but now I think it was an excellent choice. It's an absolute beast that adds so much diversity and edginess to Octavarium.

The Great Debate- 58
James sounds so good on this one. Plus, the instrumental section from 9:28-11:25 is awesome to the max!

[DragonAttack]

So far, no mentions of the 'Cosmic Duck'.    What gives?

[The Realm]

Panic Attack - a really great metal DT track. The opening bass line is awesome and I've always loved when the band kicks in. My rank 54 (missed consensus by 1..)

These Walls - another good Octavarium song but not at the same level as Panic Attack. I ranked this at 70.

The Great Debate - well I actually had this flagged as one of my own ranked songs that wouldn't make the top 100 but happy to see it make it. I ranked this at 72 but it could have been higher. I am not sure it has aged that well for me but I did love it when the album came out. The Tool influence is strong but there is enough variation to turn it into its own thing.

[Podaar]

Catching up.
DTF                                        Me
70.   The Dark Eternal Night     68
69.   The Alien                         59
68.   The Killing Hand               NR
67.   Ytse Jam                          61
66.   The Silent Man                 49             
65.   Raise The Knife                NR
64.   Beneath The Surface         96
63.   Sacrificed Sons                 85
62.   Pale Blue Dot                    60
61.   The Ministry Of Lost Souls  30
60.   The Bigger Picture             97
59.   Hollow Years                     42
58.   Outcry                              45
57.   Hell's Kitchen                    NR
56.   On The Backs Of Angels     56   Right on the money.
55.   Panic Attack                      NR
54.   These Walls                       89
53.   The Great Debate               34

No real hot takes in any of these picks, I guess. Maybe, I like Ministry and Debate significantly more that the consensus.

[Dream Team]

Well dang I thought I might be the highest ranker of TGD at #7 but The Fonz prevailed.

[ReaperKK]

Only two songs today! We have to ties so tomorrow's update will be a 4 song update.

52.Barstool Warrior
Highest Finish: 5 (Toro)
Number of Lists appeared on: 55 (Animal, Awaken, axeman90210, Ben_Jamin, bosk1, CanuckChum, Cool Chris, Dave_Manchester, devieira73, DragonAttack, Dream Team, DTwwbwMP, Evermind, Fonzie, geeeemo, hefdaddy42, Indiscipline, jammindude, JiM-Xtreme, jingle.boy, jonny108, JPZealot, KevShmev, King Puppies and the Acid Guppies, Lethean, lightningbolt, lucasembarbosa, mariner, Metro, MirrorMask, MoraWintersoul, Mosh, MustActFastToCoverUp, nobloodyname, NoFred, OpenYourEyes311, Peter Mc, pg1067, PixelDream, Podaar, ReaperKK, ReaPsTA, Revenge319, romdrums, Setlist Scotty, TAC, The Realm, Toro, Trav86, twosuitsluke, Vmadera00, WardySI, Wim Kruithof, wolfking, Zydar)

I was really curious about this track when the track list for DoT was released. When I finally did hear the track I was surprised at how much I enjoyed. I still go back to this song a lot and still think it's a great tune.

51. Caught In A Web
Highest Finish: 1 (porcacultor)
Number of Lists appeared on: 57 (Adami, Animal, Awaken, axeman90210, Ben_Jamin, CanuckChum, CharlesPL, Cool Chris, Dave_Manchester, devieira73, Dittomist, DragonAttack, DTwwbwMP, energythief, Evermind, Fonzie, geeeemo, hefdaddy42, Jamesman42, jammindude, jeff_kinsley, JiM-Xtreme, jingle.boy, jonny108, JPZealot, KevShmev, King Puppies and the Acid Guppies, Lethean, lightningbolt, lucasembarbosa, mariner, Metro, MirrorMask, Mladen, MoraWintersoul, MustActFastToCoverUp, NoFred, OpenYourEyes311, pg1067, PixelDream, Podaar, porcacultor, ReaPsTA, romdrums, Stadler, SwedishGoose, TAC, The Realm, Toro, Trav86, twosuitsluke, Vmadera00, WardySI, weirdo, Wim Kruithof, wolfking, Zydar)

Caught in a web never did much for me. It's a great song live but I'll typically pass the studio version.

[Wim Kruithof]

Caught In a Web as the best DT-song ever... to each their own, porcacultor, but here I am, curious to the 'how on earth'...

095: I Walk Beside You     15
094: S2n     spot on
093: Never Enough     7
091: Caught In a Web     40
090: The Alien     21
089: Only a Matter of Time     7
088: Surrender to Reason     5
087: Forsaken     8
086: Through Her Eyes     12
085: The Silent Man     19
084: Constant Motion     2
083: Fall Into the Light     11
082: The Best of Times     5
079: On the Backs of Angels     23
078: Behind the Veil     11
077: Afterlife     19
076: Hollow Years     17
074: Sacrified Sons     9
068: The Enemy Inside     15
067: Pale Blue Dot     3
060: A Fortune in Lies     18
059: Hell's Kitchen     2
054: The Looking Glass     38
053: Raise the Knife     12
050: Wither     49
048: Transcending Time     42
046: Barstool Warrior     6
044: Ytse Jam     23
042: The Killing Hand     26
041: Sleeping Giant     44
040: Answering the Call     45
037: The Bigger Picture     23
029: Awaken the Master     52
027: Honor Thy Father     44
018: Outcry     47
017: Beneath the Surface     49
016: The Shattered Fortress     63
010: The Ministry of Lost Souls     51

not rankend: 9 The Gift of Music / Vacant / Our New World / A New Beginning / This Is the Life / New Millennium / To Live Forever / Lost Not Forgotten / The Dark Eternal Night

Almost 50 songs in already and only 9 didn't make my list. So it seems I am pretty avarage...

ReaperKK, thanks for all your work... really love this thread.

[Evermind]

Caught in a Web - #91 - I only ranked this one because I needed 100 songs. I don't really enjoy this one too much to be honest. For me, Awake would've been a better album if the first three songs didn't exist.

Barstool Warrior - #41 - one of the best songs from DoT. Good stuff.

[Mladen]

I like Barstool warrior, but I didn't rank it.

Caught in a web, on the other hand, was my #14. Of all of their songs that are shorter than six minutes, this is the best one. It ended up waaaaaay too low overall.

[Zydar]

Barstool Warrior - I think I ranked this too low, it ended up at #90 but after listening a few times more it could have been a bit higher. That main guitar melody is very nice, and a fine chorus.

Caught In A Web - Possibly the first DT song I ever heard, back in late 2000. It prompted me to buy Awake and Images & Words. It's still a great song, it landed at #32 for me.

[ReaperKK]

I like Barstool warrior, but I didn't rank it.

Caught in a web, on the other hand, was my #14. Of all of their songs that are shorter than six minutes, this is the best one. It ended up waaaaaay too low overall.

[JiM-Xtreme]

Catching up...

58. Outcry - an alright song but, it didn't make my list. It's just nothing special...

57. Hell's Kitchen ...unlike this one. This made it all the way to 15 for me. It's simply gorgeous and never fails to improve my mood whenever I listen to it. Perhaps the one creative decision Kevin Shirley made (I think it was) during the making of this album that I actually agree with, separating this from Burning My Soul and letting it stand on it's own - thank God. 

This piece has brought me back up when I've been feeling down on many an occasion over the years and is certainly one of the standout tracks from Falling Into Infinity. Whilst the album as a whole is lacklustre, it does have its special moments and this is one.

56. On The Backs Of Angels - again, just ok. Not in my top 100.

55. Panic Attack - surprised this one ended as low as this, I felt it was considered a classic. Then again... for me, it ended up much lower at 97. But still, the fact that it's in my top 100 at all is a compliment - I do really enjoy this one and it's fun to play along to.
             
54. These Walls - not in my top 100. I don't dislike it, it has a nice vibe but it never particularly stood out to me.

53. The Great Debate - surprised at how high this one finished. For me it got to 96. I enjoy it.

52. Barstool Warrior - this one finished a bit higher for me at 39. It's just an all-round really strong track with nice melodies, lyrics and riffs. The final modulated chorus is fantastic. Whilst it's relatively fresh, this one feels like it has the potential to be considered a DT classic when all's said and done.

51. Caught in a Web - my 49. Definitely a classic!

[axeman90210]

Three days of updates (#s 58-51):

Outcry- Pretty close to the consensus, I had this at #53. It gets overshadowed by Breaking all Illusions and Bridges in the Sky, but this is another highlight from the first Mangini album.

Hell's Kitchen- I put this just a touch higher, #43. A really nice short little instrumental, it has a different sound and feel to just about every other DT album track.

On the Backs of Angels- I had this further down my list at #81. Like most lead singles from modern DT, it's decent but not an album standout. A solid introduction to MM.

Panic Attack- Nearly nailed it, #59 on my list. A solid heavy song, one of my favorites from 8VM.

These Walls- Another close one, #61 for me. The baritone gives this song a slightly different feel, and I dig the chorus.

The Great Debate- Well, I had one digit right, my #63. Crazy cool riffs and drum parts all over this song along with a good showing by JLB, somewhat offset by the cheesy sound clips and weirdly noncommittal lyrics.

Barstool Warrior- I knew I would be a bit higher than the consensus on this song, I had it up at #14. Beautiful playing on the whole thing from JP over a tasty JR chord progression. DT doing full on prog with no hint of metal and they crushed it on this one. My second favorite song from the whole Mangini era.

Caught in a Web- Back at #83 on my list. It's a decent enough song, but my least favorite on Awake.

[SwedishGoose]

One out, one in....
Barstool Warrior did not rank.... not connected with this
Caught In a Web is my next highest ranked song so far at 21. Awesome song.... loved it since release



My ranking so far

19 The Silent Man (66)
21 Caught In a Web (51)
28 Through Her Eyes  (74)
32 Awaken the Master (81)
33 Sleeping Giant (85)
37 Our New World (93)
44 The Great Debate (53)
45 To Live Forever (76)
50 Answering the Call (75)
54 Beneath the Surface (64)
57 Pale Blue Dot (62)
59 Transcending Time (90)
64 Sacrificed Sons (63)
65 The Looking Glass (92)
66 Hollow Years (59)
75 The Alien (69)
81 Behind the Veil (89)
87 Surrender To Reason (83)
88 Ytse Jam (67)
89 Forsaken (95)
91. The Gift of Music (98)
94. Never Enough (100)
99 These Walls (54)
100 Honor Thy Father (71)



Not rated
Wither (99), Vacant (97), Afterlife (96), S2N (94), A New Beginning (91), This is the Life (88), New Millennium (87), Constant Motion (86), The Enemy Inside (84), Only a Matter of Time (82), I Walk Beside You (80), The Shattered Fortress (79), A Fortune In Lies (78), The Best Of Times (78), Lost Not Forgotten (73), Fall Into the Light (72), The Dark Eternal Night (70), The Killing Hand (68), Raise The Knife (65), The Ministry of Lost Souls (61), The Bigger Picture (60), Outcry (58),  Hell's Kitchen (57), On The Backs Of Angels (56), Panic Attack (55), Barstool Warrior (52)

Rated: 24
Not rated: 26

[Indiscipline]

Barstool Warrior: 95. Melody DT, good DT.

Caught in a Web: didn't make the cut. Too heavy, too dark, too screamed.

The Score so far:

21 - A New Beginning
27 - The Best of Times
28 - Outcry
33 - Surrender to Reason
36 - This Is the Life
38 - Hell's Kitchen
45 - Vacant
46 - The Gift of Music
47 - Beneath the Surface
48 - The Silent Man
56 - The Bigger Picture
65 - Pale Blue Dot
68 - Our New World
71 - Behind the Veil
72 - The Looking Glass
79 - Hollow Years
87 - Ytse Jam
89 - Through Her Eyes
90 - Lost Not Forgotten
92 - The Killing Hand
95 - Barstool Warrior
96 - Fall Into the Light
97 - A Fortune in Lies

Not Ranked: 27

[Cool Chris]

58.   Outcry #24
57.   Hell's Kitchen #83 When they got to this song on the Budokan Instrumedley, I had no idea what it was, I had not listened to FII in years prior to that. I thought it was great and had to go back and give it a listen. I didn't remember enjoying it, because FII was such a dud I let it collect dust on the shelf.
56.   On The Backs Of Angels #58
55.   Panic Attack #9
54.   These Walls NR
53.   The Great Debate NR The intro is too long, the verses are dull, and the choruses don't bring it together. Nothing of value here.
52.   Barstool Warrior #65
51.   Caught In A Web #11

[CharlesPL]

Barstool Warrior -.none
Caught In A Web - 37

[Jamesman42]

100. Never Enough (17th) I don't get how this is at 100. This song has many cool parts, especially the instrumental break.
99. Wither (66th) Solid song, when it hits, it's great but it doesn't always warrant a listen.
98. The Gift Of Music (92nd) It's alright. Past entry 82 on my list is stuff that just had to be ranked.
97. Vacant (70th) This song is so awesome on its own and how it leads into SoC
96. Afterlife (98th) See: The Gift of Music
95. Forsaken (87th) It's alright, live is good.
94. S2N (NR) Honestly just not familiar enough with this song yet.
93. Our New World (NR) See: S2N
92. The Looking Glass (54th) This is one of the better tracks off of DT12. Great chorus, surprised it is this low.
91. A New Beginning (NR) Couldn't tell you what album it's from.
90. Transcending Time I really don't like DT12 View at this time, with about 5 listens since returning to the forum last year. But this song stuck out and was good enough to make the list.
89. Behind The Veil (NR) See: A New Beginning
88. This Is The Life (33rd) This song is very underrated. It has a huge atmosphere to it and a great buildup to that final chorus.
87. New Millennium (NR) Not much of a fan of FII, and this song was always skippable to me.
86. Constant Motion (35th) Sometimes you need a straightforward song, DT does it great here, and the instrumental section with the bass and piano is cool as hell.
85. Sleeping Giant (NR)
84. The Enemy Inside (36th) Great, straightforward song, and ranks right next to Constant Motion.
83. Surrender To Reason (64th) This was a mistake to place it at 64th, but by the time I was ranking stuff, I didn't care past a certain point. Relistening now and it's alright, should actually be in the 90s or off my list, so an oversight on my part.
82. Only A Matter Of Time (97th) Not bad, something had to be here.
81. Awaken The Master (NR)
80. I Walk Beside You (43rd) What a great song, when DT does more uplifting/major key stuff, it's really great, usually. Feels very underrated to me. This song has layers to it musically, stuff that feels more subtle than usual. Also fun to play on the bass.
79. The Shattered Fortress (22nd) A few clunky transitions aside, amazing song. Only TGP is the better song in the 12-step suite. And of course, that ending "I am RESPONSIBLE!"
78. A Fortune In Lies (86th) Pretty good song, chorus can stuck in your head. Charlie does a fantastic job, though the live version with JLB is stellar.
77. The Best Of Times (62nd) The intro and body of the song are a few minutes too long. The feel of the song is good, though, and that outro solo is top tier.
76. To Live Forever (NR) I do not remember this song.
75. Answering The Call (NR) Don't know it well enough.
74. Through Her Eyes (NR) It's alright, has a couple of nice moments. Maybe could have made my top 100 but not mad about it.
73. Lost Not Forgotten (75th) It's pretty okay. Some cool energy in the chorus.
72. Fall Into The Light (NR)
71. Honor Thy Father (78th) I enjoy this but is far and away the worst song on TOT as well.
70. The Dark Eternal Night (26th) WTF why is this song so low? Don't take it seriously. I did when it first came out and then realized that this is supposed to be a fun song. I love playing the intro riff on the keyboard.
69. The Alien (NR) I do know this song, and it's meh. Maybe more time would move it up.
68. The Killing Hand (96th) In my top 100 for "the killing haaaaaaaand"
67. Ytse Jam (56th) A good instrumental. A highlight of WDADU.
66. The Silent Man (38th) DT on full acoustic mode. Tasteful song.
65. Raise The Knife (57th) Great unofficial song. Chorus is nice.
64. Beneath The Surface (59th) Great song, not far off from the forum. It holds a special place in my heart for carrying me through some depressing times when it came out.
63. Sacrificed Sons (85th) I should relisten, but it is far and away the worst song on the album. It's too long and like hef said, too dated.
62. Pale Blue Dot (NR) No idea what it sounds like, I will try to listen some time this year.
61. The Ministry Of Lost Souls (NR) Not ranked because it blows, it is one if the worst DT songs, and the fact that it made it to #60 is morally depressing. Do better, DTF! FOR SHAME!
60. The Bigger Picture (NR) It's alright.
59. Hollow Years (20th) I ranked it this high based on the LaB version only. They took an okay song (where it would rank much, much lower) and made it much more listenable. And what really propels it is, of course, the guitar solo.
58. Outcry (51st) Great song. And I am glad hef said what he said about this song, he said it around when it came out (I think, or some time after), the downturn at the end is really well done. Dad, that always stuck in my mind for over a decade
57. Hell's Kitchen (21st) DT's second best instrumental. In my mind, a song they HAD to make. It just makes sense and is a shining star on an okay album.
56. On The Backs Of Angels (Highest Finish: 7 (Jamesman42)) I hold this highest finish with pride. I remember when this came out (did this leak?, can't remember now). I was floored by how amazing it was. The whole album would end up being excellent, but this song feels like no other DT song to me. It has the stuff I wish was on BCSL when MP started saying "imagine having Metropolis and all these other songs". No part goes on too long, incredible atmosphere, lyrics are great, that outro is fun, imo they just knocked it out of the park with this one.
55. Panic Attack Highest Finish: 9 (Jamesman42) This is much lower than I thought it would be. Still, I am oddly proud again to have a highest finish. This song is awesome from the time it opens and ends with the negative track. There is a great energy here, and as someone who gets anxiety attacks, very relatable song. Need more stuff like this DT!
54. These Walls (30th) Awesome, straightforward song. The prechorus is probably my favorite part, and the somewhat subdued guitar solo is a nice change of pace.
53. The Great Debate (29th) Longer song but I dig the Tool vibes. The production and feel of the album really makes this song even better than it probably should be, if that makes sense. 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
52.Barstool Warrior (NR) I don't know this song. I'll check it out when I have more listening time soon. (True for any other songs like that from this top 100)
51. Caught In A Web (52nd) Almost right on the consensus. I love how dated it sounds, adds much to the charm. Not a fan of the actual chorus. The instrumental in the middle is cool. I get some ACOS vibes there.

[pg1067]

55. Panic Attack

54. These Walls

53. The Great Debate

52.Barstool Warrior

51. Caught In A Web

Ok...Panic Attack is awesome.  It was my early favorite on Octavarium (the title track took a while to digest).  I had it at #14.

These Walls has grown on me a bit over the years.  A solid song at #71.

The Great Debate is a bottom 3 DT song.  Absolutely nothing redeeming about it.  Hard to believe it almost made the top 50.  When I'm listening to SDOIT (the album), I skip straight to disc 2 once the bulk of Misunderstood is done.

Barstool Warrior was my second ranked song on DOT at #35.  Really fun listen.

Caught in a Web was, I think, the first song from Awake that I heard.  I absolutely love it and had it at #36 (even though it's my #4 song on Awake).

[jammindude]

I haven’t been keeping up very well, but I can just pick up from the last five

Panic Attack - 63

Great song! One of the things I absolutely love about Octavarium and the reason it’s my favorite album is because of its ability to go from things like TALW to something like this. It is the most perfect album for summarizing everything that Dream Theater does in a single, artistic vision.

These Walls - 46

Same idea. Just a fantastic and relatable straight forward rocker.  Octavarium is just a perfect album.

The Great Debate - DNR

I have to echo pg’s thoughts on this one. Total skip track. I fact I have a single disc version of SDOIT which has the single version of Misunderstood and eliminates TGD completely and the album is massively improved because of it.

Barstool Warrior - 52

Hey! Nailed the aggregate!!  One of my highest rated songs from D/T.  In fact of all the songs on that album, this was the first one that really grabbed me. Beautiful chorus and really touching lyrics.

Caught in a Web - 39

Top notch Awake track. As time goes on I am really starting to appreciate that album more and more. If it weren’t for Lie (which is a huge dud for me) it might’ve been their best album.

[HOF]

Caught in a Web was the first DT song I ever heard (on the radio even). I thought it sounded amazing and then I don't think I ever heard it on the radio again, but it wasn't too long after that that my brother got into the band and then I did as well. I think the only other DT song I've ever heard on the radio was Pull Me Under once several years after that.

I still think it's a pretty good representation of DT in a fairly concise package and it sort of surprises me it didn't do more following the success of Pull Me Under.

[MirrorMask]

Barstool Warrior is great, even though the chorus felt like a bridge. If there had been an even more bombastic chorus, it could have been even greater. One of the best songs off d/t but with so much competition it ended up at 66 for me, 14 positions lower.

Caught in a Web is great, kickass track from one of their masterpieces. Finished at 46 for me, 5 positions higher.

So far it's all going with my predictions, I think I've already calculated how many songs of mine didn't / won't rank (definitively my 36 and 40 won't), now I just have to guess which ones that didn't make my cut will rank in the bottom half of this......

EDIT: I have 20 songs that didn't rank, final count should be 21. 22 if you're heartless monsters who didn't care for a touching Mangini era song.

[The Realm]

Barstool Warrior - before hearing this song, the title always conjured up an image in my mind that the song was going to be one of those crazy silly type instrumentals like Enigma Machine. The actual song of course is nothing like that and was a really pleasant surprise on the album. My rank 57.

Caught in a Web - my rank 46, so fairly in line with consensus. A really good song on a great album.

I currently have 10 songs I didn't rank. I am not sure there will be any others, I think the rest of my list makes it. I'm a little surprised that only one of my top 40 has so far been revealed so is going to be interesting to see how it plays out from here.

[TAC]

52.Barstool Warrior
Highest Finish: 5 (Toro)
Number of Lists appeared on: 55 (Animal, Awaken, axeman90210, Ben_Jamin, bosk1, CanuckChum, Cool Chris, Dave_Manchester, devieira73, DragonAttack, Dream Team, DTwwbwMP, Evermind, Fonzie, geeeemo, hefdaddy42, Indiscipline, jammindude, JiM-Xtreme, jingle.boy, jonny108, JPZealot, KevShmev, King Puppies and the Acid Guppies, Lethean, lightningbolt, lucasembarbosa, mariner, Metro, MirrorMask, MoraWintersoul, Mosh, MustActFastToCoverUp, nobloodyname, NoFred, OpenYourEyes311, Peter Mc, pg1067, PixelDream, Podaar, ReaperKK, ReaPsTA, Revenge319, romdrums, Setlist Scotty, TAC, The Realm, Toro, Trav86, twosuitsluke, Vmadera00, WardySI, Wim Kruithof, wolfking, Zydar)

I was really curious about this track when the track list for DoT was released. When I finally did hear the track I was surprised at how much I enjoyed. I still go back to this song a lot and still think it's a great tune.

51. Caught In A Web
Highest Finish: 1 (porcacultor)
Number of Lists appeared on: 57 (Adami, Animal, Awaken, axeman90210, Ben_Jamin, CanuckChum, CharlesPL, Cool Chris, Dave_Manchester, devieira73, Dittomist, DragonAttack, DTwwbwMP, energythief, Evermind, Fonzie, geeeemo, hefdaddy42, Jamesman42, jammindude, jeff_kinsley, JiM-Xtreme, jingle.boy, jonny108, JPZealot, KevShmev, King Puppies and the Acid Guppies, Lethean, lightningbolt, lucasembarbosa, mariner, Metro, MirrorMask, Mladen, MoraWintersoul, MustActFastToCoverUp, NoFred, OpenYourEyes311, pg1067, PixelDream, Podaar, porcacultor, ReaPsTA, romdrums, Stadler, SwedishGoose, TAC, The Realm, Toro, Trav86, twosuitsluke, Vmadera00, WardySI, weirdo, Wim Kruithof, wolfking, Zydar)

I had Barstool Warrior at #54.
I think this is an amazing song. I ranked it at 54, and maybe that's a tad low. Great melodic solo by JP.

I had Caught In A Web at #93.
I don't think I've ever really cared for this, but seeing it live a few times has given it a little bump. Still, it barely made my list.


List                                                    Not Ranked         
100                                                      Wither
99                                                        Vacant
98                                                        Our New World
97                                                        The Looking Glass
96                                                        Transcending Time
95                                                        Behind The Veil
94                                                        New Millenium   
93  Caught In A Web                              Constant Motion
92                                                        The Shattered Fortress
91                                                        To Live Forever
90  Forsaken                                         Answering The Call
89                                                        Honor Thy Father
88                                                        The Silent Man
87                                                        Hell's Kitchen
86                                                        The Great Debate
85  Pale Blue Dot
84
83
82
81
80  Awaken The Master
79  On The Backs Of Angels
78
77
76  S2N
75  These Walls
74  Afterlife
73  This Is The Life
72
71
70
69  Surrender Of Reason
68
67
66
65  Sacrificed Sons
64  Beneath The Surface
63  Through Her Eyes
62  The Bigger Picture
61  I Walk Beside You
60  Never Enough
59  A New Beginning
58
57
56
55
54  Barstool Warrior
53
52
51
50
49
48
47
46
45
44  Panic Attack
43
42  The Ministry Of Lost Souls
41  Sleeping Giant
40
39
38
37  Fall Into The Light
36
35  The Gift Of Music
34
33
32
31  Ytse Jam
30
29
28  The Enemy Inside
27
26  Only A Matter Of Time
25
24  Raise The Knife
23  Hollow Years
22  The Dark Eternal Night
21  Outcry
20
19
18  A Fortune In Lies
17
16  The Alien
15
14  The Best Of Times
13
12
11  Lost Not Forgotten.
10
9
8
7
6
5
4  The Killing Hand
3
2
1




35 -15

[wolfking]

PA came in at 63.  Killer tune.

TW came in for me at number 13.  I've always been in love with this song.  It has a special atmosphere that no other DT song has IMO.  Just a beautiful, well written song.

TGD was at 54 for me.  Probably should have been a bit lower.  Hasn't aged as well for me but it's still a really enjoyable song.  Can't be upset with some Tool influence also.

BW ranked at number 28.  For a good while when DOT was released, this was actually one of my least favs.  Over time though I realised how fucking amazing it is and almost now the best song on the album.  Easy top 30 song for me.

CIAW was 57 for me.  Cool, heavy tune, love it.



List                                                        Not Ranked         
100                                                    The Gift of Music
99 The Best of Times                          A New Beginning
98 Constant Motion                             New Millenium
97                                                     Sleeping Giant
96 A Fortune in Lies                            Awaken the Master
95 The Alien                                       To Live Forever
94 Our New World                               The Killing Hand
93 This is the Life                                Ytse Jam
92                                                      The Silent Man
91 Hollow Years                                   Raise the Knife
90 Sacrificed Sons                               Beneath the Surface
89 Only A Matter of Time
88 Vacant
87
86 Through Her Eyes
85
84
83
82 Transcending Time
81
80
79 Pale Blue Dot
78 Wither
77
76
75 The Ministry of Lost Souls
74 The Enemy Inside
73
72
71 Forsaken
70 Lost Not Forgotten
69
68
67 S2N
66 Fall Into the Light
65
64 The Looking Glass
63 Panic Attack
62
61 On the Backs of Angels
60 
59
58 Afterlife
57 Caught In A Web
56
55
54 The Great Debate
53
52
51 Answering the Call
50
49
48 The Shattered Fortress
47
46
45
44 The Dark Eternal Night
43
42 Never Enough
41
40
39
38
37 The Bigger Picture
36 Outcry
35 
34
33
32 I Walk Beside You
31
30
29 Surrender to Reason
28 Bartsool Warrior
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20 Behind the Veil
19 Honor Thy Father
18
17
16
15
14
13 These Walls
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

[Revenge319]

10. The Best of Times (-7)
18. The Shattered Fortress (+6)
21. The Ministry of Lost Souls (-4) - Beautiful song, with a great instrumental section that ups the intensity without feeling out of place. I enjoy all 14 minutes and 57 seconds of this and I wouldn't have it any other way.
23. The Silent Man (+0) - A calm, hopeful ending to the A Mind Beside Itself suite. It does rank this high partially because of its association with the other two songs in this suite, but even on its own I think #23 is a fair placement for it.
24. The Dark Eternal Night (+9)
30. Hell's Kitchen (-8) - This song has lost a bit of its luster for me over the years, but it's still one of DT's best instrumentals. One of their most unique tracks in general, it may be called Hell's Kitchen but it's a heavenly soundscape that is great not just on its own, but as a transition from Burning My Soul and into Lines in the Sand.
34. Outcry (+36) - I forgot just how awesome that instrumental section is. If it was just the other parts of the song (which are still good), then somewhere in the 70s would've been appropriate, but that one section elevates it a lot.
35. Constant Motion (+29)
37. A New Beginning (-7)
38. The Great Debate (+0) - The Great Debate is my least favorite song from Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, which means it's not far off from being one of Dream Theater's best songs. So many cool ideas are packed into this song, with special mention to the chorus which is one of the best Dream Theater's ever made. I really like the lyrics; aside from being well-written in general, I feel like the point of the song isn't necessarily about the stem cell research itself and what should or shouldn't be done about it. Rather, I believe it's meant to be taken in context of the whole album, it's more about the inner turbulence that arises from the conflict of being presented with a difficult and uncertain choice like that, where there are significant consequences both good and bad, no matter what you decide. It's not something that only applies to utilizing stem cells, it applies to a lot of things in life, that all revolves around the question, "Are you justified?"
39. Pale Blue Dot (-8) - Not much to say about this one, Pale Blue Dot is just Dream Theater doing what they do best. As usual, my favorite part is the whole instrumental section.
40. Sleeping Giant
46. Fall Into The Light (-10)
47. Barstool Warrior (-13) - This whole song is great, but what elevates it is the last couple minutes, where everything culminates into this uplifting, awe-inspiring ending.
48. The Bigger Picture (+0) - My thoughts on The Bigger Picture are pretty much my thoughts on Barstool Warrior.
51. Ytse Jam (+4) - Every Dream Theater instrumental track is really good, and Ytse Jam is one of the better ones. It meanders a little bit near the end, but it's all a lot of fun to listen to. 2:18-4:03 is the stuff I absolutely adore about this kind of music. Dream Theater does have a lot of technical-focused sections, but about 99% of them are exciting and memorable. Ever since the beginning and up to today, Dream Theater have been pretty much the masters of making instrumental music, whether they're self-contained sections of a song or a whole instrumental track. This stuff is delicious.
52. These Walls (+31) - I feel like I can relate to a lot of Dream Theater's lyrics, but this is one of those songs that speaks to me on a deeper level. I feel like I can write about things and interact with people here on DTF fine enough, but with many others and many places, it's difficult for me to communicate properly, whether that's because of anxiety or I just can't figure out how to put my thoughts and feelings into words. And then half the time I finally figure it out, I start second-guessing myself and I end up throwing away whatever it was I could have said. Or I just give up quickly because I struggle to put things into words and it all feels pointless. It's very frustrating, because openly talking about my thoughts and feelings is something I enjoy a lot when I can actually pull it off. I'm trying to improve on this, and I think I've slowly gotten better about it in recent years. Oh, and the music and vocals are pretty cool, too! Even on one of Dream Theater's more unique and diverse albums, These Walls feels very unique in both the album and their whole catalogue.
58. S2N (+1)
59. The Enemy Inside (-10)
61. Awaken the Master
63. The Gift of Music
67. Panic Attack (-15) - I feel like this should've ranked higher, but it is what it is, I guess. Panic Attack holds up just as well as I remembered it. I thought I would've been burnt out on it by now, as I listened to it a lot when I first got into Dream Theater, but that's not the case. This song musically reflects the intensity of dealing with so much anxiety, it just keeps going and going. Even when it feels like it's getting a little better it can just flare right back up. 5:42 feels like mental exhaustion, there's a sense of weakness and despair, and you're ready to let it go already, but it just keeps going on and on.
68. On the Backs of Angels (+20) - One of my first Dream Theater songs, and while I have slightly burned out on this song it's still a great one. Pull Me Under is a pretty cool song, but what it was missing was an elegant piano solo before the guitar solo, so naturally On the Backs of Angels gets the higher ranking for me.
71. Transcending Time
77. Hollow Years (-2) - If there were three or four less repeats of "once the stone you're crawling under..." at the end, this would easily make my Top 50. Still an excellent song, though.
78. The Killing Hand (-37)
84. This is the Life (-12)
87. A Fortune in Lies (+18)
88. I Walk Beside You (+31)
89. Never Enough (-18)
90. Wither (-4)
93. Vacant (+4)
94. Through Her Eyes (-13)
100. Our New World (+3)
----------------------------------
105. Answering the Call
109. The Alien
112. Beneath the Surface (-2) - In a weirdly fitting way, this is a song that I always enjoy when I listen to it, but as it's not a song I listen to often, I gradually start to consider it just an okay song and wonder what I really enjoy about it.
116. Caught in a Web (+14) - This song ranked higher than my last list, and I feel like it could potentially crack my Top 100 the next time we do this. There's a lot of Dream Theater songs I enjoy way more than this, but they nail the atmosphere with Caught in a Web, and James gives a very good performance.
122. Lost Not Forgotten (-9)
123. Behind the Veil (-2)
130. The Looking Glass (+1)
131. Forsaken (-4)
137. Sacrificed Sons (-15) - I feel like I should enjoy this song a lot more, but it's... just alright. I don't mind having an intense instrumental section in the middle of an otherwise somber and down-to-earth song, but compared to TMOLS, it's just not all that interesting.
139. Only a Matter of Time (-10)
142. Afterlife (-7)
147. Surrender to Reason (-10)
148. New Millennium (-8)
149. Honor Thy Father (-7)
----------------------------------
Unranked: To Live Forever, Raise the Knife

I will make an edit to my previous post detailing my thoughts on the songs I skipped writeups for whenever I feel like getting around to it.

[devieira73]

I remember listening to Caught in a Web (my #97) when listening to Awake for the first time and being really surprised how heavy the album were, specially after the impactful 6:00. The studio recording with that great sound and production, really elevates it!

The Great Debate (my #62) is really cool, very cinematic and it has some of the most amazing drum parts MP has ever created. A perfect mix between Rush and Tool!

Barstool Warrior (my #34), Panick Attack (my #32) and These Walls (my #31) are really all amazing and inspired, representing how great the less complex DT songs also can be. I totally love that Maiden type unison keyboard/guitar solo on PA (it sounds specially good on studio with the rhythm guitar beneath it).

[Wim Kruithof]

EDIT: I have 20 songs that didn't rank, final count should be 21. 22 if you're heartless monsters who didn't care for a touching Mangini era song.

Blame both the ranking machine and Dream Theater for me being a heartless monster, but Out of Reach didn't make my list. Although it really moved me when I listened to the vinyl the first time. Dream Theater has so many great songs, that some of them drown in the lake of forgotten pieces...

[Jamesman42]

Even I ranked Out of Reach.

[TAC]

Even I ranked Out of Reach.

Out Of Reach is easily the worst song in the MM Era.

[Jamesman42]

I would argue with you but I don't know enough of his era to disprove you.