Favorite Underrated Bands #3 - The Church

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It's not uncommon for an underrated band to have experienced a modicum of success. Those bands usually have, at least, a cult following, and maybe even have a hit single or two under their belts. In the case of Australian band The Church, #3 in my Favorite Underrated Bands series, it's a sizeable cult following and one Top 40 hit, but they remain underrated nonetheless. Led by vocalist/bassist Steve Kilbey, The Church formed in Sydney in 1980. For the most part, guitarist's Marty Willson-Piper and Peter Koppes have rounded out the core lineup, although Koppes left the band for a few years at one point, and Willson-Piper left in 2013. The group has been inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Hall of Fame. Purveyors of shimmering, psychedelic, alternative guitar-pop, The Church is best known for their lush 1988 Top 40 hit "Under the Milky Way," from their hit Gold Record album Starfish. And that's it, as far as the mainstream music listener is concerned. Hell, Starfish isn't even necessary: you can get "Under the Milky Way" on various Best of the 80's-type compilations, or you can hear it on the radio occasionally. It's too bad, because the band has been consistently good for 36 years now. They definitely deserve more than one hit wonder status, and their body of work is strong enough that they should be playing bigger venues than the small theaters in which I've seen them. I've seen them three times, and small theaters are cozy and intimate and make great shows. On the other hand, The Church are a great live band. More people should be going to see them. As much success as The Church has experienced, they are still, as far as I'm concerned, sinfully underrated.