Uploaded January 2018 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
"Under the Milky Way", by Australian alternative rock & new wave band The Church in 1988, was by far their biggest hit reaching the #24 spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, and #2 on the Mainstream Rock chart. It did moderately well Internationally also. The title is based on an Amsterdam music and cultural venue called The Melkweg (Dutch for "The Milky Way") which band front-man Steve Kilbey used to frequent. Taken from their Starfish album, it is a rather haunting song that features a 12-string acoustic guitar melody along with a solo composed with an EBow on a Fender Jazzmaster and then recorded on a Synclavier that created a sound reminiscent of bagpipes. Although subsequent mainstream success has proved elusive, the band has retained a large international cult following to present day.
"Under the Milky Way", by Australian alternative rock & new wave band The Church in 1988, was by far their biggest hit reaching the #24 spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, and #2 on the Mainstream Rock chart. It did moderately well Internationally also. The title is based on an Amsterdam music and cultural venue called The Melkweg (Dutch for "The Milky Way") which band front-man Steve Kilbey used to frequent. Taken from their Starfish album, it is a rather haunting song that features a 12-string acoustic guitar melody along with a solo composed with an EBow on a Fender Jazzmaster and then recorded on a Synclavier that created a sound reminiscent of bagpipes. Although subsequent mainstream success has proved elusive, the band has retained a large international cult following to present day.
