Dream Theater is a progressive metal band from Long Island that has been ripping it up since the late 1980s.  They are the cream of the crop and the kings of their genre.  Here are 10 essential Dream Theater tracks that span their impressive catalog.  These are basically the gateway tracks into becoming a full blown prog-nerd.  Dream Theater is James LaBrie on vocals, John Petrucci on guitar, John Myung on bass, Jordan Rudess on keyboards, and new member Mike Mangini on drums (not easy to replace Mike Portnoy, however, Mangini is brilliant).

1.  “Pull Me Under” Images and Words (1992)

2.  “In The Name of God” Train of Thought (2003)

3.  “Metropolis, Pt. 1: The Miracle and the Sleeper” Images and Words (1992)

4.  “A Change of Seasons” A Change of Seasons (1995)

5.  “Scene Six: Home” Metropolis, Pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory (1999)

6.  “Caught in a Web” Awake (1994)

7.  “Rite of Passage” Black Clouds & Silver Linings (2009)

8.  “The Dark Eternal Night” Systematic Chaos (2007)

9.  “Burning My Soul” Falling Into Infinity (1997)

10.  “On The Backs of Angels” A Dramatic Turn of Events (2011)