- Alternative rock band from Stockbridge Georgia, originating in 1992. The primary 90s line-up was Ed Roland (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Ross Childress (lead guitar, backing vocals), Dean Roland (lead and rhythm guitars), Will Turpin (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Shane Evans (drums).
- In the mid-80s, founder Ed Roland worked in production, mixing and engineering at a recording studio in Atlanta. He also formed two bands. The first, known as Ed-E, dissolved in the late 80s. His second band was called Marching Two-Step – they played for several years at local clubs, but record labels showed no interest in the band.
- By 1993, Roland tried again, producing a demo tape and sending it to Georgia State University’s radio station. The station added the song Shine to their playlist. Another station in Orlando Florida also started playing the song. As the song became popular, Roland put together a band, now called Collective Soul, that included his brother, and the son of the owner of the recording studio where he had worked at in the 80s. Based on the popularity of Shine, the band was signed to a record contract.
- The record company quickly released the demo tape as a studio album in 1993. The record, Hints Allegations and Things Left Unsaid, was unpolished, but still became a hit, selling over 2 million copies. The single Shine peaked at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and at #1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The band toured extensively to support the record.
- Their follow up album, the self titled Collective Soul, was released in 1995. It became their largest selling record, selling over 3 million copies in the U.S. Three songs topped the Mainstream Rock chart – December, The World I Know and Where The River Flows.
- Their releases in 1997 and 1999 also sold over 1 million copies each. Disciplined Breakdown produced 2 more #1 singles on the Mainstream Rock chart – Precious Declaration and Listen. Dosage included the single Heavy that stayed #1 on the Mainstream Rock chart for 15 weeks.
- During the 00s, Collective Soul released 4 more studio albums. These records and their singles had modest sales. Their most recent studio album, See What You Started by Continuing, was released in 2015. Their tenth studio album is planned for a spring 2018 release.
- The name of the band is derived from a phrase in the novel The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, published in 1943.
- Dolly Parton covered the song Shine in 2001, and her performance won her a Grammy award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.
- I discovered this band in the late 90s, as I was starting to rediscover music after around 10 years of focusing on other things (job, family, etc.). I bought the Dosage CD on a whim, and I quickly realized that I had missed most of the music of the 90s. They are a good example of alternative rock of that period. I’m still making up for lost time, and I have a special appreciation for alternative music from that decade. Enjoy the video of their breakthrough hit, Shine.