Favorite 80's One-Hit Wonders #3 "Under the Milky Way"
@teamfreak16 (43655)
Denver, Colorado
June 28, 2016 8:25am CST
#3 in my Favorite 80's One-Hit Wonders series takes us to Australia, home of The Church.
The Church formed in 1980 in Sydney, and, albeit with a slightly different lineup (vocalist/bassist Steve Kilbey and guitarist Peter Koppes are the only original members,) are still at it. The band has been classified as everything from psychedelic to dream-pop (both accurate, at times.) They have released 24 studio albums and are in the Australian Recording Industry Association Hall of Fame.
In 1988, the band finally hit big with the shimmering "Under the Milky Way," a single from their hit album Starfish. Co-writer Kilbey calls the song an "accident" (and honestly, it's not even the best song on the album. "Reptile" is.) If you somehow missed it on MTV or the radio back in the day, you may have heard it in a TV commercial every now and then, including a car ad (luxury car, of course) here in the States.
According to the All Music Guide, "Under the Milky Way" peaked at #26 on the Billboard Hot 100, according to Wikipedia, it reached #24. I trust the All Music Guide, so I'm going with #26. Despite having recorded a lot of great music since, the band has never again come close to the Hot 100. A great, if accidental, song from one of my all-time favorite bands.
(I'm using the rules from Wayne Jancik's book The Billboard Book of One-Hit Wonders: An act can only have appeared in the Top 40 on the Hot 100 once. Any other charts don't count, and neither do countries other than the States.)
5 people like this
4 responses
@TiarasOceanView (70020)
• United States
28 Jun 16
Love it Scott..I do recall these guys.
What a great voice he had too!
Love the old videos.
Thanks.
Love the old videos.
Thanks.
1 person likes this

@TiarasOceanView (70020)
• United States
28 Jun 16
@teamfreak16 Thats the perfect description..world weary is right Scott!

1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43655)
• Denver, Colorado
28 Jun 16
Steve Kilbey has a great voice, perfect for that detached, world-weary style that he sometimes uses.
1 person likes this

@FourWalls (86829)
• United States
29 Jun 16
It's like I said with Delbert McClinton, I have a hard time accepting that this band was a "one-hit wonder" because they were so well known. So what did the masses know...
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43655)
• Denver, Colorado
29 Jun 16
My #1 fits into the same category as The Church. Well known, but only one Top 40 hit.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
28 Jun 16
You and FourWalls both hit my wheelhouse this morning! I think I have heard this one a time or two lol.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43655)
• Denver, Colorado
28 Jun 16
I haven't gotten to her 's yet, but I've seen what it is. It's a great day for 80's Alternative Music!





