Early ’60s contemporaries of the Beatles, the Zombies earned only their second Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame nomination this year—and no induction. Perhaps the uniquely exquisite singles “Time of the Season” and “She’s Not There” aren’t enough for the British Invasion survivors to pass Hall of Fame muster—despite supporters like Tom Petty, who once covered “I Want You Back Again” and wrote the foreword to a richly illustrated new book on the 50th anniversary of the 1968 classic Odessey and Oracle. But doubters might have changed their minds if they caught Tuesday’s compelling two-hour show at the Wilbur Theatre.

The first half, featuring the Zombies’ usual touring band that recorded a 2015 album called Still Got That Hunger, proved spot-on and satisfying on its own. Lead singer Colin Blunstone sounded great, clearly recovered from a bacterial infection that the band blamed for postponing the Wilbur show for six weeks, soaring with high, sustained notes in the honky-tonk torch song “Edge of the Rainbow.” And fellow mainstay Rod Argent provided also-sure vocals and gurgling keyboard melodies, though his squiggly swipes up the keys during a crowd-rousing “Hold Your Head Up”—a ’70s hit for the subsequent group that bore his last name—evoked that decade’s musical excess. Even the supporting players impressed though, notably guitarist Tom Toomey with his nasty tone on Bo Diddley’s “Roadrunner” and deft soloing throughout, while Argent/Kinks bassist Jim Rodford held down the bottom with his solid drumming son Steve.

However, the night’s showpiece was a complete second-set reading of flower-power landmark Odessey and Oracle. Recorded in 1967 but released a year later after the Zombies broke up, it can sound dated on record. But the album came to life with original bassist/singer Chris White and drummer Hugh Grundy anchoring a versatile, fluid nine-member lineup that included longtime Brian Wilson musical director Darian Sahanaja. One could hear how Odessey and Oracle’s paisley pop foreshadowed both prog and bubblegum, benefitting from the added harmonies of White, who also sang a reedy lead over Argent’s tiny pump organ in “Butcher’s Tale (Western Front 1914)” that reminded of the Decemberists as well as early Genesis. The night ended almost anti-climatically with a nonetheless great “Time of the Season” and a jammed encore reprise of “She’s Not There” that included a dual drummers’ break, sandwiching a lengthy, heartfelt band introduction for a “sentimental reunion” that clicked.

If the Zombies ever crack the Hall of Fame, hopefully it will happen before the loss of these remaining original members (White’s 74, Grundy 72 and both Blunstone and Argent 71). Seeing the band Yes perform at last month’s Hall induction after co-founding bassist Chris Squire died in 2015 underscored a bittersweet shame that other pioneering yet overlooked bands shouldn’t endure.