[2] His first success came with "The Organ Grinder", sung by George Leybourne and by Arthur Lloyd; and was soon followed by "Poor Old Uncle Sam", a Civil War song successfully performed by Scottish singer Tom MacLagan, and "The German Band", sung by Lloyd.
[3] Hunt wrote over 50 songs performed by Leybourne, including "Awfully Clever", "Up in a Balloon", and "Don't Make a Noise Or Else You'll Wake the Baby".
He also wrote songs for many of the other popular performers of the period, including Alfred Vance, Herbert Campbell, Jenny Hill, Annie Adams, and Fred French.
[5] In all, it was estimated that he wrote some 7,000 songs,[6] and it was later said of him that "his faculty for rhyming was as strong as his gift of melody.. for long he had no rival" as a songwriter.
[3][7] He argued against copyright theft, becoming involved in several court actions and claiming that his songs "have been republished in the United States for the last 12 years under anybody’s name but mine.
In later years he reportedly "fell on evil times",[8] and a testimonial was held on his behalf in 1901, supported by such leading figures as Herbert Campbell, Arthur Collins, and Dan Leno.