NEW YORK -- For all his sugar-sweet melodies recalling times long gone, it's not hard to see a little Burt Bacharach in the sound of a lot of pop songwriters today.

In fact, it's clear that there's a whole career's worth of that famous Bacharach style nestled deep within the talents of pianoman Ben Folds.

The pop star and his band Ben Folds Five, who in some ways come off as the rock offspring of the legendary pianoman/songwriter, joined stars including Elvis Costello, Dionne Warwick, Chrissie Hynde and Sheryl Crow in paying tribute to Bacharach on Wednesday night at the Hammerstein Ballroom. "It's cool to be fans of Burt now," Folds said, adding that Bacharach's wife was a fan of his band and asked the group to participate in the tribute. "We listened to him when we were kids and he's part of the musical vocabulary."

Demonstrating their gratitude, Ben Folds Five proceeded to prove that the songwriter's tunes can hold their own even today by turning Bacharach's #1 hit "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" into a dramatic contemporary ballad.

Bucking the night's formal dress code in an orange suit, Folds started the song in a soft and bouncy style, harking back to B.J. Thomas' version from the late '60s. Then, taking the tune to another level, Folds transformed the famous horn coda into a bang-up finale, complete with thrashing drums and pounding piano.

The vastness of Bacharach's influence on pop music was on full display at the ballroom, as tribute after tribute was paid to the prolific tunesmith by a glittering array of performers ranging from Bacharach's closest musical ally, pop diva Warwick, to his current collaborator, rock icon Costello. A more diverse group would have been hard to find, underscoring the pervasiveness of Bacharach's musical impact. Also onhand were country star Wynonna Judd, soul balladeer Luther Vandross, saxophonist David Sanborn and the Canadian pop-jazz group Barenaked Ladies, among others.

In a career spanning five decades, Bacharach poured out a steady stream of such memorable pop hits as "Walk On By," "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?," "I Say a Little Prayer" and "That's What Friends Are For." While in other times the Bacharach canon may have been viewed by some as un-hip or too middle-of-the-road, this black-tie gala offered conclusive evidence of the high regard in which the songwriter is currently held in nearly every sector of pop.

While some of the acts gathered to pay homage were among his biggest supporters through the years, others seemed to come from a completely separate musical circle. Of course there was Warwick -- the singer most closely associated with Bacharach, having recorded many of his hits. But then there was the Pretenders' pop-punk songstress Hynde, bluesy-pop rocker Crow and Ben Folds Five, who each joined pop legend Costello in crooning along with Bacharach at the gala.

The potent blend of talents seemed to overwhelm Bacharach, as he watched successive performers play his music.

"I have a tribute going on right before my very own eyes ... and I'm still alive," Bacharach told the audience as he began the show. After reeling off the names of the performers, he added: "What a treat that's gonna be."

Crow, barely recognizable in a black gown and feather boa with her hair in a bun, was the first guest to share the stage with the 69-year-old Bacharach, whose piano was augmented throughout the evening by a full orchestra. As he tapped the white-and-black, she performed his 1970 hit (recorded by the Fifth Dimension) "One Less Bell to Answer." Crow's thin voice, perfect for '90s pop hits such as "All I Wanna Do," seemed an awkward fit for this schmaltzy ballad.

After the Spice-Girls-go-indie All Saints did their version of another 1970 hit, "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me," Bacharach entertained the crowd with a medley of his early work that he described as "my first four hits [which] don't sound like anything I ever wrote since." This collage of tunes included "Magic Moments" and the theme for the campy 1958 sci-fi classic "The Blob."

Currently recording an album with Bacharach, Costello was probably the evening's most logical guest aside from Warwick. Decked out in black leather with a purple tie, the British pop songwriter seemed in great spirits as he and Bacharach discussed the strange collaboration during which they worked separately until the day of the recording. They proceeded to debut "This House Is Empty Now," a plaintive ballad not unlike those Costello has composed with Paul McCartney. Costello also treated the crowd to "God Give Me Strength" (RealAudio excerpt), a song he wrote with Bacharach for the soundtrack of the 1996 film "Grace Of My Heart," which was based on the life of another legendary songwriter, Carole King.

Dressed all in black, Hynde walked onto the stage in a pinstripe suit to sing the Beatles-covered Bacharach song, "Baby It's You," and later "Message to Michael," which Warwick recorded in 1966. Though Hynde is best-known for tough rock tunes, her edgy, distinctive voice was perfect for these pop confections. "You have no idea how much I love that," she said later backstage.

Ex-"Saturday Night Live" funnyman Mike Myers, who featured Bacharach's "What the World Needs Now Is Love" in "Austin Powers," his recent film spoofing the swinging '60s, offered the night's comic relief as he sang "What's New Pussycat?," Tom Jones' 1965 hit. First clad in a tux, Myers shed the monkey suit to reveal spandex pants and a frilly pink shirt emblazoned with the message "I Love Burt." He then danced suggestively across the stage, thrusting his pelvis in and out with two female dancers in cat suits.

After Warwick shared the stage with Bacharach and nostalgically performed the hits he wrote for her, including "Walk on By" and "Say a Little Prayer," all of the guests joined her onstage.

Bacharach closed the night with "Alfie," the hit theme from the popular '70s Michael Caine film.

"I loved sharing my music with you," Bacharach told the crowd as the artists took their bows.