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

[DragonAttack]

TASTES TM 

[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.

[devieira73]

I think the Hollow Years (my #68) from Budokan is really cool, just in giving us something different live, with a bit of improvisation. But honestly the studio version has the perfect arrangement for this really nice ballad, improving a lot its demo version.

[The Realm]

The Ministry of Lost Souls - this appears to be a very polarising song. It doesn't at all work for me but it obviously works for some to make it surprisingly this high in the countdown. Unranked.

The Bigger Picture - melodically, this is a strong song but probably does not nail all the parts cohesively enough to be truly great. My rank 65.

Hollow Years - I'm a bit of a sucker for most of the songs on FII, a couple of them are terrible but Hollow Years has always been one that I've really liked and connected with. Some really nice vocals on this track. My rank 59.

[twosuitsluke]

Woohoo, another 3/3 day!

I started off with another high ranker from Systematic Chaos, as The Ministry of Lost Souls came in at #21. I'm just a sucker for those slow melodic guitar leads. The instrumental section is cool as fuck, seriously surprised more people don't love this. Should've been higher in my book.

I'm surprised to see The Bigger Picture this high. I had it at #57, which was almost bang on, but I kinda expected general consensus to be lower. It's a damn cool song though and I particularly like the ending, after the little piano section, that starts around 5:30. "You look but cannot see...". Great stuff.

Lastly Hollow. This snuck in at #93, and I couldn't put it any higher than that. It's an OK ballad, nothing more, nothing less for me.



My ranking so far:

13. Wither
18. The Dark Eternal Night
20. Never Enough
21. The Ministry of Lost Souls
23. Sacrificed Sons
27. The Best of Times
29. Constant Motion
30. A New Beginning
31. The Shattered Fortress
35. The Enemy Inside
36. I Walk Beside You
44. Through Her Eyes
45. The Looking Glass
49. Forsaken
55. Behind the Veil
57. The Bigger Picture
62. Surrender to Reason
64. Fall Into the Light
69. Ytse Jam
73. Honor Thy Father
80. To Live Forever
83. This is the Life
84. Lost Not Forgotten
86. Our New World
93. Hollow Years
96. Beneath the Surface
99. Pale Blue Dot
100. New Millennium

Not ranked:

109. Vacant
110. The Silent Man
111. Raise The Knife
112. Only a Matter of Time
113. Afterlife
114. A Fortune in Lies
115. The Killing Hand
119. Sleeping Giant
121. Awaken the Master
122. Answering the Call
123. Transcending Time
124. The Alien
125. S2N
140. The Gift of Music

[wolfking]

TMOLS came in at 75.  It takes a while to get going and it's gets better as it goes along.  An enjoyable enough song just feels longer than it needs to be.

TBP came in at 37.  Love this song and loved it from the start.  Such a perfect representation of DT on a whole.

Hollow Years came in at 91.  Nice tune.  Budokan version makes it way better.



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
62
61
60 
59
58 Afterlife
57
56
55
54
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
35 
34
33
32 I Walk Beside You
31
30
29 Surrender to Reason
28
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20 Behind the Veil
19 Honor Thy Father
18
17
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

[TAC]

61. The Ministry Of Lost Souls
Highest Finish: 3 (Mladen)
Number of Lists appeared on: 49 (Adami, Animal, Ben_Jamin, CanuckChum, Cool Chris, Dave_Manchester, Dittomist, DragonAttack, Dream Team, DTwwbwMP, energythief, Evermind, Fonzie, geeeemo, hefdaddy42, jeff_kinsley, JiM-Xtreme, jingle.boy, JPZealot, KevShmev, King Puppies and the Acid Guppies, Lethean, lightningbolt, lucasembarbosa, mariner, Metro, MirrorMask, Mladen, MoraWintersoul, MustActFastToCoverUp, nobloodyname, OpenYourEyes311, Peter Mc, pg1067, PixelDream, Podaar, porcacultor, ReaperKK, ReaPsTA, Revenge319, romdrums, Stadler, TAC, Trav86, twosuitsluke, Vmadera00, weirdo, Wim Kruithof, wolfking)

60. The Bigger Picture
Highest Finish: 6 (Ben_Jamin)
Number of Lists appeared on: 51 (Animal, Awaken, axeman90210, Ben_Jamin, bosk1, CanuckChum, CharlesPL, Cool Chris, Dave_Manchester, Dittomist, DragonAttack, Dream Team, DTwwbwMP, energythief, Evermind, Fonzie, geeeemo, hefdaddy42, Indiscipline, jammindude, jingle.boy, jonny108, JPZealot, KevShmev, Lethean, lightningbolt, lucasembarbosa, mariner, Metro, MirrorMask, MoraWintersoul, Mosh, nobloodyname, NoFred, OpenYourEyes311, Peter Mc, pg1067, Podaar, porcacultor, ReaPsTA, Revenge319, Setlist Scotty, Stadler, TAC, The Realm, twosuitsluke, Vmadera00, WardySI, weirdo, Wim Kruithof, wolfking)

59. Hollow Years
Highest Finish: 7 (DragonAttack)
Number of Lists appeared on: 53 (Adami, Animal, Awaken, axeman90210, Ben_Jamin, CharlesPL, Cool Chris, Dave_Manchester, devieira73, Dittomist, DragonAttack, DTwwbwMP, energythief, Evermind, geeeemo, hefdaddy42, Indiscipline, Jamesman42, jammindude, jeff_kinsley, JiM-Xtreme, jingle.boy, JPZealot, KevShmev, King Puppies and the Acid Guppies, Lethean, lightningbolt, mariner, MirrorMask, Mladen, MoraWintersoul, nobloodyname, NoFred, OpenYourEyes311, pg1067, PixelDream, Podaar, porcacultor, ReaPsTA, Revenge319, romdrums, Stadler, SwedishGoose, TAC, The Realm, Toro, Trav86, twosuitsluke, WardySI, weirdo, Wim Kruithof, wolfking, Zydar)

I had The Ministry Of Lost Souls at #42.
I actually love this song and find it very moving. My only complaint is the never ending outro.

I had The Bigger Picture at #62.
I feel like I underrate this song, although I did rate it a touch higher than the aggregate.   

I had Hollow Years at #23.
Without the Budokan version, this song doesn't make my Top 100.


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
86
85  Pale Blue Dot
84
83
82
81
80  Awaken The Master
79
78
77
76  S2N
75
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
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
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




29 -13

[Cool Chris]

69.   The Alien NR The only weak spot on a solid album.
68.   The Killing Hand NR Could never get in to this song, even when I heard it with James.
67.   Ytse Jam #54 First time I heard this was on the Instrumedley. Had no idea what it was as even by then I wasn’t familiar with WDaDU.
66.   The Silent Man #73 One of my favorites on Awake when it came out but others have since surpassed it.
65.   Raise The Knife #95 Better than most of FII, but that doesn’t say much. Ballsy to include on SCORE and definitely paid off based on what I’ve read here at least.
64.   Beneath The Surface #1 Discussed above, but forgot to say it also includes my favorite Jordan moment. I can’t actually name my #2 Jordan moment. For all that he brings to the band musically, I don’t tend to think of Jordan “moments.”
63.   Sacrificed Sons #91 Hey, 2 consecutive songs that start with way too much time (and by too much I mean more than 10 seconds) of vocal samples. I hate it. Surprised I ranked this one in the 90s.
62.   Pale Blue Dot #84 See above. Some good stuff here, but like some of DT’s more recent material, this never coalesces in to a great song.
61.   The Ministry Of Lost Souls #21 I love this song. Y’all who complain about the instrumental section are crazy.
60.   The Bigger Picture #66 Like most songs on DT12 it is fine. It isn’t offensive in any way. It’s a good listen, but doesn’t do anything to distinguish itself.
59.   Hollow Years #85 I ranked all the songs based on their album version. When I first got FII this was in the upper half, which still ranked it lower than anything on I&W and Awake. It’s ok. The Budokan version is great.

[jingle.boy]

61.   The Ministry Of Lost Souls #21 I love this song. Y’all who complain about the instrumental section are crazy.

Agreed.  I don't think that instrumental section is out of place at all.  And it's dope af regardless.

[Mladen]

The Ministry of lost souls was my #3. I absolutely knew I would be the highest ranker. This song is a masterpiece in every single way for me. It actually features my favorite guitar solo of all time. Glorious stuff. 

The Bigger picture didn't make it for me. It's good, but not quite top 100 material.

Hollow years was my #83. It's a beautiful ballad that is one of my favorites on an otherwise underwhelming and an inconsistent album.

[WardySI]

An overall 60 isn't bad and thrilled to see The Bigger Picture get a #6 ranking 

I had it at #21 right before Behind The Veil.

[hefdaddy42]

61.   The Ministry Of Lost Souls #21 I love this song. Y’all who complain about the instrumental section are crazy.

Agreed.  I don't think that instrumental section is out of place at all.  And it's dope af regardless.

Yeah, it's no more out of place than the Endless Sacrifice instrumental section, or the Sacrificed Sons instrumental section.

[axeman90210]

The Ministry of Lost Souls- More like the Ministry of Lost Interest amirite? I feel like I enjoy SC as a whole more than a lot of other DT fans whose taste aligns with mine on favorite DT albums, but this song does absolutely nothing for me. It was a little bit better seeing it live on the last headlining tour, but still wasn't even in consideration for the top 100. Maybe my least favorite longer DT song.

The Bigger Picture- I was just a touch lower than the consensus, I had it at #75. Nothing fancy, just a well-done straight-ahead song by DT standards.

Hollow Years- I had this up a bit at #38. It may have made my list in some fashion based on the FII, but Budokan is the reason it's not back near 100. Just one of JP's crowning moments as a guitar player and singlehandedly refutes the notion that technique and feel are exclusive when it comes to guitar solos.

[ReaperKK]

Friday afternoon update!

58. Outcry
Highest Finish: 11 (Dream Team)
Number of Lists appeared on: 49 (Adami, Animal, Awaken, axeman90210, bosk1, CanuckChum, Cool Chris, Dave_Manchester, Dittomist, DragonAttack, Dream Team, energythief, Evermind, Fonzie, geeeemo, hefdaddy42, Indiscipline, Jamesman42, jammindude, jingle.boy, JPZealot, KevShmev, King Puppies and the Acid Guppies, Lethean, lightningbolt, mariner, Metro, MirrorMask, Mladen, Mosh, nobloodyname, NoFred, OpenYourEyes311, Peter Mc, pg1067, PixelDream, Podaar, ReaperKK, Revenge319, romdrums, TAC, The Realm, Toro, Trav86, Vmadera00, WardySI, weirdo, Wim Kruithof, wolfking)

Kind of a middle of the road song for me, it didn't even break top 50 for me but I don't skip it when it comes on.

57. Hell's Kitchen
Highest Finish: 4 (lucasembarbosa)
Number of Lists appeared on: 50 (Adami, Awaken, axeman90210, Ben_Jamin, CanuckChum, CharlesPL, Cool Chris, Dave_Manchester, devieira73, Dittomist, DragonAttack, DTwwbwMP, energythief, Fonzie, geeeemo, hefdaddy42, Indiscipline, Jamesman42, jammindude, JiM-Xtreme, jingle.boy, jonny108, JPZealot, KevShmev, King Puppies and the Acid Guppies, Lethean, lightningbolt, lucasembarbosa, mariner, Metro, MoraWintersoul, MustActFastToCoverUp, NoFred, OpenYourEyes311, Peter Mc, pg1067, PixelDream, porcacultor, ReaperKK, ReaPsTA, Revenge319, romdrums, Setlist Scotty, The Realm, Toro, Trav86, Vmadera00, weirdo, Wim Kruithof, wolfking)

My favorite of the DT instrumentals and has been a top 20 song for me for a long time. This go around it placed just below 20 but still a stellar song.

56. On The Backs Of Angels
Highest Finish: 7 (Jamesman42)
Number of Lists appeared on: 57 (Adami, Animal, Awaken, axeman90210, Ben_Jamin, bosk1, CanuckChum, Cool Chris, Dave_Manchester, Dittomist, DragonAttack, Dream Team, DTwwbwMP, energythief, Evermind, Fonzie, geeeemo, hefdaddy42, Jamesman42, jeff_kinsley, jonny108, JPZealot, King Puppies and the Acid Guppies, Lethean, lightningbolt, lucasembarbosa, mariner, Metro, MirrorMask, Mladen, MoraWintersoul, Mosh, MustActFastToCoverUp, nobloodyname, NoFred, OpenYourEyes311, Peter Mc, pg1067, PixelDream, Podaar, porcacultor, ReaPsTA, Revenge319, romdrums, Setlist Scotty, Stadler, TAC, The Realm, Toro, Trav86, twosuitsluke, Vmadera00, WardySI, weirdo, Wim Kruithof, wolfking, Zydar)

Never felt too hot on this track. When it was first released I was pretty disappointed and thought the MM ear wasn't going to be great. Fortunately I was wrong but I still never warmed up this song.

[Lonk]

58. Outcry: #72. This used to be my favorite track from this album, but it hasn't aged well.

57. Hell's Kitchen: NR. Did not rank for me (despite me being included on the "lists appeared on"). #94. I have a controversial opinion about DT's instrumentals, but I'll keep that to myself 

56. On The Backs of Angels: #56. Fun track, and probably the best "single" from the MM era. The guitar work is really fun here.

[HOF]

Hell’s Kitchen is my favorite DT instrumental as well. A gorgeous piece of music that was thankfully rescued from the belly of Burnjng My Soul so it could stand alone as it deserves!

[hefdaddy42]

58 Outcry - This is a good song, although I don't like it as much as the consensus here.  It comes in at # 79 for me.  I really like how when it makes the turn toward the end it changes key downward instead of upward - pretty unusual.  Me likey.

57 Hell's Kitchen - Dream Theater's most sumptuous and gorgeous instrumental.  I mean, it's just awesome.  I had it at # 12.

56 On The Backs of Angels - Another song that I like, but not as much as the consensus, ranking it at # 87.  A nice, fresh take on Pull Me Under lol

[ReaperKK]

58. Outcry: #72. This used to be my favorite track from this album, but it hasn't aged well.

57. Hell's Kitchen: NR. Did not rank for me (despite me being included on the "lists appeared on"). I have a controversial opinion about DT's instrumentals, but I'll keep that to myself 

56. On The Backs of Angels: #56. Fun track, and probably the best "single" from the MM era. The guitar work is really fun here.

Check number 94 on your list

[Mladen]

Outcry was my #47. It's fantastic start to finish. I'm surprised I didn't rank it higher. I do remember it being the last one to grow on me on the album, though.

Hell's kitchen didn't make it for me. I never really got it.

On the backs of angels was my #36. It's their best lead single in a looong time. The memories of it coming out and getting us excited about the new Dream Theater era are something I'll always treasure.

[Lonk]

58. Outcry: #72. This used to be my favorite track from this album, but it hasn't aged well.

57. Hell's Kitchen: NR. Did not rank for me (despite me being included on the "lists appeared on"). #94 I have a controversial opinion about DT's instrumentals, but I'll keep that to myself 

56. On The Backs of Angels: #56. Fun track, and probably the best "single" from the MM era. The guitar work is really fun here.

Check number 94 on your list

I stand corrected  I could've sworn it didn't make the list. Sorry for doubting you 

[ReaperKK]

Nah it's alright trust me I'd made a ton of mistakes too, that's why when I saw your post I immediately went back and checked

[pg1067]

58. Outcry

57. Hell's Kitchen

56. On The Backs Of Angels

I really dig Outcry - especially having seen it live.  I had it at #33.  It ranked at #37 in the prior countdown, so this is a pretty big drop.

I really didn't pay much attention to Hell's Kitchen when FII was released or for a long time after.  Eventually, I heard snippets in random contexts and finally figured out what it was and listened to the whole thing.  Great instrumental, and I really wish DT would write something like that now.  I had it at #60, and it came in at #42 in the last countdown.

On the Backs of Angels is a really solid song and a great way to begin the Mangini era.  I had it at #44, and it came in at #73 in the last countdown, so it got a big boost this time.



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

[jingle.boy]

Outcry ... 71.  Chorus is really nice.  The instrumental breakdown is good - middle-of-the-road as far as instrumental sections go, imo.  James sounds really good, and it sounds like.

Hell's Kitchen ... 28.  Not the highest instrumental, but up there.  I mean, we're splitting hairs with the two a above it, afaic.  Sidenote, when meeting Admiral Jackbar for the 1st time 12-13 years ago or so, the pub we went to had a pizza called Hell's Kitchen.  Naturally, we ordered it.

On the Back's of Angels ... NR.  As I said, I never was a fan of any of the singles that were released post 8vm - Forsaken, A Rite of Passage, this, Enemy Inside, Untethered Angel, The Alien... all failed to make my list.

[MirrorMask]

58. Outcry

Great song, I had it at 50.

57. Hell's Kitchen

While I don't outright dislike the song, and it's perfectly fine, I never understood the love for it. Half of it was misplaced into a song where it didn't belong and, hot take, it benefitted from having the middle section lifted; the second half owes its greatness to the beginning of another song (Lines in the Sand of course) since it was done to properly connect to it. A weird hybrid that didn't rank for me. Again, it's not that I hate the song, good for you all who are into it 


56. On The Backs Of Angels

A nice, catchy and concise song. Finished at 63 for me. Guess on any given day it could have swapped some positions with Outcry but it's fine either way. Solid track.

So far, 19 songs of mine didn't rank. I predict the total count might be 21. Slightly higher unless we're in for more surprises.

[Indiscipline]

Outcry: 28. Excellent. Classic DT at their best with a surprising second wind.

Hell's Kitchen: 38. When Dream Theater really used to brush paintings in your mind.

On the Backs of Angels: didn't make the cut. Another victim of the Ranker without many arguments to fight back.


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
96 - Fall Into the Light
97 - A Fortune in Lies

Not Ranked: 23

[SwedishGoose]

Three strike outs today...
24 not rated so far wonder how many more?
Was sure I would be quite high on songs not ranked collectively. Got quite a few songs from The Astonishing that will never make an apperance....
Outcry, listening to it now it's an Ok song but not enough to get into the 100s.
Hell's Kitchen, same here, nothing that really grabs me to push it into the 100s.
On The Back's of Angels... this one might have stood a slim chance of getting into the 100s had I listened while ranking and not going by memory but not higher.


My ranking so far

19 The Silent Man (66)
28 Through Her Eyes  (74)
32 Awaken the Master (81)
33 Sleeping Giant (85)
37 Our New World (93)
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)
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)

Rated: 21
Not rated: 24

[CharlesPL]

Outcry - none
Hell's Kitchen - 11
On the Backs of Angels - none

[pg1067]

Hell's Kitchen ... 28.  Not the highest instrumental, but up there.  I mean, we're splitting hairs with the two a above it, afaic.  Sidenote, when meeting Admiral Jackbar for the 1st time 12-13 years ago or so, the pub we went to had a pizza called Hell's Kitchen.  Naturally, we ordered it.

When my daughter and I were in NYC back in 2019, we happened upon this place.  Unfortunately, it wasn't mealtime, and we didn't get back in the area when we were ready to eat.  And it appears now to be closed.

[devieira73]

I forgot to include Outcry in my Top 100! (If I had, it would be my #75). Anyway, it's the song on Dramatic that suffers the most with the weak drum sound, specially in its first half. All its Dance of Eternity like instrumental section is incredible.

Hell's Kitchen (my# 53) is just a beautiful instrumental and became perfect outside Burning My Soul, another great production decision IMO.

On the Back of Angels really excited me at the time, because I could feel the keyboards went back to where they should belong in DT's sound, but... I don't know, I still think it's well crafted song, but I think it's a bit boring when I listen to it nowadays.

[TAC]

58. Outcry
Highest Finish: 11 (Dream Team)
Number of Lists appeared on: 49 (Adami, Animal, Awaken, axeman90210, bosk1, CanuckChum, Cool Chris, Dave_Manchester, Dittomist, DragonAttack, Dream Team, energythief, Evermind, Fonzie, geeeemo, hefdaddy42, Indiscipline, Jamesman42, jammindude, jingle.boy, JPZealot, KevShmev, King Puppies and the Acid Guppies, Lethean, lightningbolt, mariner, Metro, MirrorMask, Mladen, Mosh, nobloodyname, NoFred, OpenYourEyes311, Peter Mc, pg1067, PixelDream, Podaar, ReaperKK, Revenge319, romdrums, TAC, The Realm, Toro, Trav86, Vmadera00, WardySI, weirdo, Wim Kruithof, wolfking)

57. Hell's Kitchen
Highest Finish: 4 (lucasembarbosa)
Number of Lists appeared on: 50 (Adami, Awaken, axeman90210, Ben_Jamin, CanuckChum, CharlesPL, Cool Chris, Dave_Manchester, devieira73, Dittomist, DragonAttack, DTwwbwMP, energythief, Fonzie, geeeemo, hefdaddy42, Indiscipline, Jamesman42, jammindude, JiM-Xtreme, jingle.boy, jonny108, JPZealot, KevShmev, King Puppies and the Acid Guppies, Lethean, lightningbolt, lucasembarbosa, mariner, Metro, MoraWintersoul, MustActFastToCoverUp, NoFred, OpenYourEyes311, Peter Mc, pg1067, PixelDream, porcacultor, ReaperKK, ReaPsTA, Revenge319, romdrums, Setlist Scotty, The Realm, Toro, Trav86, Vmadera00, weirdo, Wim Kruithof, wolfking)

56. On The Backs Of Angels
Highest Finish: 7 (Jamesman42)
Number of Lists appeared on: 57 (Adami, Animal, Awaken, axeman90210, Ben_Jamin, bosk1, CanuckChum, Cool Chris, Dave_Manchester, Dittomist, DragonAttack, Dream Team, DTwwbwMP, energythief, Evermind, Fonzie, geeeemo, hefdaddy42, Jamesman42, jeff_kinsley, jonny108, JPZealot, King Puppies and the Acid Guppies, Lethean, lightningbolt, lucasembarbosa, mariner, Metro, MirrorMask, Mladen, MoraWintersoul, Mosh, MustActFastToCoverUp, nobloodyname, NoFred, OpenYourEyes311, Peter Mc, pg1067, PixelDream, Podaar, porcacultor, ReaPsTA, Revenge319, romdrums, Setlist Scotty, Stadler, TAC, The Realm, Toro, Trav86, twosuitsluke, Vmadera00, WardySI, weirdo, Wim Kruithof, wolfking, Zydar)

I had Outcry at #21.
A standout track from ADTOE. I just think the song is emotional and sectacular.

I had Hell's Kitchen as Not Rated.
I'm glad they removed it from the original version of BMS. I mean, talk about musical sections that had nothing to do with their song.., but for some reason, Hell's Kitchen just feels incomplete to me. It has its moments, but I didn't rate it.

I had On The Backs Of Angels at #79.
I remember the first time I heard the intro to this when it premiered. I literally freaked out when it began and when the full band started in. I immediately wondered where James was in this song, as he sounded completely neutered. It's a decent song enough song though .


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
85  Pale Blue Dot
84
83
82
81
80  Awaken The Master
79  On The Backs Of Angels
78
77
76  S2N
75
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
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




31 -14

[The Realm]

Outcry - one of the best songs on the album but overall it is an album I don't return to often at all. My rank 75.

Hell's Kitchen - a really powerful instrumental and one I have always enjoyed. My rank 62.

On The Back of Angels - another good song from ADToA. My rank 44.

So far 10 songs unranked and only 1 of my top 40 has been revealed.

[Stadler]

157. The Dark Eternal Night
155. Hell's Kitchen
154. S2N
150. The Killing Hand
145. Vacant
143. Honor Thy Father
142. Ytsejam
138. Wither
135. Only A Matter Of Time
124. Through Her Eyes
123. Never Enough
122. The Alien
121. Afterlife
120. A Fortune In Lies
109. Outcry
105. Sleeping Giant
104. Surrender To Reason
----
97.  Awaken The Master
96.  Behind The Veil
90.  On The Backs Of Angels
85.  Constant Motion
84.  Beneath The Surface
80.  The Enemy Inside
78.  Hollow Years
76.  The Shattered Fortress
67.  The Silent Man
59.  The Gift of Music
57.  The Bigger Picture
55.  Pale Blue Dot
54.  Answering The Call
52.  Lost Not Forgotten
51.  Fall Into The Light
46.  A New Beginning
44.  Forsaken
41.  The Looking Glass
40.  The Ministry Of Lost Souls
36.  New Millenium
33.  Transcending Time
31.  The Best Of Times
28.  Our New World
25.  Raise The Knife
23.  I Walk Beside You
21.  Sacrificed Sons
14.  To Live Forever
5.    This Is The Life

[Dream Team]

  5 Only a Matter of Time
  6 The Killing Hand
11 Outcry
20 Lost Not Forgotten
24 This is the Life
25 Beneath the Surface
26 A New Beginning
28 Fall Into the Light
30 The Best of Times
31 Afterlife
35 S2N
38 Constant Motion
39 Behind the Veil
40 The Enemy Inside
41 Pale Blue Dot
48 A Fortune in Lies
51 Our New World
54 Wither
55 The Alien
57 Surrender to Reason
58 Raise the Knife
61 I Walk Beside You
63 Awaken the Master
64 The Looking Glass
66 The Bigger Picture
68 Sleeping Giant
70 The Ministry of Lost Souls
76 Transcending Time
78 Ytse Jam
79 Sacrificed Sons
81 The Gift of Music
84 Answering the Call
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
Highest Ranker Of: Only a Matter of Time, Outcry

HK almost made it. Outcry is 1 of 6 songs from ADToE in my Top 30  . Amazing song and that little interlude after the craziness of the long instrumental part is one of their tastiest pieces of music. Love the beginning and ending of OTBoA but the middle is kind of ordinary.

[wolfking]

Outcry came in for me at 36.  Best song on the album for me and really jumped the rankings from the last list over time.  Amazing chorus and killer long instrumental section.

Hell's Kitchen came in at 80.  John's work here is amazing but I feel it needs a bit more.  Tim is right, feels unfinished, but the solo makes it easily top 100 worthy.

OTBOA really jumped the rankings also my last listen.  I never rated it but I recently enjoyed it.  61 for me.



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
62
61 On the Backs of Angels
60 
59
58 Afterlife
57
56
55
54
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
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20 Behind the Veil
19 Honor Thy Father
18
17
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

[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.