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

[Zydar]

I've never gotten into the whole roulette thing, it doesn't seem to be anything for me at all.

[Mladen]

Maybe time to start another countdown?

Sure. How about bottom 25 Dream Theater songs? What's more fun than that? 

We're always looking for fresh blood in the roulettes over on the General Music side of the forum.

I appreciate the invitation and will definitely consider it. 

[ReaperKK]

I've never gotten into the whole roulette thing, it doesn't seem to be anything for me at all.

It's fun, but it can be stressful. TAC can be unforgiving

[Wim Kruithof]

And thanks also to PG for these stats!

Indeed! Thanks pg1067 for all your stats thrown at us. Really liked it.

[Jamesman42]

I immensely enjoyed all the new music from my back-to-back roulettes, though there were times I wanted to just chill and not write things (though once I got started it was fun).

[TAC]

I've never gotten into the whole roulette thing, it doesn't seem to be anything for me at all.

It's fun, but it can be stressful. TAC can be unforgiving

You've taken some lumps indeed.

[Stadler]

I immensely enjoyed all the new music from my back-to-back roulettes, though there were times I wanted to just chill and not write things (though once I got started it was fun).

Me.  I loved the music, then I was all "wait, I have to do something?!?!"

[Dittomist]

For the most part I was very happy with the results of this countdown! Great job everyone! I was originally going to make a 10 Things That Disappointed Me list, but after comparing my 100 choices to the final countdown, I could only come up with 5 legitimate miscarriages of justices worth pointing out.

1. ANNA LEE IS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND!!!
I did not see this coming. I was extremely confident this beautiful song was going to get the respect it deserves until we had only 25 spots left and then I started to worry. I've always loved it and had it at #21.

2. ASTONISHING STUCK IN THE '90s
It was disappointing that the highest ranked Astonishing song was at #91, but not a surprise because I understand that the Astonishing songs are polarizing and also difficult to rank. However, I feel that songs like Ravenskill (which I had at #39) and Losing Faythe (43) did enough to stand out from the crowded pack, and so I was hoping they would appear as well. A New Beginning should have at least made the top 50--that song is incredible.

3. HOME IN THE TOP FIVE
I like Home a lot but top 5 Dream Theater songs?!  #54 would have been a more suitable placement.

4. FALL INTO THE LIGHT FELL SO FAR
This is one of my favorite songs from the Mangini-era and I was shocked that it didn't do better. It was #20 for me.

5. ANOTHER D/T GRIEVENCE
The mediocre Barstool Warrior gets #51 and the spectacular Out of Reach doesn't even make the Top 100?!  Call it bad luck, call it fate, call it DTF members drinking too much, or not drinking enough, while using the ranker

Thank you very much, ReaperKK, for running this countdown and for doing such a tremendous job. It was exciting to see the results every morning!

[Stadler]

For the most part I was very happy with the results of this countdown! Great job everyone! I was originally going to make a 10 Things That Disappointed Me list, but after comparing my 100 choices to the final countdown, I could only come up with 5 legitimate miscarriages of justices worth pointing out.

1. ANNA LEE IS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND!!!
I did not see this coming. I was extremely confident this beautiful song was going to get the respect it deserves until we had only 25 spots left and then I started to worry. I've always loved it and had it at #21.

Agreed.

2. ASTONISHING STUCK IN THE '90s
It was disappointing that the highest ranked Astonishing song was at #91, but not a surprise because I understand that the Astonishing songs are polarizing and also difficult to rank. However, I feel that songs like Ravenskill (which I had at #39) and Losing Faythe (43) did enough to stand out from the crowded pack, and so I was hoping they would appear as well. A New Beginning should have at least made the top 50--that song is incredible.

These were really hard for me; so many moments of "WOW that is a GREAT melody!" but is it a good SONG?  That's where I struggled. 

4. FALL INTO THE LIGHT FELL SO FAR
This is my favorite song from the Mangini-era and I was shocked that it didn't do better. It was #20 for me.

I used often say that was my second or third favorite of the Mangini era, but upon doing my relisten, it just didn't carry the mustard.  I don't know why it is, but it didn't resonate as much as songs like Beneath The Surface, or Bridges In The Sky.

[Lonk]

For the most part I was very happy with the results of this countdown! Great job everyone! I was originally going to make a 10 Things That Disappointed Me list, but after comparing my 100 choices to the final countdown, I could only come up with 5 legitimate miscarriages of justices worth pointing out.

1. ANNA LEE IS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND!!!
I did not see this coming. I was extremely confident this beautiful song was going to get the respect it deserves until we had only 25 spots left and then I started to worry. I've always loved it and had it at #21.

Agreed.

Besides my top 2 songs from DT, Anna Lee is the only other song I know where it would land on the ranking, and that would be last on the list.

This song does absolutely nothing for me, and it is the only DT song I actually dislike. Even the demos, and songs that didn't make an album I can tolerate and enjoy some of it. Anna Lee on the other hand...

[Dream Team]

Anna Lee is not really my preferred flavor from DT but it's alright until James starts screaming random vowels during the bridge.

Take Away my Pain (especially the Once in a Livetime version) I always thought was much better. Another Won, A Life Left Behind, and Ravenskill are my picks for most egregious omissions.

[Jamesman42]

TAMP got ruined for me when someone said it sounded like a Disney song.

[Metro]

TAMP got ruined for me when someone said it sounded like a Disney song.

It's those Lion King drums

[Wim Kruithof]

1. ANNA LEE IS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND!!!
I did not see this coming. I was extremely confident this beautiful song was going to get the respect it deserves until we had only 25 spots left and then I started to worry. I've always loved it and had it at #21.

Agreed.

Make it three of us.

2. ASTONISHING STUCK IN THE '90s
It was disappointing that the highest ranked Astonishing song was at #91, but not a surprise because I understand that the Astonishing songs are polarizing and also difficult to rank. However, I feel that songs like Ravenskill (which I had at #39) and Losing Faythe (43) did enough to stand out from the crowded pack, and so I was hoping they would appear as well. A New Beginning should have at least made the top 50--that song is incredible.

These were really hard for me; so many moments of "WOW that is a GREAT melody!" but is it a good SONG?  That's where I struggled. 

This one is spot-on to my Astonishing-feel. I love the album from The Decent of the Nomacs till the Power Down & Astonishing... but ranking them as invidivuals is truly difficult. Ravenskill at #75 was my highest, but also only because of LaBrie's vocals on "Hopeful and innocent, sensing no danger... he sees humanity behind the strangers eyes."

[MirrorMask]

The run from the beginning of the album until Three Days is basically perfect. Act of Faythe being the weakest link. But otherwise, it's a wild journey.

Not that the rest isn't worthwhile, for example I absolutely agree that Ravenskill is fantastic, but Disc 1 is better than Disc 2, and the first half of Disc 1 is better than the second half.

It's like a movie that starts strong but then meanders on a bit. But all in all I've always appreciated the album, especially my own personal cut where I trimmed some of the "fat". Been ages since I went back to it however, I should do it one day....

[hefdaddy42]

TAMP got ruined for me when someone said it sounded like a Disney song.

That's a weird reason to dislike anything.

[Zydar]

TAMP got ruined for me when someone said it sounded like a Disney song.

Nothing can ruin that song for me, save from a horrible cover version.

[Adami]

TAMP got ruined for me when someone said it sounded like a Disney song.

Whatever your favorite song is, you heard it here first that it sounds like a Disney song.



Honestly if I wrote something that someone said sounded like a Disney song, I'd be over the moon and try to make millions off of it.

[nobloodyname]

How on earth does Take Away My Pain sound like a Disney song?

[hefdaddy42]

How on earth does Take Away My Pain sound like a Disney song?

It doesn't.

[HOF]

How on earth does Take Away My Pain sound like a Disney song?

It doesn't.

It doesn’t sound like a Disney song, but it does share a similar vibe as Genesis’s Follow You, Follow Me, which maybe in some people’s minds leads them to think of Phil Collins and Tarzan (though that came after FII).

[Zydar]

I'm trying to picture that song being sung by Ariel in The Little Mermaid. It just doesn't work

[HOF]

It’s got kind of an African or maybe Caribbean rhythm to it, and I’m sure some people’s exposure to that sort of thing is largely through Disney, so I get the connection. But I love the direction Shirley took that song. Also recalls something like Peter Gabriel’s In Your Eyes for me.

[SwedishGoose]

I'm listening to The Astonishing in full for the first time in a while. God I love this album.
Only had 23 songs in the top 100.... should be more

For those coming to DT mainlybfrom the metal side I can undertand notloving this.

But for any prog leaning fan with an open mind there is soo much to lovr. Oh well, your loss!

[hefdaddy42]

It’s got kind of an African or maybe Caribbean rhythm to it

It does?

I mean, not to my ears.

[Indiscipline]

It may be also due to the preponderance of major chords leading to a kind of "happy = Disney" superficial interpretation.

Personally, I consider said preponderance of major chords a stroke of songwriting genius, considering the lyrical subject matter.

[HOF]

It’s got kind of an African or maybe Caribbean rhythm to it

It does?

I mean, not to my ears.

Even MP said that it does (he complained about it!).

[Setlist Scotty]

It’s got kind of an African or maybe Caribbean rhythm to it

It does?

I mean, not to my ears.

Even MP said that it does (he complained about it!).

Yep. Taken from the FII demos liner notes:

I’ve made no secrets about my absolute dislike of the Kevin Shirley re-arrangement that ended up on FII (I think my quote was that it took some of the most heart-wrenching lyrics written and placed them in the middle of a Disneyland ride in the Caribbean!). The live version on Once In A LIVEtime was a bit of a musical cross between the two.

Also HOF called it regarding the Peter Gabriel vibe, which I know MP commented elsewhere was a direction they were going in with the rearranging of the song.

[HOF]

It’s got kind of an African or maybe Caribbean rhythm to it

It does?

I mean, not to my ears.

Even MP said that it does (he complained about it!).

Yep. Taken from the FII demos liner notes:

I’ve made no secrets about my absolute dislike of the Kevin Shirley re-arrangement that ended up on FII (I think my quote was that it took some of the most heart-wrenching lyrics written and placed them in the middle of a Disneyland ride in the Caribbean!). The live version on Once In A LIVEtime was a bit of a musical cross between the two.

Also HOF called it regarding the Peter Gabriel vibe, which I know MP commented elsewhere was a direction they were going in with the rearranging of the song.

What's funny is I remember MP commenting on the Phil Collins Tarzan soundtrack a few years later, and mentioning how both he and his kids shared a mutual love for Collins because of it.

[hefdaddy42]

It’s got kind of an African or maybe Caribbean rhythm to it

It does?

I mean, not to my ears.

Even MP said that it does (he complained about it!).

Yep. Taken from the FII demos liner notes:

I’ve made no secrets about my absolute dislike of the Kevin Shirley re-arrangement that ended up on FII (I think my quote was that it took some of the most heart-wrenching lyrics written and placed them in the middle of a Disneyland ride in the Caribbean!). The live version on Once In A LIVEtime was a bit of a musical cross between the two.

Also HOF called it regarding the Peter Gabriel vibe, which I know MP commented elsewhere was a direction they were going in with the rearranging of the song.

I mean, opinions and all, but MP thinking it sounds like that doesn't mean anything to me.  It still doesn't sound like that to me.

[HOF]

It may be also due to the preponderance of major chords leading to a kind of "happy = Disney" superficial interpretation.

Personally, I consider said preponderance of major chords a stroke of songwriting genius, considering the lyrical subject matter.

Agreed. With all due respect to MP (and I do appreciate the raw emotion of the demo too), I think the final product was a more subtle way of dealing with the subject matter that actually makes it a bit more effective. It's more emotionally complex I think than the demo. Particularly when the tone changes/darkens during the guitar solo. It ebbs and flows rather than being all one thing.

[pg1067]

It’s got kind of an African or maybe Caribbean rhythm to it

More than just the rhythm...the whole vibe of the first 50 seconds is very Afro-Caribbean.

I'm trying to picture that song being sung by Ariel in The Little Mermaid. It just doesn't work

Agree, but I can very much imagine Sebastian (the crab) singing it.  The verses have a very "Under the Sea" vibe (IMO).  That's the biggest difference between the demo and the album versions.

[Jamesman42]

TAMP got ruined for me when someone said it sounded like a Disney song.

That's a weird reason to dislike anything.

I was being hyperbolic but I didn't convey that. I think it's an okay song but when I read that comment over a decade ago, it changed how I thought about it. Especially the verses, it's just very upbeat and rhythmic that feels like a character in a kids movie might sing (from the 90s era at least).

[Zydar]

I was a little curious to see some statistics of the most performed DT songs ever, I got this from setlist.fm (don't know the accuracy of it though):

https://www.setlist.fm/stats/dream-theater-bd6a102.html

I was surprised to see 'Lie' in the Top 10, I didn't know it's been played THAT much? And I&W is very over-represented apparently

I've seen them in concert twice (2009 and 2014) and haven't got one single song from that album. What are the odds?

[Mladen]

Looking at those statistics, I'm more interested in the least played songs. Repentance was performed once, Disappear twice, You not me three times. That's kind of cool.

Also, The Answer lies within was only performed seven times. For whatever reason, I thought that song was played on the entire Octavarium tour.