BAND'S BLEND OF SOUNDS SPANS MUSICAL GENRES.

Byline: Fred Shuster Music Writer

It's the start of the 21st century and Classic Rock radio is 15 years old, but that doesn't mean well-crafted guitar rock is gathering dust.

One example of a band that still makes good songs a priority is Collective Soul, a Georgia quintet that's scored eight No. 1 rock hits in less than 10 years by bridging alternative and mainstream rock.

The group's catchy, riff-driven new single, ``Why Pt. 2,'' topped rock and alternative radio's most-added lists last week, following earlier smashes such as ``Shine,'' ``December'' and ``Heavy.''

Not bad for a band that initially drew no interest whatsoever.

``At first I thought there was no way I could get anyone at a label to even listen to my band,'' recalled Collective Soul singer-songwriter Ed Roland. ``I figured I'd only get a shot if I put together a songwriting demo.''

A demo version of the then-fashionably grungy 1994 hit, ``Shine,'' in fact, caught the attention of radio first, leading to a deal with Atlantic.

Collective Soul's fifth album, ``Blender'' (in stores Oct. 10), the follow-up to 1998's million-selling ``Dosage,'' carries on the band's tradition of potent midtempo rockers powered by heavy riffage from the group's two guitarists.

``I've always loved good, solid guitar rock,'' Roland said. ``I think the people I grew up on, the so-called classic rock of the '60s and '70s, is still the best. Music has gotten so trend-conscious today. It's like the look of the video and the band's haircuts are way more important than the songs.''

Collective Soul - which also includes Dean Roland (guitar), Ross Childress (guitar), Will Turpin (bass, vocals) and Shane Evans (drums) - opens for Creed tonight at the Universal Amphitheatre.

During the making of ``Blender,'' Roland was surprised when Atlanta- based superstar Elton John, one of Roland's lifelong heroes, was so taken with the band he ended up singing a duet with Roland on the soulful ``Perfect Day,'' a track on the forthcoming album.

``It was amazing,'' Roland said. ``He really liked the song. It was incredible to sing with him. I mean, I've been such a major fan all my life. He just listened to the song once and ran through it. That was the first and final take. We spent the rest of the time talking about new music we both like. Elton's a real music fan. He buys everything - and he's turned me on to some pretty cool new stuff from Europe.''

It wasn't always so easy for Roland to keep up with the scene. Raised in a strict religious household, he was forbidden by his parents to listen to rock.

He originally founded Collective Soul in the mid-'80s after dropping out of Boston's Berklee School of Music. The band was roundly ignored and Roland called it quits in '92 to record his demo.

``What was I going to do?'' he said. ``I couldn't pay the guys to rehearse. There weren't any gigs. I was on my own.''

After ``Shine'' caught on, Roland quickly put together another version of the group just as the song became an inescapable hit on MTV and radio during '94, helping Collective Soul's debut album, ``Hints, Allegations and Things Left Unsaid,'' sell more than a million copies.

Thanks to Roland's knack for arena-ready, hard-rocking anthems and the vast airplay they receive, Collective Soul has developed a large, loyal fan base. In fact, the new album's title, ``Blender,'' was chosen out of more than 12,000 suggestions from fans participating in a contest sponsored by an Atlanta radio station.

``They came up with some pretty goofy names,'' Roland said. ``But some were really good. We were seriously considering 'Nickel' or 'All of the Above.' Finally, we thought 'Blender' was a winner.''

COLLECTIVE SOUL

Where: Universal Amphitheatre, 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City. When: 7:15 tonight (opening for Creed). Tickets: $38.50. Information: [phone].

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Collective Soul's Will Turpin, left, Shane Evans, Ed Roland, Dean Roland and Ross Childress bring their rocking performance to the Universal Amphitheatre tonight.