His songs were recorded by many artists, including Chet Baker, June Christy, Bing Crosby, Marlene Dietrich, Deanna Durbin, Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, Adelaide Hall, Billie Holiday, Beverly Kenney, Bill Kenny, The Everly Brothers, Peggy Lee, Carmen Miranda, Nina Simone, Frank Sinatra, and Dinah Washington.

His first success was with the World War I song "Keep the Love-Light Burning in the Window Till the Boys Come Marching Home", and this also came near the start of a decade-long collaboration with lyricist Jack Caddigan.

After struggling in a variety of jobs, including rehearsal pianist for the Boston Opera House and pianist-song plugger for Irving Berlin's publishing company,[1] in 1921, at the age of 26, McHugh relocated to New York City.

This songwriting partnership marked another of McHugh's many collaborations, among them Ted Koehler ("I'm Shooting High"), Al Dubin ("South American Way") and Harold Adamson ("It's a Most Unusual Day").

Since he had written material for many of Harlem's Cotton Club revues, it would be no coincidence that their first combined success would be the score for the all-black Broadway musical, Blackbirds of 1928,[1][3] [4] starring Adelaide Hall and Bill Bojangles Robinson, which jump-started the fledgling duo's career with the songs "I Can't Give You Anything But Love", "Diga Diga Doo", and "I Must Have That Man".