10 Perfect Prog Rock Songs That Are Ridiculously Long

8. Octavarium - Dream Theater

Ever since its creation, prog rock has always been about being a virtuoso behind your instrument. Even if you're not the second coming of Jimi Hendrix, you were going to need a lot of notes to fill out the more epic side of your sound. So for one of their most bombastic records yet, Dream Theater decided to use practically every note they could on Octavarium.

For most of the record, the songs have been moving around the chromatic scale of music theory, with each song being in its own distinct key center. When you get to this one track though, every single tonal center gets a chance to shine. Starting off with an atmospheric intro, this is the kind of song that takes you on a journey, as John Petrucci and John Myung play in practically lock step with each other as Mike Portnoy annihilates his kit from the back of the stage.

Although this is definitely a lot to take in at over 24 minutes, it never feels overcluttered or anything. From the first few notes of Petrucci's solo, this is a guy who's looking to make a statement instead of just showing how much he shreds, and this is the kind of stadium style of rock and roll that prog rock had seemed to lose along the way. There's no denying that the band has chops, but none of those noodling sections ever get in the way of the good song at the center of everything.

 
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