Dream Theatre Songs Ranked

Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to concentrate further on the band that would eventually become Dream Theater. Though a number of lineup changes followed, the three original members remained together until September 8, 2010, when Portnoy left the band. Mike Mangini was announced as the new permanent drummer on April 29, 2011. In 1991, James LaBrie joined replacing Charlie Dominici as the lead singer of the band and has been the singer ever since. The band’s first keyboardist, Kevin Moore, left the band after three albums and was replaced by Derek Sherinian in 1995 after a period of touring. After one album with Sherinian, the band replaced him with current keyboardist Jordan Rudess in 1999. To date, Dream Theater has released fourteen studio albums. The band’s highest-selling release is their second album Images and Words (1992), which reached No. 61 on the Billboard 200 chart. Both the albums Awake (1994) and Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (2002) also entered the charts at No. 32 and No. 46, respectively, and received critical acclaim. Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory was ranked number 95 on the October 2006 issue of Guitar World magazine’s list of The greatest 100 guitar albums of all time. It is ranked as the 15th Greatest Concept Album as of March 2003 by Classic Rock Magazine. As of 2018, Dream Theater has sold over 12 million records worldwide and has received two Grammy Award nominations. Here are all dream theatre songs ranked.

Don’t miss out on the TIMELESS Dream Theatre music below! Click to experience the power of the famous Progressive Metal band.

20. Space-Dye Vest (Awake, 1994)

“Dream Theater always strike me for their technical superiority and virtuoso musicianship but I have always found them a little too over produced and somewhat emotionally sterile… Something I’m pretty much will piss a whole lot of Dream Theater fans off and I know loads to disagree. This song on the other hand and for whatever reason has a great deal of punch to it, perhaps it’s the (relatively) simple structure compared to other DT songs, but whatever… To me this song feels more REAL.”

19. Stream of Consciousness (Train of Thought, 2003)

“Serving as a continuation of Vacant, this one hits me hard. This is their longest instrumental, and it doesn’t even need words to be as meaningful and emotional as it is. As Vacant is about the helplessness associated with a loved one in coma, this song’s a really fitting expression of the crazy thought traffic going through the mind of someone who goes through that. Around the end of the 8th minute, this song gives me chills with the climactic build-up and keyboard/guitar solos. It’s dark and heavy, but it goes on to become chillingly fluid and full of sorrow in a crazy climax toward the finale. Definitely worth a listen.”

18. Learning to Live (Images and Words, 1992)

“It’s one of those Dream Theater songs that are more progressive rock than heavy metal and I like it for that: This song has so much feeling and emotions in it without becoming anywhere near cheesy. No unnecessary soloing, just great songwriting, great dynamics and an overall great flow. Hardly any other DT song flows as well as Learning To Live, my favourite song ever. Plus, the lyrics are plain awesome!”

17. Illumination Theory (Dream Theater, 2013)

“Octavarium is actually my favorite, but I think this ultimately deserves to be in the top ten at least. What with the false ending, the orchestral interlude, the ultimate theme, it was legitimately one of the best songs I’ve ever heard, and really just an all around amazing experience to listen to. I know how difficult it will be to vote this all the way up to the top of the list, and all of the songs currently on top of the list are pure masterpieces, each of which has given me chills and a deeper appreciation for the greatest group of 5 musicians ever to grace the Earth with their presence, but this absolutely deserves to be among them.”

See more: Dream Theatre Albums Ranked

16. The Dance of Eternity (Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory, 1999)

“Certainly one of the most complex songs ever released by Dream Theater. Certainly not as emotionally complex as songs, such as Octavarium or A Change of Seasons, but 104 time signature changes in just 6 minutes makes this one of their shortest songs, and certainly their most complex musically. John Myung has an excellent bass solo, and Rudess has my favorite keyboard solo from any Dream Theater work. It’s such a memorable song, and you can listen to it over and over again. It’s difficult for it to get old or stale, but that can be said for much of their other music as well.”

15. In the Presence of Enemies (Chaos in Motion 2007–2008, 2008)

“In my opinion, this song should be in the top 5. I think the only problem with the song is that it is broken into 2 pieces as bookends of the album. I see what DT was trying to do, but I think it was a mistake none the less. If DT had included the song on the album in its entirety as one track then I believe it would be appreciated more. For my self, I spliced the two parts together and blended it with a audio editing program so I could listen to the song as it was originally intended. This allows me to have the complete listening experience without interruption. I would recommend every DT fan doing this even though it takes a little work. I was amazed at the difference it made for me as a listener. Truly one of their greatest masterpieces.”

14. Another Day (Images and Words, 1992)

“Don’t believe in propaganda. Undoubtedly this is the best song of dream theater I’ve ever listened. It’s awesome… Amazing… Fantastic… Wonderful… Mind blowing… It must be placed in number 1(not even this list but also in every music lovers mind).”

13. In the Name of God (Train of Thought, 2003)

“This song is musically perfect. It’s the DT equivalent to hallowed be thy name. The main riff is absolutely chilling and one of my favorites in all music. The last shrieking note in the solo that smashes into the main riff is a moment any Metalhead should recognize as truly perfect.”

12. Scene Nine: Finally Free (Images and Words, 2015)

“Finally Free has the kind of chorus you can just SCREAM out, and when it appears for the last time with acoustic accompaniment before blasting itself out full power with the backing vocals, the characterful guitar riff it’s one of those rare moments of musical perfection.”

11. The Best of Times (Black Clouds & Silver Linings, 2009)

“Come on! This song is a masterpiece. I can’t help but cry at the end of this song because of the level of passion and emotion that goes into this piece. It may not be the most musically complex but the guitar solo at the end is nothing short of virtuosity. This song deserves to be in the top ten. “Pull Me Under” is a good song but “The best of times” is a masterpiece. It should be right up there with Octavarium.”

10.The Spirit Carries On (Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory, 1999)

“I’m not that sensitive, but this song keeps hitting the right string even after listening it a thousand times. Over all I prefer the harder song of DT, but this one stands out above everything in the world.”

9. The Glass Prison (Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, 2002)

“After hearing this song, you will not find a single DT song better than this one. What I love about Dream Theater is that they are fantastic musicians, these 5 guys are musical masterminds, and they show their skills, and their skills are top-notch. Dream Theater definitely showcased their talents in this one!”

8. Pull Me Under (Images and Words, 1992)

“This song is extremely over Hated. Its one of their best songs, even if it is the most popular. Its an extremely musically powerful song with great lyrics and an amazing climax, which is when Labrie sings “watch the sparrow falling gives new meaning to it all” etc. It is a song deserving of its poularity.”

7. Panic Attack (Octavarium, 2005)

“If you’re depressed, Panic Attack is the perfect song to describe your feelings. Not your typical DT song but still managed to hold its own. 1 of the 1st DT songs I’ve ever listened to along with octavarium.”

See more: Gentle Giant Albums Ranked

6. Breaking All Illusions (A Dramatic Turn of Events, 2011)

“Absolutely the most masterful thing DT has ever done. Goes through an incredibly wide variety of moods and themes while still staying cohesive, and the buildup at the end is one of the most epic things in all music.”

5. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, 2002)

“Boy! Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence..Where do I begin?..The very first song (and still favorite of ’em) that sparked off the attention and gravitated me towards this band’s discography. The song captures and traverses the listener through an unforgettable roller-coaster journey. The way they’ve incorporated, merged, and executed chain of events seamlessly reflects immense devotion towards attaining stellar musicianship. The duration of the track may have wore out some folks or even ardent fans but not me because it evokes indescribable overwhelming sensations that even after having listened to it on multiple occasions, time flies by like a breeze of fragrance..”

4. Metropolis Pt. 1: The Miracle and the Sleeper (Rocky Point Palladium, Warwick, R.I. May 15th, 1993, 2015)

“A song that’s art of the best quality within its genre. You simply enjoy every second of the song, and it is hard to get bored. People that dislike Dream Theater often says that they are good musicians that go brag around, I often use this song to show otherwise. And most of the haters get convinced. This song is musical power and technical power set together in a wave that can move mountains. Surely one of the best masterpieces that have ever faced the earth. And this is the easy way of saying it.”

3. A Change of Seasons (A Change of Seasons, 1995)

“This song deserves the number one spot. Even though it’s not as heavy as the Count of Tuscany, this song has lyrics that are touching, because Mike Portnoy wrote the lyrics not because of the film, but rather after his mother passed away.”

2. The Count of Tuscany (Black Clouds & Silver Linings, 2009)

“This is one of the best songs I’ve ever heard by Dream Theater. The structure of the piece was one of my favorite parts of this song, as I am always keen to hear the more adventurous songs by Dream Theater, and this is one is certainly no exception. I also liked the “Echoes” inspired middle section with only Rudess and Petrucci providing a much more meditative section, before the song built back up to an absolutely amazing finish with another awesome guitar solo, and plenty of high soaring string parts and clever harmonies. An absolute must-have. If I had to choose only one song that I could listen to for the rest of my life, then this would be it.”

1. Octavarium (Octavarium, 2005)

“An odyssey of a song no doubt, this song takes me on a journey through the depths of the Earth, to places unexplored and full of wonder. It takes me around the circle of rock history, presenting a variety of famous rock songs through the lyrics of Portnoy. Octavarium is far more than just a song. Octavarium is a piece of art, a musical masterpiece, structured in a unique way, containing themes, and filled with secrets many of the listeners are probably unaware of.”