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

[CharlesPL]

Count - 13
Sdoit -  6

[Evermind]

Catching up again!

Fatal Tragedy - #37 - very solid. While not one of the best from SFAM, this is a very good song. Always an entertaining listen.

Scarred - #31 - great song and some of the parts here are out of this world. The heavy part that begins with "it's never enough" rocks hard, and the quiet part that begins with "Do you feel you don't know me anymore?" sends literal chills down my spine everytime. The song is a mish-mash of pieces and not everything works here, but the great parts are really on par with the best stuff DT has ever written. This song never fails to take me on an adventure.

In the Name of God - #13 - heavy DT at their best. So good.

Today's update:

The Count of Tuscany - #14 - one of their best epics. Yeah, the lyrics are not the best, but the music is top-notch. The quiet part fits so well.

Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence - not ranked - I fully agree with Tim here.

[Wim Kruithof]

Hah!

I mean, if there's wonderful lyrics played over music that doesn't do anything, it's hard to really appreciate them.

It does really surprise me though. Because the whole concept, with those psychical illnesses / issues is so beautifully written, not only due to the lyrics, but in musical melodies as well. Balanced, simply and peaceful when autism is brought up, much more heavy in the post-traumatic stress and schizo-area... and About to Crash (reprise) is an outstanding performance in both lyrics and songstructure. So saying it is 'nothing', not even worth ranking, really surprise me, especially from a diehard fan like you Tim.

And then there's the postpartum depression which is so wonderfully, wonderfully layed down by LaBrie. Goodnight Kiss is his moment of glory of the whole Six Degrees album.

[NoFred]

I also NR’d Six Degrees. I do love the guitar tone on About to Crash though and separately would’ve had that song top twentyish.

[devieira73]

It's hard a 40 minute song keeps the level and the flow so great almost all the way, but I think 6 Degrees (my #8) succeeds on it amazingly. Overture and About to Crash are really gorgeous; War and Test are extremely cool heavy songs; Goodnight Kiss and Solitary Shell are very very beautiful (well, the first half of Solitary shouldn't remind so much Peter Gabriel's Soulsbury Hill...) and About to Crash is very Steve Vai-ish, in a very good way! I'm not so crazy about Losing Time/Grand Finale, but it doesn't hurt the greatness of the rest of the song.

The Count of Tuscany (my #10) sounds more like 3 parts suite, but all of them are great, specially the first, that is truly amazing.

[jingle.boy]

I completely agree with you Tim about SDOIT. I'm also bummed it was the song for Score. I get why it happened but most of SDOIT was on L@B.

And MP said in interviews around Score that in hindsight, he regretted putting 4 tracks on L@B.

The Count ... 64.  Of their "epics", it's one of the least best.  Bloated, and awful lyrics ... worse than ITPOE - at least the former doesn't take itself too seriously, and knows it's a 'fantasy'.
6DOIT .. 29th.  I used to rate it higher, but in Indi's "Scene" of it, it identified the flaws, and honestly, Overture (studio) as a fully programmed symphony is terrible.  Score version is the only way I'll listen to it, and that version alone would put it about about 15 spots higher.

[PixelDream]

I rarely listen to 6DOIT’s title track anymore but I’ve listened to it a fair share back in the day. I think the Score version is where it’s at for me, if at all nowadays. About To Crash and Goodnight Kiss are the highlights for me.

The contrast between disc 1 and 2 is remarkable. Disc 1 had all these experiments added to their sound while SDOIT is a like a symphonic approach to the SFaM formula.

[Ben_Jamin]

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to post much of my thoughts this time around. But it is interesting seeing how the list has been. I'll start my list from where I left off. I'll also include the rest, so sorry for the long post.

I am way, way behind on this so I will just list these songs and show where they ranked in my rankings.

100. Never Enough - (Did Not Rank)
99.   Wither - (Did Not Rank)
98.   The Gift Of Music - (#54)
97.   Vacant - (Did Not Rank)
96.   Afterlife - (#91)
95.   Forsaken - (Did Not Rank)
94.   S2N - (#73)
93.   Our New World - (Did Not Rank)
92.   The Looking Glass - (Did Not Rank)
91.   A New Beginning - (#97)
90.   Transcending Time - (Did Not Rank) (Although, I do really enjoy this song)
89.   Behind The Veil - (#67)
88.   This Is The Life - (#49)
87.   New Millennium - (Did Not Rank)
86.   Constant Motion - (Did Not Rank)
85.   Sleeping Giant - (Did Not Rank)
83t.  The Enemy Inside - (Did Not Rank) (I really enjoy the energy of this song a lot)
83t.  Surrender To Reason - (#74)
82.   Only A Matter Of Time - (#42)
81.   Awaken The Master - (#13)
80.   I Walk Beside You - (#64)
79.   The Shattered Fortress - (#35)
78.   A Fortune In Lies - (#89)
77.   The Best Of Times - (#50)
76.   To Live Forever - (#76) (So glad I was fortunate to see this on the I&W&B tour)
75.   Answering The Call - (#11)
74.   Through Her Eyes - (#34)
73.   Lost Not Forgotten - (Did Not Rank)
72.   Fall Into The Light - (#48)
71.   Honor Thy Father - (#99)
70.   The Dark Eternal Night - (Did Not Rank)
69.   The Alien - (Did Not Rank)
68.   The Killing Hand - (Did Not Rank)

67.   Ytse Jam - (#88) - (I am hoping I get to see this one live someday soon.)

66.   The Silent Man - (#94) - (If taken as a whole, the Mind Beside Itself suite would be in my top 5.)

65.   Raise The Knife - (#63) - (I never heard this song until I saw Score. It's quite a shame it wasn't released on the actual album, but kudos for them busting out on a live release so this gem of a song can see the light of day.)

64.   Beneath The Surface - (#52) - (This is a great way to end ADTOE. It's a good ballad and one I wouldn't mind hearing live at all. I am glad they did this type of acoustic ballad for their debut with MM, and also, that they revisited this type of mood, acoustic ballad type of sound with certain parts in The Astonishing, such as The Answer, Saviour In The Square/When Your Time Has Come, and Chosen, to name a few. If I didn't use the ranker and had more time to make the list on my own, it would've ranked a bit more higher up.)

63.   Sacrificed Sons - (#98) - (This song has a groovy instrumental section. I love the use of the continuum in this song, especially the verses. This comes across way better live, and is one of the highlights for me on Score, since it is also a song where the Orchestra enhances the vibe and song as a whole.)

62.   Pale Blue Dot - (#93) - (One of the best DT intros regarding the drums and rhythm pattern. I like how it starts off complex, the sort of bleak vibe and mood while also feeling a bit introspective. I do find it quite fascinating that we got this song about the cosmos, and then the first song of the next album is about Humanity being the Alien whilst discovering other pale blue dots in the cosmos.  )

61.   The Ministry Of Lost Souls - (#45) - (I'm so glad they decided to play this on the Top of The World Tour. You should've my face when they transitioned into it from About To Crash (I was all, "I wonder what they'll transition into). I enjoy the story of the lyrics and the emotion in JLB's voice. I also do not mind the middle instrumental section either and I feel it does fit the narrative of the story the song is telling.)

60.   The Bigger Picture - (#10) - (A fantastic song, and my favorite from the self-titled. Another song I am grateful to have seen live. I love that piano melody in the first verse, along with that amazing build-up into the chorus. There's so much I could say about what I love in this song. I'll say that JR is fantastic in this song with his patch choices and how these are used at atmosphere, like during the guitar solo.)

59.   Hollow Years - (Did Not Rank) - (I am amazed I didn't rank this song. I wonder what happened when I was using the ranker. Oh well, If I had done it myself this would definitely be in the top 20. My favorite version is the one they were doing on their BC&SL tour.)

58.   Outcry - (#40) - (Nothing much to say about this. I enjoy the groove of it, especially that bass work in the 2nd verse.)

57.   Hell's Kitchen - (#75) - (My introduction to this song was through the end of Instrumedley. Even though it's a fantastic instrumental, I was disappointed in there being no Tubular Bells at the end of the studio, and was a bit bummed when JR didn't have Tubular Bells when they played it live. The bells added a lot to the ending for me. Great guitar by JP, which this song does lovely job of showcasing his more softer, somber style.)

56.   On The Backs Of Angels - (#71) - (It was refreshing to hear this when it first came out. I still enjoy it to this day.)

55.   Panic Attack - (#81) - (Fantastic song that I feel is a bit low here. I really wanted to hear and see this one played live with Mangini, but alas it's not meant to be. It's energetic, and has a certain drive to it that gives me a sense of motivation.)

54.   These Walls - (#15) - (Possibly my favorite off of the Octavarium album. It's got a lovely atmosphere and great rhythm in the vocal melodies. And that keyboard echo effect in the first verse is just lovely. It's mainly the message of the lyrics that I love about this song, the music also fits that topic as well too.)

53.   The Great Debate - (#33) - (I'm one of the rare few that enjoys this song for a lot of different reasons. One being how the music has this mysterious, sort of uneasy, unsurety vibe and mood. This vibe and mood fits what the lyrics are about. It is neat how the band chose to pan the lyrics on the left and right sides. I find the lyrics to fit the theme of the album dealing with struggles of humanity.)

52.   Barstool Warrior - (#24) - (This is one of the top 10 MM era songs. It has lovely melodies, and the lyrics themselves tell a neat story. It was fantastic live, so I am glad I got to see it twice.)

51.   Caught In A Web - (#90) - (I don't mind this song at all, it's just where the ranker placed it on my list. I didn't mind JLB lowering the vocals for the middle section since I was just happy I got to see this one live.)

50.   A Nightmare To Remember - (#46) - (It's got it's good parts, but It's how the song progresses along with the lyrical narrative. Starting off the album with black clouds of thunder is a neat idea, which is like a dreaded thunderstorm happening at the accident that occurred.)

49.   A View From The Top Of The World - (Did Not Rank) - (Amazingly this didn't make my list. I am coming to this song more. It message is uplifting, and the music fits that mood. I enjoyed the backing video they had for it live which really went along well with the lyrics and vibe of the song.)

47t.  Lie - (Did Not Rank) - (I like the chorus to this song, and the energy it has. I also enjoy how it transitions from The Mirror.)

47t.  This Dying Soul - (Did Not Rank) - (For me, this song is enhanced preceded by The Glass Prison. It's a great transition also from As I Am on the album.)

46.   One Last Time - (#78) - (Even though this can be considered like a transition song, It's a good one at that. I love that bass into the guitar solo. One of the highlights of the Distant Memories tour was that transition from TDOE, and into TSCO.)

44t.  Peruvian Skies - (Did Not Rank) - (I don't know why but I never really listened to this song as much. I think it's a good song that sounds better live, but I have to be in certain mood to want to listen to it. I'll still listen to it if it pops up on my shuffle.)

44t.  Wait For Sleep - (#82) - (Love the piano work by Moore, he sets the mood for the lyrics to have that emotional impact. It's a really beautiful ballad.)

43.   As I Am - (Did Not Rank) - (This song is fantastic live, but it's also a song that I ended up listening to a lot that I won't go out and listen to. I do like that bass intro though, and it's even better hearing that tone live.)

42.   Innocence Faded - (#85) - (I got into this song more after hearing it on Score. It was one song I would usually skip when listening to Awake, but for some reason hearing it live on Score is what made me start to like it.)

41.   Disappear - (#23) - (An amazing ballad that closes the first disc of 6DOIT nicely. The eerie atmosphere in the intro sets the tone perfectly for the lyrics. The verse at the end is amazing and I personally like the delivery of the backing vocals rather than the lead ones he sung live.)

40.   Erotomania - (#22) - (If AMBI was one song this would be higher. On it's own, it's still an excellent instrumental. I enjoy KM's keyboard tones on this one. My favorite part has to be the middle section before they go back into the main riff.)

39.   Stream Of Consciousness - (#9) - (My all time favorite DT instrumental. It's been my favorite ever since I first saw L@B, and I have been wanting to hear it live. It's one song I do hope they bust out sometime again. I am praying it'll make a comeback now that MP is back in the band. Although, it is one song I have always wanted to hear with Mangini.)

38.   Another Day - (#77) - (I grew to love this song since I first heard it on the Live In Tokyo dvd. Everytime I hear it, I wish DT would add more saxophone to some of their songs. It really works on this type of song, and I wouldn't mind hearing another song with saxophone in it.)

37.   At Wit's End - (#2) - (Yes, this is my 2nd favorite DT song. Once I heard that intro I knew I was gonna be in for a treat. As the song progressed, it just kept getting better. The build-up in this song is my favorite section DT has ever done. I listened to the instrumental version and I noticed how much JLB's vocals enhance that build-up. I hope they continue to play this song in the future.)

36.   The Root Of All Evil - (#43) - (If Octavarium were to have had a single, this song would be it. It's perfect as is and it's a great way to start an album. Regarding the concept of Octavarium, it is neat they included the main melody of Octavarium at the end to tie it into the theme.)

35.   Lifting Shadows Off A Dream - (#28) - (The bass in this song has to be some of JM's best. I also like how the guitar and keyboards set up that atmosphere of being in a dreamlike oceanic state.)

34.   6:00 - (Did Not Rank) - (I like the vocal melodies and the drum intro. It was a nice surprise to witness this song live.)

33.   The Dance Of Eternity - (Did Not Rank) - (I used to be into this song a lot, but I grew to love more songs. It's still a fantastic instrumental and was also a highlight of the Distant Memories tour since it went straight into OLT.)

32.   Overture 1928 - (Did Not Rank) - (It's a great instrumental and does it's job of being an overture, which nicely transitions into the story. I imagine in the story, after Nicholas gets put under hypnotism, it's his mind traversing through a tunnel of memories, and each theme are the memories. Then when it transitions into SDV, it's where his mind enters the past.)

31.   Misunderstood - (#20) - (I actually do not mind the ending to this song. I like the way this song builds-up from somber and mellow, then keeps going into this insane madness.)

30.   Space-Dye Vest - (#39) - (I am a bit sad that I couldn't make a date for the Along For The Ride tour, this, along with Scarred, were two songs I have always wanted to see. At least they recorded a date and It's a great rendition of the song. I think the guitar solo addition at the end adds a lot more to the song in the live setting. But I also like how the studio version ends, the studio version actually has it's own mood and vibe that is entirely KM's. )

29.   Endless Sacrifice - (#41) - (I'm glad this song ranked high on this list. It's a song I have always enjoyed since watching L@B, and was pumped when they started this song.)

28.   Lines In The Sand - (#30) - (This song grooves. It's a fantastic song live, and I like the live versions where they included the demo lyrics that were cut. I am a bit amazed they never brought this out while Mangini was in the band. It would've been neat to hear him groove to this one.)

27.   The Mirror - (#62) - (A great precursor to the 12 step suite about looking into the mirror reflecting on your life and realizing something needs to change. My favorite section is the SDV melody that I find neat they added into this song as a sort of foreshadowing.)

26.   The Spirit Carries On - (#79) - (Even though it's been overplayed, and may be the song I have seen the most, I still love it live. It is a fantastic live song, and it gets the crowd together. It's perfect for that end singalong, and was a great way to end the set for DreamSonic.)

25.   Illumination Theory - (#87) - (I like the message of the song lyrics, and also the ending section. For the last tour, when I saw the time after they played AVFTTOTW, I was wondering what epic we were getting. I was hoping for Octavarium, was expecting this, I was not expecting TCOT. I like the delivery of the lyrics by James in The Pursuit of Truth, and I also like how his vocals build-up.)

24.   Beyond This Life - (Did Not Rank) - (I feel this song comes across better live. I really enjoy the chorus and how it sounds ethereal. This song grooves, but it didn't rank, it was in the 110's I believe. Still, if it comes up on my shuffle, I'll jam it.)

23.   Bridges In The Sky - (#47) - (The atmospheric intro sets the mood nicely for what comes next, the hard instant transition into the heavy riffs. I like the soaring chorus and the use of the echo. It was excellent live.)

22.   In The Presence Of Enemies - (#19) - (There's a lot I like about this song. Parts I-III are all amazing. JLB's vocals sound good in the 2nd part, going from his lower, warm voice to his higher range. I just enjoy the way he sings certain parts.)

21.   Blind Faith - (#12) - (As 6DOIT is my favorite DT album, this song is a big reason why.)

20.   Surrounded - (#7) - (KM's keys are just beautiful throughout the song. i like the groove in the 2nd verse when the song picks up a bit. My favorite part is after the solo. I was jamming away when I got to see it on the I&W&B tour.)

19.   Finally Free - (#6) - (JR's piano work in this is amazing. I also like his choice of patches for this, like the bells in the middle section. The One Last Time reprise fits perfectly here and it's used in a different context.)

18.   Strange Deja Vu - (#53) - (This could be a little higher up, but regardless I enjoy it.)

17.   Take The Time - (Did Not Rank) - (It's a good song with a good groove, but I just am not into it as much for some reason. It was great during the I&W&B tour even if JLB couldn't hit those highs.)

16.   Under A Glass Moon - (Did Not Rank) - (I prefer the Score version. I like the chorus and instrumental the most from the song.)

15.   The Glass Prison - (#31) - (I like the intro with the bells and the bass harmonic going along with it. The intensity goes well with the lyrics, you can feel that sense of being stuck in that prison. The outro is also great with how uplifting it sounds, then it transitions smoothly into TDS.)

14.   Pull Me Under - (Did Not Rank) - (I remember listening to this when my cousin first showed me it when it played on a local radio station we were listening to. I really enjoyed it, I still do, but there are way more other songs by DT besides their hit that speak to me more. I don't mind when they play it live either, I'll still rock it out, even though I have seen it a lot.)

13.   Fatal Tragedy - (#69) - (I like the additions in the Alternative versions of this song, and I like how they included some bits of it on Live Scenes. The outro is one of their best instrumental sections for me.)

12.   Scarred - (#1) - (What else is there to say besides what has been said by MirrorMask. I love everything in this song, the bass intro, to how it builds and grows, the song meaning, and the ending. The added section in Breaking the Fourth Wall makes this song even better, I listen to that version more, although I do like KM's tone in the album version. This song defines Awake, and to me, it has everything I love about DT.)

11.   In The Name Of God - (#59) - (Another song I got into because of L@B. That version is my go to version because I love that ending guitar solo.)

[Setlist Scotty]

I had The Count Of Tuscany at #6.
This song keeps climbing over time. Just a tremendous piece of music. And it's middle section actually has something to do with the actual song. James kills on the outro. Amazing!

I had Six Degrees On Inner Turbulence as Not Rated.
Seriously, it's 40 minutes of...nothing. If it was broken up into individual tracks, the only thing I would've rated would've been Solitary Shell, probably at around #55-#60ish.
I wish they had made this Disc 1 when they released 6 D's. I think it pales to actual Disc 1.

Well said for both songs, although my ranking for TCoT was #7. And I wouldn't say that SDoIT is 40 minutes of nothing, but I've never been a fan of the whole thing although I like some parts.

[Jamesman42]

Tim, I'm glad my roulette is over, because I would've booted you out for leaving SDOIT off your list

[Jamesman42]

25. Illumination Theory (91st) DREAM THEATER, IF YOU'RE READING THIS, DO MORE STUFF IN THE VEIN OF THE LAST FEW MINUTES OF THIS SONG. SO GOOD.
24. Beyond This Life (88th) I'm a SFAM hater, what can I say? It's an okay song though.
23. Bridges In The Sky (8th) This song could be top 5 but the intro is too long, it's otherwise a stellar song. When JLB sings "crossing bridges in the sky", it's so good.
22. In The Presence Of Enemies (28th) Cool epic on a weird album. I don't like the Dark Master part. Everything else is good. Odd song for DT, though.
21. Blind Faith (42nd) Easily the worst track of SDOIT but still just fine.
20. Surrounded (25th) What a lovely song. Just, so bouncy but then a bit serious. DT does this style of song nicely.
19. Finally Free (76th) SFAM, yeah....
18. Strange Deja Vu (89th) Lol. The "uncanny strange deja vu" does pop into my mind at times.
17. Take The Time (19th) The energy in this song is really vibrant. JLB is having fun and the music is good.
16. Under A Glass Moon (67th) It's a fine song, with a cool intro. It's always been the weakest or second weakest track on IaW to me, though.
15. The Glass Prison (3rd) This is 15th and I am shocked. I know some of the songs remaining, but I thought this was one of the most favored songs. Interesting. Anyway, this song is just pure gas for a long time.
14. Pull Me Under (77th) This and UAGM are fine songs, but they can swap being the worst or 2nd worst on the album, but they have stiff competition. Also surprised this is so high, is it because it's their most famous song?
13. Fatal Tragedy (90th) What a canyon between my ranking and the consensus. Yeah, it's a SFAM song, for some reason that album doesn't gel with me.
12. Scarred (69th) It's a fine song, but I often forget how it even sounds when I see it talked about.
11. In The Name Of God (13th) Hell yeah. I avoided this song for a while when this album was the new stuff, IDK why, I just was loving the rest of the album and this was the last song. It is pretty much flawless. I love the choir at the end, subtle enough to enjoy (and JLB's screaming as well).
10. The Count Of Tuscany (6th) This (and several other songs) are what DT do best in the modern era (I am thinking post-8VM). You can have the metal in "prog metal" but don't leave behind the prog, or the beautiful melodies and tight compositions. The intro might be a top 5, maybe a top 3 DT intro, musically speaking. The ending is great, it's fun to sing and play on the acoustic (capo on 4th fret).
09. Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence (4th) I hate ranking this as a single song. Like others, this is a collection of 8 different ideas/tracks/songs, but they're all great songs (maybe besides Goodnight Kiss, that one is decent). But since we have to bow to the wishes of the almighty band, here we are. Not my actual 4th favorite, but yeah, each part is a great picture of different mental illnesses. Favorites include Solitary Shell, The Test..., and Losing Time.

[MirrorMask]

The Count of Tuscany is my #26. Surprised to see it in the top 10, I'm not bothered 'cause it's a gorgeous song anyway; maybe not perfect (at times the lyrics are cheesy, and some parts could have been trimmed a bit) but all in all is a grandiose epic.

Also, trust an italian here - JP totally and completely NAILED the atmosphere of Tuscany. When you're there, or in central Italy anyway, and you put on the song, it just feels.... right. Absolutely fitting.

Also II, allow me a bit of self promotion, I remember posting it years ago here - on my FB photo page you can find a visual tribute I did to the song, using photos I took around Tuscany that I felt were matching the lyrics, feel free to have a scroll!

Six Degreees of Inner Turbulence landed at #39 for me, 30 positions lower, and my lowest ranking of DTF's top 10. Overall I like it, but its length and complexity makes it hard to judge compared to other "regular" songs.

[DragonAttack]

10.   The Count Of Tuscany (#81) top 30 if not for the lyrics.

09.   Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence (#9) Nailed it! Blame this for me being here   Overture….well, as time went on, I simply listened to the final 48 seconds, which provides a great intro for ‘About To Crash’, which I rate highly.  Parts III and IV are my least listened to, but that doesn’t diminish their importance.  Nice, soothing segue into Part V, and the music strikes the right nerve on through the finale.  Adore the percussion and mix, and the final forty seconds of Part VII is almost impossible to listen to while driving, because of the need to air drum wildly during it.     Truly love that part on ‘Score’, the slight pause to the finale, and MP’s interactions throughout.  Still get swept away with emotions on every listen. 

I’d finally found my Queen ‘replacement’ after all those years.

67/92 ****

[nobloodyname]

"40 minutes of nothing" is potentially the most asinine take I've read in this forum about anything. And I include my own take on Illumination Theory in that. Dislike it all you like but it's not "40 minutes of nothing", no matter how much of a forum celeb you are

[HOF]

Count me among the SDOIT detractors. Individually, I like Solitary Shell a lot, and I think Goodnight Kiss and the About to Crash segments are pretty good. But you have to wade through the overture, and the dumb metal songs to get to them (thankfully they split the track up). The ending I find very disappointing as well. Could have been good if they had expanded on the verse and first chorus, but instead we get the Sesame Street “let’s explain what this song was about” wrap up. The About to Crash segments also feel like they could have been one cool song, but instead they are kind of two stunts separate tracks.

So as a whole piece, I don’t really care for it. But it did give us some moments that are pretty cool I suppose. 

[Wim Kruithof]

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to post much of my thoughts this time around.

True Ben_Jamin, missed your thoughts here as well. Often you shine a light on some elements of songs that are usually covered in the shadow.

[Wim Kruithof]

BTW, the countdown of 2021 / 2022 ended up with 32 pages in the thread. We're gonna nail that one and might become close to double it. The forum is alive and shining bright, so it seems.

[JiM-Xtreme]

19. Finally Free - 50 for me. One of the lesser tracks from SFAM for me, however, still a great song. There is much to like about it but for me the pinnacle is the One Last Time reprise.
18. Strange Deja Vu  - this reached my 5, just one spot below O1928. This is pretty much a perfect song and holds a very special place in my heart. This combined with O1928 is what made me a fan back in the day.
17. Take The Time - 31 for me. A true DT classic with not only great, soaring vocals and a catchy chorus but some extremely good musicianship. This is a song that tries to do everything and does a pretty decent job at it..
16. Under A Glass Moon - talking of DT classics, another one. 19 for me so pretty close to the consensus. What else is there to say - almost every aspect of this song shines. Surely one of JP's all-time greatest solos.
15. The Glass Prison - 9 for me. This song is god tier.
14. Pull Me Under - 52 for me. The song that happened to be the break-through, so I owe it that much, but that aside, does it really deserve to stand with the very best this band have produced? I don't think so personally, it's a good song but... I wouldn't be upset if they decided to retire it at this point.
13. Fatal Tragedy - I was bang on with this one at 13. Fantastic song, much to love about it. I particularly love the second verse, that solo section (which has a very unique and interesting arrangement going on in the rhythm section... the famous "shrink and grow"), and that outro - my god, it's simply astonishing.
12. Scarred - surprisingly, this didn't make my list. Surprising because I quite like it... I really like it in fact. Lovely bass intro. I went through a phase many years ago of listening to this song a lot but for some reason I haven't gone back to it much in the last 10-15 years... that may be about to change though.
11. In The Name Of God - 20 for me. I can totally understand why others have ranked it higher though. Surprised this has not featured in any tour since the TOT (not counting the segment in "Schemedly Wilcox"...). Would really love it to make a live comeback.

Will catch up on the rest later.

[Indiscipline]

The Count of Tuscany: 39. One of their best intro sections, one of their best outro sections.

Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence: 49. Movements I to IV I wouldn't rank, movements V to VIII are Top 20 material. 49 seems a fair average.

The Score so far:

2 - Scarred
3 - The Spirit Carries On
4 - Lines in the Sand
5 - In the Presence of Enemies
7 - Misunderstood
9 - Space-Dye Vest
11 - Beyond This Life
14 - Stream of Consciousness
16 - Under a Glass Moon
17 - Bridges in the Sky
19 - Illumination Theory
21 - A New Beginning
23 - Disappear
24 - Pull Me Under
25 - Surrounded
26 - Fatal Tragedy
27 - The Best of Times
28 - Outcry
31 - Erotomania
32 - Strange Deja-Vu
33 - Surrender to Reason
34 - Take the Time
35 - Finally Free
36 - This Is the Life
38 - Hell's Kitchen
39 - The Count of Tuscany
42 - Another Day
43 - One Last Time
45 - Vacant
46 - The Gift of Music
47 - Beneath the Surface
48 - The Silent Man
49 - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
50 - In the Name of God
54 - Peruvian Skies
55 - The Dance of Eternity
56 - The Bigger Picture
61 - Wait for Sleep
64 - Blind Faith
65 - Pale Blue Dot
68 - Our New World
69 - Overture 1928
70 - Innocence Faded
71 - Behind the Veil
72 - The Looking Glass
76 - Lifting Shadows Off a Dream
77 - At Wit's End
78 - Lie
79 - Hollow Years
87 - Ytse Jam
88 - The Mirror
89 - Through Her Eyes
90 - Lost Not Forgotten
91 - 6:00
92 - The Killing Hand
93 - Endless Sacrifice
95 - Barstool Warrior
96 - Fall Into the Light
97 - A Fortune in Lies

Not Ranked: 33

[Dave_Manchester]

Another Bingo line complete (the 40s):


1. This Dying Soul
2. In The Name of God
3. Stream of Consciousness
4. Blind Faith
5.
6. Disappear
7. Endless Sacrifice
8.
9.
10.
11.
12. Outcry
13. Misunderstood
14. Finally Free
15. Bridges in the Sky
16.
17. The Count of Tuscany
18. The Glass Prison
19. Erotomania
20. As I Am
21. The Great Debate
22. The Shattered Fortress
23. Answering The Call
24. In The Presence of Enemies
25. Lines in the Sand
26. Surrounded
27. Awaken The Master
28.
29. Pull Me Under
30. The Root of all Evil
31. Illumination Theory
32. Forsaken
33. A View From The Top Of The World
34. Lifting Shadows Off A Dream
35. At Wits' End
36. Beneath The Surface
37. Innocence Faded
38. Peruvian Skies
39. Take The Time
40. Fatal Tragedy
41. The Best of Times
42. On The Backs of Angels
43. Scarred
44. Beyond This Life
45. The Mirror
46. Panic Attack
47. Lie
48. Another Day
49. The Alien
50.
51. Behind the Veil
52. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
53. These Walls
54.
55. The Ministry of Lost Souls
56. Sleeping Giant
57. Fall Into The Light
58. Pale Blue Dot
59.
60. Sacrificed Sons
61. Honor Thy Father
62. New Millennium
63. Overture 1928
64. Barstool Warrior
65.
66. Hell's Kitchen
67. Space-Dye Vest
68. 6:00
69. The Bigger Picture
70. The Spirit Carries On
71. Transcending Time (my lowest ranked song from View)
72.
73. I Walk Beside You
74.
75. Never Enough
76. Hollow Years (#TeamBudokan by the way)
77.
78.
79. Caught In A Web
80. Strange Deja Vu
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86. Surrender To Reason
87.
88. Vacant (lowest ranked song from ToT)
89. The Dance of Eternity
90.
91. One Last Time
92. The Looking Glass
93. A Fortune In Lies
94. Ytse Jam
95. Afterlife
96. Under A Glass Moon
97.
98. Constant Motion
99.
100. The Enemy Inside

Notes:

In The Name of God was going to be my #1 for this countdown right up until the last minute when I bumped it for This Dying Soul. It's a truly great song with phenomenal riffs and real beauty in the finale. My favourite MP performance too.

Scarred is a messy little bugger but I love it regardless. Fantastic solo from JP at the end.

The Count of Tuscany was my favourite DT song for a number of years but I rarely listen to it these days. I still think the intro (everything up to the verse riff) and outro (everything after the woozy guitar swells stop) are among the finest things they've ever done. I had the pleasure of listening to this a few times when I was in Florence, looking out over the Tuscan countryside. It was quite an experience. Alas no dodgy old geezer invited me back to his castle to sample a rare vintage.

Fatal Tragedy is of course wonderful but like so much of the Scenes album, I rarely listen to it on its own. For that reason it finished relatively low down my list. Amazing instrumental section though.

Interesting to see Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence finish highest of its album's tracks here, because if memory serves it was the first song to be booted off the survivor back in the day. I ranked it almost exactly at the mid-point. There is a lot to love here, but also too much that just doesn't connect with me. 

[Dave_Manchester]

Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence: 49. Movements I to IV I wouldn't rank, movements V to VIII are Top 20 material. 49 seems a fair average.

This inspired me to do what we do best here on DTF and rank stuff. I'd put the 'movements' of SDOIT at:

II (About To Crash) - great
VII (About To Crash Reprise) - great
V (Goodnight Kiss) - great, but shorten the intro for heaven's sake.
VI (Solitary Shell) - very good
IV (The Test That Stumped Them All) - good
VIII (Losing Time) - ok
III (War Inside My Head) - not keen
I (Overture) - not keen 

[axeman90210]

Looking ahead, seven of my top ten, including my top three, have yet to show up. I'm quite confident that my missing #15 will be there as well. I'd have to go down to #40 to find the next song on my list that hasn't made the rankings (and by virtue of the above math I don't expect it to).

[OpenYourEyes311]

"40 minutes of nothing" is potentially the most asinine take I've read in this forum about anything. And I include my own take on Illumination Theory in that. Dislike it all you like but it's not "40 minutes of nothing", no matter how much of a forum celeb you are

Thiiiiis. I honestly can't understand the amount of indifference to what I ranked #1. When they played parts 6-8 on tour last year, I was in heaven. I hadn't felt joy like that at a DT show in quite some time. I don't find any parts of the song dull, and if we had broken up the song into 8 parts, I probably would have ranked 7 if them easily in the top 100, maybe all 8. Y'all are crazy!

[Dream Team]

Love the Count. With Six Degrees, I really like sections 5-8 but not a huge fan of 1-4 hence the lower-than-normal ranking. That 5-8 section, though, is one of DT's best moments.

  3 Under a Glass Moon
  5 Only a Matter of Time
  6 The Killing Hand
  7 In the Name of God
  8 The Count of Tuscany
  9 The Great Debate
11 Outcry
12 Overture 1928
14 Blind Faith
15 Fatal Tragedy
16 One Last Time
18 Illumination Theory
19 Beyond This Life
20 Lost Not Forgotten
21 Surrounded
22 A View From the Top of the World
24 This is the Life
25 Beneath the Surface
26 A New Beginning
27 Take the Time
28 Fall Into the Light
29 Bridges in the Sky
30 The Best of Times
31 Afterlife
32 Scarred
33 Disappear
35 S2N
38 Constant Motion
39 Behind the Veil
40 The Enemy Inside
41 Pale Blue Dot
42 The Root of All Evil
46 Misunderstood
48 A Fortune in Lies
51 Barstool Warrior
52 Our New World
53 At Wit's End
54 Wither
55 The Alien
56 Lifting Shadows off a Dream
57 Surrender to Reason
58 Raise the Knife
59 Innocence Faded
61 I Walk Beside You
62 Endless Sacrifice
63 Awaken the Master
64 The Looking Glass
65 Wait for Sleep
66 The Bigger Picture
67 A Nightmare to Remember
68 Sleeping Giant
69 Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
70 The Ministry of Lost Souls
71 Pull Me Under
72 The Dance of Eternity
75 Panic Attack
76 Transcending Time
78 Ytse Jam
79 Sacrificed Sons
80 Strange Deja-Vu
81 The Gift of Music
84 Answering the Call
88 The Mirror
93 Another Day
95 On the Backs of Angels
97 The Shattered Fortress

Missed the top 100: Never Enough, Vacant, Forsaken, New Millennium, Through Her Eyes, To Live Forever, Honor thy Father, The Dark Eternal Night, The Silent Man, Hollow Years, Hell's Kitchen, These Walls, Caught in a Web, Lie, This Dying Soul, Peruvian Skies, As I Am, Erotomania, Stream of Consciousness, 6:00, Space-Dye Vest, The Spirit Carries On, Lines in the Sand, ITPoE, Finally Free, The Glass Prison

Highest Ranker Of: Only a Matter of Time, Outcry, Under a Glass Moon
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[Ben_Jamin]

10. The Count of Tuscany - (#27) - (I am so happy I got to see this one live, twice at that. The beautiful guitar intro, the instrumental ambient section followed by that acoustic guitar into the last sections first vocal lines, that part makes me feel that loneliness and uncertainty.)

9. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence - (#8) - (I am so glad this rated high as a single song. The theme of mental illness or mental struggles is a big reason for me enjoying this song, and one reason why it's my favorite album. So happy I got to see ATC, Solitary Shell, ABT(R), and LT/GF live. I about cried when I first heard the opening piano in About to Crash. Lots of people in the crowd were just as ecstatic.)

[The Realm]

I'm a bit behind...

Under a Glass Moon -  a classic song with a brilliant solo. My rank 11.

The Glass Prison -  an epic opening to this track. I didn't love it overall though at first but now think of it as a classic. My rank 19.

Pull Me Under - the song that started it all for me. Can still remember the first time I ever heard it back in 92. Still a great song I never grow tired of hearing. My rank 10.

Fatal Tragedy - another epic track on a great album. My rank 18.

Scarred - see write up above. My rank 9.

In The Name of God - the solo section is one of my favourites. Great song. My rank 24.

The Count of Tuscany - has enough beautiful parts to make this a great track but also contains some cringeworthy lyrics and poor vocal delivery. My rank 26.

Six Degrees - totally overrated to rank this high. Has some good moments but a fair slab of things don't work that well. I ranked this 39 which I though was generous.

Still have 6 of my own top 10 to come. Other 2 are in top 20.

[wolfking]

FT came in or me at number 15.  So good.  It's its own little journey is 7 minutes.

Scared ranked at number 10.  Amazing in every way.

ITNOG, number 16.  Fucking heavy, dark, great atmosphere, ripping playing, epic ending.

TCOT came in at 14.  That ending section is another goosebump moment from DT.  James' subtle performance at the end followed by JP's solo makes the song for me, incredible.

6D came in at 38.  I really didn't think much of it but it opened itself up more on my last listen.  It's not one song though, it's what......6 songs slapped awkwardly next to one another.  I wish they were separate pieces.



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 Disappear                                       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 Stream Of Consciousness
83
82 Transcending Time
81
80
79 Pale Blue Dot
78 Wither
77 Lines in the Sand
76
75 The Ministry of Lost Souls
74 The Enemy Inside
73 One Last Time
72 Peruvian Skies
71 Forsaken
70 Lost Not Forgotten
69
68
67 S2N
66 Fall Into the Light
65
64 The Looking Glass
63 Panic Attack
62 Surrounded
61 On the Backs of Angels
60 Beyond This Life
59
58 Afterlife
57 Caught In A Web
56
55
54 The Great Debate
53 A Nightmare to Remember
52 Erotomania
51 Answering the Call
50 The Spirit Carries On
49 Space-Dye Vest
48 The Shattered Fortress
47 Finally Free
46 As I Am
45 Bridges in the Sky
44 The Dark Eternal Night
43
42 Never Enough
41 Wait For Sleep
40
39 Strange Deja Vu
38 Six Degrees of Inner Turbulance
37 The Bigger Picture
36 Outcry
35 Take the Time
34 Lie
33 The Root of All Evil
32 I Walk Beside You
31
30 A View From the Top of the World
29 Surrender to Reason
28 Barstool Warrior
27 Another Day
26 Lifting Shadows Off A Dream
25 Endless Sacrifice
24 Innocence Faded
23 Misunderstood
22 Under A Glass Moon
21 In the Presence of Enemies
20 Behind the Veil
19 Honor Thy Father
18 Pull Me Under
17
16 In the Name of God
15 Fatal Tragedy
14 The Count of Tuscany
13 These Walls
12 At Wit's End
11 The Mirror
10 Scarred
9
8 The Glass Prison
7
6 Blind Faith
5 Illumination Theory
4
3
2 This Dying Soul.
1

[porcacultor]

10. The Count Of Tuscany (65th) Loved seeing this live. Understandably the track that I was the most excited about when BC&SL came out. Glad to see it making so far into the ranking, actually (even though I didn't help it all that much lol).

09. Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence (87th) I get the decision to include it as a single piece, but to me it really is a bonus album that happens to have the title of the rest of the album on the first disc. I've recently really warmed up to Goodnight Kiss, really pretty solo. However, the weird part of finally "internalizing" it that many years later is that when the solo pivots to the part that reprises the Overture, I'm like "no, wait, I know how that goes, go back to the first part!". Probably a heretical opinion for the users on here, but I dunno. Really love both Abouts to Crashes, Solitary Shell and TTTSTA (boy, an acronym they only surpassed with TOTHTSTS or AVFTTOTW, huh?), get a kick out of WIMH, and the finale still hasn't hit me all that much, but I think it will eventually. Maybe when I'm 50 or something 

[Revenge319]

The Count of Tuscany - My ranking: #5 (+0)
Everything about this song is great, including the lyrics, including the pre-chorus, including the ambient section, and especially including the intro and outro. I knew this song was a masterpiece from the moment I first listened to it.

Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence - My ranking: #3 (+3)
This has always been one of my all-time favorite Dream Theater songs, but this time around it emotionally resonated with me more than it ever has before. Every movement of this song is pretty much flawless, but special mentions go to About to Crash, Goodnight Kiss, Solitary Shell, and Losing Time/Grand Finale. It's a beautiful, massive journey where not a single second feels wasted, and it is the greatest way they could've ended this album.



3. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (+3)
5. The Count of Tuscany (+0)
6. Illumination Theory (-2)
7. Disappear (+1)
8. Blind Faith (+5)
9. The Glass Prison (+0)
10. The Best of Times (-7)
11. In the Presence of Enemies[/b] (+3)
12. A Nightmare to Remember (-1)
13. Erotomania (-1)
14. Space-Dye Vest (+5)
15. Misunderstood (+1)
16. Finally Free (-6)
17. This Dying Soul (+10)
18. The Shattered Fortress (+6)
21. The Ministry of Lost Souls (-4)
22. The Spirit Carries On (-7)
23. The Silent Man (+0)
24. The Dark Eternal Night (+9)
25. Beyond This Life (+3)
27. In the Name of God (+8)
29. Lines in the Sand (+16)
30. Hell's Kitchen (-8)
32. A View From the Top of the World
33. Surrounded (-12)
34. Outcry (+36)
35. Constant Motion (+29)
36. Fatal Tragedy (+15)
37. A New Beginning (-7)
38. The Great Debate (+0)
39. Pale Blue Dot (-8)
40. Sleeping Giant
41. Endless Sacrifice (+21)
42. The Root of All Evil (-10)
46. Fall Into The Light (-10)
47. Barstool Warrior (-13)
48. The Bigger Picture (+0)
49. The Mirror (+9)
51. Ytse Jam (+4)
52. These Walls (+31)
56. Bridges in the Sky (-10)
58. S2N (+1)
59. The Enemy Inside (-10)
61. Awaken the Master
63. The Gift of Music (-2)
64. As I Am (+16)
65. Strange Deja Vu (+13)
66. Stream of Consciousness (-16)
67. Panic Attack (-15)
68. On the Backs of Angels (+20)
69. 6:00 (+24)
70. Another Day (-27)
71. Transcending Time
73. At Wit's End (-7)
75. Pull Me Under (-1)
77. Hollow Years (-2)
78. The Killing Hand (-37)
80. Wait For Sleep (-23)
83. The Dance of Eternity (+12)
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)
97. Innocence Faded (-8)
98. Lie (+19)
100. Our New World (+3)
----------------------------------
105. Answering the Call
109. The Alien
112. Beneath the Surface (-2)
113. Under A Glass Moon (+10)
116. Caught in a Web (+14)
122. Lost Not Forgotten (-9)
123. Behind the Veil (-2)
124. Peruvian Skies (+2)
126. Take the Time (+10)
130. The Looking Glass (+1)
131. Forsaken (-4)
137. Sacrificed Sons (-15)
139. Only a Matter of Time (-10)
141. Lifting Shadows Off A Dream (-25)
142. Afterlife (-7)
143. One Last Time (-4)
145. Scarred (-17)
147. Surrender to Reason (-10)
148. New Millennium (-8)
149. Honor Thy Father (-7)
----------------------------------
Unranked: To Live Forever, Raise the Knife

[NoFred]

Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence: 49. Movements I to IV I wouldn't rank, movements V to VIII are Top 20 material. 49 seems a fair average.

This inspired me to do what we do best here on DTF and rank stuff. I'd put the 'movements' of SDOIT at:

II (About To Crash) - great
VII (About To Crash Reprise) - great
V (Goodnight Kiss) - great, but shorten the intro for heaven's sake.
VI (Solitary Shell) - very good
IV (The Test That Stumped Them All) - good
VIII (Losing Time) - ok
III (War Inside My Head) - not keen
I (Overture) - not keen

This seems right to me, for me ATC is a top-20ish song while the Overture is one of my only guaranteed skips of their catalog.

[Cool Chris]

I am not sure any of those as individual songs make my Top 100.

[nobloodyname]

I really like Six Degrees. But it just isn't a single song and it was almost impossible to rank. In the end, I popped it down at number 20. I like the overture but I'd have preferred it being played on its respective instruments.

About to Crash is one of the two songs that got me into Dream Theater. Back in late 2002, and on the back of an awful year, I was scratching around for something new to listen to. I wasn't really aware of Dream Theater but I must have had reason to put their name into Limewire (remember that?) because that's what I did, sorting the results by the numbers of seeds available. Pull Me Under was top followed by About to Crash so I gave them both a try. I remember liking Pull Me Under but it was About to Crash that really caught my imagination with its textured layering and driving feel; charmingly different for a metal song. On New Year's Eve, I found Scenes from a Memory in a record shop while out doing my job and that night I listened to it three or four times in a row as tears rolled down my face caused, I think, by relief at the year ending combined with the utter joy of the music, certainly on the last couple of listens. How had I been practically unaware of this band for so long? They were writing music seemingly tailored just for me.

Back to Six Degrees, it touches me lyrically, as well as musically; perhaps even more so these days since my father died of dementia-related causes.

And yeah, it should never have been included as a single song.

[Animal]

Under a Glass Moon 28  IaW standard, which means awesome.

The Glass Prison 64  If the entire song was as great as the intro...

Pull Me Under 31  A classics which just never gets old to me...

Fatal Tragedy 14   Some of the best stuff on SFAM, punches a way above its (for DT standards) short runtime.

Scarred 3   Only one n. 1 spot, but it seems a lot of us ranked it as n. 2 or 3, plus a shitload of Top 10 finishes. Deservedly so. It is really that good.

In The Name of God 11 Along with Stream of Consciousness, clear highlight of what is already  a really good album.

The Count of Tuscany  9  One of the late DT classics, still keeps getting better.

Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence 12  Contains a lot of great stuff, but ranking it as a standalone song just feels weird to me. Despite how the band presents it, I never think of it as one song.

[Awaken]

Rank - Song - My Rank
13 - Fatal Tragedy - 26 - great tune, probably a bit low on my list
12 - Scarred - 10 - highest rated from Awake, when I first purchased Awake on cassette I had no idea I was missing out on the best song on the album.  Didn't find out until a week or so later talking about the new DT at a friend's band practice and they all were nuts about Scarred and I was like WTF
11 - In the name of god - 8 - my highest ranked from ToT
10 - The Count of Tuscany - 11 - one of my favorites to see live, it never gets old
9 - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence - 9 - spot on, struggled a bit w this one as a full piece, but I really love the majority of this one so it is what it is

[Lonk]

Re: Six Degrees. It ranked #4 for me, and that's only because my top 3 are that secured.

For those expressing a dislike for the overture. Maybe it is because the first time I listened to this track I was on a classical music kick, but that overture is nearly perfect imo and as a stand alone track, it would easily make it to my top 10 (And I am not big on DT instrumentals outside of SoC). About to Crash has everything I love about non-metal DT, from catchy melodies and heartfelt solos. Goodnight Kiss is freaking beautiful, and the guitar solo is one of JP's best. Solitary Shell is fantastic. Reprise and Losing Time/grand finale are a great way to end this epic. The only not-so-great moments for this track are WIMH and TTTSTA, not that they are bad, they just feel inferior to everything else that goes on for 42 minutes.