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Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band renowned for their technical proficiency, complex compositions, and conceptual albums. They are considered pioneers and one of the most influential bands in the progressive metal genre. Formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by Berklee College of Music students John Myung (bass), John Petrucci (guitar), and Mike Portnoy (drums). After several name changes and lineup adjustments, including the departure of original vocalist Chris Collins and the addition of keyboardist Kevin Moore and vocalist James LaBrie, the band solidified as Dream Theater. They achieved breakthrough success with their second album 'Images and Words' (1992). Known for frequent lineup changes, particularly in the keyboardist and drummer positions (Jordan Rudess joined in 1999, Mike Mangini replaced Portnoy in 2010). The band continues to tour and release new music.

• Founding members John Myung, John Petrucci, and Mike Portnoy met at Berklee College of Music. Their initial band name 'Majesty' was inspired by Portnoy's description of the ending of the song 'Bastille Day' by Rush.
• Original vocalist Chris Collins was fired in 1986 due to perceived lack of commitment and stylistic mismatch. Finding a permanent replacement proved difficult; Charlie Dominici was the singer for their debut album 'When Dream and Day Unite' (1989) but was also later replaced.
• James LaBrie, formerly of Canadian band Winter Rose, successfully auditioned in 1991, becoming the band's iconic and longest-serving vocalist.
• Keyboardist Derek Sherinian (1994-1999) was fired due to creative differences. He was replaced by Jordan Rudess, who was initially approached before Sherinian and has been a core member ever since.
• Co-founder and drummer Mike Portnoy, known for his songwriting contributions and backing vocals, dramatically quit the band in 2010 after 25 years, citing burnout and a desire for a hiatus. His departure caused significant controversy among fans. An extensive audition process led to the selection of Mike Mangini (formerly of Extreme, Steve Vai, Annihilator) as his replacement.
• The band holds the Guinness World Record for the longest continuous live performance of a single piece of music, playing the entirety of their 42-minute song 'Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence' in 2007.
• Dream Theater won their first Grammy Award in 2022 for Best Metal Performance for the song 'The Alien' from the album 'A View from the Top of the World'.