Peabo Bryson’s Biggest Songs: A Whole New World, Beauty and the Beast

Peabo Bryson, the velvety smooth-voiced singer who became a R&B mainstay in the 1970s and 1980s and was immortalized to Disney fans worldwide for his pop renditions of 1990s classics, died Tuesday (June 2) at age 75. The Grammy Award-winning singer had suffered a stroke in the days prior.

“With broken hearts and profound sadness, the family of two-time Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and balladeer, Peabo Bryson, announces his passing,” a statement from Bryson’s family read. “He transitioned peacefully at 5:00 p.m. ET on the evening of Tuesday, June 2, 2026, surrounded by the love of his family and those closest to him.”

Robert Peapo Bryson — the nickname “Peabo” came from an early musical mentor, Moses Dillard, who had trouble pronouncing his given middle name — first entered the Billboard charts in 1976 with “Do It With Feeling,” a collaboration with Michael Zager’s Moon Band that reached No. 25 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and became Peabo’s first Billboard Hot 100 placement, with a No. 94 peak.

Over the next decade-plus, Bryson emerged into a constant R&B hitmaker, building a résumé of top 10 appearances. Successes included his own solo material, such as the No. 1 singles “Show & Tell” (1989) and “Can You Stop the Rain” (1991), while “Reaching for the Sky” (No. 6, 1978), “I’m So Into You” (No. 2, 1979) and “If You’re Ever in My Arms Again” (No. 6, 1984) earned high positions. In addition, the powerhouse vocalist also teamed with R&B legends for stirring duets. He and Natalie Cole took “Gimme Some Time” to No. 8 in 1980, and he performed multiple hits with Roberta Flack, including their highest charting collaboration, “Tonight, I Celebrate My Love,” a No. 5 hit in 1983.

In the 1990s, two Disney film duets sparked huge crossover success as the pop-radio versions of Beauty and the Beast’s titular ballad and Aladdin’s “A Whole New World.” On the former, Bryson and a then 23-year-old Celine Dion’s rendition reached No. 9 on the Hot 100 in 1992, while Regina Belle and Bryson’s version of the latter track became a No. 1 Hot 100 hit in 1993, notably taking the throne from Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You,” after its then-record 14 weeks on top. Between the works, Bryson won Grammy Awards for best pop performance by a duo or group with vocal at both the 1993 and 1994 ceremonies.

As fans and fellow musicians mourn the singer and revisit his catalog, here’s a review of his 20 biggest hit songs on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Peabo Bryson’s biggest hits ranking is based on weekly performance on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart through June 6, 2026. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at lower spots earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted differently to account for chart turnover rates during various periods.