HISTORY

Rapp Records is a leading record company dedicated to discovering and promoting talented artists. We focus on producing high-quality music across various genres to reach a global audience.

 In 1975, singer and entrepreneur Peter Lemongello founded Rapp Records, a small independent label that would leave an outsized mark on the music business. At a time when major labels controlled radio promotion, retail distribution and artist development, Lemongello envisioned a revolutionary approach: bypass the traditional industry entirely. 

Rather than waiting for acceptance from industry gatekeepers, he sought to bring his music directly into America's living rooms.

That vision became reality with the release of Love '76, a double album produced by renowned songwriter and producer Teddy Randazzo. While most artists depended on radio airplay and record store placement to generate sales, Lemongello and Rapp Records embraced an unconventional strategy that many industry executives considered impossible.

Beginning on January 15, 1976, he launched an unprecedented television marketing blitz, airing commercials repeatedly on major stations across the New York metropolitan area and encouraging viewers to order the album directly by phone or mail orders.

The campaign shook the music industry. Conventional wisdom held that records could only become successful through radio exposure and retail promotion. Love ’76 challenged that assumption by creating consumer demand directly through television. 

The campaign was unlike anything the music industry had seen before. The relentless television exposure transformed Love '76 from an independent release into a national phenomenon. Viewers responded enthusiastically, flooding phone lines with orders and proving that consumers were willing to purchase music directly from the artist without the traditional support system of radio stations, distributors and retail chains.

The results were extraordinary. Love ’76 sold over 1.8 million copies in 1976, making it one of the most successful independently marketed albums of its era. The campaign not only made Lemongello a household name but also proved that television could serve as a powerful retail platform for music.

What made the Rapp Records story so significant was not simply the commercial success of Love '76, but the revolutionary business model behind it. Years before television shopping networks, direct-response advertising and music infomercials became commonplace, Peter Lemongello demonstrated the power of selling entertainment directly to consumers. His campaign proved that television could function not only as a promotional medium but also as a retail platform capable of generating massive sales.

The success of Rapp Records helped pioneer marketing concepts that would later become standard throughout the entertainment industry. The direct-to-consumer approach championed by Lemongello anticipated the strategies later used by record companies, television marketers, home-shopping networks and eventually internet-based commerce. In many respects, Rapp Records was decades ahead of its time.

Although Lemongello later signed with Private Stock Records and continued his recording career, the legacy of Rapp Records remains inseparable from the groundbreaking success of Love '76. More than just an independent label, Rapp Records represented a challenge to the established music business and a powerful example of entrepreneurial innovation. Its pioneering television campaign demonstrated that creativity, determination and a willingness to break the rules could open entirely new pathways to success.

Today, the story of Rapp Records stands as an important chapter in music business history. Long before artists could market directly through websites, social media, or streaming platforms, Peter Lemongello showed that an independent performer could reach millions of consumers through a bold and unconventional vision. In doing so, he helped redefine how music could be promoted, sold and experienced, leaving a lasting influence on the evolution of entertainment marketing.