In addition to playing the popular hits of the day and light classical and operatic fare, Deiro composed his own original compositions. In 1911, Deiro wrote the hit song "Kismet" which became the theme song of a successful Broadway musical (1911) and was also featured in two Hollywood movies (1921, 1930). During his lifetime, he recorded more than 110 songs (primarily for Columbia Records, and occasionally for Edison phonograph cylinders). The records were enormously popular, and, along with his vaudeville stardom, helped to propel Deiro to the status of a minor celebrity in American culture.