Delivering snarky, well-timed barbs is a fine art, and the effects of a vicious diss can linger longer than the pain of a broken rib. Maybe that’s why so many hip-hop diss tracks have escalated tensions between rivals and even resulted in stabbings and shootings. Good rock and metal diss tracks aren’t nearly as prevalent as those of their rap counterparts. That doesn’t mean they don’t exist.

In fact, long before rap became a global phenomenon, guitar slingers with a bone to pick were flinging insults at one another in songs. Back in 1974, Lynyrd Skynyrd wrote “Sweet Home Alabama” to take a swipe at Neil Young, and what they perceived as his unfair depiction of southern rednecks in the songs “Southern Man” and “Alabama.” And Sex Pistols blasted the New York punk scene in the song “New York.” Pistols vocalist Johnny Rotten even referenced the New York Dolls’ addiction problems.

Whatever genre it’s in, the success of a diss track depends on both the wit with which it’s delivered and the viciousness of the attack – the more personal, the better. Rock and metal disses rarely draw blood the way rap disses do, partially because the hip-hop scene has been fueled by ugly rivalries, but also because rappers rely mainly on clever or brutal wordplay to propel their percussive music. Rockers have riffs, leads and clench-and-release dynamics to convey mood and display aggression; often, the lyrics take a back seat to the melody and instrumentation.

Some rock disses are playful, like Pavement’s lackadaisical attack of Smashing Pumpkins on “Range Life” (though Billy Corgan wasn’t amused). Others sound practically demented, like when Axl Rose ranted against everyone and everything in “Get in the Ring.” As pointed and direct as they can be, rock disses have been useful tools to generate attention when a band needed a boost or its rival deserved a boot.

Here are 23 of the best and most noteworthy rock and metal diss tracks to date.