Often billed as “the World’s Most Famous Unknown Band,” the Good Rats delivered their edgy, distinctly New York brand of classic rock & roll for over four decades, in the process garnering an unusually loyal fan base despite a chronic lack of commercial success. Led through a variety of lineups by indefatigable, raspy-voiced front man Peppi Marchello, the Good Rats occupied a unique sonic space halfway between the arty Long Island hard rock of Blue Oyster Cult and the NYC R&B-influenced party music of the Young Rascals. Though their records never charted on a national basis, during the '70s and '80s the Rats opened stadium shows for major artists such as Journey, Rush, and Kiss. Even this exposure couldn’t break the band to the next level, but Marchello bravely pressed on, eventually bringing his two sons into the Good Rats fold.