Some of rock and metal’s greatest songs and biggest hits are about the most grim of topics. To tap into something truly disturbing and emerge with a track that the mainstream connects with is no easy task.

Over the years, radio stations and music channels such as MTV (when it used to play videos) surprisingly embraced some of these songs, helping break now-iconic bands like Tool, Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson to the public. Tracks tackling topics such as rape, suicide, war, dismemberment and bizarre erotica have become popular radio hits, and the presentation of each individual song allowed the topics within to go down a little more smoothly.

You may not even realize that some of your favorite tracks were written about disturbing real-life instances. Pearl Jam's "Jeremy" is a perfect example. The seemingly harmless cut was actually inspired by 15-year-old Jeremy Wade Delle, who shot himself in the head in front of his entire English class.

Take a trip down the dark side of music with these 13 Disturbing Songs People Love in the clip above.

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