Album · Compilation
Greatest Hit (…and 21 Other Pretty Cool Songs)
Greatest Hit (…and 21 Other Pretty Cool Songs) is Dream Theater's 2008 compilation, released on 29 March 2008 through Rhino and Atlantic. The title nods to "Pull Me Under", the American progressive metal band's only top-10 radio hit. The set spans 1991 to 2005, so it skips the debut, When Dream and Day Unite, the A Change of Seasons EP and the then-new Systematic Chaos.
It is split into two discs: "The Dark Side" gathers the heavier, metal-leaning songs, while "The Light Side" turns to the band's melodic side. Kevin Shirley remixed three Images and Words tracks, "Pull Me Under", "Take the Time" and "Another Day", and there are several single edits. "To Live Forever", a re-recording from the Awake era of a song that began in the Images and Words sessions, had never appeared on a full-length album. Mike Portnoy said the track list was shaped for newcomers and longtime fans alike, and that a third disc, "The Epic Side", really ought to have been there too.
Greatest Hit (…and 21 Other Pretty Cool Songs): tracklist and credits
22 tracks · 2:18:29Tracklist
- 1Pull Me UnderLaBrie, Moore, Myung, Petrucci, Portnoy8:14
- 2Take the TimeLaBrie, Moore, Myung, Petrucci, Portnoy8:22
- 3LieDream Theater and Kevin Moore5:02
- 4Peruvian SkiesDream Theater and John Petrucci6:43
- 5HomeDream Theater and Mike Portnoy5:39
- 6MisunderstoodMyung, Petrucci, Portnoy, Rudess5:15
- 7The Test That Stumped Them AllMyung, Petrucci, Portnoy, Rudess5:01
- 8As I Am7:15
- 9Endless SacrificeMyung, Petrucci, Portnoy, Rudess11:24
- 10The Root of All EvilDream Theater and Mike Portnoy7:16
- 11Sacrificed SonsDream Theater and James LaBrie9:42
- 12Another DayLaBrie, Moore, Myung, Petrucci, Portnoy4:25
- 13To Live ForeverTheater, Moore, Petrucci4:56
- 14Lifting Shadows Off a DreamDream Theater and John Myung6:10
- 15The Silent ManJohn Petrucci3:48
- 16Hollow YearsDream Theater and John Petrucci5:55
- 17Through Her EyesDream Theater and John Petrucci6:03
- 18The Spirit Carries OnDream Theater and John Petrucci6:40
- 19Solitary ShellMyung, Petrucci, Portnoy, Rudess4:11
- 20I Walk Beside YouDream Theater and John Petrucci4:29
- 21The Answer Lies WithinDream Theater and John Petrucci5:16
- 22DisappearMyung, Petrucci, Portnoy, Rudess, LaBrie6:46
- Produced by
- David Prater, Duane Baron, John Purdell, Kevin Shirley, John Petrucci, Mike Portnoy, Terry Brown
- Recorded at
- Power Station at BerkleeNYC, Cove City Sound Studios, Pie Studios, Beat Street Studio, Devonshire Studios, One on One Studios, The Hit Factory
- Recorded
- 14 October 1991 – 25 February 2005 at various studios
- Mixed by
- Kevin Shirley, Duane Baron, John Purdell, Michael Brauer
- Mixed at
- Power Station at BerkleeNYC, Sony Music Studios, The Hit Factory, Larrabee Sound Studios, Unique Recording Studios, Quad Recording Studios
- Engineered by
- Kevin Shirley, Doug Oberkircher, Duane Baron, John Purdell, Terry Brown
- Labels
- Rhino Atlantic, Rhino
- Length
- 2:18:29
Line-up
- Kevin Moore · keyboard
- John Myung · bass guitar, Chapman stick, electric bass guitar
- John Petrucci · guitar, background vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar
- Mike Portnoy · drums (drum set), background vocals, percussion, vocals
- James LaBrie · lead vocals, background vocals
- Derek Sherinian · keyboard, background vocals · guest
- Jordan Rudess · keyboard, lap steel guitar, continuum
- Joseph Anderer · French horn · guest
- Karen Dreyfus · viola · guest
- Katherine Fong · violin · guest
- Jeanne LeBlanc · cello · guest
- Ann Lehmann · violin · guest
- Vincent Lionti · viola · guest
- Katherine Livolsi · violin · guest
- Richard Locker · cello · guest
- Laura McGinniss · violin · guest
- Catherine Ro · violin · guest
- Stewart Rose · French horn · guest
- Pamela Sklar · flute · guest
- Richard Sortomme · violin · guest
- Yuri Vodovoz · violin · guest
- Jay Beckenstein · soprano saxophone, alto saxophone · guest
- Theresa Thomason · vocals · guest
- Clarence Burke, Jr. · choir vocals · guest
- Mary Canty · choir vocals · guest
- Carol Cyrus · choir vocals · guest
- Dale Scott Robinson · choir vocals · guest
- Sheila Slappy · choir vocals · guest
- Jeanette Smith · choir vocals · guest
- Mary Smith · choir vocals · guest
- Elena Barere · violin · guest
- Carol Webb · violin · guest
From MusicBrainz and Wikipedia. Only what the sources record is shown.
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Full discography →
When Dream and Day Unite
1989
Images and Words
1992
Live at the Marquee
1993
Awake
1994
A Change of Seasons
1995
Falling Into Infinity
1997
Once in a LIVEtime
1998
Metropolis, Pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory
1999
Live Scenes From New York
2001
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
2002
Train of Thought
2003
Live at Budokan
2004
Octavarium
2005
Score: 20th Anniversary World Tour
2006
Systematic Chaos
2007
Forsaken EP
2008
Chaos in Motion 2007–2008
2008
Black Clouds & Silver Linings
2009
Wither
2009
A Dramatic Turn of Events
2011
Dream Theater
2013
Live at Luna Park
2013
The Studio Albums 1992–2011
2014
Breaking the Fourth Wall: Live From the Boston Opera House
2014
The Astonishing
2016
Distance Over Time
2019
Distant Memories: Live in London
2020
A View From the Top of the World
2021
Parasomnia
2025
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2025
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More on Rhino Atlantic
The label →
Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia + wikidata; also seen: 2008-03-28 (musicbrainz)
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 28 March 2008 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 29 March 2008 | |
| Wikidata | 29 March 2008 | |
| US release | 1 April 2008 | earliest US date |
| UK / Europe release | 7 April 2008 | earliest UK or European date |
4 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 March 2008 | XW | Rhino Atlantic | 603497983681 | original |
| 1 April 2008 | US | Rhino | 081227993818 | other |
| 1 April 2008 | CA | Rhino | 081227993818 | other |
| 7 April 2008 | XE | Rhino | 081227993818 | other |
Cover art sources
coverartarchive · native: native 2400x2400
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| coverartarchive ✓ | 2400×2400 | native: native 2400x2400 |
| deezer | 1800×1800 | native |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |