Eric Benét and Tamar Braxton‘s duet, “Something We Can Make Love To,” is No. 1 this week on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart. The Laney Stewart-produced collaboration, which moves from No. 2 to No.

Not every “American Idol” winner ends up climbing the charts, but the singing competition has churned out a handful of hitmakers since its first season in 2002. From R&B duets to power-pop anthems, ...