5 Non-Rap Diss Tracks

In its simplest form, a diss track is a piece of music written in order to verbally attack another individual. The target usually being a family member, ex-lover, a leader or establishment, or perhaps most commonly, another artist.

Dissing (short for disrespecting or disparaging) emerged in the mainstream in the mid-1990s and was a mainstay of the Hip-Hop and Rap genre. Artists would often write clever albeit scathing rhymes about one another and at times, verbal jousting and a musical back and forth between two feuding rappers would occur.

Although mainly synonymous with Hip-Hop and Rap to this very day, diss tracks actually go back much further and span multiple genres and generations too. In fact, the popular nursery rhyme Yankee Doodle is often cited as an example of an early diss track written by the Loyalists to insult the Patriots.

With that premise in mind, let us explore 5 diss tracks that fall outside the rap genre. We’ll take a look at the songs, what they were about, who they were written for and why. Without further ado, let’s get started!

#5. Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd

Target: Neil Young

Released in 1974, Sweet Home Alabama remains a staple of the Country Rock genre and is often seen as one of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s signature songs. Just like Freebird, even people who are not fans of the group can undoubtedly recognise the song’s iconic guitar intro.

The song, which speaks of Southern pride, also serves as a diss to Neil Young. The song’s second verse mentions Young twice by name and denounces him for attacking the Southern way of life. Aside from being a diss track, Sweet Home Alabama is also a reply song, written in part to address Neil Young’s songs Southern Man and Alabama.

Gary Rossington had felt that Young’s lyrics were disparaging of the entire South and were unfairly attacking the demographic as a whole, rather than putting blame on more specific parties for its past in slavery and segregation. Sweet Home Alabama was written with verses that condemned racism, emphasized the more positive aspects of the Southern lifestyle, and of course, called out Young for what Lynyrd Skynyrd felt was an unfair generalisation.

To his credit, Young himself has publicly gone on record to call the diss deserved. Admitting that his lyrics were “accusatory and condescending, not fully thought out, and too easy to misconstrue,” Young has maintained a friendly relationship with Lynyrd Skynyrd and has even joined them on stage to perform Sweet Home Alabama live together.

#4. You’re So Vain by Carly Simon

Target: Multiple Individuals

Moving on from disagreeing artists to a song of a more personal nature, we have Carly Simon’s 1972 hit, You’re So Vain. Known for its playfully ironic chorus as well as bass lines by Klaus Voorman and uncredited back-up vocals by Mick Jagger, the Grammy-nominated hit is often considered Simon’s most famous song.

Written from the perspective of an ex-lover, Simon’s personal anecdotes in the lyrics refer to various former ex-partners. Simon herself has mentioned that the song was written with three particular individuals in mind, and aside from the lyrics, as well as other subtle clues in the track itself, she remained very tight-lipped about the song’s actual subjects.

In the past, Simon had only disclosed this information to NBC Sports President Dick Ebersol, radio host Howard Stern, and fellow artist Taylor Swift. However, in recent years, she has admitted that one of the people You’re So Vain was written about was actor Warren Beatty, whom she had dated in the past and whose name was whispered during the song.

Other names whispered in the song are David and another unintelligible name, but Simon has not publicly provided any further clues about their identities. It is often speculated that, unlike Warren Beatty, the other subjects of You’re So Vain were not public figures and that greater care was therefore taken to ensure their privacy—certainly an interesting way to get away with dissing your old flings.

#3. Word To The Badd!! by Jermaine Jackson

Target: Michael Jackson

The next song we’re looking at may not be as well-known as others in the list, but it’s certainly a diss track of an extremely personal nature. Released by Jermaine Jackson in 1991, Word To The Badd!! is a prime example of both artistic conflict and sibling rivalry.

Featuring back-up vocals from TLC, Word To The Badd!! is a clear attack at Jermaine’s younger brother, the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson. The song’s title references Michael’s Bad album. Although he is not explicitly mentioned by name, the song contains various scathing references to Michael, with Jermaine attacking his brother’s perceived eccentricity, selfishness, and even implying that Michael’s skin disorder was an attempt to change his skin tone.

It is clear from the lyrics and the overall relationship between Michael and Jermaine at the time that Word To The Badd!! was written amid a lot of personal and professional resentment. Jermaine himself has admitted that he felt Michael had abandoned their family after Michael's success and that he felt shafted by his brother during his pursuit of his own big break.

Popular speculation also suggests that the song’s lack of airplay and commercial success was due to Michael using his influence to have it removed from the airwaves. Ironically, the song’s highly inflammatory lyrics and Hip-Hop-esque elements might have made it a far bigger hit if it had been released just a few years later.

#2. Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac

Target: Stevie Nicks

Some would argue that Fleetwood Mac’s entire Rumours album is just one big diss track in itself. Written by the band's members about one another during a period of great personal turmoil, this raw, emotional strife gave way to unbridled commercial and critical success.

Often seen as a key part of Fleetwood Mac’s success in this era was the duo of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. Both musical and romantic partners, Buckingham and Nicks’ relationship was on the rocks by the time Rumours was in the works. Wanting to write about the end of their relationship, Buckingham came up with Go Your Own Way.

One of the feelings that pushed Buckingham to write the song was the difficulty he faced in having to maintain a working relationship with Nicks even after their romance had ended. In the song, he even accuses her of cheating on him with the line “packing up, shacking up’s all you want to do.”

Nicks, who has vehemently denied ever cheating on Buckingham, petitioned unsuccessfully to have that line removed from the song. Even more difficult for her was the fact that she had to sing backup on Go Your Own Way, both in the studio and for many years later in live performances. Still, she managed some comeuppance with her song Dreams, which was also featured on the Rumours album.

#1. How Do You Sleep by John Lennon

Target: Paul McCartney

Known for both their excellent musicianship and sharp wit, The Beatles were no strangers to taking jabs at other people in their songs. Tunes like Sexy Sadie which attacked Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and Back In The USSR which made fun of The Beach Boys were prime examples of this.

So, when The Beatles broke up on less than amicable terms, it was only a matter of time before their two main songwriters began writing about each other. McCartney had actually fired the first shot with his 1971 song Too Many People. Containing a few veiled digs at his former bandmate, Lennon would respond far less subtly just over a month later.

Featuring contributions from fellow ex-Beatle George Harrison, How Do You Sleep attacked both McCartney’s personal life and musicianship. In particular, he mentions that McCartney’s only real contribution to The Beatles was Yesterday, and later makes fun of his solo songs like Another Day. Lennon also references the infamous “Paul Is Dead” conspiracy theory in earlier verses, too. While McCartney fired first, Lennon certainly fired louder. Interestingly, it was not yet public knowledge that Too Many People was written in reference to Lennon. Thus, How Do You Sleep was written because of a perceived slight made against Lennon that was only confirmed long after the fact.

In his later years, Lennon defended the song, asserting that he meant no real malice. Having privately reconnected with McCartney, Lennon considers this period of turmoil a source of creativity rather than a personal vendetta, and that How Do You Sleep? was written in the spirit of good-natured competition. McCartney’s further reply, Silly Love Songs, lends credence to this notion by showing that the two musicians did not mind exchanging playful barbs.

That does it for this list! If you made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read this; it really means a lot! When I came up with this article, it wasn’t my aim to sensationalise feuds and gossip. Instead, I wanted to illustrate both the ability of a particular type of music to transcend a single genre and how music as a whole can serve as a medium for airing disputes.

Please let me know if you have any other non-rap diss tracks that I may have missed. I may revisit this list with a follow-up in the near future. Until then, take care!